I think ppfs suggestion of changing the full length windows into shorter ones to match the garage windows defines the front door much better. That would be the least invasive solution and would also allow the door to be less costly. Your 3-d drawing helps show the design much better

What if the low wall was present under the portico/arch and not present to the left and right, sort of the inverse of what it is now?

I do think the presence of the walkway and patio are going to give most people some clue that there is a door over there somewhere, it's not a patio inaccessible from the inside of the house. That and the sidewalks pointing right at it.

I know people are dumb, I just hope we haven't gotten that dumb. But right now the front elevation most popular in style seems to be "THIS IS THE FRONT DOOR RIGHT HERE IN THE CENTER UNDER THIS PEAK THAT INDICATES THAT THE FRONT DOOR IS RIGHT HERE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE YES THATS IT"

I'm reluctant to comment because it seems you are fighting everything tooth and nail. But I put in quite some time studying the drawings, so I should follow through for my own sanity.

The house is well conceived and the character is very consistent. Overall it's done extremely well, but as most architects know in the back of their mind, every project needs a fresh set of eyes at some point. At best, you get a better project. At worst, it confirms and solidifies decisions that were made in context. So win-win if you are open to comments.

Analogies often don't work well, but I'll try one anyway to work another angle to get through your barrier ==> You get light headed and have headaches a lot. The doctor says you have high blood pressure. You want a Rx, but the doc keeps telling you to change your diet, reduce your stress, and exercise. Why does the doc keep telling me about all this other stuff, it's a simple Rx! Doc, just give me the Rx, and I'll stop wearing tight hats as well!

So it is with your door. You just want a "normal" door that meets what is known to represent a formal front door. You don't want to hear about all the other stuff that is affecting this door, but anyways you'll put a swing and do some distracting magic with sidewalks and dictate a process for deliveries and classify guests. But putting a "normal" door there doesn't fix the root problem.

Parts of the house have a very substantial, formal, "solid" presentation created by brick, ornamentation on expansive blank surfaces, and punched fenestration. These faces are presented (sides, front) to the public. The private faces are "less-solid," created by expansive fenestration, less-formal wood detailing, and away from or above public access and view.

So, when approaching your suburban house from the street entrance and noticing the overall character, what does one see? A formal, ornamental, "solid" brick entrance that catches your attention being exposed to daylight and meets the definition of what represents a front door within the character of your house. The Mudroom door. No, the ribbon driveway or closeness to the property line does not distract or hide from the prominent Mudroom door. It is in it's massing and materials that call attention to it.

What does one see when following the sidewalk to the porch? A dead end into some windows, cordoned off into an area with low walls, and if looking left, a representation of less-formal windows and wall materials under a deep overhang with wood ornamentation where all of it would define a private space, not the main entrance to the house. I would predict that upon seeing this, a person would backtrack down the sidewalk, cut across the walk to the driveway, and go to the Mudroom door. And for those that are familiar guests, it would always seem an unnatural entrance.

There are a few ways to improve this. I would lean towards major surgery with moving the arch and being consistent with materials and detailing that calls attention to a grand entrance. The parapet sticking above the roof; the brick columns; the balance it provides to the gable and sloped wall; all would be an improvement IMO. Along with that, removing the low walls, and keeping the Mudroom entry recessed and carrying all the 2nd floor wood down, similar to the stair tower. Then, you can have a "normal" sidelited door.

I’m not “fighting everything tooth and nail.” I’m simply pointing out the confines with which I have to work - the orientation of the home and it’s surroundings/street location, my wife’s preferences, where we are at the design stage, limitations due to floor plan, etc. People tend to give advice in a vacuum, as they lack context and additional information due to it not being their project.

I did not personally design the house or the elevation - the architect we hired is very good and well respected. It’s not like he just did whatever we told him to do. He pushed back on requests that weren’t architecturally correct and told us why they were a bad idea.

All the points being raised are valid, but our architect contemplated them and we had long discussions about things like arch placement, front door placement, etc. the design is what it is because of a request of my wife or a design choice we talked through. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but there is only 1 opinion I care about.

My original question was solely about the front door style and potentially cheaper alternatives. That quickly devolved into people commenting on all the elevations, which I only posted because someone requested them for context. Very few actually responded to my original questions and gave feedback on that.

In my opinion, this is one of the nicest looking, most cohesive houses I have seen in these forums in some time. You've actually gotten off pretty lightly overall: sometimes people post plans and elevations and people are told to scrap them completely. The thread has mostly centered around which door people will actually tend toward using and some relatively small details in the big scheme of things. There is usually a lot more criticism than this, that must say something about what you have got here. As I said above, I think a door or double doors with narrower sidelights would work as well, maybe better than three of identical width.

Thank you for the kind words, @palimpsest I really appreciate it.

I would believe the architect intended to blur the line between inside and outside at the front door by making the wall the door is in virtually all glass; the Foyer and the Front Porch become one space. By offsetting the arch from that space reinforces and helps define that space. A well thought out plan.

