Have you read this report? The pros sound wonderful. The cons are big ones for me. Energy, cost, buying the perfect lot, etc. I just wouldn't do it. Lastly, I would want my ADU separate from the main house.

https://dotquestion.blog/c-shaped-house-plans-pros-cons

WHEN is this dude going to get BANNED from this site.

I like the white. I think dark colums would be dreary. I note AI has lightened the shade on the porch, to make the darker columns look better.

Beefier is a great idea. That would make them stand out. Painting them to match the trim would make them disappear. Are they an architectural feature or a necessary construction item needing to be hidden?

I like the softer white version best.

I like the warm browns you have. I might do cafe au lait or coffee. If you want to shake it up, go with a lighter forest green.

What is your budget for bedding? I've seen some beautiful bedding on West Elm recently but it's a bit pricey.

Sorry, I’m not much help re color, that’s personal, but just chiming in to say I’ve had great experience with RH bedding. Yes, it’s pricey, but they usually have some on sale for about 50% off, think some are on sale now. We buy the quilts or coverlets.

@Emily Wooow! Thank you so much! These are awesome and so much easier to envision . :)

I think a warm cream would look great. The fishscale roofs look like they are either wood or slate. You probably would struggle to get slate, but I'm guessing they are wood.

I'd get rid of the mullions. Your house is closer to modern farmhouse than colonial, IMO. Black would be fine, although I prefer white.

If you have the view, no grids.

My vote would be to keep the white windows and the traditional muntins for your home

Roman shades and a more interesting bedspread will go a long way. I would not built in a wardrobe --- if you ever have an injury or disability, you'll need the room. You can often get very nice vintage armoires for reasonable prices at antique stores. If you like your bedspread, you can get a throw to add some color. Or with pillow cases.

While I like jolts of bright color, you can pick up one of the muted colors in your rug --- any constrast will add interest.

This armoire is very sweet looking with the scalloped edges:

https://www.westelm.com/products/kids-josephine-wardrobe-d810/

I’m a fan of top down/bottom up shades so you can get natural light but privacy during the day by having the top half open.

I like the old door better. Both doors can be made more efficient with weather stripping. THe thing I like about my storm door is that I can swap out the glass for screen in the summer and get all that cool night breeze into my house.

The alternate doors are all great possibilities, but I do wonder if there’s a better way to tie in or change the colour of the stone around the door. It does not seem to fit or connect to the body of the house or trim.

Your lovely house seems more English cottage style (20s-40s) than Tudor revival, although this style often seemed a mix of both styles. I would do a plain, timber door with no windows, unless your goal is more light. Have you seen the original-looking door on the Tudor-Exterior Update on this site (https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6587949/tudor-exterior-update#n=30) ?

Door two with the wreath looks best to me. Is that the existing door?

FWIW: I love the stone around the front door. I wouldn't touch it. Lovely home!

I agree no B&B but why that choice at all in that spac e? Some nice wainscoting maybe or wallpaper would be much better with that very formal furniture .

If you do many meetings over Zoom, you want to be sure the color flatters your face.

Do you have to go around the stairs? Do you have a back-up camera on your car? Many cars with back-up cameras will show you lines where you're safe. If you don't have a back-up camera, they are relatively cheap to install. I find backing in to a tight space can sometimes be easier. With a back-up camera, you can paint lines on your garage floor that guide you.

Your top step looks like a half-step. You could have someone build a shorter, steeper stair that has one less step. That might get you an extra foot or two.

Here are the dimensions of my stairs as promised!!

If you want to use the space for your cars without worry every time you drive, or walk in or out the door with a car so close to the stair, or sliding by the stair/car carrying things, your only option is looking at the interior of the house. Weigh the complication and trouble to parking outside, or with the cost of repairing your car and jamb. It may be only reframing the floor, or capturing some of the porch, or combining it with a future rework of the Kitchen, etc. Just guessing because the pictures don't show much.

I would go for a very lush jungle vibe. Where are you? In NYC? Philly? Zone and city really helps. How much sun do you get? I'm guessing not much.

Elephant ears are big, bold, do well with little sun and are cheap, I'd get 2 or three of them. You can get them in Black, and there are some with dramatic colors, like Waikiki (which is often not that cheap). You'd need to dig them up for the winter (assuming you are in the northeast) but if you got plain green ones, you could just toss them and replant the next year. I do know one that came up in the Boston area after wintering over, but I wouldn't expect that to happen on a regular basis.

