Here are a couple of options, differing only in use of the stone. Suggestions common to both:

• Change the walk to approach from the front rather than the side.
• Widen the stoop to end where the stone surrounding the front door ends.
• Run a simple shed roof from front door all the way past the garage door.
• Support it by substantial boxed wood columns with stone-faced bases.
• If the interior space allows the extra width, change the front door to one with a sidelight.
• Change to a more contemporary light fixture and add a second one. (These are a little high, but I kept the existing placement.)
• Remove the shutters.
• Cover the OSB with siding to match the rest of the house (fur out that area to match the siding depth above).
• Paint all the siding a darker color that compliments the stone (I used a taupe; a slightly bluish gray could be nice too).
• Trim the shrubs under the bow window so they don't cover it. (I lowered them some, but ideally they should be lower still.)

Originally, I thought the stone around the garage door looked odd, so I was thinking it could be removed (assuming that's possible without ruining it) and re-used for the column bases. But once I made all the other changes, I rather liked the stone around the garage door. However, keeping it means there is no removed stone for the column bases and I like those too! What to do . . . ??

Here are both versions; you can see whether you like either one. If you don't, to keep or not to keep is a moot point.

The suggestions simplynatural made are right on target. I like the garage in clapboard in the first version.

I like simplynatural’s ideas. I think the house could also look cool with a two-tone siding. Like navy and on bottom and light gray on top? of course, new front door and garage door would make a difference as well.

I'd keep the porch to the entry. It does nothing to run it over the garage. It doesn't enhance the appearance of your house and I doubt you need the rain protection or plan to put porch furniture under any of it. And, without a matching column to the right of the garage, it will look funny. Yet, gatting a matching column will be tough, since you have to start at ground level, lower than the columns by the door.

I'd probably replace the stone around the garage door with siding and paint the door to match the siding so it is not a focal point. Add black at the front door. I don't care for the stone bases and columns; the house already has a lot of "blocky" features without that addition.

Thank you everyone and thank you simplynatural for your graphic work! Great ideas.

I am attaching a photo (excuse the poor graphic work) of another idea.

I used simplynatural's image and ideas (thank you!), I just shortened the roof and extended the porch. I was thinking of adding a railing and a little sitting area to the right of the door.

Any thoughts on this?

Also, if the porch and steps were built using wood decking would that look bad or would stone be the best option?

I truly appreciate all your thoughts, comments and advise.

Thank you all so much.

Also this idea: adding an angled roof to the entrance, maybe a flat top with three angled sections, one towards the garage, one towards the front and one towards the left side.

Thanks again for your feedback.

I ran the roof across the garage as a visual separator to minimize the mismatched second floor window placement (not aligned with first floor openings, rightmost window lower than the other two).

@Sigrid is right that another column would be needed to the right of the garage, out of this photo. I don't think it would need the stone base, though; a plain white column would look fine to my eyes.

I personally think that a third column ending a shortened roof weakens the strong focus on the entry and crowds the garage door. Maybe if it was plain white, no stone base, the entry would remain the primary focus? Code might require a railing anyway, which would also help differentiate the entry from the sitting area.

Why shorten the porch when simplnatural's version is so visually appealing, and is overall balanced. The shortened porch looks amaturish to me.

Hard to say if this little informal look would work, but maybe you're a winning gardener. ;)

Maybe there's a unifying white material, etc. for your boarded area.

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Kinsunny-3-Tier-Vertical-Garden-Wall-Planter-Wall-Mounted-Hanging-Planter-w-6-Containers-for-Vegetables-Yard-Planter-Box/31857083/product.html

Do you have any possible white siding material? White trellis:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Dura-Trel-76-in-x-28-in-White-Vinyl-PVC-Cambridge-Trellis-11172/205709176

Do you benefit by saving money, if only replacing posts and railing?

Or spend for copper?

wellesley residence 1 - front entry - dpcb.02 · More Info

Oceanfront Cottage · More Info

I dont like the porch lengthened. Its too close to the driveway. You couldnt even park a car there, without banging the doors into it, and not easy access from car either.

I just realized this round that the red brick object at the upper left is this house's chimney. (At first glance it looked like a neighboring house.) Clearly that doesn't relate to these suggested revisions at all and should also be addressed (paint? stain? stucco?) to bring it into harmony with the new color scheme.

Hi Simplynatural,

You brought up a good point that I didn't think of (thank you!). The side of the house has the original red brick (see photo below). The back and right sides of the house are white siding, matching the front of the house. I would rather not paint the brick but will if needed. Is there a paint colour that we could paint the siding that would work with both the bricks and the stones? I'm not sure.

I really like your ideas of the black door, the symmetrical lights on either side, the long roof over the garage, and the symmetrical porch (without the extension towards to the garage). So if we kept the porch centered and extended the roof over the garage would it be strange to also have steps leading to the right, so towards the garage in addition the the ones centered to the front? I'm thinking that if we needed to go to the garage and it is raining it would be better.

I attached a better image of the full view of the house. On the right side of the house is a path that we use to have access to the backyard and the third post in your plan (all white) would end up at the corner where the bins are currently placed; they can be easily moved.

Thanks again for all your fantastic ideas! Please let me know if you have any other comments. I really appreciate your thoughts.

The red brick is a bit of a challenge. I googled "red brick and tan stone" and I do see examples of that combination. The "red" brick typically has more color variation than yours does, including some bricks that lean toward the tan and therefore link the brick and the stone together visually. Here are some edited photos of your house, one with taupe siding and red brick, one with gray siding and red brick, and one with taupe siding and a color wash (greenish gray) on the red brick to tone down the red, bringing it closer to the stone.

I like the color wash best, but I have no experience with such a process. Would simple diluted paint work, or would it weather off too quickly? I was hoping for something that would soak in and not form a coating that would peel. Anyone else have any advice?

As for the other questions, I think you could have steps off the side of the porch for your own use. (Is there no interior access from the house to the garage?) The front approach seems more welcoming to me for guests, so I would probably keep that and keep a planting bed on that side of the porch to screen the private steps and make the guest entry the obvious one. From the latest photos, it looks like your yard slopes more than I realized (or is that just the snow?). Maybe the front walk would need a step or two near the driveway?

Tinted limewash, maybe, only one or two coats so it remains translucent?

Hello everyone, and simplynatural,

I used simplynatural's graphic work and ideas and changed the window over the garage.

Now there is a wide space between the right window and the middle window.

Could I please get your opinion on this? Please compare it to simplynatural's original graphic work also included below.

Thanks again! I appreciate all your input and advice!

I agree with your concern about the wider space between windows with the modification. Oddly enough, I like the original window size/placement better. Aligning a wider window over the garage door (a) emphasizes that the other upper windows are not aligned with anything below, and (b) creates a strong vertical focus that diverts attention from the entry. I think having none of the second-floor windows aligned looks better than one aligned and the others not. And as they are currently, the windows over the entry and garage and the garage door itself make a sort of arc with the entry as the central (and therefore focal) point.

Do you want more light in the interior space over the garage door, or is improving the exterior appearance your only goal with the altered window? If more light, what about two smaller windows, still starting at the same point on the left side?

I like the original windows much better.