Dear Homework,
My daughter and her husband recently purchased a ‘fixer upper.’ The interior space will work for their family of three boys, but the outside is in desperate need of a face-lift. They hope to work on the landscaping and curb appeal. Thoughts?
Sincerely,
— Fixer Upper Face-Lift
To update the look, I think we should first turn our attention to its most dated feature, the New Orleans-style wrought iron balcony. No one has used this motif in decades, let alone on an element that is basically useless. I suggest removing the whole fake balcony and replacing it with three French doors with Juliet balconies. This will give the long façade a vertical lift, but will require some patching of the existing brickwork. That’s why I also suggest painting the brick gray, which will be an elegant complement to the black shutters and roofing and will give the house a more current feel.
The landscape shows a bolder and more lush approach to the site, taking care not to block the short, lower level windows. A larger black lantern and new black urns complete the picture.
Thanks for asking,
—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.