A look from a different angle
Focusing on front entrance will help distract from home’s unusual roofline
Unusual is a weak word to express what came to mind after seeing this photo. This 1946 two- bedroom house in Verdun is part of postwar veterans’ development. At some point in time, an extension on the right side of the home was added, thus the unconventional roofline.
In 2015, the young owners, with two children under the age of two, purchased this property. Sadly, they immediately had to invest in replacing the French drains. The work left the lot looking desolate.
I imagined a horizontal top with a low straight roofline, similar to the existing porch overhang, but it would entail a major transformation, including rebuilding the walls and brick surfaces. For a more cost- efficient solution, I sketched the actual asymmetrical roof but replaced the entrance overhang so that the angles respect the building ’s roof pitches. It only emphasized the feature I was trying to minimize. My final conclusion was to work with the actual bones of the house and enhance another strong focal point for diversion — the entrance.
Since the roofing is soon due for replacement, I chose a mix of black and dark grey shingles that look awesome with the new black door and casing. For a more substantial porch, the fascia should look thicker by adopting a twotier profile. The overhang will rest on hefty square columns that are stockier on top and at the base. All railings will be made of simple, sturdy, square spindles. Between the two bases at the front, small wall sections will be built as high as the railings. A custom- made tin flower box should be inserted inside so that it is hidden but flush with the top. It should measure at least 10 inches high and its bottom should be lined with a good layer of gravel for drainage.
The bottom of the porch and stair risers should be enclosed and painted dark grey like the new fence. As for the floor and steps, they should present a medium grey free of blue nuance. In this colour, a central pathway made of pavers will be introduced. The sum of this path’s width and two Buxus beds should be equal to the length of the new, longer stairs. On the left, I depicted a second path to the driveway. If a third walkway is necessary
on the right, it should mirror the one on the opposite side.
On the left, a row of evergreens will permanently camouflage the foundation. In front, a mass planting of giant yellow- lime Hosta Sum and Substance will contrast with the green background. The raspberry- coloured Heuchera Berrie Smoothie will look stunning against
the verdant Boxwood hedges alongside the central path. In the bed at right, Hydrangea Annabelles, with clusters of white blooms, are placed in a line away from the basement window. The top grafted Hydrangea Pinky Winky will offer ornamental value with its white cones of flowers that gradually become pink and later reddish.
Fortunately, the older windows on the first level will soon match the new ones above. I wouldn’t add shutters, as they would only accentuate the fact that the windows are not aligned. The white vertical gutter pipes around the house and the small vent on the facade are distracting. Their tone should echo the most prominent brick colour on the wall in a matte finish.
A miracle was not performed here. The roof still commands attention at first but it now has a bit
of visual competition. Hopefully, the eye will tend to focus on the honest presence of the entrance and saturated pops of colour from the botany.
VEGETATION(FROM LEFT ):
Hydrangea arborescens Pinky Winky ( grafted on trunk, white cones turn pink to red, cut back branches to 15 cm from trunk in late fall, centre with brick wall strip, left bed)
Taxus Densiformis ( evergreens, buy more mature specimens, hedge, left foundation)
Hosta Sum and Substance ( perennials, white blooms, yellow-lime foliage, slug resistant, mass planting, front of left bed)
Lamium White Nancy ( perennial ground cover, white blooms, silvery foliage, no pruning, front of hostas)
Heuchera Berrie Smoothie
( perennials, pinkish blooms, pink foliage turns burgundy in fall, no pruning, paths and right bed borders)
Buxus Green Gem ( persistent shrubs, along main path)
Begonia Dragon Wing ( arching annuals, pink blooms, fertilize, flower box)
Hydrangea Annabelle ( shrubs, white blooms, cut back branches at 30 cm from ground in early spring, straight line from front of porch to end of bed)
Thuja Holmstrup or Smaragd ( pyramidal evergreen, slight trim to keep pyramidal shape if necessary, centre in brick wall strip, right bed near foundation)
Thuja hedge ( evergreens, against right chain- link fence)
Thick layer of black cedar mulch over all exposed soil. Dividers are required between lawn and beds.