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Front entrance & driveway advice

3 years ago

We’re getting ready to replace our driveway and need help with the front entrance. Our front door faces the driveway and is on the side of the house. Any ideas to make improve the curb appeal or driveway design - thanks

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Comments (7)

Embothrium
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
The entrance has too many levels to negotiate and at least two of these are too small, anything you can do to address that would be desirable. The way the door sits up higher than even the last level (the bricks) and how short that level is would in particular bug me - I'd be catching me feet trying to get through the door there. With it being that even steps on a camper or trailer line up with the bottom of the door.
littlebug zone 5 Missouri
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
The porch roof posts feel like they’re in the way since the porch is so very narrow. Couldn’t you support that tiny roof with braces instead?
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Will the driveway be sloped down to the garage? Having had a driveway with retaining walls, I will tell you that they are a pain in the behind. Especially for visitors, who are likely to bump their fenders or open doors on them. If the driveway has a slope the door banging is all the worse. But if you must, send the driveway along the edge of the property line. Can you widen it? Will visitors usually park in back, by the garage? Then how do they walk around to the front door? You will certainly want to pull the driveway back from the right-hand garage so that the retaining wall allows a car door to open while parked in the driveway. Then provide steps up to the front lawn and around to the front of the house.
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In answer to your query: If you are needing to get from this area to your current front door, I would imagine that you will need steps - a stair arrangement, of some type. But as I mentioned (to some extent) in my previous comment: I am not sure that reorienting the house to put the drive in front is necessarily going to give you more curb appeal, nor will it necessarily make getting to the current front door more convenient, and especially if you have to climb a bunch of steps all the time from the car area. And then there would still be the issue of the current front door facing the fence. I may not be understanding your plan. Plus, since you did not respond to my questions, I have no way of knowing if there is a current back door that can be accessed from current driveway, and if that door could possibly be converted to a front door, and/or if another “front door“ could be created somewhere else, etc., etc. As I mentioned - in my experience, a side drive and back garage, etc. can have many advantages. It is also a classic setup that would seem to fit with the style of your house. At any rate, best wishes to you. I hope @Mark Bischak, Architect will find this post, and possibly have a moment to weigh in with his expertise.
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ginamac000
Original Author
3 years ago
We’re trying to figure out the best design with steps up to a landing level with the front door ...
ginamac000
Original Author
3 years ago
Also thinking of taking some of the lawn out to create a walkway to the front door with steps possibly facing the street 🤷🏻‍♀️
KW PNW Z8
3 years ago
@ginamac000 - I like your idea of removing some of lawn to create a walkway along the driveway- that was my first thought when I looked at pictures! Maybe in a different material than driveway so attention is drawn to it. And, maybe not make the walkway a straight line border & line it on lawn side with planting bed. Steps leading to a landing level seems like good idea but if the landing area in front of entry door isn’t level with driveway it seems to create a trip hazard for getting out of car on driver side. Because of that I think an exterior design expert needs to be in your future. You haven’t shown us the entire front view of your home so can’t offer any specific design suggestions.
ginamac000
Original Author
3 years ago
Picture of entire front of house
calidesign
3 years ago
The biggest issues are the too small brick step and the too small square step. Taking out grass isn't going to help you. I would remove the brick next to the door, and replace it with concrete when you redo your driveway. Then extend the landing area to the left of the door, and make a concrete step that spans the entire doorway. For the lower step, make it as wide as the whole area of the porch.

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