1930s house - ugly porch, what would you do?

[CreativethinkersTequiladrinkers]

Hello,

We’ve recently bought a home and, while structurally it needs very little doing to it, pretty much every room needs renovating to suit our tastes.

One thing I just can’t get past is the porch — especially the front door. I absolutely love 1930s character, but the porch feels like a real eyesore and doesn’t really fit with the rest of the house. Unfortunately, I can’t argue with the fact that the extra space is actually really useful! We also don't have £££ to play with.

So, short of knocking it down completely, what could I do to make it look better and give it more of a 1930s feel?

I’d love to hear any ideas, especially if anyone has tackled something similar.

Planters outside and lanterns in he window

Put it into AI for some ideas

Just ran it through chat GPT for you OP

You could soften it by painting the white, cream and the black woodwork a 1930s green… (also do the section above the bedroom bay). Also, plants etc

I’d make a small flower bed. Most plants in planters get neglected: a walk around any area will show that. With the hot summers we’re now getting they’ll be especially vulnerable. And it’s likely to be a pain to get water to the front, especially with hosepipes bans.

The porch is reasonably in keeping with the rest of the house.

There’s this If you want to add even more 1930’s character

Just changing the front door would make a huge difference, I like the one in that ChatGPT image. Then plants/flowers etc. Beautiful house though.

If most of the houses in the street are similar, walk up and down looking at what other people have done. That could give you some inspiration.

BTW the upstairs window above the porch doesn't look in keeping with the rest of the house either.

If you can afford to, change that glass door and go for one more like the chat GPT one, in keeping with 1930s. Then put a big lantern light in the porch, and plants in the windows, as well as planters either side of the door. If you can afford to remove the windows either side of the door, you could replace them with stained glass ones.

Paint the woodwork like a PP suggested. It's not 1930s at all obvs, but could you lean in slightly to the Victorian style to pretty up the porch? Some finials, prettier windows, a bit like a Victorian greenhouse - but not OTT Victorian. Plants, definitely, will soften and make pretty.

I really like the front door! I wouldn’t have it black but it’s very much in keeping

Has it got a pitched roof or is it flat with the Tudor-style triangle for decoration? Changing the door will help but I think chatgpt has changed the proportions on the photos a pp added which has made the door bigger and altered the roofline.

I love the window lights, my lovely grandmother had those with all the leading until scumbags stole the leading from her beautiful bungalow windows.
The AI version with the painted door looks lovely and very in keeping.

Just ignore it?

It's outside the house, you're only going to be looking at it for about 30 seconds every day.

Deal with all the bits you need to actually live in first, and then come back to it once they're done.

Use some stain glass window film.

I think that the door is the issue. It’s too modern. Changing that would make a huge difference.

Repaint your two triangles precisely the same shade of white or off-white. The porch triangle is whiter which underlines visually that the porch is a newer addition. Porch overall is too big, not by much but it stands out, so you need something each side of the porch door. It's also going to get hot, so solar film will help inside. Good luck.

Replace it with a pretty porch, ie one you like.

I'd put in a genuine 1930s front door from a salvage yard with three long panels at the bottom and glass (ideally stained glass) at the top. I'd then paint it a colour I love. I've done this with two previous houses and it made a big difference.

Doors are quite cheap if you look on Facebook Marketplace. You can easily upcycle / paint one. For reference, we had the most ugliest interior of our recently purchased 1905 terrace, but quickly renovated it, including a photo of the street in the early 1900s and also the 1911 census of the retirees who lived there

Now that looks much better. But tbh I didn't think it looked that bad in the first photo. And I agree its a very nice house.

The porch is too big for the space so it encroaches on the bay window. I guess the whole thing was added, it would be a shame to take it down because of the storage space, can't really suggest much it's just a bit too wide and too tall, you will get used to it.

FWIW, I think it’s quite an attractive porch - I have seen much, much worse added on to 1930s properties. The angles of the roof look right and the door is not hideous. You could, of course change it for something you prefer relatively cheaply, if you keep a lookout on second hand/ reclamation sites.

I notice that the chapGT images have widened the black vertical battens on the gable of the porch roof. I think this makes it look more like a valued part of the house rather than an after market add on? Maybe you could widen those battens.

Adding a lantern and flanking the door with plants are also excellent ideas.

I think it’s quite lovely. Working on your mindset might be enough, as it is a very useful space and as a general add on porch hater, I quite like yours 🤪

Agree with other posters, ChatGPT has changed the proportions of the black verticals and made the doorway wider.

Leave the porch as it is for now it's fine, add planters, that's all. BUT, if you have the money - change the small window upstairs, that would make a massive difference to the outside look I think, as at the moment it is totally out of keeping with the rest of the front. That looks a hell of a lot worse than the porch does.

In my opinion!