As far as a first time visitor having difficulty getting to the front door, it has been my experience that no mater what you do or how hard you try, someone will go to the wrong door.

I am getting depressed looking at the other threads asking for help on their floor plan boxes. Maybe the best advice they can be given is to offset the main entrance, maximize the glass, from the path to the front facade. I fear this thread has temporarily spoiled me.

Visitors will follow the walkway to the front door. Unless you're on a corner with the mud room door facing the street, no one will see the mud entrance. Your side elevations are nice, but most people will never appreciate them. Lots of homes built like these in the early 1900s in East Sacramento.

Why is your wife wanting the low front wall?

And if i havent said it, the house willbe beautiful

@cpartist - I'm not sure other than she said she likes the look of it. Thank you!

It adds an extra design element that competes with the beauty of the house.

And honestly, its the wall that confuses where the front entrance is because it blocks the front entry while emphasizing the garage windows

What a gorgeous home! The first time I saw your facade, I assumed you had a Porte cochere, but then I saw that it was a porch in front of your garage. That drew me to look at your garage. And while I know you have an additional garage in the back of your home (love the idea of using brick strips vs. concrete as your drive), I also noted that your garage is only (yes, only) 20 feet by 22 feet. That is rather narrow if you intend to park two full sized cars. I just read another Houzz dilemma about garage dimensions and noted the size of your garage. Here is hoping you have small cars. Good luck with your new home.

Will you be able to see the 1963 Triumph TR3 parked in the garage from porch?

@ptreckel - thank you for the kind words. We currently only have one car since we live in the city. Once we move, I'm sure eventually we will have two cars, but there will be nothing in the attached garage but our cars (detached garage is a going to be used to house all of our other stuff). We have one big SUV and will have a smaller car/SUV.

I almost mentioned the garage size. It needs to be larger in order to get in/out without doors touching the other car. Also be sure the depth is large enough to open the hatch back and/or walk around vehicles when garage door is closed. When we built a custom home 20yrs ago, we added in both directions and used large beams so no support poles were needed. Also, if you want a storage closet or storage cabinets in the garage, now is the time to make room for them.... and a place for your wheeled trash cans (if you keep inside).

Gorgeous house! It reminds me of some of the homes build in the 20s (1920s, that is! Feels weird to specify!) in Ontario.

I think the simplest solution to the "where is the front door issue" is to have the sidewalk lead to it instead of a patio that one then has to explore in order to find the door.

If your wife would like a low wall, I'd recommend running it along the left side of the sidewalk that leads to the front door. Right now all that wall does is hide the front door-- it sends the subliminal message that you don't want visitors. If you don't want a straight front walk, consider a curved path from the base of the driveway (at the street) diagonally across the front yard and landing at the door.

@Jennifer K - thank you! We want the house to look like it's been there for a long time, so it's nice to hear you pick up a 1920's vibe.

If you really want a 1920's vibe, make the kitchen one quarter the size you show.

Your new home to be is lovely and I think the door style you are considering with side lights would be beautiful. I just had a new front door installed today and the door is 36 inches with two 14 inch sidelights and the proportions are very pleasing. Since your door may be larger you might consider slightly larger sidelights. The door is from Provia and I'm very please with the quality. Best of luck with your build and may you have many happy years in your home.

Back to the garage.

The drawing shows zero steps from garage to mudroom. If you don't plan this right - you'll end up with steps and they will encroach on an already tight garage.

You will definitly need to call out the floor elevation in both areas - not once, not twice, but like - constantly when the foundation is being planned and done.

We’ve adjusted the garage to be 22’ wide - that’s 22’ of floor space, not including walls.

And I see the elevations included on your plan for first floor, porches and garage. Just be diligent about checking during construction.....

Definitely will, but the reason we went with our builder is I completely trust him - he was honest and direct about pricing from the get go when others were not. I talked to over 6 builders and he was the only one who I felt was being upfront on pricing. He also came from the trades and is a stickler for detail, so I know he has high standards.

Please be sure to come post as your build proceeds. It's so nice to see a well designed house.

At least if someone has a hard time finding the front door, they will have a nice house to walk around trying to find the front door. Looking forward to seeing the construction process and finished product.

I would make sure the walkway comes from the street to the front door. As shown, having the path lead to the garage windows, will mean that you will need blinds/shades on those windows and keep them closed at all times. Walking up and having people look right into your garage and the cars/stuff in there, is not the first impression you want to make.

We built a house last year in an established area with few lots left. Our front faces west, which worked fine for the design and layout of the house, except the blinds in the front rooms of the house need to be closed from mid afternoon till sunset. The house looks so much better from the street with the blinds open, but the western FL sun needs to be blocked. If your walkway leads to the front door, you can probably get away with keeping shades open on the garage windows, which will look much nicer from the street.

