Hi, here are some potential ideas!... sounds like you have an exciting project! I cannot wait to see the sandstone sculptures and walkway you create. 1. straight pathway with stones [houzz=] 2. retangular pathway with stones [houzz=] 3. staggered pathway with stones [houzz=] 4. squared offline pathway with square walkway pads [houzz=] This is from and idea book I created on my page. See more in Landscape Ideas, my page.

Right now there does not seem to be any symmetry on the path to your door. I would either eliminate the small trees that are there now, and replace them with bushes or shrubs that are equal in height and width, or cut these back and shape them dramatically, so that you have a clear vision to the door. Second, if you could change out the door, eliminating the side window, that's another idea. Sometimes just replacing your front door with one that is bold in color or style is enough to breathe some life into the front of the house. You could also either replace the concrete with pavers or paint the concrete with stain of a color that blends well with with nature.. like a lighter gray or a brown.

I agree that there is too much going on, however some of the suggestions are costly and in my opinion don't completely take care of the problems. I like the design approach it is fresh and updated. I agree that the chimney cap is out of proportion and just needs a simple band at the top. In order to make the exterior remain timeless over the years, Now Sit Down for a minute, I would make all of the exterior the white color. I know you love red however this will tie the different components of the architecture together more than any thing else. You can still have high gloss red doors and red tile pavers on the ground. It would also be very classy the use white tile in place of the brick look. You could even mix gloss white tiles with matt finish tiles to give an interesting sparkle when you ride by. I like the wrought iron upper railing, but the vertical blocking on the right side looks too heavy. So I would continue the same railing around the corner and back toward the house until it connects to the other balcony railing. This also ties the house together. It would look much more classic to not have a grid in the tall window and instead have a solid piece of glass down to the transom and then from there down be solid glass as well. Glass block in the courtyard column sections with back lights would look unbelievable. I would arch the closed in section on the second level as it would show up more there than the window being arched does, so save the money and don't arch that window. I would either hang a long contemporary light on the right elevation to dress it up or insert a long strip of glass block lighted from the interior to achieve the same effect. I charge for renderings, because I list the materials as well. Best, Leo Dowell Interiors.com

A multi-functional outdoor space can be tricky to design, but there are tons of ideas out there. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you are designing: What aesthetic do you like? Modern, traditional, transitional, coastal, mid century? Or some elements of each design aesthetic? What kind of outdoor furniture do you want? Is there enough space for the furniture? If not, look for folding or stacking furniture, or furniture that is easy to move. What kind of ground cover do you want? Pavers? Cement pad? Grass? Some other type of hardscape? Consider how much maintenance each type takes and how much you are willing to do. What kind of covering do you want the space to have? Nothing? A pergola? Umbrellas? A sun shade? If you can narrow down some of these answers you’ll start to get an idea of how to best use your space, and in the meantime, check out some of our projects to help inspire your design!