SHUTTERS MAKE A STATEMENT
Merlot and burgundy add punch
All exterior components of the old windows … would look refreshed by being covered with a few coats of white exterior acrylic paint in a matte finish.
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.
This bungalow in Pincourt attracted the owners with its simplicity, clean lines and potential.
Since the construction of the house in 1961, the bricks have turned a weak dingy beige-grey, which is not in harmony with the neutral medium-grey roof. I suggest coating the bricks and mortar in the lightest colour found in the roof.
This can be done using a specialized paint for these materials. This colour should be matte in finish and free of any lilac, green or blue undertones. For camouflage, the chimneys and pipes sticking out of the roof should also echo the roof shingle’s hue in a matte finish.
The owners removed the shutters, which to me, left the house looking plain. For visual interest, I would add new Shaker-style shutters that are the same height as the windows. They should be slightly deeper grey than the bricks, similar to the darkest hue found in the roof, and show a soft-sheen finish. In this grey, a custom-made flower box will measure the entire length of the window, and should be at least nine inches high.
For a more finished look, the carport should present doors. As shown here on my sketch, these two doors with hinges and handles should respect the Shaker profile, colour and finish of the shutters. The fence and trellis, in an opaque stain, will also have the same colour and finish characteristics.
To be more discreet, the vertical gutter conduit and spout on the right could be re-installed on the side corner instead of the front.
I drew new windows to include future improvements. In the meantime, all exterior components of the old windows — the fascias and eaves — would look refreshed by being covered with a few coats of white exterior acrylic paint in a matte finish.
A new grey walkway, parallel to the house, will be created a bit farther away from the facade. At an angle, a second way will naturally help form a large triangular bed centred by a new black lamppost. The lamppost head and wall sconce should be identical. Near the corners of this three-sided bed is an area that can showcase tall ornamental grasses with fine silver green foliage in summer and soft plumes in fall that sway with the softest breeze. These ever moving plants will share their space with three inert boulders of different sizes.
In the photo, the left bed near the foundation is awkwardly contoured with flagstones placed in an upward fashion that look like tombstones. Instead, I propose a more esthetic divider made of pavers or long concrete borders to prevent the lawn from invading all planting zones.
The merlot colour of the new Craftsman-style front door inspired my choice of burgundy shrubs on the left and purplish perennials near the driveway. Hints of yellow, white and green are a good combination for contrast with the blushing vegetation.
In the new beds, a generous layer of old earth should be replaced by good garden soil for plants to thrive in and offer their greatest performance. In the huge planters and flower box, the soil must be mixed with Perlite beads to retain moisture on this hottest side of the lot.
The neighbours put a lot of effort into making their garden beautiful. Now, the owners will also take pride in their own lowmaintenance and colourful contemporary landscaping.
VEGETATION (FROM LEFT)
Cornus alba (shrub, white and green foliage, red branches, left exterior corner of house)
Berberis Rose Glow (shrubs, yellow blooms, burgundy foliage with pink tips, row along left foundation)
Lamium Aureum (persistent perennial ground cover, pink blooms, citrus yellow foliage, no trimming necessary, beds near house and fence)
Coreopsis Moonbeam (perennials, ethereal green foliage, citrus
yellow blooms, exterior edge of path)
Calibrachoa Superbells (cascading annuals, white blooms, edge of planters and front of flower box)
Begonia semperflorens (annuals, white blooms, green foliage, three near centre of planters and several at the back of the flower box)
Buxus Green Velvet (persistent shrubs, row along right foundation)
Miscanthus Sarabande (3 perennial ornamental grasses, fine silver green foliage, cut back in early spring, mix soil with sand, triangular bed)
Nerium oleander (annuals, scented pink blooms, centre in planters near garage, temporarily transplant in a sunny spot indoors for winter)
Dipladenia sanderi (climbing annual, white blooms with a gold heart, trellis)
Hemerocallis Purple d’Oro (perennials, purplish blooms, row near driveway and backyard path)
Thick layer of black cedar mulch over all exposed soil.