Improve My Front Entry

9 years ago

I'm looking for ideas on ways to improve my front entry. I'm thinking of changing the lights, adding flowers to the space beside the bottom steps, and thought a bench might be good.
What else am I missing?

Need your ideas!

Featured Answer

Darzy

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Paint the doors black, but leave the trim white. Adding colorful annuals in the small pots will be perfect. Replace the lighting with larger sconces that face downward. Keep it simple. No bench needed. Oh yes, I agree low plantings in the beds next to the steps would be nice-like purple verbena.

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Comments (24)

kpappal
9 years ago
Paint your front doors!
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Hi Rachel, This is quite easy to fix. Firstly I would brighten the space up with a white paint such as Nippon Violet Whispers (warm white), this will give you a good base to work from. Then I would replace your table with one that is larger. This table is too small to be useful and is making your entrance feel small. I recommend using teak and keeping this console table simple in design. On the wall I would place artwork - the bigger the better as this will make a dramatic statement. Then add some lighting (table lamp on console table) and decorative items and voila your entrance will be instantly chic! I have mocked up two options for you - one is based on blues, the other pinks, so depending on your preference you can go either way. This is the blue version with hints of tropical This is the pink version. I would love to work with you, so if you are interested in my ideas, please contact me via my website www.atelierlane.com Ellie Owner & Creative Director Atelier Lane
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whistlerhouse
9 years ago
Are you trying to narrow the look of your entry? If so, placing the flower pots as you have has done that. If you were to want to widen the space and make the entrance more grand, you would have to get rid of all the pots. It is difficult to say whether you have any roof overhang that would allow for pillars or even some railing, but that addition would make a more grand statement. A matching brick wall on either side of the landing would also be nice. Where I live you would not be allowed to have a raised area without some safety feature like a rail or wall to prevent someone falling off of it.
Flowering shrubs would be nice in front at ground level
Angel 18432
9 years ago
Agree, paint the front door black along with the pots. Should do wonders.
PRO
Earth, Turf & Blooms
9 years ago
Renovate the front stoop using blue stone to break up all that brick
tfitz1006
9 years ago
Glossy black for the doors, perhaps more substantial black urns for planters, remove the small planters. Larger lights set lower and maybe a little closer to the doors. Do you love the glass in your doors? Seems a little inconsistent with the rest of the house.
Angel 18432
9 years ago
I like the glass in the front doors and once they are painted black it will look totally different.
Darzy
9 years ago
Here's a photo of black door/white trim and brick. Looks nice. :) Your window frames are black to tie in with the door. The reverse of this (black shutters/white windows)...

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User
9 years ago
I think that one instead of two of the tall plants at the entry would be better Feng Shui. Maybe colorful annuals in the small pots?
tfitz1006
9 years ago
If the budget allows, might be good to fix the steps so that no one falls off the front step because the second step isn't the full width across. I guess you could fix with masonry or with plantings.
partim
9 years ago
The shutters are too narrow for the windows. It would look better without shutters.

Your brick is a very pretty color.
n247080
9 years ago
I would
1. move the large pots closer to the wall of the house
2. replace lighting to hang down and larger
3. paint the door black and retain the white trim
4 move the 2 small pots in front of one of the larger pots to make a triangle and replace the plants with flowers that drape down in a pretty color like red or hot pink (petunias)
5. plant coordinating flowers next to the bottom step and extend them out along both sides of the pathway. Looks like you get mostly shade, perhaps the giant impatience plants?

PS...your home is lovely!
shivece
9 years ago
I would move the big plants in a little bit so they aren't lined up with the shutters.
Carol Leeanne
9 years ago
I have a lot of ideas, but I think your primary concern should be to consider remodeling the brick entry. I agree that you would do well to add some sort of safety feature which could be decorative as well. Your doors are beautiful as they are, but I agree that painting them black will make the look more dramatic, consistent with the windows, and would be gorgeous against the white trim. Your palms are amazing. They'll look pretty against the black doors, but can they stay in those pots? I'm not sure how much bigger they get, but I think they might be ready for more room soon. You can wait to decide what you want to keep depending on what you have room for after the masonry work is done. If you do have to plant them in the yard, you might consider topiaries for the landing. Not sure you really need the smaller planters, but if you keep them you might consider planting something that grows vertically in them.
User
9 years ago
Don't do paired strongly vertical plants flanking the entry. Very very bad feng shui.
springcath
9 years ago
Too much white. I agree with painting the front door a dark color. Then remove the two smaller pots and replace the porch lights with larger lantern type fixtures. Lovely porch.
mcbmd3
9 years ago
Replace the white planters with large square glossy black ones. Use existing palms or topiary, maybe a double ball. Place these planters against the brick on either side of the front door. Do under planting that will spill over the sides of the planter. Then add annuals for color. Paint the front door glossy black. Yes, replace the outdoor lights with something a bit more updated and a bit larger. You have a lovely traditional home.
User
9 years ago
ONE tree to the right of the door. Pots around it with colorful annuals.
A lower, soft shrub at the left...maybe a small flowering shrub or mixed planting of annuals.
Asymmetry in plants is better feng shui here.
Doris Young
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and advice! I will incorporate your suggestions into my plans. I feel like I have a really solid plan, I'm going to get started immediately. Again thank you all!
Doris Young
Original Author
9 years ago
Project almost complete! Thanks for all who shared their advice and ideas!
kathleen MK
9 years ago
I like the symmetry of the Palm plants and moving the small pots from the stairs opened the space. They could be placed in the those small planting beds which need some plants. Pansies in winter and early spring and impatiens in summer. Great place for bulbs like daffodils and hyacinths too. A black metal bench could be useful and decorative.
User
9 years ago
You need something to offset the two symmetrical tall plants, from a Feng Shui perspective. I think one tall plant in a pot with a smaller softer arrangement to one side, would be better.
springcath
9 years ago
Nice improvement! The dark doors look great.
Angel 18432
9 years ago
Wow - much improved. The new larger lites hanging down instead of up look so much better.

Did you consider painting the pots? Also, i would take out the palms and put in a plant not so tall and add colored plants that will drape over the pot.

The plants you have each side of the door - cut them down by about half. Don't be concerned, they will grow back.

Improve My Front Entry

Darzy

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