Something like this design could work for you, I'd do coleus and impatiens for the two rows of plants. You can do it dramatic with black elephant ears, hot pink impatiens and dramatic coleus or a calmer design with colors of your choice green and white, say. This is an annual garden, but it's quite affordable for the size and plenty of plants don't winter over well in small planter boxes.

seasonal color · More Info

The drama (this picture is for the black elephant ears, but you could add the Japanese forest grass, too, it's a perennial and should do well in shade)

Summer Color with Perennials · More Info

My guess is this is New Guinea Impatiens, but I could be wrong. You can certainly get some impatiens that looks pretty similar, even if this isn't impatiens

Gardens, Perennials, Shrubs & Trees · More Info

Coleus comes in all sorts of colors from this red to purples and limes.

Flower Containers · More Info

This gives you a sense of the options, so they would work well in a green and yellow scheme.

These potted coleus love the ocean breezes · More Info

Maybe a rug could break up some of the linear checkerboard floor? (It would cover one of the two drains, though. Would enough water drain through it?)

Is this a photograph of your courtyard or an AI mock up? The table and chairs seem out of scale with the barbecue.

I like the slab door, too. My parents had a mail slot and then discovered the skinny neighbor kid could reach in the mail slot and unlock the door (he only did this when my brother was locked out). My parents blocked up the mail slot and built a mail box.

Are those glass on the side that look black? Not really sure what you are concerned about for style of door to this house . NOt your typical MCM so maybe a bit more info. Those fancy lacey fronts for sure do not work. Something like this would be my choice

Here are some MCM front door looks.

I love the current color. I wouldn't paint unless you need to. I'd remove the shutters, they are the wrong size for the window and shutters don't fit on any of your other windows.

Love Trace's dark charcoal with the light green door, I agree it makes the house quite stately, lovely!

Keep in mind that Ben Moore Black Forest Green is almost black. I have it on my fence and it's VERY dark.

I love it but you need to make sure that's what you want.

You might consider removing one or both of the chairs and using the dining chairs. Would it be a pain to move the chair back and forth? If you sit 4 people in the seating area and all 4 eat 2 or three meals at the table, it might be awkward, but if your usage is less, it might work well.

So it doesn’t feel as squeezed in, suggest moving love seat over and place table/plant (or lamp) in the corner. Suggest adding a new rug horizontally, which will make the area feel larger and using green would be a lovely choice. Rug style below would work with the one in the dining area. Play around with the chairs‘ locations.

That looks great, thank you!

If it's a pretty azalea (my wild-ass guess, given that identifying shrubs from pictures is hard), your could move it. You can also prune it. The problem with pruning now, of course, is that you might cut off all the buds.

Creeping phlox should be native to you and is a nice groundcover. I might start by planting some and wait until I ID'd the shrubs before adding more. I like coneflowers, too.

This is coneflower and monarda/bee balm, anothr native.

Plant Ideas & Colorful Combinations · More Info

Creeping phlox comes in many colors

Creeping phlox (Phlox Subulata) ground cover for sunny dry hillside. Spring bloo · More Info

Create a focal point with decor and natural elements. Here are my ideas I prompted to AI so adjust as needed

Thanks for the like.

It's hard to have AI adjust an image without going overboard.

The pots are supposed to sit on the flagstone with the birdbath, which should have a wider bowl to balance the lamp. I'd like to see a bit more groundcover among the stones and rock.

Flowering perennials should not be planted next to the walkway or the flowerheads will bend over and block the path. Plant groundcover in between them and the walk.

I do like how AI left the front of the rock circle open to be seen from the curb. I like how AI widened the path visually with a strip of rock or gravel which should be on both sides for the entire length. 4 feet as mentioned is a good for total width.

When you serve the guest a drink, serve it with a coaster or napkin. The minute someone places a drink down without a coaster, say, "Let me get you a coaster." You need to train your guests, gently, of course.

My smart controller can be programmed manually, it's just much easier on-line. There may be some simple controllers that are mechanical, but I think most are electronic, so the WIFI doesn't take away from function. I'd imagine most will have WIFI, because it's easy to add. I'd look for the best controller for your needs and if that includes WIFI, don't reject it.

