Let me give it some thought. I agree that some superficial architectural changes might be in order, and I assume you are not thinking to paint your nice brick..?
I'll check back in soon.

Okay...here is a rough sketch of how you might approach a revamp of your porch. I think your problem is proportion and finish more than color.

In this idea, wooden steps would be built from your front door to the leading edge of your porch, and then the entry stair continued out the front. You would add a walkway to the left to connect to your driveway, and add landscaping to emphasize the entry, soften the front of the porch, and tie the house to the yard. Your columns would be replaced with larger, correctly tapered ones, and a simple railing and balusters added between them.

Trim would be added to your doorframe, and large carriage lamps installed on either side. An architrave would be added above the columns to complete the entablature (that's the base of the triangle of your porch roof).

The trim, and the columns and balusters and risers of the stairs would be white, and the handrail and treads the same dark color chosen for your shutters.

I think you would transform the look of your house with these changes.

bronwynsmom, you amaze me. I've never seen word 'entablature' here. And the drawing...just incredible!

I agree that kjmama's house needs front steps and bigger columns--there would be a great opportunity for landscaping a curving walk in that front yard up from the driveway to connect the house to its large yard...but I wasn't clear on what you wrote on one point: would you be in favor of keeping the large porch roof white? It seems too disjointed to me.

and kjmama, I'm wondering why you painted the door red on a brick house? Sorry if I missed the original thread on this -- I've been gone recently.

Love the sketch, these changes would look amazing. I also agree about the steps and right size columns.
I think the white roof looks disjointed because it is the only white besides the columns on the house, I think the front door and shutters should be white also.

The facade of the porch roof looks overwhelming because it's the only white mass, but it is okay...and even preferable, I think, to keep it white.

In the idea I suggest, the white of the larger columns, the beefed-up door trim, the additional shadow lines of the architrave, and the white stair risers and window frames should balance all that white above. the front door would become the center of a much larger composition, which would also improve the balance.

I agree that red might not be the best door choice. I think the shutters and the door would look very nice in shiny black, particularly with the improved lighting. It's a classic choice, particularly in a lovely pastoral setting like yours.

Although I didn't show one, I'd also add a good polished brass door knocker, like this one.

This is a Baldwin Brass knocker, and very spendy...but that's the style I'd choose for your door, and if it were me, I'd bite the bullet and buy a good one like this, with a finish that will last.

Ah, o.k., I see it more now with your added details. Still could easily see going with a warmer white, though, at least, on all the parts you mention, maybe even a cream, to connect it to the brick a bit more and not make the house so stark.

We need a photoshopper here...

---trying to manifest photoshopper---

Yes, I agree that a warmer white would be a good idea.

If you have access to the Martin Senour/Pratt & Lambert Williamsburg colors, there are two that are particularly nice with brick..."Williamsburg Courthouse White" (#CW714), or "Outside White" (#CW712) both have an elegance to them without going toward beige, which can just look dingy.

And if you'd rather not use black, that same range has a wonderful very dark neutral brown that's almost black, but softer, called "Chowning's Tavern Brown" (#CW121)

Hi everyone! Thanks for your thoughts. Thank you Bronwynsmom for the paint colors and the sketch, I will check out those colors. The sketch is so pretty - Makes me want to live there - HaHa Oh and the knocker is great. Thanks for the link.

Actually, last year I presented this house for some curb appeal help. We just had bought the house.Everyone had such GREAT suggestions. Also, I asked squirrelheaven to help me and she did some great photoshopping and talked me through some very similar ideas. We recently met with a contractor, and he suggested the same - columns, rail....:) We are ON to something:) We have spent the last year renovating the inside as much as we could afford and may soon turn to the outside. We still aren't living here, so it has been difficult to make quick progress.

Anyhow, flyleft, one quick change we made was to paint the front door. It was dingy black and needed attention. We chose red. I like it, but since we've painted it, I have noticed it really just blends in and hides. So I am really wanting to repaint it when we do the columns, rail and shutters.

I am not crazy about the black shutters. They just seems to be harsh to me. I am at a loss and don't want to pick something I have to redo - again:)

So, the other day, I saw browynsmom commenting on paint colors for the Garrsion house. She said you need 3 colors and white and black to make it work. I thought, well, then we are missing 2, maybe that is part of the problem. I wondered what she would suggest. SO here we are:)

Also, I had a member suggest a warm white, but I wasn't sure what that would be. The paint color that is there now we have determined is Andersen white, which looks grey next to white white. I wondered would a more tan white look odd with the dark grey roof and the grey mortar. Is there a way to warm that up without clashing?

Flyleft, here are the precious photoshopped pictures Squirrel made for me last year. They gave me hope:) - as you all do everyday! Thank you for helping me with our home!! From one with little design/architecture sense - it means the world!

Many blessings

You may be able to click on them to enlarge, i think....

Here is a link that might be useful: curb appeal discussion

One more

squirrelheaven never ceases to amaze me!

I vote for a siding/trim color more on the creamy tan side, with white accents to go with the guttering. Charleston Green shutters and door. Add the accents to the door and larger side lights.

The three colors include the color of your brick, so in my scheme there would be only two paint colors, and a third for the door if you wanted it different. I like Squirrel's slightly buff coloring of the siding in front against the white trim, but I still vote for dark shutters. That's my particular bias, though.

I think it's too funny that you already had my idea in hand! If you go ahead, do take care that the columns are big enough. Do a little research on classical proportion in relation to height...the mistake most people make is to make them too skinny. And do also make sure that they have the correct taper...you can get ones that don't taper, but they just look like huge soda straws.

And, not to sound like a broken record, spend the money for a few hours of a good architect's time to set up the scheme... the proportions, the relative width of the steps, and the choice of railings will make all the difference.

Bronwynsmom -
LOL on soda straws:) What is architrave?
Interesting about the wooden steps, I wouldn't have thought of that - and for them to go with the shutters - interesting.
It is amazing what little changes can do!
Thanks again! SO much

Bronwynsmom -
LOL on soda straws:) What is architrave?
Interesting about the wooden steps, I wouldn't have thought of that - and for them to go with the shutters - interesting.
It is amazing what little changes can do!
Thanks again! SO much

Bronwynsmom -
LOL on soda straws:) What is architrave?
Interesting about the wooden steps, I wouldn't have thought of that - and for them to go with the shutters - interesting.
It is amazing what little changes can do!
Thanks again! SO much

The architrave is the horizontal beam that runs along the top of a row of columns. In classical architecture, it is the bottom part of the entablature, which is the whole assembly between the column capitals and the top of the roof... there is a frieze above the architrave (sometimes decorated with carving or bas relief, sometimes not), and then the cornice at the top.

In my view, all the horizontal surfaces of your porch and steps should be the same color. I can't tell what your porch surface is made of, but if it is stone or concrete or tile, I'd have the treads of all your steps match that (if it's concrete, you can paint that, too), and have the risers the white of the trim.

You could make the steps brick, but I think you have enough brick already, and a brick staircase requires more underpinnings than a wooden one would. You'd also have to match your brick exactly for it to look right.
The wood requires proper lumber, priming, and painting at the beginning, and has some maintenance requirements, but if you keep up with it, it's nothing very demanding.