Dear Homework,
Last year, my family moved into this charming Cape Cod house. We are at a loss about how to improve the look of the outside. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Sincerely,
—Clueless in the County
Your Cape Cod home is charming, but I think with some tweaks it could be made much more so. Through a few subtractions and a few additions, we can give the façade a more authentic, detailed and important feel.
First, I would substitute a more upscale asphalt roof for the existing dull gray one. I would suggest a new one that mimics multi-color slate. I also feel that the young maple tree on the left is planted too close to the house for the size that it can grow to, so it should go. As far as the additions go, I show a new arched pediment over the front door, with a relocated, larger coach lamp. The front door also has been upgraded with a new mullioned storm door and full-length shutters. Please note that all the windows have received new mullions, which adds an elegant level of detail.
The landscape changes include adding two vertical junipers to frame the house. These block the views to neighboring properties and focus attention to your façade. Also, since the evergreens’ color echoes that of the shutters, they have the effect of making the façade feel wider and more substantial. The rest of the new planting follows the charming ‘cottagey’ look already established in the planting beds.
With these changes, your Cape Cod now looks ‘best of type,’ after only fairly minor changes. Hopefully this gives you a helpful start.
Good luck with the changes,
—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.]