I have a Rainbird controller that is more than ten years old and still going strong. I see that they have redesigned them with updated screens and user interface but the basic functions still seem to be the same. You can program it manually or by a wifi module bought separately. They have multiple sizes with different numbers of possible zones.

These are more expensive but the extra money buys a few advantages. First is reliability, Rainbird is an established brand with a great history for making quality products. Second they can be used indoors or outdoors. Many cheaper controllers are not rated for outdoor use and have to be placed in a garage or other shelter. Third, every controller is capable for use with long run times needed for drip systems. Many cheaper controllers have limited station runtimes that aren’t suited for drip systems. Fourth there are many options for scheduling so you can customize according to your needs. Cheaper controllers often have fewer customizing options.

Hope that helps.

I agree with Kentc, rain bird is the best way to go in my exp. Hunter also has some models that might fit your needs but rain birds modular design allows for simple modification to the system.

With a $5K paint budget, and a bit of unpainted cement, you're best bet is probably color blocking. Experiment with making some sections of the house a contrasting color. Maybe the left section and the garage section.

Why are there balls in all the barrels? Does she use the trampoline? How much work does she want to spend gardening? You've certainly got a climate where flowers thrive.

For Sonoma an Adobe Pink paint color?

AI would not change the gray portions to brown for me...but it would give more Sonoma rustic look as another option.

Okay here is some brown trim...exact colors TBD. And a floating solar fountain for the birdbath needs no setup.

I would make them all the same. I see you have stools, if you are planning to have stools again, and you AI mockup skipped them, then people won't see much of the island and a few bits that don't match won't look intentional.

AI makes everything look good. Your current kitchen picture looks far worse, in part because you have stuff on the counters and odd lighting. The AI image shows very little space between the bottom of the cabs and the counter. Will you have enough room for your toaster, coffee maker and other stuff?

Finally, I agree with the no for the metal backsplash. It will be impossible to clean. Further, if you, like me, use one burner more than others, steam will make part of the backsplash rustier in that area. If the rusty metal is coated, steam from cooking and cleaning products that will get the grease off will wear the coating off. It's just a bad choice unless you never cook, never boil water and just want a kitchen for show.

I don't like pot fillers because you're still going to have to drain the pot in the sink, so IMO, it's better you know the weight and splashiness when the pot is filled with colder water at the sink, than when you are, say, bringing your pot of spaghetti to be drained in the sink.

AI often adjusts proportions, I notice that AI appears to have made your kitchen bigger. For example, it has a double cabinet on the left of the window, where you have a single cabinet now. It has replaced the cabinets over and the microwave with your statement hood, but your statement hood looks to be much bigger than the space that it is filling. That means that either your hood will be much smaller (not much of a statement or centerpiece of the design) or you will have to reduce the size of the cabinets. Further, in the third picture, where you have the full frontal design, AI has added another cabinet to the left, to make the design more balanced.

You have a fairly small kitchen that looks a bit cramped. Don't be seduced by pictures of a far more spacious kitchen. I'd strongly advise you to work out the sizes of everything on paper and then, maybe use painters' tape to show the size on your existing kitchen to see what the result will be. I'm sure it won't be much like the pretty pictures.

Here are some ideas for a different backsplash

Rustic Backsplash - Photos & Ideas | Houzz

75 Rustic Kitchen with Medium Tone Wood Cabinets Ideas You'll Love - August, 2026 | Houzz

I don’t think it’s taboo at all to use full-overlay cabinets on the perimeter and a full-inset island, especially if you want the island to feel more like a piece of furniture. I would just keep the Shaker door profile consistent so everything still feels connected.

As mentioned here already, painted perimeter cabinets could help brighten the kitchen and balance all the existing wood. Since the barnboard island will match your dining table and relate to the hood, the contrast will feel intentional.

We used white Shaker perimeter cabinets with a contrasting blue Shaker island in this Mar Vista kitchen:

https://overlandremodeling.com/interior-design-gallery/mar-vista-kitchen-design

I Ike the pashmina better than the cream. A nice contrast and not so stark.

I would paint the awnings if you're going with any color other than Casa Blanca. I kind of like Medici Ivory, it's a cream with a warm undertone. I don't like the yellow. I like lighter colors on stucco, for example Lullaby, rather than Star Dew. I might be tempted to try a darker shade for the trim, rather than a white/cream. For example Waterloo with Lullaby or Star Dew.

