My inspiration with widen steps and pergola.

There must be a reason why you have blocked the steps to that door....maybe it is a secondary entry you don’t use? If so, let us see the actual front door that IS used.

That's so cute, celerygirl! I did put in the beginnings of a cottage garden last year. This photo was taken before that was installed. I love the pergola. Thank you!

I didn't block the steps but I see why you think that. I took that photo in the midst of planting. I simply left a plant on the steps before I snapped the pic. That is the actual front door.

The railings have to go for sure. I don't know if your porch is tall enough to even need a railing. Just taking them off would make a huge difference.

I agree suedonim75. I hate the railings.

I feel the deck stain needs to be a different color, a darker brown

I would cover the base of the deck so you can't see under it, then paint or stain the deck and its railing in a gray similar to the grout colour. Paint the front door black. Remove the planter boxes - too small, and if they were larger they'd block indoor light. Landscaping.

The top of your door is 84” so whatever structure you build has to tie in with your roof. The pergola is not a viable suggestion.

Railings are important for safety. Those just seem a bit high.

There seems to be a disconnect between the door color and the color of the railings and steps.

I don't have a photo-editing program, but maybe someone who does can try some colors for you.

Or you can paint the stairs and railing white, and the door a color.

The light blue doesn't seem to add much.

In addition, the appearance of the house would be improved by:

Window boxes installed below the windows with the important three types large form, spiky height, and trailers.

Better landscaping on the ground in front of the house

Remove the small empty pots on the porch.

On side of the door put a nice chair with a small table next to it, and on the other side a large pot with a large tall healthy plant/tree.

Loobab, just a share ; in our family we call the 3 components for flower boxes “thrillers , fillers and spillers”.

I love Celerygirl’s vision . You could take that and eliminate the railing. Then install a low seating bench all the way around the perimeter, using the same material as the pergola. That would serve as a safety barrier, give a cohesive look, remain low so as not to block anything, all whilst providing lots of seating.

niccidhg-
Oh that’s clever, thank you for telling me!!
By the way, in the last half hour I seem to be unable to post from my laptop.
Is anyone else having that problem?

Here are some examples of built in perimeter deck benches to tie in with a pergola.

I don’t think the pergola works with that house at all. a simple cottage type porch all across the front would be my choice .

Thanks, Everyone!!

Not sure if this porch is right for this type of house

Adding a covered porch is going to require tearing off some of the house roof to tie in & give you head room. $$$

What would help what you have immensely is a color change. Pull one of the light beige colors from the stone to match an opaque, semi-opaque stain for the porch. Different railing (low maintenance aluminum or PVC) if you want to spend more money. White railing w/ lighter stain on the wood parts.

@celery girl...that porch is AWESOME! I think I’ve seen another stone home with a porch that was similar and in the photos the home was STUNNING! They took care to add subtle exterior wall lighting to gentle highlight to stonework. I fell in love with that house!

Celerygirl and Patricia have the best ideas. The cottage is too small (and fairy-tale like) for modern wood pergolas. A simple front porch across the width with columns is perfect.

Adding some large stones in the garden will help tie the facade in with the landscape. Try lining the edge of the porch in stones. I agree about updating the railing—try something more minimal like a cable railing, or more cottage/craftsman like wood painted white, as BeverlyFLADeziner posted above. A darker deck stain would contrast the light stone nicely—what's there now looks orange against the tan stone

if I could add to what celery girl has shown, I would enlarge the flower boxes, bring the landscaping forward a little more, add larger urns full of colour on each side of the door and change the door colour to a pumpkin orange. I love the look of a full size porch.

In MY opinion only.....don't fight the fact the chimney is brick red and the house is neutral stone....HIGHLIGHT that red....use red plants in the window boxes that hang down, and are not so tall so as to hide part of the small windows, and urns of red flowers to either side of front door....paint the front door RED....I would install a new porch that extended the entire width of the house, and use railings all around that are about 2 feet high...porch to be done in white....looks like the house sits on a "hill", so getting rid of those many "small" steps in favor of wide concrete or brick steps ( to compliment the chimney ) like in one of celerygirl's pics would make it visually less "choppy"....also do defined planting beds ( again, thanks to celerygirl for the pic !! LOL ) gives the home so much more class and curb appeal....Good luck with the project !! Post "after" pics when you're done please !!

what's your budget? a cmu w/ stone veneer base (match as close as possible) for the porch and a gable end roof over it would be my idea

buddysgal, I never would have thought of orange.......but I can see it. Thank you!

James Sledd, please forgive my ignorance; but, what's a cmu?

