CB, what are you allowed to plant? Are there restrictions because of the landscape area? I understand the drought restrictions, just wondering if there are any additional requirements.
The horizontal fencing wall sounds like a good idea, perhaps some planters?
And a nice looking front door!
DeniseC and AttorneyMother – very nice look. I had also thought about using rock.
I had bookmarked the site but now can only find the bookmarks for the older flips. Can someone report the link for the current one? Thank you!
hmm…I liked the idea of fence with horizontal slats, but then remembered that a portion of the house (at least what we can see on side & back of house) has vertical boards. I wonder if it’s vertical on front of house as well…
At any rate, just about anything will be better than that cage!
cb, once you remove the “cage” from the front, does the entrance still have an overhang?
As I look at the pix of the front, it doesn’t appear that there’s that much area for landscaping anyway. There is a front porch sort of thing, correct? Would you be removing that or keeping that?
The suggestions about horizontal wood are intriguing, because it would echo what you’re doing with the horizontal wood grain in the kitchen.
I love the horizontal fencing idea.
Once the cage comes off there is about a 4’ recess where the window and front door are.
My original idea was to put in a concrete ramp style walk from the small driveway to the front door area - for potential future walker or wheelchair access because there is one step up inside the garage to the kitchen. But, I think I prefer the more sharp geometry in the pictures shown above.
I could do something cool and have kind of a ‘blocker’ horizontal fence thing out as close to the street as I can over the window area of the front living area. But, the front door of the house (installed by Airport Authority - thick glass stuff) is clear glass. I need to put some obscure film stuff on the door for privacy after the cage comes off.
At this point I think we need to take the cage down and start looking at the front. I am going to need some concrete poured downstairs for the following:
We have to concrete cut the back portion of the slab in bathroom area in order to install plumbing. After plumbing installed we have to repour slab back in
Concrete cut in family room area because we are required, for engineering, to install an interior stem wall underneath the stairs with a large concrete pour
Concrete pour and repair of the bottom portion of the driveway because there is a big crack there
So, in order to consolidate all of this new concrete, I need to make a decision on whether I want a curved or squared concrete walkway for wheelchair access, or use the large block approach to the house. Even if we decide to use the large block, I may want to form them and pour them because I don’t know if I can purchase the large blocks. OR, we keep the decking for a front porch type idea and repair and refresh it.
Really good curb appeal is not my specialty - I’m an interior remodel specialist… well, maybe in my own mind I am 
But, I really don’t have the budget to hire an architect or someone like that. I think that I will drive the street and see what the setback requirements are for a nice horizontal fence.
Googled walked the block and it doesn’t look like anyone had a fence. Also don’t think any of the houses on your side of the block really have much curb appeal. I encourage you to make sure it doesn’t look like the whole front yard is paved over.
I like the idea of a walkway for potential wheelchair access, especially if it can look like a regular walkway. I had a vision of a Japanese garden looking ramp from the driveway to the front door, pretending to be a bridge, but understand you don’t have a lot of room to work this. http://www.houzz.com/photos/2993467/Garden-Bridge-traditional-entry-sacramento
You could leave some of the vertical siding with this look: http://www.houzz.com/photos/13292472/Kew-House-3-contemporary-exterior-melbourne
Or paver stones with this kind of look, probably without a water feature! There would be plenty of room for natural plantings: http://www.houzz.com/photos/27383522/Indoor-Outdoor-contemporary-entry-las-vegas
Could you put a film like this one the front door? http://www.wallpaperforwindows.com/pc/Boardwalk-One-Way-Film-148p2998.htm Or just for fun: http://www.wallpaperforwindows.com/pc/Island-Oasis-Door-Panel-Privacy-or-See-Thru-p2362.htm
I really like this look if it can be adapted for your yard: http://www.houzz.com/photos/248946/Creative-Outdoor-Solutions-contemporary-landscape-other-metro
This is one place where springing for an architect might really make a huge difference. Your expertise is in interiors; coming up with a cohesive plan for the exterior is an entire different ballgame. You don’t want results to appear amateurish. Since the scope of the project would be so narrow, it doesn’t seem like it would necessarily be that expensive. You might consider looking around the Point Loma area for designs you like and inquiring as to the designer. He or she could probably also provide valuable advice regarding the downstairs patio/ former parking pad. It might be worth spending a bit of time at least finding out the cost of expert advice in this area!
