How can I make the front of my house more welcoming?

Sandy Rolon
by Sandy Rolon
My home is the only house that you have to step down into it to enter, very awkward to decorate... I put in a nice gate that I would like to mimic to the front of the house
  6 answers
  • Lina Splichal Lina Splichal on May 28, 2018

    Window boxes, potted plants by the entry, a potted vine to climb the brick pillar, paint your doors a primary focus color.

    • Sandy Rolon Sandy Rolon on May 28, 2018

      I currently have a long black bench in front of the windows. Window boxes would limit the space to walk past to get to the backyard for now until I do a wraparound porch to deck.

  • Vimarhonor Vimarhonor on May 28, 2018

    Perhaps a cheerfully bright painted front door and wreath, perhaps some planters with colorful annuals might help.

  • Landsharkinnc Landsharkinnc on May 28, 2018

    color -- containers of annual plants that are bright and fresh; can you paint the brick columns? or at least the balustrades .... actually I like the step down - is that a deck or just a porch cover -- if it's a deck - is that a door in the middle? -- again -- more color-- to draw your eye 'up' ...

  • Bijous Bijous on May 28, 2018

    You did put in a lovely gate. I also like your home. Now all you need to do is treat the front of your home as a courtyard rather than a front yard. Build containers (the ones shown are concrete, but you can use wood and paint it to match your gate, and a focal sculpture. It will be quite nice.

    • See 2 previous
    • Bijous Bijous on May 29, 2018

      Over by the stairs against the wall, build a wooden shed and put in nice doors. Below is a gate for fences, but you can use it as a door. Put them up as sliders that slide rather than open and you can put it all the way across the wall. Should take care of some of the things...

  • Annie Annie on May 28, 2018

    What part of this is your house? The whole thing or is it a duplex and you have the lower portion? I don’t understand the upper door in the front. Is there a deck up there that’s not visible in the picture?


  • Annie Annie on May 28, 2018

    Love the courtyard idea if you have another place to store what you have there now. Maybe consider painting the railing on 2nd floor, that door and your first floor door all the same color to bring some cohesiveness to the whole building? I’d probably work with the gray you already have in the front. I really thought it was a duplex. It’s a very large house! Do you own the lot to the right of the photo? Could you use that as a storage space?