Any ideas for this old porch?
by
Brenda Bucco
+51
We have redone the inside, now we would like to update the outside also, need some ideas.
What a cute home ,my first concern would be a railing on the steps on entrance ,some landscaping to give more curb appeal , cedar shrubs , flowering shrubs, hosta etc.!
i had a porch years ago before we moved. looked a lot like this one. this is more for the base of it. plant mums. or tall flowers close to but not touching the base.you could pick up the colors and put them at the base of the house. right now its bland and attracts your eyes. the colors of the flowers will have the eyes wandering. not sure i am explaining this right. it worked really good for me.
This Old House magazine or web site has lots of good ideas. I love porches, so if it is allowed in your area, extend the porch to the full width of the house and add some pretty landscaping (perennial flowers are fabulous).
It is hard to comment not knowing your location, budget and how long you plan to stay in the home.
I looks like the original porch was closed in so this is crowding people onto an inadequate landing to enter the house.
I would build a nice deck out over most of the front of the house and large enough to cover over the steps...adding steps on one side and a ramp on the other. Then add a covering attached to the house over the door. Put in lattice under penning!
What a beautiful little saltbox Cape Cod. I would make a porch after a fashion. A rust colored awning over the door and twin window so you don't get rained on, Square up your flower beds and add a red castle block edging. and right beside the door where the twin window is, some pavers and a couple of chairs to enjoy the out doors.
A matching red door would bring it together. Tall Nandina like red bushes under the windows will soften there as well as behind the porch as a backdrop. Handrails would be nice if looking to build. Add lighting would give character to face of porch.
I would remove the extending porch, give the house a smoother look, then add a deep porch the entire length of the house. Add an attractive railing, posts, front door and your house would look great!
Red door, window boxes with geraniums--low shrubs instead of the fake squirrels and a big star or round iron piece below the peak of the house or a nice fixture above the door.
Nice looking house...first, remove those "tiny" red shutters! They are to small and make the house look "dinky". Paint the window frames red instead. This way you can have red at all of the windows. Now paint the front door red and add a red awning over the front stoop/steps.
Move the two shrubs out from the house and imagine a "half-circle" going from one corner of the house to the other...the steps would be about 3 feet from the top of the circle. Fill that area with shrubs and blooming planes. With the walkway being in the flower bed, it gives an inviting path to the front door. This is the exact advise that I have given a client who had a house very similar to yours. Good luck.
scaled to size deck whole length of porch.new patio styled double doors.dwarf ornamental bushes and perrenials for larger garden framing deck.freshen paint on shutters
Personally for a reasonably priced update. I would replace the siding on the peak only of the porch with a classic clapboard look, very popular now.. I would replace the front screen door with full glass and accentuate the door with a color "possibly cranberry" and a wreath. "magnolia blossoms" I would put white PVC rails to modernize and lastly hang 3 white PVC window box's under all the windows, planted with vinca vine and bright flowers. I would put variegated plants under the porch window to hide the foundation.All reasonable in price.
I wouldn't take off the porch, but the suggestion of either replacing the front door with a red one or just painting it red would be good idea. Do you know what those bushes are? Do they flower in the spring or summer? If not flowering bushes would look nice, but make sure they don't get too big. Adding color with plants would really make the house look nice. In my opinion what makes the front yard look appealing is the landscape. Check with your local area to see what plants grow best. Add railings to the stairs.
Change out screen door to something not country and old looking unless you like country. Then add plants, that's what's missing for curb appeal, but only buy perennials so you buy once. Make sure you read and plant accordingly. It will look space after first so maybe add a few annuals for color. Add a white wood railings. Then plant along border leading to house hostas they grow quickly and most will have flowers. Don't plant day lilies since they are evasive nor anything that reseed like blackeyed Susan or shasta daisy to name the most common ones or you will get them all over the place and lose your lawn.
If cheaper options is your goal, draw your eye to door. If you can live without the screen door, give it up as it detracts from the curb appeal. Than Paint your door a bright but dark green, like hunters green. ( Rust-Oleum makes Door paint and you can find a color chart online) than add a fypon door surround , leave it white. Add a flowering bush underneath the windows next to front door, something like a weiglia, with lots of color options for flowers or an Azalea, depending on your zone. I would also add low plants on either side of side walk, something that's mostly foliage. My house is also a cape cod and I used hosta's & coleus to fill in til hosta's mature because i have heavy shade in front. You don't want larger plants fallowing side walk if you want to lead the eye along side walk to doorway.
Another option is to add gingerbread trim to roof line of front entry way, but I would be more likely to add a nice light fixture inside of a triangle detail above door way, but Doo that last, as it may be to much.
Add matching shutters to each dormer. I thinking you could also add trim to underneath the roof line of the entryway to break up the large space between roof line and door and windows.