Dear Homework, I know our house could look so much better from the street, but I just don’t know where to begin! Signed, Bashful about Beginning
Dear Bashful about Beginning,
Your home has a number of architectural and landscape challenges that need to be corrected to bring out its full potential. I suggest doing an ‘Extra Credit’ on it, which suggests three possible solutions for resolving some of these issues.
Thanks for asking,
—Homework
[scheme 1]
To begin with, the second-story addition needs to be better integrated with the architecture of the house below it. I suggest creating new, longer second-floor windows with shutters to better match the rest of the house. Next, I would rearrange the columns on the porch to have equal spacing and better alignment with the door and window beyond. New front-facing gable roofs on the first and second floors help give prominence to the center of the façade.
Finally, a cupola over the garage portion helps the somewhat awkward second story seem less abrupt by adding an additional vertical accent.
As far as the landscape goes, I would simply start over. The current plantings are all the wrong size and in the wrong places. Instead, I would plant two rows of low hedges under the window sills of the wings and finish them off with dogwood trees. This simple scheme underscores the architecture and allows the porch section to take center stage. The façade now has a more balanced and confident feel.
[scheme 2]
To take the design a step further, I would suggest removing the front porch and creating a second-story façade above the front door. I would build a bracketed canopy over the door, which would receive new sidelites. I also would add a small dormer window at the living room to give that area some interest and height.
[scheme 3]
For a final refinement, I suggest a new circle drive, enhanced with painted brick light piers and a clipped yew hedge. This will give the newly enhanced home a more ‘estate’ feel and allow the architecture to extend into the landscape. What was once a bit of a jumble of architecture and landscaping missteps is now a refined and coherent composition.
[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.]
