Try using a hard surface such as sealed slate or some type of stone/tile that you like for the entire room. Perhaps you could do radiant flooring beneath the flooring. If that's out of the question you can add area rugs to soften the look of the hard surfaces and add acoustic properties to the rest of the room.

I like your house, It is quite unusual for a ranch and has a bit of French influence perhaps. Can you move the satelite dish to the back of the house?

Do you have an entry near the driveway? If so, the front door won't be used so much. We used a vinyl plank flooring that looks almost like wood in our entry and is fairly easy to install once you square it, but the floor has to be very smooth, and it is a little hard to cut with a utility knife. It wears really well for water and such in our high traffic area.

I think someday you can extend the eaves above a bit to make a more protected area for the front door, maybe even a little hipped gable dormer above and a porch or pergola.

If this is your only entry day in and day out and you live where you get snow and snow with salt, I think you will have to use tile. If you could get the heating coils underneath it, it may help melt whatever comes in quickly. If you had a larger area or you have another entrance then you could make a small section of tile by the front door picture framed and use wood elsewhere. You said you already have a coat closet, but you may need a bench to sit on when taking off boots, etc. There are tiles that look like wood (well sort of), but I think I would just find a neutral tile you love and define the living space with a carpet leaving the space by the coat closet uncovered.

judyg,

That's an interesting idea, thanks. Though we don't need to use the wall for hooks and such since we'll have a large coat closet near entry, it would definitely offer a visual break.

victorianbungalowranch,

Thanks for your comment! The dish will be going shortly--it's a remnant from previous owners. There is no driveway in front of the entry--it's just a concrete path, which I'd like to replace with stone next year. I love the idea of building out a bit, though I am not sure what a hipped dormer looks like :)

smldesigns,

How does combining wood and tile work? We have floors stripped to plywood right now. I'd assume that we should treat the tiled area with waterproofing barrier first, but I can't see how the two different materials can be laid next to each other. What about the seam between the two?

That sure looks like a driveway to the left of your house. If that is the case, do you have a back door? If not, I would consider putting one in, possibly by converting the window on the side or putting one in the back.

Here are a couple of options to extend the roof in the front to provide a bit of cover. You may need to flatten the slope a little to do so. If you did, I would get rid of the skinny shutters on the big windows.

I think I like it better without the dormer, and it would be cheaper too. The little canopy over the door might be nice in addition to more overhang, but the space is pretty tight.

Wow! Thanks!

May we see what other natural light source you have in this living room? What are the dimensions and focal point? Do you have a rear entry alternative so you don't have to reconfigure your living area?
I think a free standing wall could be your answer. Here are a few ideas for inspiration.

Lots of great suggestions here! Side entrance, freestanding wall, overhang, etc. All I want to add is be careful in your selection of tile. Be sure to get one with some traction. The smooth tile in our entryway is a death trap in wet weather (we hop from rug to rug!).

I have natural maple wood floors with a limestone entry. The lime stone tiles are framed in a darker wood. It would define your entry space. Try placing blue tape the size you might want. It is easier to visualize. If there is enough room, I also like the wall idea as pictured above.

You have to put cement board under the tile- not plywood. I would talk to your home improvement store, to see about type and thickness because you want the tile and finish wood to be level. If you didn't have the plywood down, you could probably tile directly on the cement but certain tiles work better when applied directly to the cement. There is a metal strip that you can get to separate the tile and wood.

The room has large windows overlooking the backyard. The room size is roughly 18' by 24' with 10 foot ceilings. There are entryways to other parts of the house roughly midway on the left and right. Side entrance on the side of driveway is not an option at this time because that's where the bedrooms are and we cannot reconfigure that part of the house--for now. Though I like the idea of a freestanding wall, I am concerned that it'll take away from the room's main asset--the windows and the view. I am wondering if a console table with (tall?) decorative pieces would work as well?

18 by 24 is quite large. I think you could lay it out on graph paper and see if there's a way to section off an entry area without losing the windows. At the same time design the space into functional areas - conversation, tv, workspace or office, etc. Another way to do it is to tape masking tape on the floor and see if the design make sense. Then think about what you want to do to separate it. Is different flooring enough, would a piece of furniture or the furniture arrangement do it or what about a half wall?

Thanks! Really big help!

We had the same thing in a previous house. We tiled a semi-circular area around the door with stone and then transitioned to carpet (we planned to replace the carpet with wood eventually but never got to it.) The curved transition was really effective in creating a foyer in an open room.

