It's nice to see you addressing the exterior early in the project. The old school of thought was to work your way room the inside out. We promote dressing up the outside early. if you are living in it it gives you a sense of pride in the project and is inviting for you or guests. I would suggest a natural stone walk. Durable, popular and timeless. The shrubs do need to go, for something smaller and with more character. Big green shrubs are not so popular these days and they can detract from the beauty of your home. I would cover the door with a porch that is small and delicate, again not to detract from the home itself or hide your door and lights.

roses, pathways and a gazebo. can you convert that mud room into to a porch? not much for a deck on an old Victorian, or a pergola on the back/side door unless you can carry it around.

Can you take another photo and get more of the house?

This is pretty for a side entrance. I would replace the door, and I love your idea of a pergola! [houzz=]

Having a roof over your door is always a good idea to (1) give you cover while you search for your keys, fumble your groceries, etc., and (2) to prevent weather from getting inside when the door is open. Seems like natural wood tones would compliment what you have going on in terms of color. Check out a similar project we did a few years back...the new Entry adds a lot of character to an otherwise plain house.

Many great ideas here! :-) One thing to ask yourself when designing exterior as well as interior is "What do I want it to 'say'?" In other words, in my opinion your farmhouse speaks to cottage style; cottage plantings, other cottage elements. (But we can't see much of the rest of the house, so I might be advising in the wrong direction.) Depending on the style you want it to resemble, you can go lots of directions.

I personally see it with a low deck, bordered by cottage flower plantings right next to the deck as well as carrying them out to the end of the sidewalk.

There's a great new magazine that just came out called "Porches and Gardens". Its first issue is chocked full of wonderful ideas for all types of style homes/gardens.

Great suggestions! I will take a better photo of the rest of the house. What is very interesting is that there is a cottage in the back. I really like the cottage ideas and asking what we want the landscaping to "say". FYI - the rest of the area is a subdivision. This was the original farmhouse that came with lots of land that was eventually sold off for development. The other houses in the neighborhood are the typical cookie-cutter subdivision homes. They are very well-kept with lovely gardens. Our house was obviously neglected for decades.

The door is new and cannot be replaced. The mud room is actually a laundry room. We cannot change the interior layout nor the entry. This house was used as a real estate office in its last reincarnation.

The shrubs seem really old and too "woody". Need something that is low-maintenance because I have a black thumb and mostly kill things. I would like to plant lavender, which supposedly can grow in this zone.

If you have a temperate climate, then a pergola would be very pretty. It isn't as practical as a covered porch or entry, especially if you don't have a bit of a green thumb and time to work with it now and then with pruners. So glad to hear it is going to be loved once again.

What planting zone are you? You're saying lavender and that's gorgeous! So it tells me you're further south than I am here in ND. Here in our zone 3 it's used as an annual but if you're a higher zone, then it would be a terrific perennial. Also another plant that works well (probably in your zone too) is rosemary which can grow to shrub like proportions.

Hollyhocks are very cottagey...I'd call them the iconic cottage plant :-) They'll grow anywhere. They are considered a biennial which means they grow for 2 years then die. But they self-seed so you always have them growing. Many different varieties and colors too! One caveat: they self-seed everywhere so if they seed themselves somewhere you don't want them, pull them early to avoid letting them get too overgrown.

Other cottage plants are simple things like daisies (also self-seeding), day lilies are always wonderful and grow nearly everywhere. They grow then can be divided and you get a lot of bang for the buck. Plus there are so many varieties in many colors too!

Depending on your light conditions other very cottage plants (also appropriate for the age of your home) are hostas, hydrangeas, peonies, bridal wreath spirea, etc. Ooooh the list goes on and on. Many of the ones I've mentioned are quite care free....even for 'black thumb' people. ;-) You can always buy pots of flowers prearranged at your garden centers. Then all you have to do is water them. Those places (even ones like Lowes/Home Depot/etc.) stock plants that will grow well in your zone and should be quite easy care.

You can still construct a pergola but don't put climbing vines on it...if you would prefer not to tend to them/trim them much.

You are quite lucky to have this lovely home in a 'cookie-cutter' division. Make it wonderful :-)

P.S. The door looks fine to me... I'd recommend painting it a different color though. It's style seems to work well enough with the rest of the home...at least what we can see of it.

We are in zone 6a. Plant suggestions much appreciated. Forgot to mention that we have a deer problem. I read that deer do not like lavender, so that is a bonus.

Is it possible to add windows to this area? It would certainly add more charm if the interior can work with that. Im sure you'd like more natural light, most do anyway.

Yes! I definitely can see this house with more 'wild' landscaping, not formal or manicured. Lavender, prairie flowers....etc....black eyed susans would look great. By the way, I love the purple door.

Hi! Have you considered a wreath for the door?

http://deciture.com/personalized-18-wreath-ivory-hydrangeas-white-monogram-burlap-bow/

http://deciture.com/personalized-18-wreath-ivory-hydrangeas-moss-monogram-burlap-bow/

Hope this helps you!

I would bring in a landscape designer to help with the concept. The first thing to do is to remove all of that large shrubbery then start with a new paver or stone walkway with a simple stoop and maybe a small pergola of the door.

that is spot on!!

Immediately inside the door is a laundry room, so no place to add a window to this side of the house. Removing the large, ancient shrubbery is a first priority. Actually, it is there to hide the fact that we have no proper entry. As soon as we know exactly what we will do, they will go. Landscape designer is a great idea. Always good to consult with pros, but also like getting a wide range of ideas.

I like the purple door. It adds character. This is the main door you use, so it needs to have a shelter overhead from rain and enough space on the porch so that you can find your keys or set down a bag of groceries. Stone walks are all very well for rarely used paths, but a straight approach and flat surface to walk on when bringing in groceries or kids is easier.


Try purple salvia for landscaping, too, if it grows there. Deer in some places don't care for it.

I don't like the color of this pergola and deck but something like this may work for you.

For those who wanted to see a more inclusive photo to get a better idea of the space, I have uploaded. I have so many ideas in my head thanks to your great suggestions.

wrap a porch over to the left, and add a pergola ....now that i see it all...

Good photo, thanks. Any ideas what the shrubs are, if they bloomed already?

You don't want a window in your laundry room? I really think it would improve the exterior appearance...and you just may want some sunshine while doing chores.

No clue what the shrubs are - seems that they have been there forever. This is a new house for us. The branches are getting very woody at the bottom. Haven't seen any flowers - they are evergreens.

The laundry room just about fits the washer and dryer with just enough space for a laundry room. Good that I am used to having laundry in a closet.

Never thought about extending a porch and pergola to the right side of the house. That's a very interesting idea. There is a sidewalk that goes along the right side of the house and around to the front

Flowers for you ; )

Finally, we finished the deck. We still have some landscaping to do, but thought I would upload a photo of the finished project. Input from others here at Houzz helped us come up with a design. We still need to add some plants and hanging baskets.

And this is the entry in an earlier life. [https://www.houzz.com/discussions/help-with-entry-deck-porch-design-dsvw-vd~1005564[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/help-with-entry-deck-porch-design-dsvw-vd~1005564)