Dear Homework,
My husband and I recently moved into this 1950s ranch from a very traditional house where we had lived for 43 years. Our motivation for moving was to be able to live all on one floor.The red bricks, white siding and multicolor stacked stone of this home’s chimney look dated and too ‘busy’ to us. Would you suggest painting the entire exterior of the house? If so, what color(s)?
Sincerely,
—Color Me A New Picture
Dear Color Me A New Picture,
I think your house would indeed look better if the brick and stone were painted the same color. I agree with you that the patterned stone has a very distracting effect on the overall composition.
I would suggest painting the home a butter yellow. This will give it a warm, inviting feel and contrast nicely with the black and white trim already in place.
Next, I would like to give the landscape some ‘umph’ by planting a long arc of knock-out roses at the center of the composition. Punctuating this arc, I would install two trellis obelisks topped with lanterns. These replace the existing gaslight pole and give the composition a distinctive, memorable feature.
With the color change and the new landscaping, not only is the house a more integrated ‘totality,’ but it also now has an almost buoyant, Caribbean personality that is truly transformational.
Hope that helps.
—Homework
[Homework is penned by Paul Doerner, Founding Partner of the Lawrence Group. If you would like your home critiqued, contact us at homework@townandstyle.com.]
