Dear Homework,
Help! My 1920s Webster house needs a face-lift. Besides trimming the trees, what else do you recommend? The front porch used to have balusters and quarry tile, but it was pulling away from the foundation. Now it looks boring.

Sincerely,
—Clueless Craftsman

Dear Clueless Craftsman,

Frankly, there isn’t much wrong here. The paint colors work well with the style of the house, and they call out the architectural details to maximum effect. Should you need a new asphalt shingle roof in the future, I show one in a red/brown mix that would work better with your existing terra cotta tile ridge caps.

For the landscaping, I would suggest a formal, clipped boxwood hedge centered on the front door, and a more casual composition of azaleas, grasses and hostas to either side. The goal is to have them all ‘touching’ (and kept trimmed rather low) to create a unified sweep of plants that forms a base for the overall composition. I also show removing one of the main branches of the existing tree to reveal more of the handsome symmetrical façade. That was an easy one.

Sincerely,
—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.