Tuesday, May 22, 2012

What Style Is It?

We're scheduled to buy our next project the end of this week.  It's a foreclosure that has some unique challenges.  We can't wait to get inside to start working, but at this point all we can do is make plans for some big changes.  One of the first things we want to do is improve the curb appeal!  It's on a great street and this diamond in the rough needs some updating.




Will a porch help the curb appeal?

We can't figure out is what the architectural style should be.  The house was built in the 1930's.  And it looks like it started life as an elongated saltbox........but got a shed dormer addition at some point in time.  So what should we do?  Give it an Arts & Crafts look?  Go with a Maine Cottage look?

We're thinking about a small front porch, a new front door and more windows.







We'd love to hear your ideas.  And we'll have lots of 'before' pictures once we can get inside!






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13 comments:

  1. Yeah, I agree, it looks like a morphed saltbox. Your idea of more windows and a front porch are great ideas. Is that an enclosed front porch? I love the Arts & Crafts style but I think a tip-of-the-hat to the saltbox heritage that the Maine Cottage might work better… D.G.

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  2. So excited to see what you will do to this one! I say add the porch for sure and go Maine Cottage Style...I can picture it already!

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  3. I agree, those all sound like great ideas. The other thing I question is the shutters - the two windows on the second floor that are too close together to have shutters between them look weird to my eye. Can't wait to see the inside!

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  4. I love A&C style too, but I think the dimensions are off for that style. Is there any way to get more overhand on the roof, to add more dimension to the front and take away from that flat-front feel? And whatever you can do to make that crazy dormer situation look more intentional and less overwhelming! definitely more windows! Can't wait to see what happens.

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  5. I'm beyond jealous of your project! My hubby and I love to rescue the "oldies" as I call them too!! We recent finished our biggest project ever, a full restoration of a 1916 bungalow:) Keep up the fabulous work!! Can't WAIT to see how this one turns out!!

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    1. A 1916 bungalow - wow, we've always wanted to renovate a bungalow. They're such a great all American style!

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  6. Thanks so much for all the ideas. It's going to be a challenge to come up with a cost effective approach to improve the curb appeal. Your suggestions have been great and really helped confirm some things we were already thinking through!

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    1. I live just across the street, the white siding w/green duplex, and I am looking forward to seeing how this house can be saved. It has had a very hard life since its original owners sold it and lived in by many people who never gave it any love or care. Our neighborhood mother fox lived for a while under the garage. Good luck to you. Maybe some day my children can come to you for a total rehab of my old house when I pass on.

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    2. Thanks so much for the encouragement. It's such a great street, we hope the house will soon look as nice as the others!!

      Hope to meet you soon!

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  7. I am so happy to have found your blog! We just did renovations to our exterior and added some craftsman details, here is a link just for fun...
    http://sixtyfifthavenue.blogspot.com/2011/11/craftsman-style-cottage.html

    I'm off to see the interior of your new project, how exciting to be able to see how it all turns out. You guys did an amazing job on your last house.

    Londen

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    1. Londen - Your timing is perfect!!! We just started on our new porch overhang and I've been agonizing over the brackets to use. Your place is fantastic! And you got the proportions just right! Thanks so much for the inspiration, maybe now I can get up the nerve to order mine :-)

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  8. love the front porch idea! for upstairs, what about vertical window closer to the corner - to make it look more like a sleeping porch?

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  9. Thanks Jean. We just started the front porch last week and it's already making a big difference (check out my latest blog post). I played with multiple ideas for windows on that big shed dormer, but unfortunately, it's not all that tall and we need the wall space in the room for furniture. So ultimately we decided to go with an awning window. It got delivered yesterday, so hopefully we'll see it in place soon! I'd love to hear if you like it.

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