This little yellow house used to be one-dimensional, flat and generic. Barak Steenlage, co-owner and project director, says, “The prominent forward gable paired with the classic entry portico certainly defines the look. But the charm would fade without the shake siding, trim details, bold door and picket fence.” Working with a very plain base, Anchor Builders and LNA Designs made changes that turned this home warm and inviting.
Spruce It Up
From the picket fence to the edges of the gables, the crisp white paint used on the trim makes this home look polished. “Nothing beats white shapes for creating shadows,” Barak says. These shadows further define the structure and highlight particular features.
Define an Element
In this case, Barak and his team used a bright pink color on the door. “You want to emphasize the middle, not the edges,” he says. You can also employ this technique by trying a different siding to accent a particular feature. For this project, he installed accent siding just on the gable.
Also, the windows on this home appeared too small, not adding much natural light to the interior of the home. After the remodel, Anchor Builders and LNA Designs enlarged these windows, adding several vertical panes.
Proportional Landscaping
This already pint-sized home looked even smaller with the overgrown branches covering up most of the home. Removing these branches opened up the foreground and allowed the landscapers to introduce vertical color through window boxes. Easily found at your local gardening store, this inexpensive addition can add appeal as well as dimension to your home.
If your home is on the smaller side, Barak has a few suggestions:
- “We kept landscape plantings low or spaced to expose the full elevation,” he says. Don’t cover up the space below the windows of your first floor. A long line from the yard to the roof helps your home appear larger.
- Barak also says, “Keep the forward roofline unbroken, so the eye goes from the entry portico to the gabled dormer above.” Simplicity of design on the front of your home improves the impact of added height.
