Paint the gable the same color as the house. Your house has no Craftsman elements other then the large gable, so I would not emphasize the gable by using tapered columns. Most Craftsman homes have multiple gables.

Extend it over the driveway and add two hips. Save you from the rain

Is it the gable or the columns you don't like?

The rest of the house is not bad

I think it looks much better with the shutters.

PPF I like the two tone a lot.

Those shutters make no sense at all. And if the gable was a hip roof structure with the same pitch as he house it would probably look pretty good. What were those people thinking? The rest of the house has nice proportions.

Wish it were mine, jldp. Have you ever “thumbed” through Crisp Architects portfolio? Great stuff!

https://www.houzz.com/pro/james_crisp

I'm gonna leave this here just for thought since it hasn't been suggested yet. This is my house. It used to have a big triangle on the front like yours, and this is what we did to it to open it up a little cost effectively but still keep the necessary roof over the entry. We ripped off the front and underside and opened it up with an elliptical arch and it made a huge difference. Ours is 10 feet wide. I don't want to hear any criticism guys!!! My husband and a couple of carpenters re-built this porch and these steps. We were very happy to find a solution that enabled us to keep an overhang for weather protection without a tear down/high cost new build.

My House · More Info

Interior shots I just took:

Underside looking out (it's mahogany beadboard):

Interior looking toward door (it looks really pretty in the fall when I put pumpkins on that shelf over the door):

Whatever you do, be CERTAIN you are not creating a water/wood rot problem for yourself. All of mine is sloped to drain to the street and no water gets on these shelves.

PS We did this 15 years ago and it's held up really well.

mrykbee that is stunning! I love every single thing about it, even the shutters, which houzzers seem to hate. LOL

We don’t hate shutters, likefriday. The shutters on this house do not fit properly and therefore, are inappropriate.

If, as the OP has stated, that the gable is wrong, we are also agreeing that shutters are wrong for this facade. They appear inoperable, drilled to the house vinyl. Not good under any circumstance.

Judy G -Clearly Im no designer but even the op said the house looks naked in the mockups without the shutters. I understand that they are drilled in place but isnt that how most are these days? Does not mean its right but most shutters do not open and close do they? Again I’m no designer but I don’t think I have ever seen operable shutters except when visiting someone in the Caribbean. Maybe its regional??? I guess it’s clear I didn’t miss my calling with home design. LOL. I like the look.

Sheesh, they are just decorative shutters! Sometimes people add something to a house to keep it from looking like a big rectangle - obviously the reason for the front portico/gable and the shutters in this case. I wouldn't normally chime in on shutters (have seen some of the people here on other threads criticizing decorative shutters), but let it go people!

Ryan's suggestion had me at hello.

Yes, that is awesome! I pick that one if it's a circle drive!

That's what I'm talking bout

Oh god, no fake shutters. It seriously dates the house. Your instinct to change the portico is good. I would remove it and replace it with something more appropriate for your home. The rest of the house has good bones. Changing the portico will be a big improvement.

I love shutters...on the right windows that are sized right and functional looking (or even functional). I hate those plastic pieces tacked onto the siding like toothpicks because someone was too cheap (usually the builder) to put up decent looking shutters. You can't blame the consumer, because they don't usually know and expect professional builders to know better.

Take the time and effort to learn about the sizing and hardware. They don't all need to work, but they do need to look good. Once you learn what works - you will never say "let it go", because it's like nails on a chalkboard - too jarring to describe. Just read this article and you will understand it's not just houzzers' that find those awful plastic things bizarre.

https://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/residential-architecture-101-shutters/