Four over One Design

Befores & Afters are the best, right? Here’s one that has been finished for a bit, but I just got a decent photo.

This 1960s Colonial Revival sits in a sought-after neighborhood in Chapel Hill.  The homeowner loved the site and the way the interior worked, but thought the outside was drab.  She came to me with plans to replace the already-replaced windows, remove the aluminum and put up hardiplank siding, and… do something to bring it up to date. But what?

Original aluminum siding, replacement windows, not a lot to work with.

A few little architectural details were all it needed.

Turns out it didn’t take much: we added corner boards, a skirt board, wider door and window surrounds, and some color – just enough to give some definition between the siding and the trim – while keeping the palette very traditional.   Away went the shutters, the brick retaining wall for the front walk, and the oddly proportioned windows. We picked out two accent colors: a bright, yellowy green and a deep, almost black purple for her to use as she decorates the front porch and fills out the planters.

It’s rare that 4/1 takes on a project that can just be filed under ‘curb appeal,’ but sometimes that’s all it takes to make the house perfect for the family inside.