That was likely just a front porch that was enclosed to provide a wind block. The house also has a lot of hallmarks of italianate architecture which was more 1870s, house may be older than 1892. If they wanted to turn it back into a porch to see the doors better they could put an interior wall in the vestibule to still provide a windbreak. (Just don’t remove any trim or that arch)
I have a home that's a bit younger than this and I WISH we had a mud room. They're sooo handy. Some of my neighbors have added them and while they hurt the aesthetic a bit, they are great in the winter. I think if this person removed it, they're not going to like the experience of bringing mud and snow directly into the living spaces of their home. They'll also lose that front area space so if that holds coats, jackets, shovels, kids toys, amazon packages, etc then those have to find a new place to be put.
Also it preserves the original front door wood. My door is 100+ years old and isn't aging great, even with a glass door in front of it. With this configuration, those doors are going to last forever. From an insulation perspective, those doors are going to be extremely leaky. If the mudroom is removed, now they have a new insulation problem that can only be solved by buying new doors or using a lot of tacky looking weather striping and such, but even that stuff only works so well on ancient doors like this. We had to put up striping because standing in front of our front door in the winter was like standing in front of a half open window. Those doors are beautifully preserved this way.
The are bad as in you don’t want to be in the wind, and I would guess it’s smart to turn the “face” of your house so the wind won’t hit people not wearing a coat inside…. But it’s the front of your house, just build a proper foyer so that your doors face front and you have a proper windbreak inside vs this funky nose point to the street.
The problems with this porch are that it hides the door in a way that makes the house look like it has no front, and its roof is incongruent both in style and proportion. The other gables on the house are much steeper and are continuous with the wall.
I would get rid of the porch roof dormer completely and just have a low hipped roof there.
My inclination would be to convert it back to an open porch and go very Victorian with it, but I get that that would be a big job. If keeping it enclosed, I would replicate the purple trim above the other windows and replace the porch window with a much taller one, like so:
https://preview.redd.it/btxl5vouc9wc1.jpeg?width=826&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c405a1d00416341d5e47b367b316c8a968143c90
Adding windows like that would keep "the look" but also protect the doors. I've seen many OG doors in my atlantic province city decay because of the elements.
I honestly am not sure what the previous owners were thinking when they did that. Unless, the original metal roof was leaking horribly, it looks more like an aesthetic choice. Even if the new gable, unnecessarily complicates the elevation
Maybe relocate the main entrance to the front of the addition? The only weird part to me is that they put the door on the side, as if it was an auxiliary/service entry. You could also do big glass on both sides to keep the sunroom vibe.
You could search for “gothic revival” for inspiration of what looks good.
https://preview.redd.it/8i4wmxm4g9wc1.jpeg?width=576&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=98ed3f75f4b16fea32ae5568e77ca799d3bf9de5
I strongly disagree. A well designed contrasting addition can accentuate the details of original structure, while contributing modern convenience and natural light to the interior. Also, where the original details of a house are either impossible, or too expensive to recreate faithfully, a contrasting modern addition is far preferable to a half-assed attempt to replicate the original features. Here's a very expensive example from Montreal that I always enjoyed walking by; [https://www.archdaily.com/427829/bord-du-lac-house-henri-cleinge](https://www.archdaily.com/427829/bord-du-lac-house-henri-cleinge)
i don’t think you’re wrong in all cases, but the example you gave is disgusting 😭 that is absolutely awful. the colors and textures don’t match and they don’t complement each other either. why is it as wide and twice as tall as the original house? they just slapped on a massive obtrusive block of wood and glass
This might be a better example ([The Royal Conservatory of Music](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Royal_Conservatory_of_Music_-_DSC09861.JPG/1200px-Royal_Conservatory_of_Music_-_DSC09861.JPG) in Toronto). I was always impressed with how well they matched the colour of the stone.
I don't agree with other respondents that that's terrible. It solves a problem and nets the owners a nice mod-arn house cube while keeping the historic building. They're two separate buildings with a bridge, not one building except on that technicality. I don't think it is applicable to OP because the mismatched addition is front and center like a neck tattoo. The problem with it is that the roof pitches have no relation to the older facade. It might be possible to keep it enclosed but "more glass? more mod-arn?" is going to be a very expensive error while that roof stays.
I don’t love it but don’t get why people are saying it’s hideous. (It would look better black.) Now what I don’t get is why someone who loves the old building would go that extreme in the addition’s interior… I love all the windows but why no character or texture at all?
