Question
QUESTION: Hello Marc,
I have recently purchased a 50's ranch in Nashville, TN that has no curb appeal. The front is absolutely a straight line with no porch or interest...only a couple unattractive steps leading to the front door. The house is brick which I intend to paint and the best way to describe the interior design is much like a Nantucket cottage with a lot of beadboard and soft colors. My first thought was to add a front porch but I am concerned it will restrict the light from the two front windows into the living room. I thought of using a pitched porch roof with open beams, beadboard and skylights but not sure how this would work.  I have also thought about a courtyard as I do have a large front yard. Perhaps something will a tall wooden fence and arbor with gated entry but what concerns me about this is everything being so linear. Could that be taken care of with landscaping? I have done quite a lot of research but have seen nothing that I think would work. The house is a one story and the roof line is vertical to the length of the house and not very steep. I am moving from Florida so I enjoy outdoor living...this house does have a large screened porch in the back so it is mainly the curb appeal in front that I am looking for.  I am really frustrated so I hope you cn help.  Thank you so much for any attention you might give me.

ANSWER: Hello, Anne.  Well. A 50抯 揜anch??we have a lot of those where I live.  When you described your house I saw this in my mind抯 eye:  http://homebuilding.thefuntimesguide.com/images/blogs/front-of-brick-ranch-style

What is the orientation of the front of your home?  Does it face south?  If so, a porch is a must, if nothing else, so your front door doesn抰 barbeque in the summer.

I like your idea of a front courtyard, but I would hesitate to install a tall fence ?no visitor will be able to find the front door ?and you are trying for curb appeal, not curb repel!  The goal is to create an inviting space that says, 揥elcome?and, 揌ere is the front entrance?   It would also hinder your views 搊ut?from the inside of the home.

Breaking up the 揾orizontal?feel can be done with a number of additional elements, (such as porch, or paint), but also a path or walkway that is not just a straight hunk of concrete from the street or driveway, to a tiny stoop with stairs.

Hence your idea of a front entry courtyard.  If the house is brick, and rectangular, the adding smaller rectangles of space will compliment rather than fight the architecture. Many times folks see sweeping lines of planter beds, and assume it will make their space more attractive匫ften it makes the house look like a 損rom dress with gym socks??they don抰 match style and function.

I believe that painting the brick is not a good idea, as you are creating a long-term maintenance problem, especially in a humid climate, and I think the beauty of brick can be complimented with other elements ?like adding painted shutters, or flowering plants that accent and 損lay well?with the redness of the brick ?like purples, blues, and yellows.  

If 揾orizontal?lines seem overpowering, there are lots of plant materials and other elements that can counter this feeling ?entry columns, arbors, fastigate (tall %26 skinny) plants, etc.  Even adding an accent tree or two close to the home can break up the fa鏰de.

I like the idea of a porch, but it doesn抰 have to be large ?at a minimum, a 4 foot stoop, and some white columns (or a color to match shutters) ,OR just a 揷ap?over the door  to say 揺nter here?(http://www.justicecustomcabinetry.com/images/large/image052.jpg  and http://mcgrawland.com/images/540_DM1ENTRY.JPG)  

As this image suggests, you can expand the entry stoop to create a large porch without having to necessarily cover the whole of it.

I would caution you, that orientation is critical, as lost of flat work in a southern locale like Tennessee may make this area uninhabitable due to heat and sun exposure.  I like the idea of 搊utdoor living? hence adding and carefully locating deciduous trees for cooling effect may be important at this location.

I would suggest a low seat-wall wall, or series of low walls made of brick that match your exterior.  These walls can be capped with white or beige caps, so the 揵rickyness?isn抰 over-powering.

Here is an example: http://www.silvercreeksw.com/images/caps/4.jpg

Arbor entries are nice, but scale is important, as you don抰 want it to overpower and be the dominant element.  The front door should be?br> You also didn抰 mention a garage door, so I have not addressed it here.  You either have a detached- or no-garage at all.   It is also a considerable design element to overcome in some ranch homes as it, too, is the dominant feature when you first pull up.

