Ah...a wing wall...that's what it's called? My handy many suggested something like that saying he's seen them in some neighborhoods ...but it seemed odd so we talked about adding a "box" behind the wall to create some storage. Anyone know if you need a foundation for that??? He was talking like you didn't but if I wanted to extend the roof line, surely you would. Any idea what something like that would cost??? Does anyone have photos of such a thing? I've googled and looked at a ton of links but nothing has photos and I'm having a hard time imagining. Brent - You're right that the door opens up into the dining room...it can be moved right (from the street view) a little and still provide a clear view to the back of the house when you walk in. This seems important so as to not feel closed in. But, I'm not sure it's worth all that effort. Alternatively, I'd thought about moving the door to the middle of the room and moving the table (which is now behind the window) flush to the wall where the current door sits...(flush left when looking from the street) maybe with a banquette seat or something. But, then people would come in and see a wall...and that doesn't seem effective. I'd love to add a little foyer that juts out toward the street...something with a gable...but am sure that I would have to appeal the current rules since such a thing would jut out past my next door neighbors. It would, as noted above, be a crap shoot since they seem to deny these a lot. What would be the least deep foyer I could get away with, in your minds? And, you all may be right in that it's not worth the money. I struggle with this. My neighborhood is less than lovely BUT it has great location....it's just that none of the folks in town with money know it. Seriously...I'm so close to lots of great things and only about 10-15 min from work via neighborhoods but the area is not developing in the way other parts of town are...but I think it will have to in the next 5-10 years. Prices have increased dramatically so we would really have to commute if we wanted to buy a new place with more space and I'm not sure I want to. (The thought of it is exhausting) But, in my neighborhood, prices still range from 80K (for tiny 1000sf homes to 100K). It's mostly immigrants moving in, which I like. But, if we did sell, resale value would be pretty tight, I'd think. We do hope to add a bath onto the right side of the house...although it would come off the second bedroom so it would be back from the line of the house. That might, in face, make the house seem even more lopsided. What seems the best *reasonable* option? Thanks, everyone.

Deckbarn, 1)There is no way ONE 'painter' stained ALL the WHITE and ALL the TAN on that deck w two coats(one done before install) in one week.. NOT with a brush...Were you there? Do you see brush marks? I'm calling BS on that....and as I said before, I painted for quite a few years and yes sir I was the 'trim &detail girl' so whether your hand is good or not.... whether you are a fast OR slow brusher- didn't no ONE MAN done do ALL that trim in one week.... PERIOD...... 2)Please post CLOSE UPS of your deck so I can see the seams and how all deck components marry together...neatly?? Gapping?? Any big messy caulk beads? Pine is soft and wet......so ummmm... I'd love CLOSE UP PICS Mr. Puffy. And would love to see your RED Trex decking,top rail,etc. up close so I can see if it's blotchy like it looks in the pics...and I want to see the red Trex top rail and what I assume is face screwed decking.. just to see how what the overall look is.UP CLOSE 3)yeah Deckbarn, i know painters use ladders...I don't know any PAINTER that would want to work on the top of your gazebo. It's an awkward reach.... and on a crazy pitch. 3)My deck cost is $20,000..(thevinyl fence surround on the second floor will put it over $20,000.The RDI Novalign PVC railing is a HUGGGE part of the cost.... I don't want your wood railings.I'm sure you could do my deck for $15,000, but NOT with the material I want to use and YOU ain't doing it anyway.. You would give the job to whoever is the hungriest for work.... PERIOD 4)brace yourself for this Puffy... I live five miles outside Manhattan...People who do 'labor' here get paid more bc it costs more to live here...Are you 30 miles out of Detroit???? Go closer toward the city and it's different.....My house is 120 years old...I am essentially the 'contractor' for all renovations...I research materials before a project starts and then get recommendations from each guy within his specialty. I oversee a master electrician,plumber,and a carpenter.(all three have minimum 30 years experience) I'm sure I could find a guy who only does decks,but it's NJ and what some people call 'straight and finished' is not what I call 's and f'... My carpenter building the deck is highly skilled and you know what??? Money isn't everything... I would rather blow an extra $4000 to be able to sleep at night and know I can make modifications or change materials as we go along....... It's worth it to me... THERE IS NOTHING on my house that is plumb,straight,cookie cutter....I don't want to stain friggin ANYTHING anymore.... I don't want to paint ANYTHING anymore.... PRETEND I'm your customer. You aren't even listening to me.. You are still stuck on promoting a deck the way that is the most profit for you... I know it sux that synthetic railings dip into your profit.....That's life.. But my dear, synthetics are the future on decks.... You should embrace it instead of promoting your BOTTOM line number on building a deck...Someone always pays...and your middle class customer w 3 kids and both working doesn't want to stain or Good Golly have to find someone to stain it in 4 years.....staining railings is a pain in the bum.. YOU know it.. admit it... Have you ever looked at a roof when they smacked it on with a large crew??? The more hands that drop shingles the worse it looks.. I like one hand on my projects... Just a matter of preference....