Morphra- thank you for your recommendation. What is the creamy wall color in the visualization? The trim is casa blanca?

This is a color I generated with AI. I found a similar paint swatch online for your reference: Cottage Cream.

I think we don't need to overthink the style — good looks and practicality should be the top priority, right?

Of course, you can also upload different colors to my AI tool for color matching — it's free to try:

https://morphra.ai/

I'd replace the rug with something lighter, leave the fireplace as is, and consider painting all pine except the short wall seen in pic#3. That said, you might whitewash the brick, if the room is dark. It's hard to tell with photos. You might consider waiting until Spring, because then you'd have a better sense of whether your room is dark in winter.

This is one area of the whole home.

It looks like the brick on the fireplace is the same brick as the exterior of the home, which ties the exterior and interior together. I would not paint the brick fireplace.

The original darker browner doors and trim seem to blend well with the fireplace, but the pine is way too orange and clashes with both the doors and the red brick.

There are a couple of ways to handle the panelling. You can sand, prime and paint. You will need a primer that keeps the knots from bleeding. ( Zinsser B-I-N Shellac-Based Primer ).

Option 2 is to use fill the lines with spackle, sand lightly and apply heavy-duty wallpaper lining paper over the paneling or Option 3 - remove the paneling. Often it has just been nailed/glued over drywall and with a bit of work you are back to drywall walls. Sometimes (especially in basements) it is simply nailed to the studs. There is a risk that the paneling was not just decorative, but used to cover some issue like peeling lead paint. Not what I would expect looking at your home, but remove the paneling carefully so you can simply nail it back up if you find a problem that you are not prepared to deal with at this time.

Personally - I would go for removing the paneling and starting with nice, smooth walls.

I would also remove the popcorn ceiling, but make sure to have it tested for asbestos before removing. If there isn't any asbestos it is a simple, but messy job. If there is asbestos it is more expensive to have it professionally removed and the asbestos properly handled. It can wait until you are ready to do it right.

I would leave the carpet and tile until you have a whole home plan. The color on the wall works with the carpet and the fireplace and your furniture, so I would use the same color on the new un-paneled walls or over the paneling.

When you are ready replace the carpet and/or the tile flooring if it doesn't work with your whole home plan. If you decide to keep the tile flooring recolor the grout.

I would also see why there is a trim piece at the ceiling over the fireplace - is it needed? If not remove it. If it is hiding something make it as small and indiscrete as possible and paint it dark with a matte/flat paint to help it hide.

Assuming this is the furniture that you will be using in the room, and that there will be no TV here, I'd move the sofa so its back is to the window. Place 2 chairs facing each other, so you have a U shaped conversation area. Leave a 4 feet clear walkway across the front of the fireplace, as your traffic path through the room.

It will be nice to sit on the sofa with the light from the window coming over your shoulder and lighting your reading or whatever else you are doing. And the sofa will be facing the fireplace, which seems natural.

Is that a slate floor? If so, I would not replace it. It's a cool, authentic feature. I don't think cement-look anything would be an improvement. If the cabs are in good shape, I'd keep them. We can't really see the walls or backsplashy, so it's hard to advise. But, probably that would be the place to focus.

Is it in the budget to replace the cabinets, or do you plan to keep them? How about lighting? Do you have adequate lighting or do you need new fixtures?

I found this Pinterest link of a video showing how they hid the gas pipes. I know that your pipes are currently behind the stove, but maybe something could be built to cover them. And you have another pipe in the corner to the left of the sink that may be easier to

cover. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/153896512262839206/

I need to see what is next to this space and also what your lighting is like. The easiest way to brighten a space is better lighting. The cabinets look to be in good shape . The granite edge is a bit dated but how much do you hate it . IMO the hardwood looks like it is in need of some work is that part of the plan? If so then replacing the kitchen floor with something to match is a good idea but not if redoing the rest of the floors is going to happen. I need to see that place where the gas pipes are since you always need to shut off for the gas it is not usually as simple as a covering it.

If you're going to paint it, I'd go with a blue a few shades darker than your siding.

My vote is dark blue too.

We installed a screen door that slides open to one side like a roller shade so you can see the front door when not in use.

