East Chateau Exterior

This client was tired of having the ugly duckling house of the neighborhood. The color was drab, Olive drab, and through a series of prior additions and modifications it completely lost any style or architectural definition. Making the front of the house more attractive was the goal.

Visitors had complained that it was a little hard to find the front door because there wasn’t a clear path to it when a car was parked in the driveway, the entire house needed constant upkeep because of the old all wood exterior and trim, and several failing elements were causing moisture to infiltrate the building’s envelope.

Before

The zoning ordinance restricted modifications to having to remain within the existing footprint and a budget of $72,000.00 created another parameter for what changes could be possible.
Because of limited backyard space, the owner’s wanted to be able to take advantage of the flat roof area over the two garages while at the same time creating more of a porch presence than the deck like appearance that it had.

The improvements had to consider the lowest possible ongoing maintenance. Because the whole exterior would have to be done in phases, material choices needed to be made that would make sense for the rest of the house in the future.

After

A stone walkway to the front entry was created with additional landscaping to compliment it. The new entry door and sidelights with a barrel vaulted ceiling above reside behind a gabled roof that is supported with square columns. The columns also provide added character and sit upon a new stoop helping to further define the entryway.

A box bay window with a standing seam copper roof was built, new planters and railings were constructed to create additional layers of detail, and recessed panel garage doors with windows break up the mass of the previous flatness of the front of the house. The soffits on all of the gables and overhangs were reframed for depth and continuity.

Factory prefinished fiber cement lap siding, aluminum clad windows and doors, PVC trim, and polymer accessories comprise the new exterior finishes. The colors chosen are classic, blue siding with white trim. The wood front door and copper light fixtures used throughout bring in a warm organic element. The remaining portions of the house that did not receive the new siding and trim were painted in the same color scheme.

The house now stands out and looks like it makes sense architecturally while meeting the client’s budget goal and their aesthetic objectives.

Project budget price range: $65,000-$75,000.00