Dear Homework,
We are new to St. Louis and would love to hear your ideas for maximizing the curb appeal of our Clarkson Valley home.
Sincerely,
-Curb Appeal Appeal
Dear Curb Appeal Appeal,
There are a number of subtle architectural improvements that I think would make your façade a far more elegant and authentic Southern Colonial. I will address them in order of importance to the overall effect of the remodeling.
First, I would like to remove the existing cupola and replace it with a taller, more elegant one, relocated to the main body of the house. This recalls historic homes such as Mount Vernon, as well as drawing the eye to a more important part of the composition.
Next, I would paint the brick white, to match the white siding of the side elevations. When seen from an angle, (as when you are driving up to the home), it will now seem more ‘of a piece.’ New paint on the shutters and front door provide a counterpoint to all the white elements.
Further, the columns need major help. They look like they are sitting on a stack of painted hat boxes. We need to reduce this to a single, better-detailed pedestal and add the height to the fascia above the columns, where it’s sorely needed. Finishing details such as shutter hardware, a new metal balcony rail and corner evergreens to hide the garage doors and AC condensers all will tidy-up the look.
The landscape scheme is left intentionally minimal because the refined architecture carries the day.
Hope this 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.]
