Are you and your neighbor working together or are you planning to make changes to your half only?

I’m open to both options.

Right off the bat I'd suggest new railings for sure (perhaps cable rail?) and new front doors with bold color. New landscaping would add instant curb appeal and would be easier on the budget than trying to change the paving or alter the steps and retaining walls. In a perfect world the retaining wall would be of the same stone that is on the house. I do like the stone pier on the right side wall, as it makes the wall more interesting and adds some verticality at the street. A fragrant shrub at the top of the stairs would be nice. Hope that helps!

James

It's the white trim I find jarring, it breaks up what is a rather narrow facade. Start with the least expensive change. Suggest you "paint out" all the white. Need to find a dark shade that works with the brick and the brown shingles. Try Sherwin Williams "Urbane Bronze".

Thanks All!

*Big Doug’s Design,
I love the visuals!!! ;)

Any propositions to divide for privacy from neighbour?

Any image of how it would look with glass front instead of black railing?

Hi!
Are you in or around Toronto? I have lots of these style semis near me, (and I can picture tons of pockets of them around the older suburbs around the city) the ones that seem to look the best are usually the ones that are more understated. I would update the railings, they make the house look like it’s from another era, go with something simple with clean lines. And I’d find one colour that works with the roof the stone the brick etc and paint out all the trim, doors, railings etc and then work from there like it’s a blank canvas for landscaping!
I can picture some of these style houses with big chunky, regal over the top finishes and they just look silly! There is hope, I just went to google street view to a street where I know these are and keeping it simple can really make it elegant!!

I think it would look a lot more "together" if overall simplified and symmetry brought to the major elements. I don't get the freestanding wall. Would modify the retaining wall so it ties back to the grade & match other side of yard to it. Main upgrade to driveway it to make it a better material, such as pavers.

I would try to find a railing and door style that both you and your neighbor can agree on, perhaps something clean and simple. Right now the two halves of the house look jarringly different, largely due to the different doors, and neither set seems particularly in keeping with the smaller doors on the front facade or the architectural style of the house. Color for the doors don’t need to be the same, but consistency of style amoung the 4 doors visible on the front facade will go along way towards improving the look of the house.

It looks like there is a mix of brown and white in the windows and trim. Can that be made consistent, either one or the other?

For the rail, I would go with metal with clean, simple lines. The appearance of glass requires maintenance, and because the two households will have different standards and schedules, there would never be the same look all the way across. Cleaning the outside of a second story glass panel would be a bit of a hassle as well. To divide the two halves of the porch, consider a metal screening panel or a metal frame with attractive outdoor fabric that coordinates with seats. If you are a gardener, a large potted vine (annual in a cold zone, or perennial if you are zone 6 or warmer) with a year round trellis would be attractive. Regardless of what you choose, make sure that it is consistent enough in style with the railing.

The current small bed along the steps and potted plant on the front patio are too small to read well from a distance, so either remove them or replace with something larger.

Matched trees such as those in Yardvaark’s sketch or some matched small flowering trees set to frame the house would also help provide cohesiveness or consistency.

Can’t always rely on neighbours to agree. Different styles tastes budgets...

I really like the sketch by DOUG.
It won’t match the neighbours half... but at least I will be happy with it on my own side.

I would paint the railings black rather than replacing. Glass would be very pricey for a low impact, and jarring disconnect from neighbor. Agree with darkening trim, which would reduce the jumbled feeling of the front. Not sure I'd do stone on just one side. Let me mess around a bit.

Sorry, this cropped itself somewhere along the line! :)

I think I'd update to simplified doors, solid or midcentury with some small lites, but anyway, yu can see that just taking out some of the white trim ges a long way toward making it all seem simpler and more classy, and it works even if it's just your side.

I like the glass panels in the railings.

The doors currently in place can be repainted, to perhaps some shade of neutrals, greys or browns...
I’m not a fan of the green.

. I do like the iron rods between the glass.

Thank you acm for the visual...I wish I had your computer skills.

Acm, thanks for the visuals.
what program are you using?

I’d like to try to see how the glass would look with the house if it was with stone.

Eg. Doug’s previous visuals.

Following.....