Dear Homework,
I have just started rehabbing this South St. Louis home and would like to get your thoughts on upgrading the exterior at a reasonable cost. I also would be interested in achieving more privacy on the front porch.Sincerely,
Please Pull A Rabbit Out of the Hat
I think the most cost-effective approach here would be to give the home a dose of cottagey-charm and color. Even added together, all the changes would total only a modest expense.
For the architectural changes, I would start with the triple second-floor window. I would add custom ‘three-leaf-clover’ shutters, a long flower box, and a curved cornice over the central window to mimic the shape of the entry overhang.
I would paint the front door a blue/gray color and repeat it in both curved cornices. Then, I would install two additional long flower boxes at the lower portions of the brick porch railing. These should increase your feeling of privacy on the porch.
For landscape changes, I would first remove the seemingly unnecessary wood planting bed walls by the porch and replace them with a yew or boxwood hedge, punctuated with ornamental grass at the ends. I would place slightly large terra-cotta flower pots atop the four brick posts and plant them with Red Star specimens for color and bold shape. Finally, I would fill the flower boxes with purple and red Wave petunias.
The effect of the resulting changes is a much more welcoming and ‘pulled together’ presentation. Hopefully, that’s enough magic for you.
Good luck with the changes,
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.]