You are correct, except I don’t really even know where to start. I think a landscape architect or designer might be the right skill that I am looking for. They will have enough ideas about how to transform the front with the space available.
I think it is hilarious that the last link from Marilyn has the same cage thing across the upstairs windows! How come my cage doesn’t look that good ??
I just did a Google walk also… the front of the house looks the same as 2840 Nipoma. Same small garage on left, recessed entry area with large window with pitch roof to right over bedroom. Only difference is that window in bedroom is larger and we have less frontage to work with.
I think you need to draw the eye to the porch. Make the window and the door look inviting. Would shutters at the window fit the style of your house? Perhaps paint the door a contrasting color to the house. Put a chair or two on the porch while you are selling it. Of course, this is what works in the east. Maybe not in CA.
With the cage in front right now, it’s impossible to see what else is there. I think once you take the cage down and show us pictures, we’ll be better able to give suggestions. But I understand you want to keep the cage up as long as possible.
^^I second that! It is hard to see through the cage. Outdoor stuff design can be a lot of fun!
Coralbrook, would you be able to take a good photo of your front elevation, sans cage, to a landscaping company or more upscale gardening center and see what they recommend? That would also address local plant choices that are suitable to your area. It’s short of engaging a landscape architect but it may be possible for you to get some great ideas.
Also, if you do go with the large stone pavers with river rock fillers, I cannot tell you how important the size of the rocks are. We have this look in part of our yard and our river rocks are just a touch too large for my taste, but I did not go with H to the rock yard, so I have no grounds to complain now. To me, this is the perfect look size to fill the space around and between the pavers:
Sorry for the stupidly large link thing, the post wouldn’t allow me to link to a Pinterest page.
If you put up a horizontal wood fence, you could get a garage door like this. What about wood siding on the recessed part of the front?
Are people describing this sort of set up for the partial horizontal fence – so as to create a partial courtyard space?
http://www.homedit.com/modern-wood-fence/front-yard-priacy-fence-from-wood/
If so, I take it you are proposing it for the right side of the house (viewed from the street).
This caught my eye because of the garage door: http://www.jacksondesignandremodeling.com/curb-appeal-remodeling/contemporary-lines I think it looks like two separate houses, but I do like the way they did the short concrete wall and pavers in front of the white part of the house.
The front of this house gives some ideas also; carrying the theme of the garage door across the front of the house with squares and horizontal windows: http://www.annarbor.com/home-garden/contemporary-ann-arbor-hills-home-bucks-tradition/
More concepts (because this is more fun than medicating the cat): http://www.houzz.com/photos/648605/garage-modern-garage-and-shed-other-metro http://www.houzz.com/photos/7358833/Vienna-Exterior-Addition-contemporary-exterior-other-metro http://www.houzz.com/photos/7222228/Stiles-Creek-contemporary-exterior-other-metro http://www.houzz.com/photos/22163572/Glass-Garage-Doors-Modern-and-Contemporary-industrial-garage-and-shed-phoenix
I think the front entry way needs to be very appealing. I’ve seen houses in that area where the front “porch” is actually paved in a nice outdoor tile. Looks way better than a wood or cement deck. You could pick a terra cotta or other complimentary color to the siding color. Put a couple of large pots out there with plants in them…I think that would look way better than the cage.
It looks like there isn’t a lot of space…plus you would want to keep yard maintenance to a minimum there as well.