I do not know the specific circumstances that affect your sister. However, after being in a wheelchair myself for a number of months I can tell you that if I were to live with my sibling, I'd want a space no matter how small a bit separate for myself. Maybe like a mother-in-law suite.

My BIL was kind enough to remove all the doors from their hinges so I could make my way through my own home, but I still managed to nick up every piece of the door trim.

I'm not a fan of that offset heavy gable on your really charming home. There are other ways to extend the porch on your ranch house. Here is an open gable design that might work.

This is a bad rendering, but I'd like to see something more creative for this lovely home.

Thank you for these thoughts! We will have a continuous den, bedroom, and bathroom for my sister (with 42" pocket doors) in the addition, so she (or any parent who needed to move in with us) would have her own space (and room to get through doors)! She's been in a wheelchair her whole life, so I've seen lots of damaged trim! Good health to you!

If you paint the garages the same color as the house, the garages will sort of blend right in and won't seem as obvious.

Leave a rounded section for landscape plants from the right side of the patio curving in between the two windows. I would try to change the one horizontal window to a vertical one so it better matches the others.

Thank you for these additional thoughts! Today we found this idea and I think we'll have the designer try it next: https://ertny.com/4284-ranch-house-front-porch-makeover/

I think the porch & its gable need to be the entire width of that section and the large triple window needs to be included in the porch area. If you think that will make the interior room there too dark, incorporate a skylight in the porch. Agree that a large open gable will take away some of the heaviness your roof causes. Looks like your porch is low enough not to require a railing unless you're thinking about safety of the wheelchair passenger. Also looks like your front door will need some modification to be low and wide enough. I would not pop the garage doors out with such a contrasting color to the body of the house. The massive roofs on this house have been reduced by adding visual interest in gables and a shed dormer.

Town Hall Residence · More Info

Thank you! Here is where we are at today!

We did try the one gable over the whole thing, but it looked really off. We also would like to extend part of the porch, but not all of it (more than we need), so the two gables helps with that.

For me the white garage doors pull too much focus. I would want more focus on the front entry area. Beverly's rendering would help with that. Garage doors with windows across the top would also be nice and help break up the "wall" of garage doors.

I think it is a marvelous idea to get a huuge garage.

These days, they really don't allow enough space per car, and the amount lf space with the swing of the open door plus the person and their grocery bag or large purse, etc.

And that you want to accomodate your sister is wonderful!

Please remember that handicapped parking spaces need extra space on either side of a very large space for loading and unloading. (That's what the blue striped area is for that you can't park in even if you can park in the handicapped space itself.) and space behind the parking space for loading and unloading if that is how the individual enters the vehicle (for example via wheelchair ramp.)

You might want to plan for space for your children if they will have cars (do you want them to be late for school because they have to spend a half hour digging out their cars from the snow and de-icing the windshield?) or for a caretaker, if your sister will need a care-taker.

And then there are all the gardening tools, and bicycles, etc. That's at least half a garage's worth. More if you have a riding mower, snow plow, etc.

If you don't want a gigantic garage, and you have the land, you might want to consider a shed on your property to store those items. They have them ready designed from the big-box stores, or have one designed for you , and have the exterior made to match your house.

I watched an episode of This Old House in which they added electrical power to an existing storage shed . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHUY6SD6SsM

I would save money on the design if it is not visible from the street, but design the interior storage so things are where they can be easily seen and accessed and put away by everyone who will be using them.

Including children. We can create great storage systems, but if the children can't reach them for or read the labels, that's useless.

About the garage, I think it is difficult to make sharp right turns into and out of a garage, and I would avoid a garage you have to back into or out of.

You might consider an architect.

I had a couple of ideas, but maybe you're not asking this!

Will the converted garage be for your disabled family member or guests? I would give it a separate entrance.

I would also make the windows bigger on that ex-garage space larger, so that a seated person can see out. If you put a door there, you could use one with a head-to-toe glass pane?

I don't like any of the proposed gables. They make the house look like 1960's redux. I would go more industrial/contemporary. Your current roof pitch is VERY desirable.

As an idea palette, I'll insert some examples from Houzz in this and my next few posts.

Butterfly Beach Villa · More Info

Alright, Alright, Alright in Allandale · More Info

Here are some ideas along with inspirational photos...

Adding the gables looks 1970-ish or McMansion-ish IMO.

The wide and short gables are out of proportion with the house. They also turn the house into a million others. The current roof-line has much more 21st century possibility.

We still need some landscaping, but we *finally* have a completed exterior so I wanted to update this post for anyone who finds it looking for ideas of what to do with a ranch addition. We are very happy with how it turned out!