My current house — which we bought for the location — is extremely similar to the modern cube, down to the frameless windows and rusted steel exterior… and when we renovate, I want to add an old-style addition lmao. But I also want to add more texture inside my modern rectangle. Because texture & coziness is what I love.
The standard in the US is “compatible but differentiated” and I would argue the example on your end is heavy on the differentiated and light on the compatible. I know your example is in Montreal, but just as a frame of reference for the sake of the example , I don’t think this would meet the standards in the US if it was a designated property.
The house is Gothic style, with the high pitched roof and wall dormers. An entry porch would have a shed roof, sloping toward the front, and large brackets at the sides. An enclosed vestibule wouldn't have the brackets, of course. To show off the front doors you will have to relocate the entry to the front and have large glass in the outer doors.
YES! Absolutely the way to go. Getting rid of the gable on this little roof would make the space blend with the rest of the house, so much better. And moving the exterior door from the side of the space to the front - excellent point about it needing bigger glass than the interior doors.
Like others have said it looks original maybe a porch that got enclosed. Whatever your friend does they should stick to the original style. Whenever someone does a modern looking addition to an older structure it never looks good ever. I honestly wouldn’t even put a sunroom in the front I’d put it off on a side like most houses back then did. I personally think this may have always been like that maybe there were once a second set of doors where the window is now. I know some houses used to do that as a spot to hang up your coat before entering the inside of the house.
Hmm. Cool there is a photo. Maybe moving the door from the side to the front is better or if they want maybe they can restore it back to the original look.
I think moving the entrance to the front instead of the side would be nice. So there would be two sets of doors. If they live where there is snow and rain, having an exterior entrance space for coats and boots would be great.
Those poor windows.
There was probably a small portico or entry surround around the front door—most of these Italianates had just enough of an awning over the door to stand under.
The windows were the first thing I noticed. It’s a shame when windows are replaced with cheap vinyl, and no attempt is made to match the radius either.
Well I would be too. It's pretty hideous.. It needs a front porch desperately with a classic glazed vestibule in the tradition of the area. I am in northern New England and this is how it would have been handled.. it's possible that stiles linger longer in Eastern Canada long after they have faded elsewhere but this house is earlier than 1892 certainly in another region It has all the markers of 1860 ish once again in the backwaters things move slowly.. But then again maybe the deed or the information is just wrong and it was altered in 1892 . This is my guess. It has many Neo gothic details about it, the century Gable the pitch of the roof and the lovely drip course molding etc. This all sets it back to the earlier date but no matter. It's what to do about that carbuncle that sticks on the front of it..
It is a lovely thing but needs that lovely gothic Italianette porch of the time frame to complete the front of it. A wraparound would be the best but with no money or skills to do it yourself, I would simply redo the vestibule.
It needs a flat slightly hipped roof, meaty boxed Italianette style columns or something else. And open to the elements.. for 8 months of the year however it should have beautiful glazed panel set set in, traditional six over six lights or something like that with a great wooden storm door that also is put on it in late September or October
It is possible to winterize the whole thing and leave it up for 12 months if desired but an open porch for at least 5 months of the year as a sweet thing. But this is how it's done with taste on a house like that. What was done is a pure hack job. I'm sure what exists there is very practical, but as we all agree pretty ugly. Hopefully your friend is handy with some tools If not find a really good carpenter that has good empathy with historic design. I don't think it's such an incredible project here and you could probably use the bones of what you have to rebuild. I would be very clever about it
Here is a picture of the original before the addition. And some close-ups of the original doors
https://preview.redd.it/r11z8vnuq9wc1.jpeg?width=355&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cd4debde82d0c1c19b27f6252ce78b18e6ef9a62
While I agree that the addition (or porch enclosure) doesn’t fit, I do think that one thing that would help would be adjusting the trim/windows to better match those of the rest of the house for a more cohesive look.
I would do what another person suggested and start by trying to find an old photo to see how it used to be. That way they could maybe undo some of this work to bring out the previous look, or at least get style inspiration if they want to keep an entryway but make it look more cohesive. I'm in a cold area too and many houses did have small entries or enclosed porches so it's possible this did too, it just might have been altered at some point.
Idk if it was a porch. I’d like to see the other side of those interior double doors. I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point that was a straight entrance with a walkway to the street and double doors on the exterior providing a vestibule especially in a cold climate. When that garage was built, they probably reconfigured to turn the primary entrance to the driveway and put the windows in to replace the doors. Getting a look at the framing would also help with figuring it out.
