Dear Homework,
I love your ideas and every week wish you could help us. We would like to take our north-facing facade from old school to fresh and current. We would like it to look less like a funeral home and more like a young and fun family home.Sincerely,
—Wake-Up Call
Dear Wake-Up Call,
Your home’s long facade and well-placed shade trees provide a great starting point for an improved presentation. The first thing to do to achieve a fresher feel would be to whitewash the brick. This will give a crisper feel to the contrast of the other black-and-white elements.
Next, I would try to give a little more authority to the porch area by using taller columns and a standing seam metal roof. This breaks up the continuous gutter line and gives the composition a dominant element. Bold new brick light piers help frame the symmetrical part of the elevation and replace the puny gas lamp on the lawn.
The landscape near the facade gets two tall upright evergreens for some additional vertical accent, and new low grasses allow the full length of the windows to be appreciated. The central shade trees are connected by a low hedge, and a curved bed of shade-loving impatiens adds a note of welcome to the picture. A final decluttering of the porch accessories completes the feel of classic elegance. I don’t know if this actually looks “fun,” but to my eyes it certainly looks better.
Hope this 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.