Paint, framing play up contemporary flair

Larger paths in step with home’s size

The submitter of this colossal 1976 home is a research scientist and professor at McGill University. The lab named after him is where teams of scientists generate fundamental information about the nervous system. They apply this knowledge to understanding and treating acute and progressive neurological diseases and cancer.

I analyzed the photo he sent me, and found that the existing brown colour was the best option to complement the brick colorations but, with time, the chocolate shades became faded. Because I like the airiness that windows on doors procure, I illustrated new style portals whose glass shapes mirror the repetitive rectangular openings of the solarium. The wide frame around the front door seemed colonial compared to the contemporary flair of the house. I replaced it with a simple one contoured by a thin square border. The stark white windows stood out too much. Also, the lattices didn’t fit with the modern feel that the sunroom instilled. These were sandwiched between the glasses, thus not removable.

A few years ago, my kitchen window showed condensation inside its double panes. The frame was perfectly fine so I had only the thermal components changed by a glass shop. I kept the contour as is. This was a cost-effective answer also available for our owner. The living room’s central window will remain since it is grid free. Only the side double glasses and the second floor ones have to be substituted. Then, original contours and caulking of all windows would be coated in a flat specialized paint for vinyl. Because louvred shutters were installed only on the top level, I prefer to have them discarded all together. Above the garage, the vertical siding inspires a dated industrial sense. A new facing will introduce two framed elongated forms perpetuating the rectangular theme. The fascias, soffits, horizontal eavestroughs, the sunroom’s ribs and base as well as all window frames will be repainted replicating the same coloration as the new doors in a matte finish.

If the owner decides to keep the actual doorways, these and all other components would be resurfaced in an identical dark brown. The front and garage doors as well as flower box will offer a soft sheen.

After sending me this photo, there was a main drainage problem on the property that led to a major excavation that ultimately destroyed everything on the lot. However, the owner remained optimistic that opportunity lies in every crisis. The size of the home dictated a more substantial

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.

entrance. Ample paths made out of either beige smooth paving stones or giant rectangular slabs would engender a richer and convivial disposition.

The botanicals consist of deep purple, variegated as well as pesto green foliage laced with yellow, pink and white flowerings. With the assist of a weeping crab apple tree, a Japanese maple and a few two-tone shrubs, the small seating area will provide a cocooning effect to the couple sipping their fresh cup of hot coffee on a sweet summer morning.

There are great advancements in research for lifethreatening diseases such as cancer but there’s still a lot of work to do. For more information, visit the homeowner’s website: http://barker-lab. mcgill.ca. Vegetation, from left

Prunus cerasifera Newport (medium tree, white blooms, purplish)

Heuchera Palace Purple (persistent perennials, white blooms, purplish foliage, compost in spring, layer of dark brown mulch, left of driveway and yard path)

Clematis Duchess of Edinburgh (climbers, white double blooms, cut back low to a set of bulbs in spring, trellises on side wall blooms and fence)

Weigela florida Wine & Roses (medium shrub, pink blooms, burgundy foliage, yard path)

Hemerocallis Happy Returns (several perennials, yellow, yard path)

Thuja occidentalis Smaragd (medium pyramidal evergreen, corners)

Begonia semperflorens (annuals, white blooms, containers)

Bacopa Abunda Giant White (cascading annuals, white blooms, containers)

Caragana arborescens Pendula (weeping shrub grafted on trunk, yellow blooms, left of doorway)

Buxus Green Velvet (persistent shrubs, left of doorway, under flower box, front edge of patio, trim annually in box shape)

Pennisetum alopecuroides (ornamental grasses, fine foliage, dusters, geotextile over bare soil, boulder, rocks and river stones)

Weigela Fine Wine (small shrub, pink blooms, burgundy foliage, left of flower box)

Euonymus Emerald Gold (persistent shrub, yellow and green foliage, turns pinkish in fall, right of box)

Cornus alba Ivory Halo (1 to 3 shrubs, white blooms, white and green foliage, exterior side of patio)

Acer palmatum Bloodgood (shrub, burgundy foliage, exterior corner of patio)

Berberis thunbergii Concorde (low shrubs, yellow blooms, purple foliage, edge of main path, right of driveway)

Malus Red Jade (weeping tree, light pink buds, white blooms, red fruits)

PHOTO AND ILLUSTRATION ZSUZANNE ROWE Sleeker style is added by removing the shutters and lattices from the upper windows and simplifying the colonial-like frame around the door.

Deep brown remains an appropriate colour — but the sheen and tone has faded over time.