I love this entrance and your improvements in the second image.

I think the black address plaque is nice and is enough black...I like that it's the same width as the door. Everything else looks very nice in white.

I'm not sure the wall lamps are too big, they balance a very large entryway, although they look farther apart than the current fixtures. The lightbar is a nice modern touch with clean lines that echo the window above it.

What about dressing it up with some brass features?

In our area, houses on a corner lot are allowed to build a six foot fence on the sidewalk along the side street of the house. It would give you the most privacy.

For the front, most people just use a low open fence like wire or pickets to keep dog walkers from using the lawn.

Love a trimmed boxwood privet hedge

Simple landscaping that is big enough to keep people away from windows. Using plants that are thorny such as barberry (depending on your zone) can help deter people from getting too close.

Or like someone else suggested go with black wrought iron fencing.

This green color goes well with the flooring. I like the cherry island but think a lighter finish (thinking like a pottery barn finish) would work better with the flooring. Cream walls and new lighting to help finish the room

The garage door should disappear/match trim. The front door is where you want to add personality and feel welcoming.

A home that is dark even in the daytime...ugh. Stayed over in two of them recently and so depressing. The only light is from the TV --which is on constantly. There is no sense of time.

Yes, I was just thinking of you, Kathy! Hope all is well!

Great article, @Jan Moyer Thanks for sharing! Hard to detect smells when they are yours. A babysitter once told me she loved how our house always smelled of cooked rice. I hadn't noticed. I won't have pets in my house anymore because of how they make the house smell. How do I know what my house smells like? Ask a true friend I guess. And then if it's a bad smell, how do I know how to get rid of it? A realtor taught me to add Clorox to small sponged in small leak proof containers and hide them through the house. It works as long as it is maintained. The bleach evaporates. Contrary to what you might be thinking, it doesn't smell like a pool. A plumber taught me to clean the sink then the garbage disposal with ice chunks followed by dishwashing detergent. I suppose having smaller trash containers and changing them often is helpful. I don't like opening windows because of all the mold spores that come and grow in the house. Long term, that advice seems to add to the smells. I feel the same way about live plants and the mold smell that lives in the potting mix. Dried plants may be an option between live plants and plastic ones. I've wondered about other things like baking soda, volcanic rocks, and charcoal for eliminating smells. Do they work?

TracefloydTrace Floyd- we had similar layout in my prior home. It worked great