THE FRONT ENTRY - PART 1

We're in desperate need of a way to get from the driveway to the house. As indicated in the photo below, the front door and the side door (leading to the mudroom and kitchen) are currently separated from the driveway by a steep 6+ foot change in grade. When we bought the house, the slope was negotiated by a short wobbly stone wall and a narrow set of steep stairs. The design problem lies in the extreme grade change over a short distance, compounded by the need to hide the unattractive foundation under the porch. After many (too many) schemes, we have finally decided to install (2) tall dry-laid fieldstone retaining walls to create a turf terrace at the door/porch elevation. The front wall would extend out toward the driveway, hiding a run of wide granite steps. This wall also delineates the separation between grass and meadow (meadow!). A tall hedge of cranberry viburnum (Viburnum trilobum) shrubs will run parallel to the front wall, creating privacy from the road.