I like that retaining wall. A raised flower bed. Nice touch. I also like the landscaping done on right side of photo. In short, i'm liking everything about the 'after' photo

Yes, I agree they are fairly narrow and I think practicality must trump original design in this regard. You can still remain true to the era, and simply widening the steps to flush with width of verandah will only improve upon the original design. I believe it will also future-proof the steps as I can imagine as people age, they sometimes require the firm arm of someone else to assist them safely up and down the stairs. I have to agree with Mel about the letterbox. IF you are set on mixing styles, then perhaps use the same timber you used for the letterbox to face facade (street facing) of new steps.

yes oklouise, I hear all that - absolutely yes it's all about clients understanding/working out properly what they need.........and it's great to be able to seek comments/thoughts on Houzz from a broad range of backgrounds/experiences......the issue though is when it gets into territory where (from my perspective) clearly experience and professional skill will help resolve the problem most effectively (such as on this particular one) that it's therefore appropriate to suggest this the advised way to go.......I suppose I see frequently here capacity for designers to be able to "cut to the chase" most effectively, but of course this needs to be done in a manner underpinned by a thorough understanding and establishment of what the client needs in context, and yes very often the client will require more time to work this all through.........I however still see our role as relevant in that part of the process though, and not necessarily having to "wait" for that to happen, because ultimately as professionals in this position (i believe) have a responsibility (as part of our role as a consultant) to educate people appropriately and thoroughly so they can develop the skills to be able to consolidate their decision-making most appropriately for themselves and the project - by the end of the journey, I find my clients are rather quite the experts!..........this however involves a collaborative approach, egos are shelved and an intimate working relationship, which is very different from the approach (that some designers work to) which is essentially selling a "product" or particular end result, rather than a service....significant difference, and again, horses for courses ;)

Hi Cazzie Putting a staircase into a room is effectively changing the room into a hallway, and is obviously destroying the functionality of the room. It's clearly a poor solution to access made obvious by the conflict with the window. No matter if you dress it up as suggested, it will always look and be a compromise. I'd be first thinking about whether you want this back as a room or have the space/rooms to go without it. Without knowing the layout of the rest of the house, I would be looking to relocate/rework it. Whilst that is a more expensive option, the reality is that it will turn a negative on the home value into a positive and add value. This is an example of what you see on lots of TV shows where people rectify problems or poor design to make an improvement. Can you post a little more about the layout or other pics? Cheers