Front steps and stoops do more than finish the walk to the door. They set the height change from grade to porch, take daily foot traffic, and often meet a walkway, driveway apron, or landing that was poured in...

The walk from a parked car to the front door is short, but it asks a lot of a small area. People carry groceries, guide visitors, roll trash bins and move around open car doors. A driveway and front...

A patio can look generous on a sketch and feel crowded once the chairs are pulled out. The useful space is the area left after furniture, door swings and the route back into the house have been accounted for....