Hopeless Homeowner

Dear Homework,
We purchased this home three years ago. I love the interior but do not care for the outside at all! We have spent a lot of time and energy renovating the inside, but we have no clue what to do for the exterior. I would love to have some sort of front porch or covering over the front door. Can you please help me give this 1980s home some style and love?

Sincerely,
Hopeless Homeowner

Dear Hopeless Homeowner,

While there is really nothing wrong with your house, I can understand why you haven’t been able to fall in love with it. It starts off well by being a symmetrical, 2.5-story Colonial with large, ground-floor, angled bay windows. After that, though, things go downhill a bit. Your home is loaded with the kind of ill-considered, inexpensive detailing found on most suburban homes of the ’70s and ’80s.

From the clumsily detailed roof dormers and undersized, inoperative shutters to the unfortunate vinyl siding and ungraceful copper-roofed bay windows, all of the components of this façade work against it, making it feel drab and average.

I have changed every component of the structure, along with adding a semicircular front porch and garden wall. New siding and roof, operable shutters, and bay windows with a curved roof now make the home feel more authentic, high quality and gracefully detailed. A classic, crisp white and dark green color scheme banishes the bland beiges and awakens the composition. New landscaping supports the architecture and continues the dark green accent color. If you study original Colonial architecture, or even Colonial Revival homes of the ’20s, you will see the kind of detailing I am suggesting, which most people find appealing.

Hope that makes sense,
—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.