Dear Homework,
We know our home needs help, but we don’t know where to start. What do you think? We already know we will be removing the chimney.
Sincerely,
—Ready for a New Point of View
Dear Ready for a New Point of View,
Your home presents an interesting set of existing conditions typical of many suburban homes. To understand the issues, draw a line up the existing photograph, along the right side of the driveway, through the house. Now, cover the right and then the left side of the photograph. You will notice that the left side of the line is all concrete, siding and garage doors. The right side is all landscaping, architectural details and windows. Herein lies the problem.
Your house has two distinct character—the bland and the detailed; you need to blend the two together. As you see from the rendering, there is now more architectural detail on the left side of the ‘line.’ New garage doors, a gable window and a revised driveway blur the difference between the two sides. A landscaped island allows new shade trees to shield the view of the garage from initial view.
Additionally, a new large gable has been added above the front door. This helps balance the architecture of the right and left sides of the ‘line.’ The result of these modifications creates a more harmonious composition that welcomes the arriving guest with a balanced and attractive composition. Hope that helps.
—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 .]
