Dear Homework,
My husband owns this beautiful Craftsman home in Princeton Heights, and as you can see, he added a second story a few years ago. It has wonderful stained glass windows, French doors and hardwood floors throughout. However, it has no curb appeal whatsoever. What do you suggest that would be in keeping with the history of the home?
—Another Appeal for Curb Appeal
Dear Another Appeal for Curb Appeal,
I believe people decide whether they find a property appealing within a split second of seeing it.
If that is true, I suggest this is what they are intuitively evaluating:
1. 
Are the residence and its landscaping well-maintained? If there are broken windows, peeling paint and overgrown bushes, it will be facing an uphill battle to be seen as ‘appealing.’
2. Is the home handsome? Does it have a thoughtful overall composition, supported by quality materials and well-proportioned details? Additionally, does it comfortably fit on its site and into its surrounding neighborhood?
3. Finally, does it actively try to seduce or charm? Does it have beautiful flowers or a lively color scheme? Maybe it is formal and impressive, or perhaps it is laidback and quaint. Either way, if it doesn’t pull at some human heartstring, it probably won’t be seen as appealing.
In my first sketch, you will notice I try to address all these issues. Yes, the added second story is rather graceless, but at least it matches the roof slope of the existing porch! By adding appropriate Craftsman-style details, the addition can look quite nice. The Craftsman-style window grids and the diamond-shaped attic vent bring the architectural grammar of the first and second floors together, so that it now can be seen as handsome and well-maintained.
The lan
dscape and new color scheme add the charm needed to impress the onlooker. The existing house gives the impression of being ‘brown and blah.’ But with new window boxes, flower beds and a few livelier colors, I think it now can be said to have real curb appeal. I have to stress, however, that all of these issues would need to be addressed to hit a home run.
In the second image, you will see that I have left the upper level’s architectural detailing and color as it currently exists. I think it shows that landscape upgrades alone won’t save the day here.
Thanks for the useful example,
—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.
