What color are you painting the house?

I sure would not mic brass and copper and right now the mailbox sort of just diappears why bring attention to it at all. The only potted things on either side of the door will need to be fake topiary since any pot the right sze to grow stuff will be too big. IMO alarge pot on either side at the bottom of the steps would be better than those round shrubs Then do seasonal plantings in the pots and even Christmas decor for areal nice look.

@HU-187528210 the color in the picture. Was like an orange kinda color before

Your porch is very nice and has plenty going on visually...it doesn't need more areas of interest. So....whatever finish you decide for the light fixture (I would go with bronze or black rather than brass) do the same finish for the mailbox. Add color in your wreath and bowl planter (add hanging plants to this along with colorful filler) instead of plants on either side of the door. Then, your porch looks like a perfect place to hang a porch swing in front of the window.

Also - rethink your landscaping to make the entry more welcoming. A new landscape design - with color, texture, and various sized plants - would help. Make sure the new plantings will cover the area underneath the porch:

@S J There are actually some hooks over there where a porch swing once was! Would prob be pretty easy to hang one up. I think you're right about the landscaping. What I have there now is too crowded for the area. Those are trimmed down hyragneas in the back and they get really big in the summer.

I put together a quick mood board. What does everyone think of this direction?

Thinking that orange pain color and dark stain for the trim are too dark for the white stone. I'd go in a gray-blue direction with white trim.

House is being painted now, so that is set in stone. Just looking for decor advice…

Paint color is SW Fresco Cream and Turkish Coffee

This is what it looked like before…

This might be a better color scheme for your home. The trim is too dark and the color of the stucco isn't quite right.

@BeverlyFLADeziner okay, thanks for letting me know. The fascia all around our house is that brown and would be very expensive to replace, so we're sticking with brown. We like this stucco color. I'm only looking for porch decor feedback.

Sorry, I thought all that trim was wood and it was stained.

If it is wood it can be stained with opaque wood stain.

Thoughts on mailbox? I'm leaning the less modern one. Feel like it goes better with the house…

First one

Porch swing lighter than brown deck or same color?

Honestly, I would not add a porch swing. I read you have the hardware for it already there, but I would prefer two slender chairs looking out with a small table between them.

I like the first mailbox, too. Why are you trimming the hydrangeas so severely? Let them grow and look beautiful, or move them somewhere else where they will get some afternoon shade.

@woodrose that pic is from like late March after I cut them back. Just using it as my Photoshop base image. They're all grown out right now.

Personally, I love porch swings. Is there room for it to face forward (out towards the street) - or does it have to be hung over on the right side (and face towards the front door)? Porch swings can be hung in a manner so the actual amount of "swing" is limited (= it doesn't hit your house). It would be nice if it could face out towards the street.

If it has to be on the right side (facing towards the front door) - is there room for another chair and small side table over by the front door?

I would like the lighter stained porch swing - IF you add something else with that lighter stain in order to tie it in - like maybe some tall thin planters on your porch (right next to the posts) - but I can't tell how wide the stairs/entry onto the porch is. If you can repeat the stain somewhere else, it would just stick out - so, the darker one seems like a better choice (you can add a colorful cushion on the swing).

Have you thought about doing a little bit deeper hanging "bed" instead of a regular swing? I've seen some really cute ones - they have a bunch of fun outdoor pillows on them + allow for snuggling on them with kids.

I've looked up fresco cream - what does it look like on the exterior of your house? The photos I've seen have a fairly strong orange tone to it. Post a photo of the front of the house if the painting is finished.

I definitely thing the more traditional mailbox works better with the style of your home.

I think the front door color is the issue and needs to be the focal point. Remove the wreath and what about Sage Green? The flower pot in terra cotta or black.

Here is a rough sketch. This green is an approximation for concept.

Your home is very charming and looks well-cared-for. I think the addition of sage green in @tracefloyd’s sample above is perfect.

The painting is done and we're really loving the new refreshed look. This first pic is what I settled on (for now). I might add some additional pots later on. I want the design to be universal throughout the year so all I have to do is swap out the wreath and doormat depending on the season/holiday.

The copper pot will go on the stoop by my stair railing. I will explore porch swing/seating options for the other side next year.

The black pendant and black mailbox look way better than the dusty old pieces I had before.

Thank you everyone for helping me get to this point!

The paint job looks good.

Oops I just read no comments on paint color after I proposed the Sage door.

Your monochromatic look is nice, but the front door recedes too much with the dark color similar to the trim. You need a focal point and if not a brighter color for the door, and any decor on the porch is semi-hidden.

Wreaths should be displayed really only on holidays. Otherwise they look left over...to me anyway.

This is a dilemma.

@tracefloyd yeah…the recession of the door is a bit of a concern (it goes back about 10in). I originally wanted to put the planters up there on that ledge that goes back, but seemed a little cramped against the door—plus they would have to be really small planters. I'm just going to push those bigger planters as far back as I can.

Unfortunately, the door color has to stay the same for now. I agree it's not a huge contrast from the new ceiling and porch color (both were lighter before). It looks better in person, especially during the day when the sun is out.

I don't mind wreaths throughout the year. We had a white summery wreath on there before and it really popped against the red door.

This is the color of the stucco, trim, and front door…

Thanks for the response. However, I meant the color recedes visually.

I think black accents like big black glazed pots and black decor would help brighten the door just by contrast as well as add some gravitas to the facade.

I think it's okay to have smaller pots in brighter colors along with the big ones placed around them-- and on the door ledge to be admired close up would be fine in this concept.

No tall topiaries that would hide the Rockwood Red. I would show off that color..move them further apart.

Here is how it turned out…

Now that the left side is coming together, I have questions about the right side…

There is an old brown ceiling fan there now. Because the new hanging lamp is black, should the fan also be black?

In terms of a seating area:

• My wife wants a dark brown hanging porch swing (there are hooks in the ceiling already and it would face the mailbox side of the porch)
• I'm thinking two nice chairs (facing the street) would be better with a coffee table between them (centered over that fan area, pushed up against the stone wall)
• What color or material would look best for seating and a table?
• Maybe an outdoor rug under the porch swing/seating area?

Thank you, everyone!

Not a pro ... but to me porch swings remind of my grandmothers time, and look kind of hokey, and I'm in my 80's. Two nice chairs with a coffee table much more elegant. Like how it turned out including your door and decor, lovely cozy home.

Looks beautiful!

As I have mentioned earlier, not a fan of the porch swing, but then again happy wife, happy life.

Think about a white swinging bench. The white trim around the door and the white planters would have a counterpoint on the right hand side.

A white fan would create the rule of threes (white door decor, white swing, white fan) and add cohesion for the porch as a whole.

Are you replacing the Craftsman light fixture? Because the house reads more Cottage to me. European influence...like a Chalet even.