Dear Homework,
My landscaping is not as old as my 100-year-old home, but both need help, desperately. Any suggestions you have to make my home inviting and updated will be so appreciated. I really don’t know where to begin!
Thank you,
—Ready For The Next 100
The easiest thing you could do to make your house more inviting would be to plant a continuous bed of flowers in front of your existing shrubs. A cheerier front door color also would say “welcome.” If you are getting ready for the next 100 years, though, more extensive changes may be in order.
The first I suggest would be to paint the brick a fresher color. Leaving several rows of the upper bricks unpainted could give the architecture some of the ‘umph’ it needs. With the lighter walls, the window trim can be painted dark, making them bolder and more consistent. A dramatic new front door adds a memorable detail.
At the moment, the house and its landscape seem rather timid. By implementing a bolder scheme, the property can really command attention. A wider walkway, new brick retaining walls and architectural hedges bring impact to the scheme and work with the façade changes to convey a feeling of grandeur and confidence.
Hopefully, this gives you some ideas for a more exciting future.
—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 .]