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terry_jaycox

Split level HELP?!!! Porch & landscaping

12 years ago
Lived in this great house for 37 yrs, but need help with enclosing porch, getting rid of cement stairway to porch and landscaping ideas. Project to be done this summer or fall of 2014. Please contact me. Jaycoxterry@gmail.com. Sanborn, Iowa 51248

Comments (9)

  • PRO
    12 years ago
    I would remove all of the walls and start all over again with some natural stone or a nice looking prefab material. I would also remove the concert steps and place a real nice set of decretive wooden steps. The drive could be pavers in conduction with a seating area and some flower bed walls. You have a really nice area to work with. Maybe hiring a designer to get you going would really help.
  • 12 years ago
    Here's the most contemporary idea - where the stairs and a planter act as a retaining wall - raise a wall outside so the stair is within the courtyard below at the upper floor go to 42" above that concrete level - you can still open the rail to the left and place a wide pad that extends the path to the upper door wide and deep 12' square with one step up out on the lawn to the left - re orient your landscape to bring guest in that direction.
    Step the wall down once, about 1/3 of the way along to 42" above that stair level. carry the wall past the bottom of the stairs at that angle for 12' then angle back symmetrically at another level down, then run that to the plane that the garage face is on. That gives you jjust enough enclosure
    Lose the metal and replace with stainless cable rail that runs down the stairs inside with raw iron i columns and posts bolted through on the face - a bit industrial modern. Add some gray with paint by converting some of the white to silver - sw uncertain gray would be great with the tan - sw smoky blue for the primary entry door and some furniture for the courtyard below . . . put a fire pit in the absolute center lined up with the bottom of the V . . with chairs all around . .

    you could do the wall in big earth slate tile with gold and gray and blue-green tones - large house numbers on the wall in a mod font in raw steel

    do some raw zinc planters inside the courtyard - on both sides of the window above the new pad - use a warm earth tone concrete stain and stain the new pad, the courtyard concrete and the bridge to the front door - now you have hollywood and all the good things of the 60's and
  • 12 years ago
    Terry, can you answer a few questions? That might help with useful suggestions. What is the room on the second level? A bedroom? Living room? Study? What is the room on the bottom level? Party/guest space? A possible second living area? A shop? Depending on what those rooms are used for, remodel of the outside spaces might differ.
  • 12 years ago
    Good questions! Cmon terry - play design team with us!
  • 12 years ago
    You r the one that I must be looking for. Design ideas overload! If I had unlimited resources all of the ideas sound great. The upstairs room is living room downstairs room is family room ,living room with bar and fireplace. So do u have connections with any of the TV show like what on DIY or HGTV
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    last modified: 12 years ago
    I design some.
  • 12 years ago
    Interesting. Pretty impressive with what a person can do with technology, something to explorer. Thanks
  • 12 years ago
    Terry...I have been hoping to run into ALL the HGTV "Crashers"...they could come do my house and yard all at the same time!!!