Not the furry kind of mouse. The computer mouse. I started goofing around with a photo of our house using 'Paint', the program the kids use to draw things on the computer. The result is not professional looking by any means. But I was determined not to spend a ton of time on it, like I tend to do when i get obsessed interested in something sometimes. So this was a "get it done", not a "get it perfect" project. Maybe in a few years we will make some of these changes in real life, but for now I thought I would share what I am thinking about for our little brick ranch.

BEFORE....


AFTER....


Right now, the steps to the porch are at the side, under the carport. This is very convienient on rainy days, but every time I walk out the front door I think there should be stairs on the front of the porch. It would look more welcoming from the "curb" (we don't have a curb in the country, but you know what I mean) and it would be more convienient when exiting the house to do orchard work --which is to the right as you go out the door. So I want to leave the current steps in place and add some grand front steps.

Also, we have thought about building an addition that would add a master suite and a dining room (not shown in the rendering). This would free up space to do a MUCH needed expansion of the kitchen into the current dining area. The concern with this idea is that we know we would never, ever, be able to find a match for the unique brick the exterior is clad in. So the addition would have to be 'wood' siding, and how do you make that blend with the rest of the house?

My thought is to add more wood to the front of the house so the addition won't look like quite so out of place. That is why I added craftsman-style pillars, a railing, shutters, a gable and chose wood for the steps.

And I would definately add better landscaping than what you see here... but like I said, I was determinded to not obsess.