Diluting it 25% with white will make it lighter, but probably won't affect the blue/gray balance. You might try Little Falls or Silver Mist. If you click on a color on the BM site, they will show you lighter/darker and similar colors.

For example, with Brewster, they offer Adiago as lighter, Templeton as darker. Similar colors include Shadow Gray, which is a tad bluer and lighter, Gull Wing gray which is lighter. You can keep clicking until you come across a color you love.

Thank you everyone for input. This is a new construction home. So I’m having to make tons of decisions, and having occasional decision fatigue snd questioning my choices.

Cutting the formula would make the color strength weaker. Because of the DNA of the colorants, you would have to add a hefty amount of white paint to move its appearance..

Color online is not accurate and the kind of blue gray color you’re describing falls into a pocket where there is an even greater inaccuracy online.

Even though there are a lot of decisions to make, it’s a really good idea to make the time to go to a paint store and get chips and paint samples to test the colors properly

And don’t let anybody rush you in that process. If it takes you a couple more days to test and find the right colors , they can wait.

Again, why a three story townhouse on a broad suburban lot? Why not a two story if there's room to build out?

I think the OP is out searching for a competent local residential architect.

(very optimistic)

@Patricia Colwell I would like to think so. We would have, too. Problem is that the floor was tiled around the bar vs. underneath which is concrete..

There'd be a bar-shaped opening in the approx 14'x28' tile floor. It's a solid bar, and quite common in homes this age in this area.

I also scouted for rolled cork, vinyl fabric and carpet. I suspect it'll be quickest to replace the face boards and paint. I like the texture of the OSB but read it has a wax coating. A handyman will be here Monday afternoon. We'll see . . .

The OSB isn't bad. I'd paint the bottom and be done with it. It's not attractive and there isn't much you can do to make it attractive without spending way more money than you'll get back. Paint the bottom and be done. I don't think that cork, vinyl or carpet is going to make a difference. If you do a great installation, the improvement will be marginal. If your DIY job is mediocre, you'll have made things either worse or no better.

You could get another storm door. You would be advised to put pavers in front of the door, so you don't have the wood in contact with dirt and rotting.

"What would you do here?"

I would build a new door PRE_HUNG from Eastern Red Cedar. Pre-hung because a much better fit can be had and ERC because it's rot resistant and moves less than other wood during wet-dry cycles. Even threashold can be made of Cedar because it does well with ground contact. This is doable in home shop with tablesaw and router but does require medium skill.

That's some kool diggs to unwind in.

You want a prehung (important to keep out cold, rain and snow) fiberglass door. You can find one on-line, look for rustic, with a window. No storm door is necessary.

I googled the weighted leather strap idea and it is possible; maybe your husband can take a look at this AI suggestion.

• The Inside Mechanism (The Gravity Latch): Install an interior-mounted, heavy-duty iron drop-bar gravity latch. Because it is weighted on one side, gravity naturally forces the bar downward into its catching cradle every time the door shuts.
• The Exterior Function (The Leather Strap): Drill a small, clean hole through the cabin door right beneath the drop bar. Tie a thick piece of full-grain saddle leather or bridle leather to the latch bar, thread it through the hole to the outside, and weight the exterior end with an antique iron ring or decorative brass fob. Tugging down on the outside leather strap lifts the internal weighted bar.

Adding Front-Door Security: Because a leather strap latch can be opened by anyone walking up to the door, you must install an independent, matching deadbolt directly above or below it. Pair your strap assembly with an oil-rubbed bronze or distressed iron deadbolt cylinder to keep the cabin safe when you are away.

Fun project...what else are you doing to the exterior?

I'd go with something in the Downing Earth family, except much lighter. SW Minimalist, perhaps

You are doing the right kind of work with Photoshop variants and physical stain boards. At this point, freeze the stone, roof, garage, and wood elements as non-negotiable anchors, then compare only three exterior families on the identical photo and lighting: a warm restrained neutral, a muted green-gray, and a deeper earth tone. The decision is which family connects the fixed materials, not which isolated paint chip wins. After choosing a family digitally, sample full boards outdoors at different times of day. I create fixed-price, asynchronous concept comparisons from one authorized photo; details are on my profile.

Well if you love the stone then color from the stone maybe just darker tone. Not gray.