Ideabook 911: My Exterior Needs Some Punch!
Our thanks to the brave Rachel, who posted her wonderful house and her design quandary in the Buzz this week:
What on earth should i do with the exterior of my new home?? we've been so busy working on the interior that we've failed to notice how blah & forgettable the exterior is. white brick, green roof, green porch, no shutters.... it needs a punch! any suggestions??
Hi Rachel! Thanks for posting to Ideabook 911! First of all, I LOVE your house! I've always admired this style and era. I believe this is an American Four Square, which bridges the gap between Victorian and Arts and Crafts architecture. Basically, from what I read, you want a grander sense of entrance and to stand out. I also see you like "cottage eclectic... rusty junk & unlikely uses for old stuff!", so I'll make recommendations based upon that style. Also, be sure to check local regulations and potential historic preservation codes before making any changes.
Let's start out at the sidewalk and work our way right up to your front door.:
1) My first recommendation is to hit an architectural salvage yard - it seems like that would be right up your alley, and I'm thinking that you can find some fabulous railings for the stairs, and perhaps even all the way around the porch. There are endless patterns of wrought-iron available out there, I've included some examples in the images below. As an alternative, you may want to demarcate the edge of your front yard with a picket fence or with a row of hedges.
2)Make your walkway welcoming! I'll include some images below of slate walks and brick walks.
3) You look like you have the start for a wonderful cottage garden. If you are into gardening, go for it. I'd probably make two boxwood square borders on either side of the walk and just go crazy with herbs and flowers for cutting in the middle. If you'd like a lawn, perhaps keep shrubs limited to Oak Leaf Hydrangeas along your porch. Plant them at least four feet away from your porch. I know the temptation is to do foundation plantings right up against the house, but doing so really is bad news for your house.
4) Because you like rusty and junky and unlikely uses for stuff, think about yard art. Hit local festivals and artist markets to scout out found-object sculptures. Or become a found object sculptor yourself - it sounds like you would be great at it ;) !
5) Clean up and paint your steps. Replace those existing railings with wrought iron.
6) Add planters on the porch. For your house I'm thinking either two large black urns flanking the porch right at the top of the stairs, or long rectangular planters along the front (if you leave it without railings). You could even just do a long line of matching terra-cotta pots along the entire length of the porch - cute and cottage-y but also uniform! Also, you can add hanging plants.
7) If you are not so into adding color via paint, you can add some color with some bright porch furniture. As Sophie said, you have the PERFECT porch for a porch swing. Think about whether or not you want to watch the world go by or if you'd like to be across from guests you'll be talking to and hang accordingly. The most space-saving way to hang it would be perpendicular to the house on the left side of the porch.
8) One smaller detail that can be a lot of fun is your mailbox. There is such a variety of fun mailboxes out there right now you should definitely take advantage of the selection! Similarly, you may want to add your house numbers a part of the design - they can be painted on the door, they can be written out in script across the front porch trim, you can find nickle-plated Neutra font numbers, whatever strikes your fancy is out there on the interwebs!
9) Switch up your outdoor lighting. This can be matching sconces flanking the front door, or even some sort of pendant light. One of my neighbors has a Moravian Star light hanging in his front porch area and it always makes me smile. Make sure and think about what kind of light you may need out there if you want to hang out on the porch after dark.
10) This is a funky detail, but porch ceilings from that era were painted a sky blue - it helped keep insects away. It's a charming conversation-starter and really keeps with the history of the house.
11) Traditionally, shutters were not added to this style of house. I would punch up the window trim instead. If this were my house, I would do the outer window trim in a medium gray, and the inner window trim in black. Then I'd keep my planters, steps and some other small details black and I'd paint the front door a nice daffodil yellow. But it's not my house! You can really get some punch with any color trim (just make sure there aren't any historic district regulations before buying that paint!). If you want to stand out, paint that front door purple or lime green or turquoise - go for whatever color you love! If you get sick of it or hate it, re-painting a door is an easy fix.
12. You may find spots on your porch need a little microclimate adjustment. If it's too hot or sunny in those steamy St. Louis summers, add a lattice wall for privacy and shade, and start training some Sweet Pea or Clematis vines up that wall and/or up your columns. If you spend time out there in the summer, you might even want a ceiling fan.
Good luck, and keep us posted on what you come up with!
P.S. I love the tree - is it a Crepe Myrtle? I can't quite tell from the picture. It would open things up to get rid of it, but it will give you privacy and shade in the summer.
Here are a few other ideabooks I think you'll enjoy:
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/8425/list/Houzz-interview--between-naps-on-the-porch
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/4653/list/Choosing-and-Placing-Sculptures-in-the-Garden
What on earth should i do with the exterior of my new home?? we've been so busy working on the interior that we've failed to notice how blah & forgettable the exterior is. white brick, green roof, green porch, no shutters.... it needs a punch! any suggestions??
