Center a large statue, fountain, or flower urn & line the edges of the tiny courtyard with lush ferns. I think painting your door white will make it disappear.

Oh my!! I wish I had your dilemma! That little courtyard-like area is the coolest thing! Here's what I would do:

1) Replace the 3 dining room windows with a single picture window like the one on the adjacent wall. Can't you just imagine how sleek and stunning the view of that little outside area would be with two identical picture windows framing it?!
2) Remove the little trees in the very front and any other plants you do not want in the courtyard area and transplant them in different locations. That will open the area up some and allow you and your visitors to see your new upgrades once complete.
3) I would leave the larger stones as is and either add additional rocks or stones to the dirt areas or fill in with new plants or groundcover.
4) I love motherbear's fountain/statue idea and since you already have spot- uplights, your new structure will look just as stunning at night!
5) I agree painting your front door trim white would look nice and once you done that, you may find you like the existing wood color of the front door. (I really like it). If not, black would be a nice transition with the white trim.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

I agree with much that "apilaries" suggested! Courtyards are such fun. Although the rest of your trim is white (in the photos), the wood tones are distinctive to the house's style, more than the white which disappears next to the wall color.

The 3 windows at the back of the courtyard are out of place, so changing them into another picture window would blend the whole. Or put in French doors to step out into the courtyard.

The natural stone is nice, but the whole thing should be paved in it, all the plants removed, and have plants in pots -- very large pots if necessary. One of those would be sufficient, with an interesting tree. Or build loggia over the courtyard to continue the "ribs" of the porch. Sketch it out before committing.

As for the two rock collections on either side of the front step, it would work well as a continuation of the flagstones from the courtyard with more elegant greenery - topiary trees, tall yews, flower mini-trees, in interesting pots. There are a lot of textures going on, although none of them are creating a whole vignette.

Actually, the front door is very elegant and has potential. I don't much care for the textured glass in the sidelights and fanlight. They cheapen the look. I agree: a glossy black door with a gold doorknocker would be impressive. Read up on the "character" of different front door colors.

And add a different light -- hang something down that goes with the door.

About the doorjam -- it looks like it's floating above the porch floor. There should be something you can have done that will anchor that doorframe.

Remove tall shrubs to open courtyard area and add water feature. Replace potted plants with large urns. Restain wood door and could add interesting address numbers to the door or post. Change to raindrop glass surrounding door area. Change to large door hardware. Add light fixture.

Stain or paint the door, replace the glass on the side an top of the door. Paint the trim white. I would replace the three small windows and the picture window with mullioned windows. Remove the tree and cover the little courtyard with flagstone. Place a bistro set or a potted small tree ( a lemon tree or a small crape if your climate allows it) in the middle of the courtyard. Get a bottle of wine and enjoy.

I forgot the mailbox, that mailbox got to go.

Thank you all so much! I was not thinking of this as a "good problem to have", but am now. Here are two photos of the full exterior of the house. We live in the San Francisco Bay Area in an area that was formerly an orchard. There are hundreds of fruit trees in the neighborhood, so a citrus tree is a definite possibility (thought it may be too shady in the courtyard). I am so appreciate of these ideas.

That spot is definitely too shady for a lemon tree. What about a hydrangea tree?

Lovely entrance/front yards koolbeans ! I agree that a water feature would be beautiful in the little court yard. I would start with a new and larger hanging light fixture, matching/upgraded mailbox and larger and more interesting welcome mat. You could also paint the house numbers on the top transom or get a new custom stained glass transoms (hard to be sure without seeing whole front of house or neighborhood vibe). The yard lights could then match the new light fixture and add some contrast to the rock garden. Taller/ more design specic pots too. Good luck and post your after pics!

I agree with omearaj: I think that replacing the glass with contemporary stained glass would look fabulous. I would keep it simple in color - mainly clear patterned glass with white (to bring in the trim) and possibly one other color. I would NOT paint the trim around the door white - I think that the wood trim gives the entrance a rich look. Painting the trim will make the door appear to float in space. The windows in the courtyard - the picture window and the operable windows on the other wall - are fighting each other visually because of the varying finishes, both inside and out. Rather than painting the trim on the front door and facade, I would paint the picture window trim white, both inside and out. That will make the front door facade more important, and unify the courtyard finishes.

The cement porch and stepping stones leading up to it are a bit utilitarian looking in color. I would acid-stain these a deep color similar to the wood. I would remove the river rock and replace with ground cover (red Dragon's Blood sedum?) and replace the planters with large, overscale white-glazed ceramic urns to, again, pull in the trim color. These should be tall and planted with tall plantings: perhaps cannas, papyrus,grasses etc. (not sure what works best in your area), underplanted with annuals for color and vines (maybe a purple potato vine?)

