Go back to the open porch if at all possible. Is there room for an armoire in the hallway?

If you don't want to reopen the porch just replace the jalousie windows with casements with grids (if the other windows on the front of the house have grids - I can't tell because of the lighting in the pictures). Paint the siding a less yellow color. You could go lighter (cream) or darker (taupe). Then think about whether the front door is the right color.

Thank you for the replies!!

Hallett & Co - I don't have room for an armoire as it's a little shoebox of a house (I prefer "jewel box"). I could maybe manage a coat rack? Do you envision a brick column like neighbor to the left or something unique?

kandrewspa - I'm not attached to any of the colors - do you have door color advice?

Full disclosure I'm a preservationist so I would 100% go back to what was there since you have the example of what to do mere feet away. Go unique on your front door color. Coatrack sounds fine in this situation

My neighbor said he covered what used to be a round (and rotting) wooden column with the brick because covering wouldn't require a big to-do with a permit etc. the way replacing would. Maybe I need to see what's under the siding first...

If you go back to the unenclosed porch it should look like the neighbor's. Are the original porch pillars still there, enclosed in drywall and siding maybe?

For the front door, SW Black Fox or Urbane Bronze might work. The only way you're going to know for sure is by sampling. You'll need to decide on this in conjunction with the siding color. You can make it easy on yourself by painting the siding a lighter color on a strip of paint chips and the door the darkest color. If you want to do something different there is probably a shade of green that would work. Maybe SW Hunt Club. Is there a neighbor's house that has a door color you like?

oh my goodness I love Black Fox - not what I imagined at all. What about the part of the roof that's painted green now? (I think it's called a soffit?) Should that be the same color as the door? Should I go to white like my neighbors'?

I really appreciate this advice.

Perhaps walk around neighbourhood and see what others have done with their closed-in porches. Decide if storage (for more than coats) is important. Then get estimates to remove/create porch or just update, plus the permits and timeframe.

Figuring all this out first will help in your decision.

How deep is the orch. Could you split the difference?

Here's what popped up on Pinterest when I typed in "vintage yellow brick attached townhouse." There are some great examples on there that might guide your choices. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/350717889703029196/

I personally love the--idea of an open porch--so neighborhood-friendly. People in some neighborhoods rediscovered their front porches during Covi]d confinement. A porch is a halfway meeting zone, and you have a perfect example right next door to you.

Some creative tight entryways:

Brooklyn Entryway · More Info

Sunny and Bright Living Room · More Info

Link to no closet entryway:

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/9-creative-ways-to-organize-your-coats-and-hats-by-the-door-when-you-dont-have-a-coat-closet-239859

Functionthenlook - the idea of mini corbels is so adorable! I made a crude rendering with mini corbels and a Black Fox door (plus a transom window) and it's so cute!!

I have to admit I'm even more ambivalent about open porch vs. mudroom now than when I started but I have a lot of ideas to work with!

We ended up creating a porch and using a tiny armoire inside for coats. Thanks for everyone's help!!

Stunning transformation! Can you show us a photo from farther back?

Thank you for posting the “after”. It looks amazing! Love the wood and cooper.