Hi Rachel! Thanks for posting to Ideabook 911! First of all, I LOVE your house! I've always admired this style and era. I believe this is an American Four Square, which bridges the gap between Victorian and Arts and Crafts architecture. Basically, from what I read, you want a grander sense of entrance and to stand out. I also see you like "cottage eclectic... rusty junk & unlikely uses for old stuff!", so I'll make recommendations based upon that style. Also, be sure to check local regulations and potential historic preservation codes before making any changes.
Let's start out at the sidewalk and work our way right up to your front door.:
1) My first recommendation is to hit an architectural salvage yard - it seems like that would be right up your alley, and I'm thinking that you can find some fabulous railings for the stairs, and perhaps even all the way around the porch. There are endless patterns of wrought-iron available out there, I've included some examples in the images below. As an alternative, you may want to demarcate the edge of your front yard with a picket fence or with a row of hedges.
2)Make your walkway welcoming! I'll include some images below of slate walks and brick walks.
3) You look like you have the start for a wonderful cottage garden. If you are into gardening, go for it. I'd probably make two boxwood square borders on either side of the walk and just go crazy with herbs and flowers for cutting in the middle. If you'd like a lawn, perhaps keep shrubs limited to Oak Leaf Hydrangeas along your porch. Plant them at least four feet away from your porch. I know the temptation is to do foundation plantings right up against the house, but doing so really is bad news for your house.
4) Because you like rusty and junky and unlikely uses for stuff, think about yard art. Hit local festivals and artist markets to scout out found-object sculptures. Or become a found object sculptor yourself - it sounds like you would be great at it ;) !
5) Clean up and paint your steps. Replace those existing railings with wrought iron.
6) Add planters on the porch. For your house I'm thinking either two large black urns flanking the porch right at the top of the stairs, or long rectangular planters along the front (if you leave it without railings). You could even just do a long line of matching terra-cotta pots along the entire length of the porch - cute and cottage-y but also uniform! Also, you can add hanging plants.
7) If you are not so into adding color via paint, you can add some color with some bright porch furniture. As Sophie said, you have the PERFECT porch for a porch swing. Think about whether or not you want to watch the world go by or if you'd like to be across from guests you'll be talking to and hang accordingly. The most space-saving way to hang it would be perpendicular to the house on the left side of the porch.
8) One smaller detail that can be a lot of fun is your mailbox. There is such a variety of fun mailboxes out there right now you should definitely take advantage of the selection! Similarly, you may want to add your house numbers a part of the design - they can be painted on the door, they can be written out in script across the front porch trim, you can find nickle-plated Neutra font numbers, whatever strikes your fancy is out there on the interwebs!
9) Switch up your outdoor lighting. This can be matching sconces flanking the front door, or even some sort of pendant light. One of my neighbors has a Moravian Star light hanging in his front porch area and it always makes me smile. Make sure and think about what kind of light you may need out there if you want to hang out on the porch after dark.
10) This is a funky detail, but porch ceilings from that era were painted a sky blue - it helped keep insects away. It's a charming conversation-starter and really keeps with the history of the house.
11) Traditionally, shutters were not added to this style of house. I would punch up the window trim instead. If this were my house, I would do the outer window trim in a medium gray, and the inner window trim in black. Then I'd keep my planters, steps and some other small details black and I'd paint the front door a nice daffodil yellow. But it's not my house! You can really get some punch with any color trim (just make sure there aren't any historic district regulations before buying that paint!). If you want to stand out, paint that front door purple or lime green or turquoise - go for whatever color you love! If you get sick of it or hate it, re-painting a door is an easy fix.
12. You may find spots on your porch need a little microclimate adjustment. If it's too hot or sunny in those steamy St. Louis summers, add a lattice wall for privacy and shade, and start training some Sweet Pea or Clematis vines up that wall and/or up your columns. If you spend time out there in the summer, you might even want a ceiling fan.
Good luck, and keep us posted on what you come up with!
P.S. I love the tree - is it a Crepe Myrtle? I can't quite tell from the picture. It would open things up to get rid of it, but it will give you privacy and shade in the summer.
Here are a few other ideabooks I think you'll enjoy:
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/8425/list/Houzz-interview--between-naps-on-the-porch
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/4653/list/Choosing-and-Placing-Sculptures-in-the-Garden
I love this color combination - it's unusual but far from outrageous. Also, check out those vines on the trellis. You can train vines like Sweet Pea or Clematis to wind right up some of your porch columns. You could also add a trellis wall to one side of the porch if you need privacy or shade and train plants to climb it.
Rachel's Classic American Four Square
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