Can you post a photo from the opposite side?

Are you set on wrought iron? If you use wood or poly, you can get it easily custom fit to the space...Then you could also have it right angle to the left and right of the opening and make it seem a bit wider than the opening...

Something like this (forgive my horrendous sketching ability):

I'm confused as to whether you want an arbor, as Andy has sketched above, or some kind of trellis. I assume that you walk through this doorway and don't want to block it?

I think of a trellis as something flat, like this -

Can you post a picture of what you're thinking of?

Agreed, I assumed it was to still be a functional walkway...

ARBOR! Sorry. Not enough coffee! Yes, still a functional walkway. I just want to beautify it! These are great ideas-in a rush now, please keep the thoughts coming thanks all!

They make freestanding metal arbors - I've bought several at large independent nurseries (usually made by local artists) They are stable enough to sit on the cement (on the steps side of the doorway), then I put large planters at the base and plant climbing vines. I have a wisteria on one and a grapevine on another right now. The sturdiness of those plants hold the arbor in place.

Another thing you can do is buy one made to stick into the ground (with no base/stand attached to it on it like those I mentioned above). Take a couple of cement blocks (the kinds with holes in them) and place them so the trellis legs each sit in a block. You can add quickrete or similar to make them more permanent. This method might even work if you placed the blocks on the sides of the steps. Then you could either put planters in front to hide the blocks - or maybe try to match the blocks to your wall- they will hardly be noticeable. If you plant some vines off to the sides of the steps, you can train them along the wall and up over the arbor. In my area, one beautiful, fast growing vine (non invasive) is golden hops. It's not evergreen though.

I can't seem to edit my post above to add this, but this place has a narrow archway and also an option for a custom width that might work for your wall opening...not too expensive, either.

Rustic Garden Arbors

Since you're going to repair and paint the brick anyway, I think it would nice and substantial and not as an afterthought if you frame out the opening with bricks like they did in this picture. That would give you a wider base to put an arbor on top.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/howard-roberts-eclectic-landscape-new-york-phvw-vp~601141

Here's another picture. I think if you frame out the opening with additional brickwork, you might not even feel the need for an arbor.

Oops. Forgot the picture.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/burns-avenue-traditional-landscape-cincinnati-phvw-vp~2576831

You've all given me a lot to think about. What I'm not sure about is whether the arbor would be too short for someone coming down the stairs if i put one on the steps side (I think olychick's suggestion). We are also getting the patio redone this summer back there, so I hesitate to rig up a concrete block solution where I have beautiful new pavers (at least I am a klutz and wouldn't likely be able to make it look elegant!). Maybe the landscaper will have some ideas about this--I don't know why I didn't think about that before... hmmm. thank you for all the pics and links!

ok, I finally got a chance to actually measure. 34.5 inches across--TINY. I am honestly not sure I could reasonably fit a trellis INSIDE that space so maybe olychick's idea of putting one on the other side is the best idea- -you'd just be able to see the top of it from the current driveway, and if I raised it with concrete block it might look nice... I'm just not capable of making stuff look like I didn't rig it up.

I don't know...or maybe widening the doorway a tad? I don't want people driving off the edge of the driveway, and also I assume cutting into brick and then being able to make it look good is super expensive.

Chickadee, I really like that idea (framing out the wall with additional masonry, either just to make it look fancier or to have a wider area to add a trellis to). I'm not using a masonry person, but I wonder if maybe I could do it.

Andyman, I'd like black just because I'll have black shutters when we repaint our house... so black will make a nice accent. I guess I am not exactly opposed to other materials... where does one find someone to make an arbor???

Probably any reasonable carpenter would be able to make one -- don't know if you need a high precision carpenter (eg person who makes own cabinetry or furniture) as they aren't that complicated, I would call a few contractors and ask around...

It probably requires a little more skill than a run-of-the-mill handyman, however that is what I consider myself, and feel that I could pull it off with enough time and planning :)

Some of the other ideas posted above are also interesting. If you are messing with the brick anyway, maybe it makes sense to build out the two sides of the opening with brick columns (if you could match the brick) that are bulkier and higher than the wall itself. If they do it right, you should be able to retain the same width opening. If you are feeling really fancy, you could affix some wrought iron to the side of the column and rest it onto the wall, cap the columns with a bit of flagstone, and put some lights on it (although this is a much different look than the arbor -- if you use black wrought iron brackets and black lanterns it may tie nicely to the shutters).

My sketching ability is pretty sketchy, but hopefully this helps...

Years ago, P. Allen Smith did an article showing a free-standing privacy screen trellis made of wood that was anchored in large planters with a few inches of concrete in the bottom with pvc pipe in the center to insert the trellis legs into. It was used to provide a privacy screen on a patio.

