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letsgobowlingx

Exterior Entrance Help!

letsgobowlingx
11 years ago

Hello, I am new to this forum and was hoping to get help/ideas for how to make the entrance of my house more inviting.

The siding is now more of a beige color. I would like to change the shutters, maybe just paint them? I'm also not thrilled with the light..but MY MAIN ISSUE IS THE DOOR!!!

I'm not sure what color to make it...should it match the beige siding? I LOVE the doors that have trim around them or windows to the side but the fact that the door goes to the top of the roof there and there's little space on the one side it's throwing me off.

HELP PLEASE!!
Thanks :)

Comments (10)

  • handymac
    11 years ago

    Change the door to one with a larger glass section. Oval glass would break up all the straight lines of the rest of the front.

    Add a full glass storm door with some bling like etched glass.

    Maybe paint the new door . (Disclaimer---we have a door like that and cannot decide on the color.)

  • hosenemesis
    11 years ago

    Can you post a photo of the house with the beige siding?

  • awm03
    11 years ago

    Tossing around a few ideas, please forgive my crude rendition. I'm not very Photoshop skilled.

    1. The shutters are too small for the windows and aren't really appropriate for those window styles anyway. Removing them will make the house look more modern.

    2. New color for the window trim. Paint the gutters the same beige as the siding.

    3. An oval door says "Victorian" to me. Try looking for something more modern

    4. New landscaping: something that will add curve and depth to the house. A new walkway & steps would be nice. I tried widening the steps a bit in the photo just to see if it gave the entry more presence. I'm not good at adding plants in a photo, though, so I left the front bare.

    5. I love recessed a can light for a modern entry. I love how it bathes the door in soft light at night, and it won't glare in your eyes when you knock on the door. The light from a recessed can is lovely, inviting, and a little different than the usual lantern.

    edited to add image:

    This post was edited by awm03 on Fri, Feb 22, 13 at 10:39

  • lyvia
    11 years ago

    The shutters are high-contrast, eye-catching, and not the best feature. I agree with removing them entirely.

    Your door is recessed and does not stand out enough. I would paint the white trim on the shutters a color somewhere between the siding and the brick color, maybe darker as awm03 chose.

    Then I would find a decorative thing to hang on the walls either side of the door, ignoring that one is at right angles to the other. A pair of "wrought iron" panels would look cool, add some curve, and frame the door. Or trellis. If you want bold, mount a framed section of tile.

    A stone veneer panel either side of the door would look classy.

    Plus I would take out the bush under the corner of the gable, and put something more vertical, like a small buddleia, there to accent the door.

    Also, at the bottom of the steps, add a wider part of sidewalk, to make a little patio with container plants and a bench.

    What don't you like about the door? It looks like it would match beige siding already. I might try LED christmas lights around the door, instead of the single overhead.

  • kachinee
    11 years ago

    see below

    This post was edited by kachinee on Sun, Feb 24, 13 at 5:09

  • kachinee
    11 years ago

    ......hcnar

    This post was edited by kachinee on Sun, Feb 24, 13 at 21:31

  • lyfia
    11 years ago

    I really like what kachinee did, but I would remove the shutters. They are too small for the windows that are there. Even if the shutters are fake I'd prefer to see ones that look like they at least could be real, which isn't easy to do with your window setup.

  • jakabedy
    11 years ago

    I really like what AWM did. You've got a mid-century ranch. I don't know that Colonial or Victorian is the way to go.

  • kachinee
    11 years ago

    "I really like what AWM did. You've got a mid-century ranch. I don't know that Colonial or Victorian is the way to go."

    A person who owns such a home probably has financial constraints and cannot afford to create an architectural style
    with changes that they can afford. For example, this ranch could be made into a cottage style ranch, but at what cost, and would that be appropriate in the neighborhood that it is in?

    When you say that you don't know that Colonial or Victorian is the way to go, what are you referring to? The selection of a door style and shutter style? The paint colors?

    This post was edited by kachinee on Wed, Feb 27, 13 at 8:34

  • hosenemesis
    11 years ago

    I like the black and white with the brick, but I don't like the small shutters much. I also think that putting up a door that matches the window style is a good idea.