Dear Homework,
We have remodeled the inside of our older ranch home and are now looking for ways to update the outside. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,

—In Need of Ranch Dressing

Dear In Need of Ranch Dressing,
The trendy way to update the exterior of your home would be to paint it white and add black shutters and carriage lamps. I, however, would suggest more subtle improvements to your home’s existing look.

First, I would like for the central portico to read as the facade’s dominant feature by painting the columns, support beam and circular vent white. Then, I would like to enhance the front door by adding full length shutters and painting the door red. These changes add some needed pop to an understated paint scheme.

Next, we need to make the landscaping more helpful to the composition. I would remove all of the foundation plants from the portico section to allow the columns to be seen in their full length and eliminate any bush that hides the full length of the side windows. With that accomplished, I would frame the long facade with tall vertical evergreens at the corners and sprinkle in some color for accent.

These fairly modest revisions allow your home to be a better version of itself, complimenting your refreshed interior.

Hopefully these suggestions will be useful,
—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.