Here is another view of the porch/house

i would think you'd want the riser to be brick that matches the house and the tread to be some kind of hard rock.

i'm curious what others think.

great home, by the way!

Thanks, we have been working on it since February 2009. Paying as you go takes a lot longer :-(

What should the railing/sides look like? Should I build a flat (height of the porch) side wall, sloping or multi-level?

I would go with stone or wood steps.

For the railing, a proper balustrade with rails and balusters is the solution...but keep them as low as possible so it won't look so out of scale as modern alterations do.

Sloping walls as railings are for bungalow-style houses, or shingle style...I don't get that vibe from your design, so it would not look right for the house. Study some period plan books for ideas, you can find some online or from Dover Books.

Are those columns the final size, or the centers for the final ones? They are too skinny for the look you are aiming at.

The columns will be 10" (possibly 12") wide , those are only the 6x6 supports.