Dear Homework,
I recently bought a home in Glendale and am not happy with the curb appeal. Because the garage is detached, the home appears stumpy to me. There is a very large tree in front, which I am not opposed to moving, if the city will allow it.
Thanks for your Help,
—Stumped on Stumpiness
Dear Stumped on Stumpiness,
Your house features the simple, pragmatic architecture invented by our colonial ancestors to house themselves as economically as possible. While your home has a definite ‘cottage-y’ charm, it offers many possible upgrades to help temper its stumpiness.
—Homework
[scheme a]
To make your residence seem better proportioned, we need to make it feel wider and taller. It can present itself as wider by taking better advantage of the full width of the lot. First, we need to remove the enormous tree that dwarfs the structure. Next, I would like to build a semi-circular, exposed aggregate entry walkway that draws the eye to the entire width of the property. By planting a low, formally clipped hedge that is finished off by tall Hornbeam trees, the property feels wider, framed and ‘more important.’
This scheme also shows some architectural upgrades. I have made the ground floor windows longer and have added a third, central dormer that is ‘connected’ to the existing two. This has the effect of making the home feel more two-storied, and thus taller.
[scheme b]
The residence could be made to feel even grander with the addition of a columned front porch, full-width terrace, and a wider, shed-roofed dormer. By including shutters on the second-floor windows and a new side fence with tall brick corner piers, the facade takes on a more elegant, Georgian feel, while again feeling both taller and wider.
[scheme c]
In this version, I actually make the house wider by adding a wrap-around porch. A bold, lantern cupola helps make the facade feel taller. Painting the brick white and adding dark green shutters gives the house an easy charm that suggests an informal landscape scheme, which can include the existing tree. Since the house is now wider and taller, it all seems better balanced, even with the tree.
As you can see, your home is the simple background upon which many different looks can be created. Hopefully, these suggestions will help you see things from an energized perspective.
[HomeWork is penned by Paul Doerner, president, The Lawrence Group. If you would like your home critiqued, contact us at homework@townandstyle.com]
