Thanks so much everyone - this has been great. Sorry for the lack of response - been flat out!!!! It must be hard for you American guys to work on such old English designs.... The ideas have gradually culminated into what really would look good on the house. Ourfarmhouse - these are absolutely great ideas, and thanks Everything Beautiful for getting the jist and putting the ideas onto the house image - nothing like seeing an actual design on your own home. We've got an architech working on it, and he's keen on the iron-wrought idea... but we're not sure. Basically toss-up with this and Everything Beautiful's design (2 above). Going with a four-pannel door, but would like to incorporate some glass somewhere! Possibly a panel above with the house name engraved on it?? Victoria - absolutely right...! We don't need to sit outside with the weather.......... say no more! Just wanting something to cover yourself while you're unlocking the door. We've also done a tour of the local areas, and found a couple of porches - amazing what you find right on your doorstep! Will attach pics shortly...

I think I would have the porch but in the same way a mosquito screen is necessary in some parts of the globe you will need plans for your environment- I would have a conservatory or orangery on the north side of the house with reflective glass to keep the heat in- this would benefit from great light and unlike conservatories on the on the south side of houses won't be unbearable hot- under floor heat may also be prudent. On sunnier sides of the house I love the idea of an outdoor living room. Being practical I think this probably needs a few things to allow it to be used throughout the year. I love the idea of an outdoor fireplace or a wood burner. The lighting needs to be well considered and I would glaze the space with panels that fold back on the warmest days of the year. Given that the porch or veranda could adversely affect the light in the main house you might decide to cover a garden terrace instead (away from the house). You can get systems that retract in the best weather and extra high glass balustrades can shelter from the wind.

Thank you AMB with a lot of help from you Houzzers. @MATH brilliant suggestion what would you do with the lantern I currently have would you still keep it? Also any pictoral suggestions on the down lighter?

Ah thank you. I used dye from Dye Brick - https://www.dyebrick.com/ - for both the bricks and the mortar. They were super quick to deliver. My top tip would to be more patient than I was!! I should have spent more time finding which colour was best... and then sticking to it rather than changing my mind :) After a bit of testing I used a 50:50 mix of two of the colours available. And what I should have done is applied the soot wash mix (a separate product) afterwards... what I did do was mix them all together hence I just got a browner mix rather than the orange I wanted. Sometimes I can be a real idiot!! But I have a little dye left and having looked at bricks around the green door pic that Carolina has attached I may try and do a few more orange and some pure soot ones to get a bit more variety in colour rather than it being so uniform. Porch cost me about £80 to dye. Could possibly be done cheaper if you didnt need so many brick colours (Red, orange and soot) and didnt need to do the mortar too.