A couple of years ago, I moved into my current house: a post-war rancher, built in 1947. It is a small, sweet house that has served me well. While a rancher, it still has several details that create more of a "bungalow" feel inside. I really love my home.

My first impression of the house has not changed, however. Upon first seeing my home, I felt that the front porch looked unfinished and strange. I recently met the original owner's daughter, who shared an old picture of the house with me. As you can see, there used to be a small roof over the front door and an iron railing that went around the side. This has inspired me want to finally do something about my porch.

I want to do some work on my front porch to make it more functional and inviting. I want it to look like it was always there and not an obvious addition. Something with a period-appropriate or "cottage" feel would be important. I live in an old neighborhood and many of the other houses are pretty much unchanged from their original states. I am open to any ideas, however unexpected they may be. I have thought about enclosing the porch with brick, but it is so hard to find a good match to the existing brick on the home. I need some fresh ideas. Changing the roof line, adding a gable, etc doesn't scare me! Bring it on, Houzz! :)