Dear Homework,
We recently purchased a somewhat forlorn Colonial on a street of charming period homes in University City. The original house received a clunky addition that provides great space but makes for an awkward appearance. We’d love to give it a fresh, modern farmhouse feel. We are open to painting the brick and a few architectural upgrades. Also, do you have any landscaping suggestions?
Sincerely,
—Been Watching Too Much Fixer Upper
Dear Been Watching Too Much Fixer Upper,
The two dormers to the right with the brick in between do strike an odd note, but the rest of it is basically fine. If you replace that brick panel with a window and add a bit of detail in the form of support brackets and flat-panel detailing, this area would better match the scale and feel of the rest of the façade. Additional details like wider porch columns, simple white railings and stone entry steps add to the farmhouse vibe.
Painting the brick and siding white certainly wakes the whole thing up and gives it that fresh feel you want. A simplified grille pattern in the windows helps bridge the ‘modern’ and ‘farmhouse’ themes. As far as the landscaping goes, I like how the house sits on a hill, framed by mature trees. I would plant a tall evergreen to block the ‘winter’ view of the house to the left, and move the dogwood to the bottom of the walkway to block the view of the garage door. The rest of the plantings should be kept low, horizontal and continuous. To me, it looks completely different and ready for a spot on reality TV.
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.
