Front Door Portico and Painted Brick Transform New Jersey Home

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When Melissa W. first started to consider renovating her New Jersey home’s exterior, she was overwhelmed by all of the decisions. Her home’s neutral, brown color palette was falling flat, and her front entryway faded into the background. She dreamed of adding a front door portico to completely transform her entryway, but she had no idea where to begin.

Luckily, she discovered brick&batten. Using our exterior design services, she was able to transform her home from uninspiring to elevated. The addition of painted brick, refreshed shutters, and her dream portico resulted in a truly breathtaking exterior that became the talk of the neighborhood. 

Keep reading to learn how we partnered with Melissa to take her home from bland to bright, and beautiful.

Ready to upgrade your home’s exterior? Whether you want a new color palette or are looking to add exterior details like a front door portico, brick&batten can help. Our team of design experts will work with you closely to understand your design style and your needs. You’ll receive a photorealistic rendering with a shoppable resource list so you can easily bring your dream home to life. Learn more about our virtual exterior design services.

Our designers only use and recommend products that we know, love, or would use on our properties. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission, at no cost to you.

Two-story home with red brick and beige siding.

The before

Before upgrading her home’s exterior, Melissa’s two-story home featured a mismatched combination of red brick, beige siding, black shutters, and white trim. At first, she was intent on keeping the original shade of the brick, but she was struggling to choose finishes, paint colors, and other elements of the exterior design to bring it all together. She knew she needed to enlist the help of the pros. 

After following along with brick&batten on social media, Melissa knew that our design experts were the perfect partners to help bring her dream home to life.

I have been following brick&batten on Facebook and Pinterest for a long time. Maybe over a year. I fell in love with all the afters and your services and thought one day I would definitely want to apply these designs to my own house. 

Melissa reached out to the team to begin the process and was impressed with how smoothly everything went from the very beginning. “The process was so easy, and the communication was great,” she noted.

Design rendering of a two-story home with white painted brick and a front door portico.

The design

Even before her initial consultation, Melissa was excited to work with brick&batten to completely transform her home’s exterior. After consulting Melissa and learning more about her preferences, our team delivered a design for her exterior that is equally modern and classic.

We recommended painting the brick, along with the porch columns and eaves, with Oyster White by Sherwin Williams. This soft, off-white hue with subtle light green undertones was the perfect pairing for the warm, earthy tones of Sherwin Williams’ Urbane Bronze on the shutters and the moody hues of the charcoal shingles. Black metal roofing, gutters, a chimney cap, and sconces were the finishing touches that tied the exterior design together. 

Beyond the color palette, one of the most impactful changes for Melissa’s home was the addition of a front door portico. The classic structure added drama and elegance to the front entryway, giving a more traditional feel to the exterior. A beautiful front walkway and staircase crafted from natural stone was the perfect touch to add texture and dimension to the dynamic design. Melissa loved the final result so much that she didn’t even need to utilize her one free revision included in all of our virtual design packages.

All in all, it was a great experience, and it was like Christmas morning getting our email with the design! 

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In the foreground is a lush, green yard with a beautiful blooming garden, and a two-story house with beige siding and a black roof is in the background.

The process

Using her brick&batten design deliverable, Melissa was able to visualize exactly what her new exterior would look like. She worked with a local team of contractors and landscapers to make her dream exterior a reality. 

While they predominantly stuck to the provided deliverable, they made a few small tweaks to ensure the design perfectly suited the proportions of Melissa’s home. The contractors ended up adjusting the measurements of the portico because of the existing porch roof and window, and she also chose different shutters than those selected by the brick&batten team. Besides these few small changes, she and her team stayed very true to our team’s design.

I sent the finished photo to our contractor and landscaper and told them it was what I wanted. They had a visual then as well. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

A two-story home with a stone front walkway, front door portico, and beautifully landscaped from yard.

The actual after

Once the upgrades were complete, Melissa’s property became a lush, picturesque oasis. The vibrant front landscaping perfectly frames the front door portico, showcasing the beautiful entrance and highlighting the home’s classic architecture. Melissa, her family, and even her neighbors love the transformation.

We still get compliments on our home. I have had many people tell us that our home is their favorite. Everyone loves the design. There is nothing else like it in our area.

A photo of a backyard with fire pit and dining area

While dramatic changes like the front door portico make a big impact, it’s the entire combination of paint, finishes, and accents that really make Melissa’s exterior pop. She and her local team carried the color palette and finishes into the backyard as well, incorporating bold black accents and natural stone walkways to tie everything together. They even upgraded her storage shed to perfectly match, creating a cohesive look across the entire property.

Another defining feature of Melissa’s new exterior is the landscape design. Beautiful garden beds were added to her front yard, and filled with ornamental grasses, flowers, and plants. The classic combination complements her home’s new color palette and adds a beautiful pop of color during the warmer months. Black planters filled with lush plants, black Adirondack chairs, and a stone fire pit complete her outdoor oasis.

I can’t tell you what is my favorite. It’s the entire package. From the metal roof to the black gutters and the portico! I was so afraid of painting the brick, but brick&batten confirmed it needed to be done. We couldn’t be happier.

A home's front entryway with a front door portico, black front door, and stone stairway.

Transforming your exterior with a front door portico

Melissa’s new exterior is a striking reimagination of her former home. While our brick&batten experts maintained certain elements, they thoughtfully evaluated the design approach from all angles to come up with something totally new. 

Adding a front door portico is the change that makes the biggest impact, creating a visually compelling design that beautifully frames Melissa’s front door. A creamy, earthy color palette complements the new black roofing, while expertly designed landscaping and a breathtaking outdoor firepit and dining area take the entire exterior to a whole new level. 

Adding a front door portico or upgrading your exterior can be a daunting thing to tackle on your own. But luckily, brick&batten design experts are standing by to help you bring your vision to life! After answering a few quick questions, you’ll receive a customized design deliverable with all of the details and resources you need to upgrade your exterior. Ready to get started? Begin your project today!

Author

Hannah is an experienced copywriter, journalist, and content writer who loves bringing brands to life. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from Boston University, Hannah spent a decade in New York City honing her skills by working on in-house creative teams for global brands like Estee Lauder, Douglas Elliman, Tiffany & Co., and Groupon. She also partners with small businesses across industries — from interior design to real estate to tech — to help bring their brands to life through print and digital content. Hannah recently relocated back to the greater Boston area, where she loves exploring the city’s different neighborhoods by way of new restaurants, coffee shops, and bakeries.