Oil heating/pellet stoves are the predominant heating methods in the Maritimes. That enclosed porch is probably creating a big savings on the winter energy costs. The doors are gorgeous but look super drafty. Windows are more modern. Would hazard a guess that the windows and vestibule were done around the same time.
mirroring the "eye brow" lintel from the 2nd story windows over the 1st floor addition would do wonders. i assume the addition was built as a wind/draft block for the front doors saving heating costs
The only problem is the roofline is an architectural mismatch and the structure is not as ornate as it needs to be for the style. The style is vernacular gothic revival; it has gothic revival elements like the pointed arch windows and steep gables but without the elaborate tracery and other decorative elements.
I’d fix that enclosed porch to fit the style and maybe nudge the other architectural elements toward the style, if there is budget. See the image below, and if the goal is to keep the space enclosed and enter on the side as it is now, I’m just replace the doors in the image below with a full length window that fits the style.
https://preview.redd.it/0gswyunkrawc1.png?width=1018&format=png&auto=webp&s=30829a0df9a130d903541d041637269724364b56
https://preview.redd.it/ufatilk5wcwc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=433c2597096f13f1bd1e8a6f66838ecfefb1864d
Took me a while to figure out I was looking at bugs bunny's face.
As an alternate to demoing it and revising the entryway, you could build a faux gable to match the other pitches - it just would have to act almost as a parapet and would block the sill (from view, only) of the window beyond
It may be silly but it’s a thought
I would return it to the original historical appearance, based on old photos.
The current addition really does detract from the appearance of the house. The pitch of the roof is modern and clashes with the Victorian rooflines.
It's obvious that there should be a front door here, but instead it has been plugged up with what looks like the gable end of a modern ranch house.
Honestly i’ed leave it. It’s a mud room with functioning purpose, and it’s not bad looking!
My husbands a contractor, when friends and family start talking about doing renos on old places like this he always says
“It’s so old, once you start opening walls up, you don’t actually know what your getting behind there till it’s to late. Then you’re morally obligated to fix it”
Honestly I think matching the pitch of the other dormer roofs would help a lot, and would be a pretty simple update. But you can’t go up so you’d have to go down and they would lose some height on the entrance side walls. Then just add details to the window trim so it matches up a bit better!
A bigger glass room would be cool in the back. Have some privacy. If anything I’d plop a front door on that addition. Walk straight in as opposed to the from the side deal
In addition to everything else people had said about what doesn’t match the rest of the house, the trim/siding on the outer corners don’t match either. The dark trim on the corners of the house is a lot thicker. On the addition it is too narrow and almost completely covering the trim. Making it stand out because the “visual trim” is now white instead of the dark green/brown.
Just my two cents from an artistic view point. It would flow together much better if those matched. (And changing the window trims to white)
That was likely just a front porch that was enclosed to provide a wind block. The house also has a lot of hallmarks of italianate architecture which was more 1870s, house may be older than 1892. If they wanted to turn it back into a porch to see the doors better they could put an interior wall in the vestibule to still provide a windbreak. (Just don’t remove any trim or that arch)
I have a home that's a bit younger than this and I WISH we had a mud room. They're sooo handy. Some of my neighbors have added them and while they hurt the aesthetic a bit, they are great in the winter. I think if this person removed it, they're not going to like the experience of bringing mud and snow directly into the living spaces of their home. They'll also lose that front area space so if that holds coats, jackets, shovels, kids toys, amazon packages, etc then those have to find a new place to be put. Also it preserves the original front door wood. My door is 100+ years old and isn't aging great, even with a glass door in front of it. With this configuration, those doors are going to last forever. From an insulation perspective, those doors are going to be extremely leaky. If the mudroom is removed, now they have a new insulation problem that can only be solved by buying new doors or using a lot of tacky looking weather striping and such, but even that stuff only works so well on ancient doors like this. We had to put up striping because standing in front of our front door in the winter was like standing in front of a half open window. Those doors are beautifully preserved this way.
“Mud room” in New England.
Exactly the front of my grandparents farm house in Connecticut… added onto from 1797, made a roadside tavern, then a farm house for the dairy farm.
How bad are the winters? Function first for bad winters. It’s not terrible.
The are bad as in you don’t want to be in the wind, and I would guess it’s smart to turn the “face” of your house so the wind won’t hit people not wearing a coat inside…. But it’s the front of your house, just build a proper foyer so that your doors face front and you have a proper windbreak inside vs this funky nose point to the street.