The path and distance from the kitchen to either location is about the same. You would definitely have better daylight into your great room and breakfast space AND kitchen without the covered portion behind the great room Yeah, those are my biggest reasons for thinking it'd work ... and while the porch is the subject of debate at this moment, I'd prioritize those three interior spaces over the covered porch. I'd put a small covered portico out the great room, with a patio pad, then a path over to the porch around the breakfast bay. A deep over hang ... yes, I hadn't thought about that, but I definitely agree. But more than a patio pad; we're thinking of a fairly large patio, which would join with the covered porch. That seems like a lot of zigging. Have you considered moving the pantry down? Or, making the desk at the pantry and a window. I don't get the zigging thing. I hadn't considered moving the pantry down ... but now it's seeming like a good idea to put the porch door next to the breakfast room. However, I definitely want to keep the desk at the end ... my husband likes to talk on the phone loudly and listen to music loudly; as a result, he likes the idea of being allllll the way at the end of the room. How would the house be sited? Ie where would north/south/east/west be? Back faces South. I don't think I'd want to have guests traipsing through my utility area though. No concerns. People'd only go through when it's bad weather, and this area's laid out to be kept pretty neat. Are you married to having the breakfast nook - looks pretty small to me or would you consider re-adjusting the kitchen and cut that bump out off and move the porch so you'd enter from the kitchen area instead? Yes, married to the nook; it's a comfortable size for the table I already own, and we want to have a small spot for just the two of us -- this is our retirement house. Yes, adjusting the kitchen, but I'm already very happy with those choices. I'll chime in Mrs. Pete because you've been so helpful to many others here (and I hope you're a fast typist!!!)... Ha-ha, I type like the wind. Seriously, sometimes my students comment on it. ... normal circulation paths and therefore can be used on impulse. I'm not quite getting the point. If that access point is kept, right now it's nearly in the center of the porch. That makes sense, and it's not something I had considered. Thanks, all, for your thoughts, and I'm open to others.

There's a lot you can do with the front yard and steps depending on your cost. Like others have suggested, you might want to put in wider steps, maybe do stone steps with a paver pathway out to the driveway. I would encourage planting some grasses off to the right of the steps if your facing the house, not to close to the steps, and maybe put some small flowers in a bed around the grasses. It also could look good to run a flower bed from near the step across the front of your home and along the retaining wall. As for the large open space in the front and side of your yard there are so many options. You can do a few different flower beds to break up the area, including one farther out towards the curb with a tree in it to add some closure to your yard if you want. You could do planter boxes along the side of the house if you like gardening to help get some elevation away from critters. There even looks like enough space to do a small circle patio with firepit if you really want out in the middle area 45 degrees and 30-40 ft out from the retaining wall if you want though it would lack some privacy being in the front yard. So many options. Ultimately I'd check out some local landscape design firms or contractors portfolios to get some more visual ideas.