Beautiful home has a quiet sophistication
Punchy colours, adequate scaling improve curb appeal
I was highly surprised when the owner of this beautiful home informed me that some neighbours described her house as “the fixer-upper.”
The proprietor felt that the porch area was lacking presence, probably because it was disproportioned compared to the ample dimension of the facade. For starters, the flat overhang needs to be elongated almost all the way to the garage. The width of the L-shape planks near the big door will determine where the roof should end. This new structure would also reveal an angular roof with the same pitch as the main one and covered with matching shingles. The post should be moved to the right outer corner and would serve as one of the sides of the new giant louvre trellis.
The gap on the right part of the floor will be framed, filled with alkaline soil and a generous layer of black mulch to keep the roots of the climbing white blooming Clematis cool. This beauty is one of the few varieties that doesn’t require pruning.
If exterior furniture is showcased in front of a home, it should reflect elegance and good taste. I suggest investing in a well designed and enduring modern piece in charcoal or black.
Inspired by red stones from the chimney and the Japanese maple, an earthy red door is a natural choice. A couple of black contemporary style tubular light fixtures introduced on both sides of the entrance door with another above the garage would result in a more inviting spot.
The small maple will now reside in a separate circular island and could share its seclusion with three different size boulders and a carpet of dark mulch. Some kind of divider is necessary around the shape.
The muted palette of the facade is acceptable, but maybe a bit washed out. I favour a slightly deeper tone of very warm grey taupe in a matte finish for the stucco, the soffits, the fascias and eavestroughs. This also goes for the raised wooden frames near the six windows on the left and the trellis.
A darker shade in the same family of colours could be painted over the three rectangles and side strip of wall. The right side of the house, from the surface of the porch wall, all the way to the vertical thick frame as well as the contouring bands under the soffits should also be darker.
A more substantial and deeper flower box, in the same stronger hue, will be constructed so as to hold more soil, thus providing a better environment for thriving annuals. This container ought to be secured lower to prevent the vegetation from encroaching over the window openings.
A new, better scaled walkway, as deep as it is wide, will bring dimension to the otherwise small area. Ample square or rectangular slabs will translate into a richer feel relative to the opulence of the residence.
In the photo, three different bushes and a blue fir tree are placed in line. This positioning looks awkward. Placing shrubs in a linear fashion is fine, as long as
This is a column in which designer Suzanne Rowe selects homes that could benefit from a little inexpensive help in increasing their curb appeal. After examining photographs, she then proceeds to sketch out an artist’s rendering of what they could look like with a few minor changes. We hope you enjoy the results.
they are identical.
The Weigela florida Carnival hedge near the foundation and the Hydrangea Pinky Winky on stem will amaze any admirer who notices a pinch of white, pink and red tint on the same shrub. Some colours from this mixture are repeated in the cascading annuals in the flower container, the climbing clematis, the hedge of red to pink foliage of the Berberis. The white border of persistent leaves of the euonymus will turn to pink in colder temperatures.
Concerning this ’50s architecture, quiet sophistication combined with punchy colours and adequate scaling were welcome ingredients for a successful recipe to improve curb appeal. Vegetation (from left to right):
Owner’s Japanese maple (red)
Weigela florida Carnival (shrubs, white, pink and red, foundation)
Euonymus fortunei Emerald Gaiety (persistent shrubs, green and white leaves, pathway)
Berberis thunbergii Rose Glow (shrubs, burgundy, pink tips, pathway)
Hydrangea paniculata Pinky Winky (shrub on stem, white to almost red)
Clematis Henryi (climbing, white, trellis)
Pelargonium (annuals, white, flower box)
Begonia Dragon Wing (cascading annuals, pink, flower box)