The side of the garage of the house I grew up in faced the sidewalk and street, and had full-sized casement windows just like the rest of the first floor. The house was traditional and had sheers on the downstairs windows that were kept closed almost all the time in the LR and DR, and so the garage had the exact same. The garage was also fully plastered and painted inside, same millwork as the other parts of the house, etc., completely finished unlike about 90% of the garages in town.

That said, when the curtains in the garage were open, it was clearly a garage--it didn't look like a living area. Since sheers are out of fashion I would at the least have shutters or venetian blinds befitting the quality of a front elevation and probably keep them over the window and adjust the louvers to screen the view without giving the windows that shut off look.

I have a neighbor with a similar setup as what you're proposing to build. After living in the house for 5 years, they were tired of people going to their side door instead of their main front door. They ended up building a large wood and stone structure to highlight the main entrance walkway to the house, and put the house numbers on that structure as well so it became more obvious that people should take that path to the front door (which was around the corner from the garage).   Well this setup may not be ideal in terms of making it easy for people to find their way to your front door, you may want to consider whether you do some landscaping or build some sort of entrance structure so that people know to walk from the driveway/garage area down the path towards the front door.

I would make sure the walkway comes from the street to the front door. As shown, having the path lead to the garage windows, will mean that you will need blinds/shades on those windows and keep them closed at all times. Walking up and having people look right into your garage and the cars/stuff in there, is not the first impression you want to make.

My garage windows face both streets (I'm on a corner and have windows on both walls.) What we did was after we moved in, we had a 3M person come in and put on 3M frosted film on the windows. Now the garage gets light, but no one can look in.

Great call on the frosted glass - we are about to apply for a permit so the build should be commencing shortly. I will make sure to update everyone with pics and other selections. Right now we have picked out windows and exterior paint color.

@C W

Any updates?

@PPF. - thanks for checking in. So much has happened and yet I feel like we are in almost the same spot we were, haha.

The biggest thing - our builder put the project out to bid and it came back 22% over budget. This was in addition to initially being 10% over what the bank approved. The biggest budget breakers are, unfortunately, nothing sexy - concrete, stormwater management, masonry. Suffice it to say, we needed to cut some budget. Which brings me back to the low masonry walls on the front elevation that most people did not like - well, they are getting cut to save $. Turns out my wife was not that attached to them, so win-win.

I also found a picture of the door layout from another house done by our architect and sent it to local millwork shops - the prices I got back were more than out entire exterior door budget. For reference, here is the image:

We found a way to value engineer the design by having windows at the side instead of a door assembly. We are not sold on it yet and our interior designer is going to sketch up some alternative front door elevations.

We also got a preliminary landscape plan (I know it's early, but I got really into gardening during COVID and absolutely love planning the garden). The landscape architect moved the front path to where others previously suggested - behind the low walls that no longer exist. I still think it will work given his selections - below is his sketch:

We had to resubmit for permit and are awaiting final approval.

Given the weather in Chicago, we are going to start the build in the Spring. Happy to answer any questions or share updates.

Thanks for the update. This looks like a really interesting project and I'm sure everyone would enjoy seeing it come to life. Posting your final design and an occasional photo once the build starts would be great.

"our interior designer is going to sketch up some alternative front door elevations."

Make sure you are not directing your interior designer to step on anyone else's toes. I have had project where the interior designer could not comprehend 'continuity of design'. Some interior designers earn the phrase, "Interior designers, can't live with them, can't live without them, can't shoot them."

I'm venting.

Definitely please keep us apprised as this is such a nice looking house.

PS: glad the wall is going. ;)

Hi All, Just wanted to share an update. We have broken ground, footings are done and foundation is being poured as I type this. Framing will be done by the end of May. Here are a couple pics of the lot and an aerial drone view of the house footprint.

Thank you for the update….and good luck! Be patient! And keep posting updates!

Please keep posting!

Got to stop by the house after backfill and walk the foundation. The first two pictures are looking through the back of the house, toward the front door and kitchen, respectively. The third picture is an initial rendering of the kitchen (colors, furniture are not final).

Exciting, isn't it? I remember this stage of our build. Our walk-out lower level had almost 11ft + ceilings and the hole looked so big.

Beautiful kitchen to-be.

LOVE the use of a Tudor arch over your range area!

@Allison0704 - it is beyond exciting to see progress. I was also surprised at how huge the house looks, even though the first floor is around 1800 sq ft.

@ptreckel - thanks for noticing! that detail! I am really happy with what the designer came up with :)

It is those “little” details that make all the difference in the world! Following your journey!

We are almost done with framing 😀

Love your updates! Keep them coming!

This is definitely a fun one to keep seeing.

Happy Holidays everyone! Drywall has started on our build as some of the exterior stuff is finished up (gutters, metal roof, brick painting).

I'm sure everyone is wondering about your original question -- what about the door, windows and wall?

@PPF.. Since the construction fence is still up, I've had a hard time capturing the front of the house at a decent angle. Here is the best I have - we scrapped the low walls.