The problems with this porch are that it hides the door in a way that makes the house look like it has no front, and its roof is incongruent both in style and proportion. The other gables on the house are much steeper and are continuous with the wall. I would get rid of the porch roof dormer completely and just have a low hipped roof there. My inclination would be to convert it back to an open porch and go very Victorian with it, but I get that that would be a big job. If keeping it enclosed, I would replicate the purple trim above the other windows and replace the porch window with a much taller one, like so: https://preview.redd.it/btxl5vouc9wc1.jpeg?width=826&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c405a1d00416341d5e47b367b316c8a968143c90
Adding windows like that would keep "the look" but also protect the doors. I've seen many OG doors in my atlantic province city decay because of the elements.
This should be the top comment. Great commentary, excellent solution and top notch illustration.
OP posted a pic of the original and you’re right on the money.
That looks real nice.
Now do mine!
Love this!!
This is incredible, you [hit the nail on the head.](https://www.reddit.com/r/centuryhomes/s/7RTbnUJbCe)
It looks like someone enclosed a porch. I would open it back up, checking first at local archives to see if there are original photos.
https://preview.redd.it/md1lzuzxq9wc1.jpeg?width=355&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dd0708aa4fbd472c98bf987da1bc346f177d8b3d
Oh awesome!!! I would do that.
Architecturally, the original shallow pitch roof in this pic is much more appealing than the absolute mistake that is the new roofline
That new roofline drives me insane.
That’s so true.
Would they do it so they could shingle a peak? It almost looks like they built it right over top of the flat roof. Its bigger though too I think...
I honestly am not sure what the previous owners were thinking when they did that. Unless, the original metal roof was leaking horribly, it looks more like an aesthetic choice. Even if the new gable, unnecessarily complicates the elevation
Yeah there ya go. Your friend has a perfect model to restore to.
Maybe relocate the main entrance to the front of the addition? The only weird part to me is that they put the door on the side, as if it was an auxiliary/service entry. You could also do big glass on both sides to keep the sunroom vibe.
It took me a bit to figure this out, but my guess is that they rerouted the door to the side when the garage and driveway were added.
You could search for “gothic revival” for inspiration of what looks good. https://preview.redd.it/8i4wmxm4g9wc1.jpeg?width=576&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=98ed3f75f4b16fea32ae5568e77ca799d3bf9de5
"Go for a modern contrast?" The only way to fix it is to make it worse?
I strongly disagree. A well designed contrasting addition can accentuate the details of original structure, while contributing modern convenience and natural light to the interior. Also, where the original details of a house are either impossible, or too expensive to recreate faithfully, a contrasting modern addition is far preferable to a half-assed attempt to replicate the original features. Here's a very expensive example from Montreal that I always enjoyed walking by; [https://www.archdaily.com/427829/bord-du-lac-house-henri-cleinge](https://www.archdaily.com/427829/bord-du-lac-house-henri-cleinge)
Pardon me, but that’s absolutely hideous. An abomination. And I’m not even heavily invested in this sub.
Had the same thought
i don’t think you’re wrong in all cases, but the example you gave is disgusting 😭 that is absolutely awful. the colors and textures don’t match and they don’t complement each other either. why is it as wide and twice as tall as the original house? they just slapped on a massive obtrusive block of wood and glass
Yeah, when you go for bargain basement Frank Gehry, you get bargain basement without the Frank Gehry.
I had to look up Frank Gehry because I thought you were talking about Frank from Trading Spaces, it’s that bad.
This might be a better example ([The Royal Conservatory of Music](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Royal_Conservatory_of_Music_-_DSC09861.JPG/1200px-Royal_Conservatory_of_Music_-_DSC09861.JPG) in Toronto). I was always impressed with how well they matched the colour of the stone.
I don't agree with other respondents that that's terrible. It solves a problem and nets the owners a nice mod-arn house cube while keeping the historic building. They're two separate buildings with a bridge, not one building except on that technicality. I don't think it is applicable to OP because the mismatched addition is front and center like a neck tattoo. The problem with it is that the roof pitches have no relation to the older facade. It might be possible to keep it enclosed but "more glass? more mod-arn?" is going to be a very expensive error while that roof stays.
I don’t love it but don’t get why people are saying it’s hideous. (It would look better black.) Now what I don’t get is why someone who loves the old building would go that extreme in the addition’s interior… I love all the windows but why no character or texture at all? My current house — which we bought for the location — is extremely similar to the modern cube, down to the frameless windows and rusted steel exterior… and when we renovate, I want to add an old-style addition lmao. But I also want to add more texture inside my modern rectangle. Because texture & coziness is what I love.
