SFGate

houssaon Look at these: Lilac House and Home lottery house
Druid Hills New Entry Hillgrove

A version of one of these might work. But you might have to remove the railing on the landing.

houssaon Could you replant those large evergreens to provide a hedge somewhere. It might be expensive but they are in good shape and, right now, they are overwhelming your house.

Bond Girl Cool house! I like houssaon's porticos. I pulled a couple of others I liked. I also agree with the evergreens overwhelming the house. Since the trim is thin on your windows, you may want to consider beefing them up, or painting them black. Your double door could handle larger lights on either side of it, right now the scale looks a bit off.

decoenthusiaste Don't cover that wonderful door and transom with too much architecture. Looks like you have room to install actual working shutters, except for maybe moving the two carriage lantern fixtures. I'd do that for sure. Maybe your porch installation can have a hanging fixture in front of the doors. Just make sure it doesn't block the view of them.

mhgq I would add larger lanterns on each side of door, get rid of the tall evergreens as mentioned above and maybe add black iron window boxes under the windows.

Aggie Purvinska Something very simple, slanted, zinc roof with two matching brick columns would be my choice. I like the idea of shutters, too.

mrbeiguo Maybe you can try to install a flat glass roof.Good luck!

tsudhonimh The first reply, the lower left image ... if you match the roofing to yours. It has the same spare lines as your house.

judyg
Ditto Aggie, matching the roof material is important to continue the look. I think it will make your double front doors look so great.

Katherine Marle_Moberg I like the judyg suggestion above. The Shakers simplified everything to its essential beauty. So keep the porch very simple in line, deep enough to protect your doors and keep the colors consistent .

kakedigh I agree with Bond Girl. I like the first picture she suggested, using the same material on the roof. Remove at least the two evergreens in the front. Install some large carriage lanterns on each side of the doors and beef up the trim around the windows -- black would be nice with your brick. Good luck!

victorianbungalowranch You might consider getting simple storm doors to protect the wood. Wood storms could enhance the doors rather than distract. Be sure to swtch to screen in summer to avoid trapped heat.. Also if you paint a lighter color, they would reflect more light and not heat up as much.

Too bad the door isn't recessed to help protect it like some of the early Shaker buildings would have done.

If they are wood, you may need to scrape, sand and and fill cracks with bondo and repaint. How old is the house?

If you do a portico or canopy, I would keep is as simple as possible to go with the severe styling of your house. Some authentic Shaker examples are below for inspiration. The Shakers did get a bit fancier in the late 1800s, adapting to changings in taste at the time and expanding the market for their goods, hence the some of the more elaborate examples.

David The problem with fixing a design in a shaker home is that you have a shaker style home. Changing the entry to something that isn't shaker is functionally the best way to fix the issue and hold true to natural material. There is however an alternative. Change the material using high technology. The exterior doors can have the look and feel of real wood thanks to its AccuGrain™ technology. Unlike genuine wood doors, these fiberglass entry doors resist splitting, cracking and rotting. Your design isn't compromised, and without extremely close examination, no one would see the materials aren't natural. Since I'm not a big fan of Shaker design, I would personally opt for some pretty major design changes. If I was working a problem like yours for someone else though, I would opt for the AccuGrain™ technology. Check out the web site http://http://www.thermatru.com/design-innovation/design/accugrain-technology/ I think you will be impressed.

Blue Desert Interiors I think a number of these suggestions are on point. The flat or pitched overhang roof with columns is appropriate for the home. Avoid the arched or peaked profiles because it does not replicate your existing roof and will always look like an add on. Your sconces will most likely have to go, but then you can put a light under the overhang. Even though your home has some shaker influences, I would suggest you look at Federal or Georgian Colonial style homes as inspiration as well. The brickwork and the double chimneys makes me lean in those directions more then shaker.

Designs by Susan Do you have an area of yard past the drive to plant tall evergreens to provide a vertical "hedge" to break the western exposure? The tall growth takes away from your lovely home.

kjpounds Have fun with an awning - bring it out all the way to cover the steps too. I think this would be an easy and inexpensive way to get protection from the sun & rain. Their are many colors and fabrics to choose from.