Weiyan8--we're building just barely over the northern part of the county line, due north of R. We have 1.5 acres and for the first time I am realizing how much yard work I'm going to be doing! Yikes. So, right now in this heat, your .47 acres looks good :-) And you're right--that IS a good sized lot for your area. One house we were interested in there at your sub/div was in the Parade of Homes last year, but the houses were way too close around it. I've probably driven past your house, but because it's still under construction, not paid much attention to it. I drive through when I need ideas--first exterior colors, then front door stain, and now landscape ideas. I'm always driving through yours and H.C. sub/div for ideas because it's so close to our apt. You do have a nice commute, and my husband is going to miss it. (Aren't you glad that road got re-surfaced before you moved in? We had a bad 5-mile stretch--worse than GLTD if you can belive it--that JUST got re-done. Perfect timing). I'll post some pics later. Since our grading was done, the height of our porch is much better, but I don't have a pic of it lately. It looks like you have at least 1 more step than we do. If you have little ones, I'd probably put up the rails--maybe even in my situation, but I don't. It's exciting to get so close to move-in, isn't it? Good luck and hope you enjoy your new home. Tracey

Insofar as arts & crafts style meant honest materials/ design your heavy 6x6 newels/guardrails are fine. By honest materials, I mean shingles and heavy timbers that aren't ashamed about what they are. 20 years previous, Victorians embraced the idea of all forms of sham and pretense. The porch posts were more like table legs writ large. The popular furniture style du jour was expended into the porch, the cornice, and the dormers! If a material could be tortured into a convoluted shape by saw or blade, it was. Or they cast it in plaster and tacked it on. Was it supposed to be emulating ancient stonework? then paint wood it and embed the surface with sand! Instant faux-stone. Things would not always (if ever?) be what they appeared. A&C was a reaction against this, and timber and shingle and natural lines without artifice and pretension were embraced. Your little bungalow is a simple expression of an honest ideal. "Let things be what they are". They _did_ like to use oversize elements, especially on the porch. Think of the huge pyramidal rounded fieldstone piers, and knee-braces and timbered gable decorations. Brutalism is something else entirely. It's about raw unfinished (and intentionally roughened) concrete surfaces. Not 6x6 porch railings. I grew up in a 1938 house that was sort of a stone cape cod and adirondack lodge combo. It had a third-floor interior balcony/catwalk enclosed with 4x6 white pine rails and 6x6 newel posts. Woodsy, but not brutal. The stair treads were solid 6x10's. I should scan the construction photo album from that place some day... Casey

I can post some pictures of the inside. It is very traditional, and that is where the dilemma is. I don't really want a craftsman feel outside, and traditional inside. There is NO way to bring craftsman elements into the house. I was really just wondering about a slightly more relaxed feel to the entrance/columns, not necessarily craftsman, just more casual like the rest of the house's exterior. The round columns are beautiful, but noob's comments tweaked my brain and now I'm thinking the round columns might look contrived. I agree with you, it would be great to have designer to give us direction. And believe me, I have tried to get a good one for this project. We have had two architects to tell us that thickening up the roofline was important to bring balance. I had a landscape designer out, who made a gorgeous plan for the beds and pool area. She mentioned we should remove the columns and replace with wood, but didn't have much else to offer. It's a real problem, like you hinted at, to find the right designer. I've had THREE designers (from remodeling companies) out that can only tell me that what I've drawn is "perfect". Ugh. Being new to the area, it is very difficult to find people who really know what they're doing. It always turns out that we pay for opinions, and get nothing usable. We have designed and built several homes - one can be seen here: www.209colonial.com This is the home we just sold. My husband can build anything, and I do all our wall finishes and fabrics. I'm just not creative at all for this sort of thing. Before we actually commence work, I will have my architect draw the columns and frieze, for sure. The back of the house is coming along fine. The ugly wood balcony and white spiral staircase was removed and the railing was replaced with wrought iron to match the pool fence and gates. The vinyl siding is being replaced with cement board to match the porch and other trim. The pool has been remodeled and is so beautiful - can't wait for spring to use it! So, lots of progress, and yes, it is overwhelming, but I think we can handle it, if we take our time to decide what we want. :-)

Yes, fiberglass. Not diy project but an easy handyman job. However find one who has done it b4 and ck references on those specific column projects. If your columns are structural, they just put a temporary right next to old one BEFORE removing old one, then proceed with replacement. HST, seems like what you have would become invisible if painted same color as house. A very economical update. I think one of those pretty wraparound columns might make the column too much of a feature (chunky). The wrought iron is frilly, yet strong. Then again, big porch stairs will take center stage so wraparound column won't appear chunky. im vacillating but I think I'm leaning towards just painting.