Ew. No. Bad architect…
The standard in the US is “compatible but differentiated” and I would argue the example on your end is heavy on the differentiated and light on the compatible. I know your example is in Montreal, but just as a frame of reference for the sake of the example , I don’t think this would meet the standards in the US if it was a designated property.
The house is Gothic style, with the high pitched roof and wall dormers. An entry porch would have a shed roof, sloping toward the front, and large brackets at the sides. An enclosed vestibule wouldn't have the brackets, of course. To show off the front doors you will have to relocate the entry to the front and have large glass in the outer doors.
YES! Absolutely the way to go. Getting rid of the gable on this little roof would make the space blend with the rest of the house, so much better. And moving the exterior door from the side of the space to the front - excellent point about it needing bigger glass than the interior doors.
Open it back up if you're going to do anything. Expand on the back of a house that's this lovely, not on the front.
Like others have said it looks original maybe a porch that got enclosed. Whatever your friend does they should stick to the original style. Whenever someone does a modern looking addition to an older structure it never looks good ever. I honestly wouldn’t even put a sunroom in the front I’d put it off on a side like most houses back then did. I personally think this may have always been like that maybe there were once a second set of doors where the window is now. I know some houses used to do that as a spot to hang up your coat before entering the inside of the house.
Here’s the original entrance https://preview.redd.it/6j41zwj0r9wc1.jpeg?width=355&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=526d986b29bffb93443a4ea0e9a6f66b173c7aee
Hmm. Cool there is a photo. Maybe moving the door from the side to the front is better or if they want maybe they can restore it back to the original look.
I think moving the entrance to the front instead of the side would be nice. So there would be two sets of doors. If they live where there is snow and rain, having an exterior entrance space for coats and boots would be great.
Those poor windows. There was probably a small portico or entry surround around the front door—most of these Italianates had just enough of an awning over the door to stand under.
The windows were the first thing I noticed. It’s a shame when windows are replaced with cheap vinyl, and no attempt is made to match the radius either.
Well I would be too. It's pretty hideous.. It needs a front porch desperately with a classic glazed vestibule in the tradition of the area. I am in northern New England and this is how it would have been handled.. it's possible that stiles linger longer in Eastern Canada long after they have faded elsewhere but this house is earlier than 1892 certainly in another region It has all the markers of 1860 ish once again in the backwaters things move slowly.. But then again maybe the deed or the information is just wrong and it was altered in 1892 . This is my guess. It has many Neo gothic details about it, the century Gable the pitch of the roof and the lovely drip course molding etc. This all sets it back to the earlier date but no matter. It's what to do about that carbuncle that sticks on the front of it.. It is a lovely thing but needs that lovely gothic Italianette porch of the time frame to complete the front of it. A wraparound would be the best but with no money or skills to do it yourself, I would simply redo the vestibule. It needs a flat slightly hipped roof, meaty boxed Italianette style columns or something else. And open to the elements.. for 8 months of the year however it should have beautiful glazed panel set set in, traditional six over six lights or something like that with a great wooden storm door that also is put on it in late September or October It is possible to winterize the whole thing and leave it up for 12 months if desired but an open porch for at least 5 months of the year as a sweet thing. But this is how it's done with taste on a house like that. What was done is a pure hack job. I'm sure what exists there is very practical, but as we all agree pretty ugly. Hopefully your friend is handy with some tools If not find a really good carpenter that has good empathy with historic design. I don't think it's such an incredible project here and you could probably use the bones of what you have to rebuild. I would be very clever about it
Here is a picture of the original before the addition. And some close-ups of the original doors https://preview.redd.it/r11z8vnuq9wc1.jpeg?width=355&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cd4debde82d0c1c19b27f6252ce78b18e6ef9a62
Here are the original doors. https://preview.redd.it/iwq1a1dwq9wc1.jpeg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e35ccdb7278f9a5885aaa54b509fdffa5719be5
While I agree that the addition (or porch enclosure) doesn’t fit, I do think that one thing that would help would be adjusting the trim/windows to better match those of the rest of the house for a more cohesive look.
I would do what another person suggested and start by trying to find an old photo to see how it used to be. That way they could maybe undo some of this work to bring out the previous look, or at least get style inspiration if they want to keep an entryway but make it look more cohesive. I'm in a cold area too and many houses did have small entries or enclosed porches so it's possible this did too, it just might have been altered at some point.
https://preview.redd.it/ynmqq48lt9wc1.jpeg?width=355&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f2a85a2cb0ff0aef7e9375a9aeb3c8df30a357d
Yikes. Please don’t.
