Dear Homework,
When we bought our home 15 years ago, we liked its modern feel, and over the years, we’ve made many upgrades to the interior. We would now like to focus on the exterior. What would you do to improve its appearance?
Thanks,
— Modernize My Modern
This was a tough one for me. Your house features a Midwestern version of Hollywood Regency styling that is currently ‘all the rage’ in Los Angeles. I could make it look more Hollywood Regency by painting it white, adding lots of formal topiary plantings and parking a Rolls Royce in front of it—but I’m not sure the look would resonate in St. Louis.
Instead, I suggest sending the architecture into a more Prairie Style direction, which feels more compatible with this region. First, I would remove the tall, arched brick surround at the front door. By replacing this feature with a wider, shorter brick vestibule, not only do we immediately change the feel of the façade, we open up an area above the door that allows us to add a row of new windows on the second floor, which gives the elevation a more welcoming feel.
I would remove the existing tree and replace it with symmetrically placed, open branching trees that bring a higher level of drama to the existing restrained composition.
Additional new hedges, ground cover and ornamental Wrightian urns pull the whole scheme together. Hopefully, you will find that these changes yield a more timeless yet updated look. 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.]