Dear Homework,
We recently had a ‘lawn feature’ built that includes a berm, tree, flowering plants and large landscaping rocks in front of the right side of our home. We consider it to be somewhat lackluster (in the picture, it’s in the shadows). Was this a good choice if we wanted to bring attention to this area of the house?-Step Out Of The Shadows
While your new lawn feature may mature to be a handsome landscape composition, it is not what I would have done to improve the presentation of your property. I believe it will just hide a large portion of your house, rather than highlight it.
Your existing situation has a lot of fussy little things that ‘catch your eye.’ The basketball pole, trash cans, gas lamp and flag all grab attention in a negative way. In addition, the arched garage door doesn’t flow with the lines of the house, and the lower-level windows are completely hidden by overgrown bushes.
In the revised sketch, you see a scheme that flows logically from left to right, by repeating similar themes. New birch trees both frame the house and help soften the garage and driveway. An undulating bed of low plantings connect the trees, making the lawn feel wider by drawing the eye across the entire width of the lot. The new garage door now blends into the background, and the trash is hidden behind a matching wood fence.
A new roof with more texture and color adds a bit of character. The whole composition is now a unified thought that has a feeling of balance and repose.
Hope that makes sense.
-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]