Dear Homework,
We recently bought a ranch home in Clayton for its great location to schools and our offices. We appreciate the convenience of the location; however, the home lacks curb appeal. We love the floor-to-ceiling windows and all the light they provide, but the bushes in front block their view. Would you recommend painting the entire house or just the trim? We’re not a fan of the color now. We also know we need a lot of assistance with the landscaping but are not sure where to start. Your help is much appreciated!
Sincerely,
—Don’t Know Where to Begin
Unless you have gobs of time and money, it’s best to follow the path of least resistance as you think about redoing your home. In this case, your home is in the ‘modern’ style, so let’s keep it that way, but make it lots stronger.
The best modern homes are simple, crisp, minimal and powerful. Your house isn’t quite there yet. As you note, your landscaping is not an asset, and certainly, changing paint colors could add real impact. I would advise painting the existing wood siding a pure white and the existing windows and doors black. This is the classic modern color scheme. Additionally, I would paint the existing brick a complementary warm gray, while perhaps leaving some brick details unpainted. By adding some new modern ‘jewelry’ in the form of new awnings, light fixtures, address numbers and a planter urn, the whole composition now reads as a tailored Armani suit rather than a threadbare tweed sports coat.
The landscaping can underscore this feel by being simple, architectural and ruthlessly maintained. To that end, we see a new walkway of precise, staggered rectangles backed up by rows of knockout roses and ornamental grasses. The whole effect is to take a 60-year-old structure and make it look as though it was minted yesterday.
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.