Modest changes can bring contentment,
Dark shutters, door and window box add depth
This 60-year-old house has been home to one family since 2012. The property is actually owned by the Salvation Army. One of the residents is head of the organization in Quebec, and the house is provided as part of his compensation. The job with the organization has meant the family has lived in many major cities in Canada. As a result, the family appreciates the unique architecture and character of Montreal homes.
Seeing that the Salvation Army is a non-profit organization, its funds are limited, and non-essential modifications are discouraged. Without spending too much money, the tenants feel that it is possible to enhance the appearance of the property with some minor changes on the building and a simple but esthetically pleasing landscape. They also realize that the cracked walkway and the crumbling stairs had to be replaced, at least fixed, painted or re-parged. The basic layout and scale of the path would remain in my drawing, but an additional side way merging to the driveway would provide a clean access for the dwellers to their parked cars.
The blossoming colour scheme will be composed of white Clematis Carnaby climbers planted on each extremities of the facade along with vivid red annuals overflowing from all flower vessels and golden clusters adorning the weeping Caragana ornamental tree. This yellow tint is evocative of the persistent foliage of vertically challenged perennials belting the T-shaped warm grey walkway as well as the Japanese grasses inside the porch bed. Bold and bright lime Hostas Sum & Substance, which, incidentally repels slugs, will offer long stems packed with snowy blooms.
The residents had the good sense to remove an aluminum storm door that greatly diminished the charm of the home. This operation revealed a singular portal that they painted black. In this inky tone, a custom-made flower box would measure the entire length of the window casing. For the walls, I would have chosen a matte light warm grey, but since the semi-detached home shares the aluminum siding surface, I opted to keep the white colour to avoid a seam between the two butted buildings. Including the siding and windows, all white elements need to be refreshed with a few coats of white exterior acrylic paint in a matte finish.
I liked the sconces that they chose but felt that they looked to shy for the size of the building. Over-scale wall pendant fixtures in black or gold, like the door hardware, would provide a stronger personality to the entrance. The overhang facing appeared unfinished. A flat but wide trim secured around the edges will give the structure more presence. The wrought-iron railing needs to be sanded down and recoated in an ebony hue. For visual interest, I propose to install warm grey shutters. These would reflect a darker shade than the brickwork. The foundation colour is too light, and on the right side of the porch, a patch of cement also looks predominant. It could be painted in a matte dirty grey identical to the stone wall.
For a more finished result, the driveway edges as well as all bed borders have to be divided with the same material as the path.
Alongside the garage door, black metal obelisks will be inserted inside two cubic wooden vessels to accommodate climbing ivy plants. A small pagoda would be created over the yard gate on which the head of a lovely Clematis Carnaby will ascend towards the sun. On the left, its twin would hug a strong oblong black trellis. This introduction will serve to conceal part of the vertical gutter pipes.
These feasible and modest changes will unquestionably shift the trite expression of the home into a happy place for the occupants to hang their hats for a long time. Vegetation, from left:
Clematis Carnaby (two climbers, white blooms with purplish pink vein, head in the sun but shaded roots, black custom-made trellis, yard fence pergola)
Ribes alpinum (shrubs, yellow blooms, dark green foliage turns orangey yellow in fall, red fruits, birds, tolerates well pruning, rich well drained soil, left property line and foundation)
Begonia semperflorens (annuals, red blooms, rich soil, all flower vessels and bed near street)
Begonia Dragon Wing (cascading annuals, red blooms, all flower vessels)
Hedera helix (cascading greenery, variegated or green, hanging pots, can be brought indoors in late fall and reused outside in spring)
Hosta Sum & Substance (perennials, white blooms, yellow green foliage, slug resistant, planted in a row in front of Ribes near foundation and near yard fence)
Taxus media Brownii (6 evergreens, planted in a row, both sides of porch)
Heucherella Stoplight (low persistent perennials, white blooms, yellow lime foliage, dark red vein, paths contour)
Caragana arborescens Pendula (grafted on trunk, small ornamental tree, yellow blooms, bed near street)
Hakonechloa macra Aureola (ornamental grasses, yellow ribbons with green stripes, mass planting, rectangular bed near porch)