1. Outside/inside transition in terms of dirt/water/snow covered shoes and outerwear
2. Cold air and possible rain and snow getting blown inside during fall and winter
3. The aesthetic transition from entry to living space

These 3 points alone make me think the best solution would be to have an enclosed entry made at the front door. but if you need an answer now, I like the idea of a kind of separation wall that you see as soon as you enter the house, and porcelain or ceramic tile with sealed grout from the entrance to the separation wall is the most durable, easy to clean. Just place the separation wall far enough away from the front door for plenty of room for door swing and entrance in general, walk off etc. before carpet is installed beyond it. Also, in lieu of an actual separation wall, that would require construction, ( even if the wall didn't rise all the way to the ceiling - which would look the best if you chose an actual wall ) how about a somewhat long open book/curio shelving with tile at the one side, to the door. and carpet on the other side. That way you are not blocking out light from the window, just delineating space.
For inspiration, and these are rather contemporary in nature see;
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/diego-room-divider/s599517
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/pablo-room-divider/s235485
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/elevate-walnut-68-bookcase/s232452

** you may want something in another color, or need something to be made custom, more traditional, but it would be less expensive than a new exterior entrance for the time being **

You do not have to put cement board under tile that is being laid as a floor. Cement board is used instead of drywall on walls because it doesn't hold water, resists mold growth, and helps seal the wall for water soaking through in shower and tub areas. For floors, you can lay tile directly on the subflooring as long as it is solid. 1/2 ply is not a good subfloor because it has a tendency to bend between floor joists just enough to crack tile.
As for an entry, personally I would look into removing that center window above the door so you could put a small covered entry. It would help prevent wind blown rain and snow from being forced in the front door. It would also provide an area, albeit outside, that you could shake off excess water or stomp off shoes while being covered at least. You could look into removing all the windows in favor of a larger covered porch. I don't believe there is room between them and the door to secure a roof line, though there may be room, and if so a good option.
As for the interior, tile to anything transitions are rather simple. There are numerous commercial products that will cover the seam. For wood flooring the piece will look like a " T ". So one side will be wood and the other tile and each of the materials lay under one side of the top of the T. This creates a uniform transition. For carpet, its usually just a piece of decorative metal that lays over the edge of the carpet and tile that hides the seam.
A lot of older homes face the same issue you are having and often simply have a tile or stone pad just inside the door for you to take off any dirty shoes or coats. I personally dislike the transition and would prefer the entire room done in one type of tile or stone with area rugs to tie together the areas that would need it. However that is my style. If you prefer carpets then the transition area works very well and with the availability of so many tiles and stones, you'll find something you like.

Awesome piece of art!

marinashhh, How about a wall of windows using clear glass? I did this idea for my loft railing because I didn't want spindles.

Or just a knee wall.

It looks as though you have enough floor space to do a mudroom right inside your front door. Build inside the front room. :=) could be great if done right.

Thanks everyone for the great feedback!

I thought about a covrered entry too, but you are pretty close to the street. Do you know what the setback requirements are for your area?

marianashhh, hi again. Take a look at: The Not-So-Big-House books. It is a two book series and full of ideas where people had to use the roof line existing to fill their needs. Some will be rolling their eyes maybe because I suggest the books often. But, they are incredibly useful because Susanka (author) knows understands designing in limited areas and how to make a house more of a home to the owners grounded in budget, weather, and needs.

Have you checked with the building department as to set back lines from the road. If so, how much can you extend ?

I shouldn't do anything to obstruct the beautiful sight lines. I like the idea of limestone inside the door in a sort of 4 x 6 rug configuration, with wood beyond. I also like the idea of a sort of awning-like structure on the outside over the entry way, something free-standing.

Just measured my foyer, and at 7 by 8 and a half feet, it allows plenty of room for getting inside, taking off coats, etc. It holds a bench and a table. For you, take around that much, put great tile down, and find a nice long bench or old church pew to place in front of door. That will establish your foyer, but not block your view.

In the larger corner, I would put a good sized round table with a mirror on that wall. That would reflect your great light, and let you check yourself out before opening the door. The table would provide a spot to drop off mail, purse, hold a lamp or arrangement of branches. And a spot for that all important bowl of Halloween candy!

Liked your idea of: a console table with (tall?) decorative pieces - to work as a screen while allowing view of room and windows - near the closet to right of entry a drop off bench - (shoes and coats in closet) - tile in entry with rug -

pcmom, thanks! I like that idea!

Shatanik, love the rug idea! I love slate tile and we've already bought a bunch of 12x12s but it seemed awkward to have just those big tiles. With your idea, I'll do a diamond pattern and frame it with small tiles.

I'll also check with the building department how far we can bump out toward the street.

Wow, I am so amazed at the support I've received! Thank you everyone!