Dear Homework,
We did an addition 15 years ago and are long overdue for a new front porch and driveway. How do we make the front door stand out from the mudroom door? Should we paint the brick the same color as the siding for a more cohesive look? Bring this 1945 house into 2017, please!
Sincerely,
—Time for a Style Update
Dear Time for a Style Update,
You have a handsome house that is ‘held back’ by a couple of major issues. The tuckpointing is very uneven, which gives a splotchy look to the façade, and the paint color on the mullions and front door surround gives the house a gloomy feel. To look updated, the house needs to feel bold, crisp and pulled together. For that reason, I will take you up on your idea of painting the brick. This accomplishes a number of goals. It covers the tuckpointing, makes the house look bigger, and provides a crisp backdrop for the black accessories.
Those accessories now include wider shutters for the lower windows; a big, simple carriage light to the right of the glossy black front door; and a large urn also to the right of the door. These all work well with the existing shutters, downspouts and gutters. You also will note that the garage door has been upgraded and painted the house color, which keeps it from looking like a huge void, and a new cupola adorns the garage roof. An arched door case painted in the house color completes the changes.
The existing landscape works well with some trimming to allow more of the house to be seen, though blocking the neighboring properties with plants also would help keep the focus on your home. I think the overall effect has way more impact than the existing presentation and should look great for decades to come.
Hope you think so too.
—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.
