Dear Homework,
I bought this home, which was a foreclosure and empty for about
a year. I know the bush is way too big for the front. I was considering
lilac vine on short trellises for the back to bring in some color and to
hide that boring concrete. What are your thoughts?
—Just Around the Corner
Dear Just Around the Corner,
I think your house is very charming and cute, but I have two immediate thoughts. The first is that the house needs more ‘winter interest,’ and the second is that you could take better advantage of your corner location.
Regarding winter interest, the photos show how washed out it feels this time of year. My solution would be to add a base of evergreen bushes and Baltic ivy instead of your lawn. These will stay dark green all year long and provide a sharp contrast to the pale coloring of the architecture. It will give the property a shot of oomph and make it feel a little more tailored to its urban environment.
At the same time, I don’t want to lose the charming cottage feel. Therefore I suggest bright perennial flowers in a variety of heights at the base of the evergreen hedge. I would wrap this hedge and the flowers around the corner and run them down the long side of the house. This will make the yard seem much more extensive and frame the house nicely. In addition, I would like to add a window box on the second floor to bring the life and color of the flowers to another part of the façade for balance. Normally I would suggest adding shutters to the windows, but I think this would bring a country feel that would be at odds with
the home’s location.
With spring settling in, hopefully these suggestions will help you and your home turn the corner.
—Homework
Homework is penned by Paul Doerner, president, The Lawrence Group. If you would like your home critiqued, contact us at homework@townandstyle.com.
