A raised deck with seating and steps giving an interesting route to the porch will be great !

You could design it with a sunken fire pit area too maybe ?!?!

We have a nice big back yard and we have a fit pit back there :) I want to update the shutters any thoughts on color?

A dark grey blue. Add some blue pots and flowers on porch. Can't see what color the door is...

There are lots of articles in Houzz about painting the front door various colours. Your front door should probably stand out more. This might be something that would get good bang for your buck. Whatever you do, don't paint anything until you have colours for ALL the exterior house and the garden worked out; otherwise, you will change one thing and it will force something else.

I know your house has small windows, but I think that landscaping will make all the difference. Your house has a lot more going for it than it has wrong. F'instance: the front door is emphasised, it is basically symmetrical, there is no garage door to overshadow the front door, it looks solid with new clean brick, the colours are not loud, the block is a good size and flat enough to landscape, the roof has some pitch, there is a gable and etc.

Some landscaping, new larger window shutters and adding a band of molding in the middle of the facade to help break up the elevation a bit.

i would do away with those small shutters and put in bigger shutters (sliding shutters) a raised deck on the right hand side with steps coming down on the lawn and the add a nice pathway with scrubs or flowers next to the pathway leading to where the pic was taken from (if that is from the street) last i would also do something like a rock pool or fountain where the structure in the middle of the lawn is!!! hope its gives some ideas

The roof is grey and in good shape I can't justify replacing it just for the color right now. The entire house is wrapped in pale grey siding under the eaves to match it as well so I really need to just work with that. There are steps to the right of the porch. I thought about pouring a concrete pathway from the steps to the driveway (also to the right in the picture) with a picket fence stained to match new shutters. Any thoughts on a cherry or mahogany stain with red undertones against that very pink brick and grey roof?

The door is painted an eggplant color but the porch is deep and no matter what color you paint it because if the elevation you can't really see it from the street no matter what color you paint it. It is just high up.

I agree more color would help. The front door and shutters are the place to start. Some plantings tall shrubs on either side of windows shorter ones under. Window boxes would be good a garden with a water feature. A curved walkway to help people find the front door with some interest like wrapping it around or over the water feature.

A door with a sidelight? Maybe wrap the brick porch with a different material for interest...Or just paint is an alternate color than the rest of the brick & then also could paint new shutters the same color.

Portico has stone

Great ideas Jayme Hobbs!

What would give you the biggest bang for your buck is landscaping. You have nothing from what I can see in this photo. I'd hire a landscape architect to draw up plans with a walkway and pergola to highlight your entrance and trees shrubs flowers etc. then buy those plans and do the work yourself. You'll save a ton by doing the actual work yourself and your place will look professionally landscaped and make a huge impact. It will take time bit will be worth it in the end.

@Interiors International...Thank you for the compliment, means a lot coming from an experienced professional!! :)

Great idea I really like the thought of a different texture/color on the porch!

There are different materials u could do..stone, rock, wood. I love wood/warmth of wood..stained wood (semitransparent) looks great next to stone/brick, etc. If u like that look you could do wood and get wood shutters & stain the same color as the posts. If u do a rock u could pull a color from it and paint shutters to match. If u just paint posts then paint shutters the same color as posts.

If u do a stone on the columns, I would look for one with some contrast in it...some lighter and darker colors...then tie the wood into it..this pic is to show contrasts.

I would think about wider trim around the windows...Maybe larger shutters..

A landscape like this one would certainly jazz it up :

The front porch seems too small to me, I would extend it 6 ft. in each direction.

Originally dated April, 2013. Posts keep rising from the dead.