Porch to Foyer Project Day 2

This picture was taken about 2 years ago.

And this one was taken about two days ago.

There's not a lot of difference between the two pictures, which pleases me. I have brought the front door forward about 9 feet. And replaced it.

I also created a Foyer where there was none, inside. And it all still fits the house perfectly, adding more character and beauty, if anything, rather than taking away from the house or making it seem like it was a glaring addition or change.

I LOVE this door.

And see how the new wall is set back just enough to include the column while creating a slight recess which draws more attention to the front door? And it all seems just right.

And the column and post are still there.

Even the side of the house, where open air and porch railing used to be, looks okay.

This kind of work takes true talent. Aesthetics is a gift that you can't teach. And New Guy not only knows how to construct homes correctly, but also how to make them look right, too.

And everything about this just looks right to me.

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They also moved the window from the closet to the kitchen.

Ignore what seems to be two small open air squares on either side of the window. It's just missing siding.

It may look low to the ground, but it's not. Plenty of room below for kitchen cabinets and a counter top. And this is actually a big window, too. Not as big as the rest of them in my house, but still, not tiny.

This is where the window was.

And in what may seem to be a controversial thing, I have decided to remove the lower sashes from the bedroom windows. You could literally open the window here and step into the house. Plus the house next to me is a tri-plex on a corner lot, which faces the other street. So I look into their backyard. And it's nothing pretty.

So by removing the lower sashes and having fixed uppers, I keep the light in the space, I keep the beautiful part of my windows, I add privacy and security, and in small rooms, I add more wall space for furniture placement. Wait until it's trimmed out inside before deciding if you like it or not.

Something has really been running through my mind lately when it comes to my house decisions, it's the Frank Lloyd Wright school of thought that form follows function. I want a livable house that makes sense to me and my life.

And I've been quite happy to find that it makes it beautiful to me, too.

Haha. Not that this is beautiful, but this is where the side door was in the house. They removed it on this work day and closed in the area with siding. A bath rub unit will sit on this wall.

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And back up to the front of the house, the star of this story is the Foyer.

This is its ceiling. The original porch ceiling. I'm only missing one board (it came down with moulding when they removed it).

I could drywall over it, but I think I'm just going to clean it up and paint it a fun color.

I think this Foyer project has been the most fun and interesting because it's the only thing, besides removing the jungle from the back yard and roof, that you can actually see that I've done. And it is a true physical exterior alteration.