Oh and, the front faces south-west and we have a beautiful oak and ash out front.

What a beautiful home!

I think that the posts do need to be replaced with something more substantial. They are too spindley. By the way, love the color of your garage doors. Have you considered painting the shutters that color?

I think the large tall green evergreen should come out also. The tree too as it is too close to the house anyway. Start with a clean slate. I would try and get the stone on the left side of the house to go all the way to the end of the house. Right now, it looks like they ran out and just stopped there. I can't tell if there is stone on the right side under the shrub that is creeping over.

I love the curving sidewalk. I would paint the front steps the same color if you are not going to replace them. Then, I would change the front gardens by making them deeper and not running in a straight line, I would curve them out at the ends.

I can't advice you on plants for your zone 4. But look for dwarf varieties tha won't grow huge and need a lot of trimming to maintain their shape.

Thanks so much for your feedback. Painting the wood is a good option if we consider focusing on the landscaping this year. Like the idea of keeping focus in front to more shrub size items. Need to maximize light into the house so don't want to block windows!

Re garage colour ... A little hard to tell but colour is same as shutters. Both are ok but faded and need freshening. Was actually considering painting garage doors white (eventually) to draw more focus to front vs the side door which seems to be the default for guests :-(. Would like to consider, eventually, different colour shutters and door and perhaps even a beige for siding. But this is a few years off!

Aren't those spindles terrible. What were the previous owners thinking?! I think I my have to change the side door arm ril as well ... It's too cute.

The columns definitely need to be replaced with something
More substantial but in order to do so you will need to widen the porch top and bottom. This is based on where the columns should be placed at the top. That is why you have the spindly ones now. For the yard, go with an old English garden style, add some peonies, etc.

This image is on the front cover of HGTV this month! Just love white houses with black shutters, a pop of color and brick entry. Also the layered landscaping is pretty great!

Hi Cathy, thanks for your feedback! Will do some research on old English gardens to get some ideas... And rethink for zone 4!

Re columns, I had not considered the need to expand the entrance to accommodate larger columns and I worry that it is not in budget :-( Hmmm, guess the question is, could I get away with larger columns as is and not have it look odd? Now I'm wondering .... And a bit worried. What do you think?

I think your delicate turned porch columns are lovely and are in keeping with the period of the house and the lovely delicate porch roof. Is the porch a brick stoop that was surrounded by wood? Maybe strip the wood off and see what you have underneath.

My end goal is to make it all less "cute" and more "grand" .... But not "stuffy" ... Are those designer terms?! :-0

I think the technical term is 'elegant.' :)

A better look out the front door. Dimensions of top landing are 7.5' x 5'

If I rip out wood... Do I mimic the colour of existing brick? I like the brick colour. Not sure where to put planters or to change them up but that is something to deal with later on.

The house was actually built in 1990 :-) I like the square posts shown in picture above. Square or round? Personal preference? My brain always veers to "square" ... You can make other assumptions as you wish ... But is round softer and more classic?

I'm not a landscape pro but this house has similar look to yours.
possible inspiration?

Federal or Georgian architecture uses both square and round columns. In addition to being generally of that style, your place has kind of a 1940's thing going with the turned posts and the arch, both of which lend it a certain lightness. I don't know that I would personally go bigger than maybe a 6x6 (I think what you have is 4x4) but you can always mock it up with cardboard and see how you like it. The columns should have a little bit of detail to them or they will look lumpy (another technical term.) You might be able to take the brick porch apart and use it for the surrounds and put something else in the center - concrete, another brick in a pattern, stone, etc.

Couldn't make out what was on the extreme right of your home near the garage to make further suggestions. If you have room for a small blooming tree there it would look good .

Hi Sweet Caroline, here are a few other pictures. I hope this helps?! I'm so excited to get your suggestions. I'm all ears and itching to get at it ... If only the snow would melt!

How about an 8' deep porch all the way across the front? Use a metal standing seam roof pitched to just below the second story windows, and support with 10" tapered columns spaced evenly across the front (start by framing the front door). I like the landscape addition, but the house needs more, and the porch will help. Also, change the painting on the front door so that just the door is green - the sidelights and transom (if any) should be white trim to match the color of the windows. Suddenly you've just added a wonderful outdoor living space!