I would remove all the sandstone pavers and existing tree/plantings and fill the courtyard with low ferns (birdsfoot [needs very moist soil]? painted Japanese?) with perhaps just a round paving area under a round fountain. I would then add a stained cedar trellis on the garage wall. Add some uplighting for nighttime drame. Perhaps even a short hedge (to replace exiting shrubs) lined up with the porch but bowed out a bit would further set the courtyard off and add more interest.

Add new accessories - lighting, mailbox, address (how about on the vertical on the post?) and you will have a whole new look. Goo

That was "Good Luck" LOL!

Lovely home! Visually, the entrance does need some improvement. I think the trim should be painted white to compliment the existing white trim of the home. It should be consistent. The dark brown would work, if it was repeated elsewhere on the facade, which isn't the case here.
The door can be left the wood tone, if you wish, or painted another deep color. The transom and sidelights would look nice replaced with clear, leaded glass in a simple, contemorary design, or other unique glass feature.
If budget permits, replacing the mullioned dining room windows with a picture window to balance this area out would be a good idea. Or, vice-versa. Replace picture window with mullioned to match Dining room windows. In any case, the outside trim should match- all white.
The spindly courtyard trees should be removed, and plantings of shady plants
Such as ferns, etc...added in pots or urns. I love the idea of a water feature. So many choices here. A large, tall olive pot or ceramic vase with bubbling water coming out from the top; a fountain with trickling water, and so on...
You can use the sandstone, or fill with river rocks. Here you can add landscape lighting, shade- loving annuals in pots...
Flanking the front entrance, potted annuals for color, and low-growing shrubs, will add interest. Don't block the courtyard with tall trees or shrubs. This hides this unique feature.
Look up landscaping ideas or drive through neighborhoods and take photos of ideas you'd like to incorporate into your design. Many nurseries offer free advice if you bring them your photos.

Here is a Houzz photo of a similar style of planter, but again, yours should be white. I would also like a taller, lusher planting in yours. But, the best I could find. <a href=''></a><a style='text-decoration:none;color:#444;' href=' https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-landscaping-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_728~s_2103'>contemporary landscape design</a> by <a style='text-decoration:none;color:#444;' href=' http://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architect/seattle'>seattle landscape architect</a> <a style='text-decoration:none;color:#444;' href=' http://www.houzz.com/photos/professionals/15966/Lisa-Port-APLD'>Lisa Port, APLD</a>

There were a lot of great posts about the door (I like it myself...) and clearing the shrubby trees and completing the courtyard flagstone with added pots all sound like sage advice. I was thinking that you have a big, grand door, so you need two tallish, oversized urns with either bird of paradise plants, red banana trees, or ornamental grass (like purple fountain) to mimic the tall door. Lighting is also important; I see you have some accent lighting but some small spotlights focused on the features such as an interesting tree (posted earlier) and certain potted plants would look nice. A path of lights would soften the look of the entrance as well and help lead the eye toward the front entrance. The picture of purple fountain grass I'm posting isn't that great (there are more reddish varieties) and on the bird of paradise photo, I think the plants need to be spaced back just a bit from the house/door so it doesn't look crowded, but you get the idea...

Woops. Looks like the bird of paradise photo didn't upload, let's try that again.

Ok, it seems the Gods of cyberspace have it in for me today. You'll have to use your imagination :)

I can't get anything to copy/upload either, dragonfly76.

Use a decorative downspot instead of the painted gutter on the left.

I think that a good start would be to change the color of the entry way concrete either stain or paint it to match the door (which is too beautiful to paint)-- than add a snazzy light and mail box. Your planters are too small for the grand entry tall pots would be great and then slowly start working on the courtyard.. hostas are great shade loving plants (green and white leaves would brighten the spot) and then some white hydrangias ... they will glow in that spot at night.

Ferns hugging the walls, the flagstone floor, a fountain surrounded by pink and white impatiens.

The column/post to the right of the door looks unbalanced. As it is currently two different colours it actually attracts the eye, detracting from the door. Perhaps put a faux column next to the downpipe on the left or paint the existing column a single colour (the same as your house colour) to downplay it so your eye sees straight past it.

I do not know what your interior color scheme and style are, but I would suggest you paint the door white and then paint the recessed panels with the various accent colors in your intrerior color scheme to give a stained glass effect This way, the door panels will be a "preview" of the colors you have chosen for the inside of the home. I agree that you need a matching column to the left of the door. I definitely would trim the small tree to the right and place many of the plants in large black pots to give a courtyard effect and then place the pots on large concrete patio squares in the space to the right of the entry way. Your home has lovely design elements, and you need some color to brighten the area and make it inviting. I also agree that a large ceiling light or pendant light will enhance the area.