Exterior Do’s & Don’ts Part 2
Do Concern Yourself With Window and Door Placement. While many of us spend time pouring over drawings of our floor plans, picturing where walls will be, how furniture will fit, the layout of the perfect work triangle for the kitchen; this thought process does not necessarily include how these things will affect the outside aesthetics of our home. Have you ever noticed a house with no windows on one entire side? Or a too small window that seems to “hang” in a vast sea of wall space? If so, then you’ve witnessed excellent examples of an interior of a home dictating the aesthetics of the exterior (this was an area my husband and I spent substantial time considering in the planning/drawings phase and it paid off immensely).
There may be circumstances under which a long windowless wall expanse or window/door placement has to occur in such a way as to make the exterior look off balance. The planning phase is the time to “fix” these situations by including an exterior alteration such as a trellised garden area, a stone walled terrace, an outdoor shower, or some other creative device that rounds out an awkward space and turns it into one of the “most loved” areas of your house.
This spec house’s gable end was not well thought out
Don’t Rush Into Color Choices. Contrary to what some might think, the entire color spectrum should NOT be up for consideration when painting a house. The exterior color of a home speaks not only of the home itself but also of the people who occupy it. It is yet another way for the homeowner to put his/her personal stamp on a house. That being said, there has never been a pink and purple house (outside the Caribbean, and then its still questionable) that has looked anything other than embarrassed. And consider the neighbors: they are never happy when the full glare of your aquamarine hue bounces off the pool and into their bedroom window!
Be thoughtful and respectful when considering exterior colors. There’s one designer who suggests you pick up a handful of soil from your yard and chose a color from its spectrum. It’s a thought, but there are less earthy yet totally viable options. Consider the style of your structure; i.e. Greek Revivals always look great painted white. The architecture of the surrounding area and magazine photos can also be helpful when choosing exterior color(s). You can be individualistic in your choice without returning to the “Psychedelic 60s”. It was not a tasteful decade; better we allow it to live large in our memory as opposed to on the exterior of our home.
These fun color choices are best left in the Keys!
Good advice. You need to spend a good amount of time deciding what the exterior color of your house will be, as it speaks so loudly about the type of people who occupy the house.