I like the idea of having a curbside garden to view before reaching your home and I would make it very attractive as this will be the first impression. The Spruce on the left is half dead and once it has that much die back it will never recover ; trust me I'm a tree and shrub expert. Have it removed and in its place plant a very nice specimen that doesn't overpower the area - an ornamental blooming tree good for your zone 4 . Since you probably get a lot of shade from the existing tree on the right I would make a naturalistic woodland garden - hostas, ferns, hellebores, bergenia, lungwort, sedges, and other shade loving perennials as well as low growing shrubs.. Leave room to tuck in some colorful seasonal annuals and have a display for Spring, Summer and Fall. A heavy cover of shredded hardwood mulch will help conserve water and keep down weeds . Here's my doodle.

You are so right about that large spruce! It blocks too much of frontage and light and is half dead. I'm finally living on a matured tree lot and while it pains me to take it down, it needs to go :-). Wonderful suggestions! Thank you so very much.

Not done yet :-) If you feel you could use a small ornamental tree in front then plant it here. Photos are deceptive so I can't judge unless I was on your property . Oh and consider getting rid of as much labor-intensive lawn as possible and plant some nice evergreen groundcover such as beneath this tree area.

mdpellengrin, I don't think you ned to change the size of the steps to go for larger columns. I am with you on this, I like square also!

What great suggestions! I have spent the last day thinking and looking at the gardens and am leaning towards square posts, rebuilding the steps with a similar or complementary stone (keeping the dimensions roughly the same or perhaps a little wider).

Are there any recommended posts or specific material that is preferred?

The porch has been there for 22 yrs ... Do you think it has to be entirely ripped up or just levelled and supported with a stone frame? I have no idea what to guess for costs. Any best guesstimates? Thanks so much

I would do square front posts and redo side entrance rail to co ordinate, I agree about painting garage doors white also.....the planter pots seem to stand out too much...definitely new landscaping you have gotten some great suggestions......I had a white house, loved it!

Check out a product called "polycast" columns - some sort of a polymer that wears like iron. We have had tremendous success using them on homes. Polycast holds paint well and you never have to worry about termites. As far as the porch is concerned, you don't appear to have enough surface to house the new columns. Also, the top of the porch looks to be 6" - 7" below the door threshold. It's always awkward to have to step up to get into a home, so I would vote for tearing the whole thing out and pouring a nice, wide porch that's the same level as your finished floors inside. Hope that helps!

sweet caroline designs have put my ideas down on paper fab way to go cos ya need to soften the look of the house with shrubs and trees.......too much hardscape can take the soul out of a garden

Love what Sweet Caroline has done with her doodles!! The shutter color stays, the garage door color should blend into the house color, it's white so paint garage door white. The front door should be painted in a shade of yellow, replace the spindles with heavier columns. The door along the garage painted white as well.

Sweet Caroline Design ideas are fabulous! The doodles really bring the ideas forward. I'm a visual person so it helps so much. I'm itching to get going ... But 25 cm of snow predicted tonight. Sigh :-( Taking the big spruce down will be important to determine how much shade/sun hits the front. Hard to tell.

I'd like to take all the great ideas shared and do some drawing and planning. Does anyone have a good ipad app recommendation for garden planning and drawing where I can put in and try different plants?

Big spruce and trees beside the house came down today. YAY! So very happy. The first step to a new and beautiful front.

Gonna be great, mdpellegrin !

A big bulky house needs a big bulky landscape. The house is symestrical so the landscape would do well to follow suit. Move the Juniper to the corner and plant another on the other side. The house, being white and in full sun, will do well with darker material to contrast. Also, being in the sun opens it up to a lot of blooming material. A solid foundational hedge with lots of blooming color will really make the house pop.

PLS HELP. Need a designer/architect eye to help "finish" the peak of our new front steps. What trim/detail is needed to complete the new peak? Check out the transformation. Thanks Houzz. We also have a landscape artist coming early September!

Well, we’ve come a long way and are now onto the next reno - new siding!! Looking to a light grey wood siding. Debating shutters or no shutters. Want to modernize (a bit) while keeping classic look of house. Would welcome any suggestions!! Worries framing the windows in white will not look substantial enough?!

Current house

Here is an example of what I don’t like...the framing is not big enough.

Thanks for the update.

Love the new front porch. Your house looks wonderful. Congratulations!