I think you can make a similar setup with pots or planters that hold verticals with added pieces across the top made of wood, or a metal one if you can find one that will work mounted in the planters. Make sure to leave drainage holes in the planters. This was accomplished by putting stakes in the planters and pulling them out after the concrete set up.

Sort of like the concrete block idea posted above, but using large pots or planter boxes instead. Solves the problem of not having soil to insert the arbor legs or plant your climbers. I think I saved the instructions, will have to look for them when I get a chance.

Here in Maine, there are companies that sell cedar fencing, etc who also make arbors. You might try something like that where you live. There are some shown here from a company I used for fencing. Scroll down for some arbors

They also sell some lightweight ones at Lowes and Home Depot...

A Rustic Garden sells arbors, fences and gates. I bought some fencing and gates from them years ago and they held up well.

http://www.arusticgarden.com/fenforallsce.html

So now I'm thinking of putting an extra tall one at the base of the steps, with the legs on either side (extra tall so that people won't bup their heads on it as they're coming down the steps, which was my concern)... will it really look OK just on the other side of the wall? Will it dress it up?

something like this

arbor

Funny, I was always picturing an arch! I think it will look best from the other side of the wall, but if you plant some wonderful things on it, it will look fine from the driveway, too. If you really are just looking to dress it up, why not just get a fabulous gate for the opening? My fave is the last one here:

Wrought-Iron Gate and Brick Path · More Info

Traditional Landscape · More Info

Purrus, you may want to call and ask what it would cost to ship. Some reviews on the site say shipping is very pricey, as you'd expect for something that size.

LOVE that last wooden one, too, Oly!

I don't think it will look right if you put it at the base of the steps on the other side of the wall if I understand you correctly. To me it would seem out of place there. Plus you still have an opening in a wall that needs addressing for a better look. It just seems unfinished to me.

I just have always envisioned a trellis. I don't know why. I do agree that people seem to talk in reviews about shipping being outrageous and especially I assume for one like that... back to the drawing board. I was hoping for something ti distract from the ugly brick. I don't want to put it on the other side (not the steps side) because I fear someone would back into it with their car. It shouldn't be an issue, but it could be.

OMG, I mean an ARBOR. Not a trellis. sigh...

How thick is that brick wall? How wide is the opening?

Is the concrete that we're looking at your driveway or the patio?

As chickadee says, the perfect place to put an arbor is between the opening in the brick wall. Wait til the landscaper gets there and ask about this.

In the mean time, look online at Lowes and Home Depot to get ideas, or if you have a local nursery, they often sell them there.

I really think to finish it off you might need to do something like the last pic I posted with the wood archway and gate....without the gate if you don't want that, but something butting up against the edges of the opening like it shows would be a nice finishing touch. You could talk to a local carpenter about building something like that and putting an archway/arbor above - even incorporating a metal one attached to whatever goes on the sides of the opening. You also could go to a decorative iron worker and have them create something similar from all metal.

I like arbors with things growing on them; not sure how you'll manage that if that's your intention in that space, since there won't be any dirt - unless you figure out a way to do it on the step side (since you wouldn't want pots you could back into on the driveway side).

Purrus, have you checked places like Bordine's or the English Gardens? Pricey, I know, however at the very least, one of the staff at Bordine's may be able to find a source for you locally.

Lukkirish, I did check bordines. They only had two, that were the same and not what I Was looking for. But I didn't ask for help, and I probably should have. I haven't been to English Gardens--good idea!

My3dogs, opening is 34.5 inches wide---so quite narrow. I have not found any that narrow online. I think the idea of having someone build one could work, but hope it doesn't get too insanely expensive because we're redoing the whole patio next summer and that will already cost $$$$. The wall is only a single brick thick, lengthwise--if that makes sense (the bricks on the top of the wall are placed lengthwise--and I don't know how big standard-sized bricks are, but that's the depth).

The concrete in the picture is the driveway. There are two steps down to a patio.

Olychick, I do love that picture. I'd forego the gate just because i know my husband will feel that it's in the way. I'd just put pots on the step side, I guess, or, since we're redoing the patio next year, maybe plan for a small plot of dirt by the arbor. (???)

Olychick, if I understand you correctly, you're talking about maybe framing out the wall with wood and then attaching the arbor to that? (Maybe even just on the top...?)

build your own from rebar

https://www.familyhandyman.com/garden-structures/build-a-garden-archway/view-all

Or grow your own with trees.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/grow-tree-archways-48979.html

Yes, that's what I mean. I looked more closely at the pic I posted and referenced above and realized it was a whole arbor and not just an arch (I just hadn't looked at it close enough because I loved the gate and framing and arch). But since you said you want metal, maybe someone could build you one out of metal (even including the posts if you wanted). Or metal above wood posts.