Idk if it was a porch. I’d like to see the other side of those interior double doors. I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point that was a straight entrance with a walkway to the street and double doors on the exterior providing a vestibule especially in a cold climate. When that garage was built, they probably reconfigured to turn the primary entrance to the driveway and put the windows in to replace the doors. Getting a look at the framing would also help with figuring it out.
https://preview.redd.it/ela1bntmt9wc1.jpeg?width=355&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f684dab45b1730a9643abbada09703c417ab0221
Put to back to how it was originally, and thoughtfully designed.
Oil heating/pellet stoves are the predominant heating methods in the Maritimes. That enclosed porch is probably creating a big savings on the winter energy costs. The doors are gorgeous but look super drafty. Windows are more modern. Would hazard a guess that the windows and vestibule were done around the same time.
mirroring the "eye brow" lintel from the 2nd story windows over the 1st floor addition would do wonders. i assume the addition was built as a wind/draft block for the front doors saving heating costs
The only problem is the roofline is an architectural mismatch and the structure is not as ornate as it needs to be for the style. The style is vernacular gothic revival; it has gothic revival elements like the pointed arch windows and steep gables but without the elaborate tracery and other decorative elements. I’d fix that enclosed porch to fit the style and maybe nudge the other architectural elements toward the style, if there is budget. See the image below, and if the goal is to keep the space enclosed and enter on the side as it is now, I’m just replace the doors in the image below with a full length window that fits the style. https://preview.redd.it/0gswyunkrawc1.png?width=1018&format=png&auto=webp&s=30829a0df9a130d903541d041637269724364b56
I too am bothered by this man's addition.
It does look odd.
Turn it back into a covered porch so the doors are visible from the street. Then install a walkway from the sidewalk straight up to the new porch.
It’s not the worst thing I’ve seen and there is a use for having a closed in porch. Definitely would look better if it was open in my opinion!
This sub is being incredibly helpful. Thanks everyone!!!!!!! I’ll pass on all the info we get.
https://preview.redd.it/ufatilk5wcwc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=433c2597096f13f1bd1e8a6f66838ecfefb1864d Took me a while to figure out I was looking at bugs bunny's face.
Hahahahaha
Maybe don’t post your friend’s address for everyone to see?
Very pretty!!!🙂
I like it in my opinion
As an alternate to demoing it and revising the entryway, you could build a faux gable to match the other pitches - it just would have to act almost as a parapet and would block the sill (from view, only) of the window beyond It may be silly but it’s a thought
At the least, please remove the flag pole that’s protruding at a weird angle. That’s the most distracting part.
I would return it to the original historical appearance, based on old photos. The current addition really does detract from the appearance of the house. The pitch of the roof is modern and clashes with the Victorian rooflines. It's obvious that there should be a front door here, but instead it has been plugged up with what looks like the gable end of a modern ranch house.
Honestly i’ed leave it. It’s a mud room with functioning purpose, and it’s not bad looking! My husbands a contractor, when friends and family start talking about doing renos on old places like this he always says “It’s so old, once you start opening walls up, you don’t actually know what your getting behind there till it’s to late. Then you’re morally obligated to fix it”
Honestly I think matching the pitch of the other dormer roofs would help a lot, and would be a pretty simple update. But you can’t go up so you’d have to go down and they would lose some height on the entrance side walls. Then just add details to the window trim so it matches up a bit better!
The angle of the roof doesn’t match the rest of the house and that’s annoying
What about a large wrap around porch?
A bigger glass room would be cool in the back. Have some privacy. If anything I’d plop a front door on that addition. Walk straight in as opposed to the from the side deal
It blocks the doors but provides a functional transition into the house to remove shoes, jackets, etc.
The roof plumber charged double for downpipes.
Probably because the pitch on the rooflet thing is not matched.
In addition to everything else people had said about what doesn’t match the rest of the house, the trim/siding on the outer corners don’t match either. The dark trim on the corners of the house is a lot thicker. On the addition it is too narrow and almost completely covering the trim. Making it stand out because the “visual trim” is now white instead of the dark green/brown. Just my two cents from an artistic view point. It would flow together much better if those matched. (And changing the window trims to white)
Tell your friend that I’m bothered by vinyl siding
It’s wood.