You could also put in a patio across the front with steps up to the door. I like patios: once installed there is no upkeep to them (I also find monsquitos like to live under decks and attack from below!). Then use an assortment of planters and furniture for decor and functionality. I love front porches, but I like them to be big enough for real use. I always like them for the way you could sit out front and talk to passers by and invite neighbors etc. to join you. If that sociability appeals to you you can even have a grill/table/umbrella for significant use. If it doesn't appeal to you ask yourself if why you want a front porch: visual appeal or sitting and enjoying the out door space with a public view. Maybe you'd rather just have steps to the door with no porch... To thyne own self be true...

ravensmom13, those are really fun ideas. Thank you! My intention is to replace the old concrete steps you see there with stone that is the same width of the wooden steps. I did start a cottage style garden bed last year but this photo was taken before it was completed. I'll definitely post an 'after' pic. I'm SO ready to increase the curb appeal!

Thank you, Lynn G. This house sits on 10 acres in a residential neighborhood but there is no sidewalk that connects my property to the others in the neighborhood so I don't really have people who walk by. I do have the side covered porch which is very deep, comfortably-decorated and large enough for entertaining guests.

Cmu= concrete masonry unit.

I was writing this as you posted yours regarding the stone stairs so I didn't see it until I posted it.. So sorry to repeat but rather than delete this I'll just leave it here.

Recircling back to your photo. It looks like the only purpose of the wood stairs is a vehicle to get up to the front door? As it appears that on either side of the wood area is some sort of extension with a stone facing on both sides that extends out from the house? Perhaps the stairs were originally stone or concrete that had deteriorated and the wood was a cheap fix? If so, would it be better to remove the wood structure, not add any wood on the front anywhere but instead do a stone or concrete (have to be thought out) stair? And then play up the house itself with a new door, different window boxes, maybe shutters, etc and making it more like a fairy tale house.

I think the brown wood is fighting with the lovely gray stone. I think, at the very least, the porch could be stained or painted gray to match the stone and the railings could be painted white. Those are very quick and inexpensive fixes to increase the curb appeal.

Thank you, cottage106. I think I'm going to go with a stone porch that matches the facade of the cottage per tedbixby's comment above. The porch is an eyesore as it is and it would give me great satisfaction to tear it off.

Stone will be beautiful, for sure!

I just found this......it combines most of the ideas that all of you have so generously shared. Isn't it adorable?

Sheridan- the stone stairs was really your idea but thanks for me including me in your comment. One other thought, maybe celerygirl can pop back in here and show us what your house would look like if you changed out all the white trim and side fencing as IMO the white doesn't add any visual appeal. Of course, depending on what you do with the front door and any other changes to the house itself, the white might work then.

I agree, tedbixby. I agree that that white is a bit blah.

Yes, that is the fairytale house! See how important all the details are on this house. It takes it to the next level and it isn't any longer "just' a stone house. It looks like a happy house.

I like that: a 'happy house'. That's what I need. Isn't that what we all need.

Monochromatic will pull it together. Paint/stain the porch, soffits, and door the same color as the gray mortar in the stone. Anytime there is a smaller space, staying monochromatic will dramatically enlarge it and give a it a clean look.

i love the current door color. No railings. Darker charcoal grey or greige deck. I didn't read that far, but if you can have it back that wraps all the way around to the other side, and it eliminate the railings I'm outside, that would be awesome. And if there's some way you could run another terrace so that the deck is 12-18" above the terrace if that makes sense, that would be amazing.

Celerygirl, what program are you using? Is it an app?

I would be inclined to build a deck across the entire front of the house and ideally extending the roof to cover it. If the extension of the roof is too expensive, use Trex or something like Ipe wood which will not be subject to rotting. I’d stain or paint the deck the same gray as the stone grout. I’d look for a stone mason to build a retaining wall in front of the deck that would be at minimum 3 ft above the deck. The deck should ideally, imho, be 8 or more feet deep so chairs can be placed there as well as a small table. That would have the effect of creating an outdoor room, and would and curb appeal and value 💰.
Additionally, I’d attach some deeper more substantial window boxes. I’d bring the red of the chimney to be an accent color for the door and window boxes. Voila!

Oh yeah, the tiny roof extension that’s there is ridiculous, so remove it or build a more substantial one with substantial posts ( 6x6 or concrete) for support.

I immediately thought of increasing the cottage charm with shutters and some white fencing. Maybe a little picket fence or a rose trellis. If you hate the red brick chimney, it could be painted grey which would make it disappear.
I agree that the current deck is at odds with the sweet little cottage.
Love the idea of a country garden, not too formal.

I would say make it dark wood and add stones to the garden

Remove the flower boxes from the windows and make the porch as wide as possible. Some cute chairs or benches, flowerpots on the floor, a nice welcome mat, and an attractive railing.