Hope our discussion helped a little. ~Marc


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello Marc,
Thank you so much for your reply and helpful input. To answer a couple of your questions: 1) there is a garage in the back but not seen from the front (house sits on a corner lot)...2) the house faces North...3) there are quite a few trees in the front yard but little other landscaping.  As for the painting of the brick...the brick is a very ugly brown which I am afraid I would never learn to 'love'. My plan is to actually white wash it so that it looks old...it is a process that is done here often and my daughter has it on her house...she has owned the house for 10 years and without any maintaince it looks like it did when she bought it. If you have more comments on this issue, I am open.  I was not able to access the first website (got a screen that said I was not authorized to open it).  However I did get the second two.  I liked the idea of the brick wall with the seating, even though I would like to use something more in keeping with the Nantucket cottage theme I think this idea could work.  I did not like the idea of the stoop...I feel the house is just so long and low the stoop would look lost.  How do you feel about the porch with exposed beams and possibly skylights to allow more light into the house?  I feel if the porch had an arch or peak it would give the entire structure more height.  How would you envision an arbor?  As I said there is a large front yard with a circle drive in front.  Right now there is no walk, only some stepping stones, leading from the front door to the drive so a well landscaped meandering walkway would be great.  I do have a photo and I will try to upload it and send it to you.

Thank you again Marc for your suggestions...while I am thrilled with the way the inside of the house is turning out, I am totally stumped with the outside.

I look forward to any other comment and/or suggestions you might have.

Anne

Answer
Thanks for the clarification.  As to the ugly brown brick, white wash may be the right solution.  Here, concrete brick and 搒lump?stone (a kind of adobe looking large brick) is routinely painted over.  You抳e got to live with it, too.  I just wanted to warn you that painted brick can look 揷heesy?if you pick the wrong color (like blue!) or out of place in a neighborhood of red brick facades.  Sounds like you抳e thought it through.

As to brick wall with the seating, I like things that match or compliment, so I抣l leave it to you to pick a material that matches the white-wash scenario.  As to a lost looking stoop, well, if you have a grade difference, you can elevate the whole patio for a larger entry porch, and nix the smaller stoop.  I抳e done that in some homes, where the seating wall is actually retaining wall as well, raising the grade (like a deck would do).  It is difficult to convey these ideas with words, as I am used to sitting down with a client and sketching something that portrays their ideas as well as mine.  Your concern about excessively horizontal frontage can, in part, be downplayed again, with horizontal shutter, or a fresh coat of bright paint on the front door, the addition of taller pots with vertically accented plants (like arborvitae or sky-pencil holly), or plants like Italian Cypress, fastigate oaks,  etc.

(Here are more:  http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/calif/2004025555000681.html)

A  porch with exposed beams I have no qualms about, but a skylight to allow more light into the house ?I don抰 see how that might work, if you are not adding the porch... If the porch had an arch or peak it might  give the entire structure more height.  Then whatever element you choose, you can repeat it in the arbor peak, as well.

I have no vision for a arbor structure, other than, again, I like things to match, so play off of the shape of any new porch shape (arch or peak).

Here are some examples: http://www.walpolewoodworkers.com/     Walpole is a great company for pre-fabricated garden structures.
 
Sorry, I missed the 揷ircle drive in front?part previously.  With no walkway, you have room to extend out from the house.  As you have a large circular pattern, you may be able to play off of the arch created by the drive and arching the seat walls to match the curve, also a way of toning down the 揾orizontal?feel you expressed earlier.  

揑 am totally stumped with the outside.? ??  No ?I thing you have some good ideas that just need a bit of refining.

Finally, here are some examples of how others have dealt with a ranch-style home that has an arching driveway:  
http://newlandhome.com/About.html
http://www.westernwyomingproperties.com/Thomas.html
http://www.brokerdirectco.com/CO-Weld/view_listings.php?listingid=112426&version
( the shrubs are overgrown, but notice how the white trim and peak break up the horizontal lines)


Hope it helps ~M