Dear Homework,
As you can see, our home is more than a little plain. And it’s located on a street with Queen Anne and Craftsman-style homes that are bigger and have more architectural details than ours, which makes it look even less charming. How can I improve things without rebuilding?
Sincerely,
—Feeling Like a Wallflower
Dear Feeling Like a Wallflower,
The size, proportions and materials of your home are so different from those of your neighbors that I think it would make sense not to mimic their architecture, and instead employ a modest Colonial cottage vibe. I also think we need to address the fundamental aesthetic problem of the front-facing, two-car garage door and driveway, which don’t help the presentation.
To begin with, I would like to add vertical board-and-batten siding detail to the second floor and divide it from the lower clapboard with a white band. This adds interest without structural changes. A front porch with copper roof is the other big change, helping to balance the importance of the front door with that of the garage door.
These changes are supported by new window flower boxes, an arched garage door surround and a more detailed garage door. Since the existing colors work well with the roof shingles, I have kept them in the new scheme. Perhaps the biggest change is the landscape. The goal is to give new prominence to the garden by the driveway. By creating a new stone walkway centered with the entry porch and planting a somewhat formal garden around it, this half of the yard now has far more impact, which completely changes the perception of the property. In addition, the tall ornamental grass bordering the driveway helps screen large vehicles parked there, which improves the garage/driveway issue.
Hopefully the wallflower is now ready to dance.
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.