Dear Homework,
We moved into this house in Frontenac about a year ago and desperately need ideas to give it some curb appeal. It is so long and flat across the front. Help!
Sincerely, Out of Ideas
Dear Out of Ideas,
While the design of your home is a little dull, it has tons of potential. Its wide lot and long façade allow it to transform into something much more palatial and unique. First, I would like visitors to drive up to the house from the right side, rather than the left. I would like them to arrive at a beautiful, cobblestone-edged, oval drive court centered on the main façade. This eliminates the very long existing brick walkway and, with its crisp evergreen hedge, the drive court adds ‘dimension’ to the façade.
Next, I would add several important pieces of architectural jewelry to the façade. Fill the blank spaces to the sides of the center window with round classical niches. Then make the front door-case taller, wider and more architecturally important. Finally, build two sweeping wing walls/piers, topped with orbs and coach lamps at the ends of the two-storied part of the elevation. These added details give the façade the ‘umph’ it needs to pull off its impressive length.
The remaining landscape changes finish the presentation and downplay the garage wing. To me, this now feels like an ‘old school’ estate rather than a jumbo, center-hall Colonial house. Hopefully this gives you some ideas to build upon. Thanks for asking,
— 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]
