Home Exterior DO's and DON'T's, part 2

I want to spend some time in this posting looking specifically at DETAILS. One of the problems, I think, with a lot of home construction is that builders and designers take an awful lot of liberty in interpretation of the details in a home. In a creative search, it seems more and more decoration is added to the exterior to add interest and excitement. I'll try and use less wording in this post and more pictures to illustrate my point, because a picture is worth 1000 words, right?

I'll start once again with examples of what not to do:

In the above example, the first thing you notice is the extreme contrast in the brick and stone colors, which over emphasizes these details. All the windows are framed in a orange-red brick and there is some brick "X"  cross bands at various levels across the house. A horizontal band can serve to accent the structure, or to visually separate overly tall element of the house. Here, it's splatter whimsically across the entire facade without any real reasoning behind it. Also, the "X" patterns itself has become an all too familiar detail in recent building trends.

Here is another strongly contrasting exterior in terms of material selection. You see a very typical soldier course of brick running down the "rake" (edge) of the gable parallel to the roof, which is a detail that has become commonplace to the point of absurdity. The main reason I chose this image, however, is the brick "trident" in the gable. The original inspiration for a design such as this goes back to medieval architecture, in which houses were constructed of very heavy, rough hewn timber; usually with masonry, plaster (or even mud) infill. Historically inspired homes are, of course, constructed of more modern building techniques, yet do their best to emulate the details so the house has the appearance of something even older (and thus more timeless). However, this full masonry detail is so far removed for the original detail in terms of material, proportions, color (and obviously function) that it becomes nothing more than irrelevant decoration.  

There is less to criticize here in this example. Certainly a more consistent tone in terms of color makes this one of the more subdued examples. On the positive side, there are some nice cast stone accents at the entry and at the window surrounds. There is a bit of stylistic mixing, but overall the design flows together in a mostly neutral way.

I chose this example specifically for the overuse of the diamond cast stone accent in the banding. As an accent piece in some of the upper gables, it works fine. However, as a band, it becomes overdone and repetitive. If a band was needed, a more simple cast stone element would have sufficed. 

A fairly dark colored rough stone veneer on this house (while not my personal favorite) is not so much the issue here, as it was to add the light colored contrasting stonework to the window and openings. Not only is this distracting in terms of its color, but the undulating lines at the edges also draw the eye  to this detail. It might have worked if it was an isolated condition, but here the same detail is given to every window and opening across the entire house. Some other overused and common details to note: the "X" banding at the top of the corner turret, and the solider course of brick running up the gable rake.

I'm contrasting the images above (taken from newer home developments in the Dallas Fort Worth area) with the images below of (mostly) older homes from historic districts. Here are examples of what to do:

This house also a fairly dark colored stone veneer exterior, and there is a mixing of brick and stone on some of the wall surfaces and the surrounds. Note however, how the colors actually compliment each other in this example instead of contrasting and competing for importance. Note the clean edge of the gable rake, and the very simple detailing at the gable top. The shutters here are actually functional as well as decorative elements, and the entry surround is well proportioned in the main gable, and has a real sculptural, 3 dimensional quality to it.

A house showing a correct use of the brick "X" pattern, also called "diaperwork". Because this is a fairly older (and worn) house, the diaperwork perhaps shows a bit more subtle in this image than when it was first built. Note that the cross pattern is not running at angles to the rest of the brick, and is VERY similar in it's coloring to the rest of the brick. It also covers most of the wall surface as opposed to being a horizontal "band". Some other details to note include the very nicely detailed chimneys, the subtle brick "lintel" over the windows, and the simple gable rake.

This house is actually a stucco exterior, which is a bit odd as it is showing a subtle diaperwork to the upper right. While it is a false interpretation in terms of materials, it IS correct in it's placement, form, proportions, scale and stylistic use. The house also works very well as it has a fairly harmonious color palette on the exterior and very simple massing. Note the decorative surrounds with scrolls at the entry and windows, which appear as cast or cut stone, but are in fact stucco accents.

An example of a house showing some very nice false half timber design on the 2nd floor. Note how the size of the wood members (painted gray in this image) vary, as well as the spacing to one another, and also how it projects slightly over the 1st floor with decorative brackets underneath. The masonry here is treated as infill, and is done in a herringbone pattern to help emphasis that fact. Finally, note how the wood and the brick are done mostly in the same plane, to each other.

This last example breaks a few rules of good design, but does it in such a way that the overall house still has a very pleasing feel to it. 

First, note the mix of several materials here (Stone, brick, wood, stucco, cast stone, even a metal roof on the side!), and how they do provide some dramatic contrast. However, they are all light and dark variations of  a similar neutral brown color. The materials are also ordered in a way that makes sense structurally (the visually heavier materials "supporting" the visually lighter materials). Note how close in tone the brick and the stucco are as well- they really don't even read as different materials!

We also see a similar undulating cast stone surround at some of the windows as a previous "what not to do" example above. Here, however, the detail is relegated to a single area, adding emphasis and interest to a specific feature, instead of being used everywhere. Also, because a large portion of the house is the light taupe color and matches the cast stone color closely, the eye isn't specifically drawn to the window detail only.

Finally, note the size, shape and design of the "half timber" elements- how their surface projects out from the surface below it, supported visually by brackets. Also (see enlarged image below) there is some very fine jointwork with dowels added to reinforce the illusion of the timbers being a structural element, as if they are actually mortised together. The egde of the gable in this case projects quite a bit forward, with a very large bargeboard, or fascia, along it's rake.

Anyway, I hope that helps provide some good examples and maybe a point for discussion. Please feel free to leave any comments or questions.

Home Exteriors- do's and don'ts, part I

In the first post, I gave some general rules of thumb about designing a home. In the next few posts, I will get more specific and provide some examples. 

Let's start by comparing the images below:

Here are some points to note about this design that, as a general rule of thumb, should be avoided:

• Unbalanced massing- note how the left side has a much greater height than the right side. This almost seems as if two completely unrelated structures were joined together, and places ALL of the emphasis on the front and almost ignores the back. A 1 story turret is added to the far right to help bring some balance back, but the roofline is so dramatic, it does not adequately compensate.
• Decoration purely for embellishment- Decorative elements in and of themselves are not bad, if they are used within certain guidelines. However, if a design needs decoration to keep from being too plain, then the design is probably lacking architecturally to begin with (I'll talk about this more in a future blog) . Note specifically here the brick arches over some of the windows, the brick herringbone band at the entry turret.
• Brick and stone at the entry- Stone and brick mixtures have become an key identifying feature to most of todays homes. For that reason alone, I try and avoid it. Historically, rough stone was a less desirable material. Today, it's more expensive than brick and seen as an "upgrade", but more than likely, it's done just because everyone else is doing it. Strong contrasting colors, such as those used here, force the eye to separate parts of the house visually. This can be used for emphasis on the right parts (such as focusing on the entryway), but here it seems more random, simply to add interest.
• Poorly proportioned, inexpensive windows- The windows here, particularly the grouping of 3 at the center of the picture, are far too narrow, both for the side of wall they are in, as well as in relation to how tall they are. Secondly, many builders opt to go with less expensive vinyl windows instead of the upgraded wood or clad wood windows, regardless of the price of the house. Most people don't know any better because they are so widespread.

Let's now compare the house above with the one below. I specifically chose a turreted entry on a corner lot for comparison's sake. Obviously, there is a much better use of landscaping here, but let's not let that obscure the architectural differences. 



In contrast to the list above, here are some things that were done better in this design (and could have been applied to the previous design as well):

• More balanced massing- Note the roof line in this example as compared to the earlier one. There is a high and a low plate, but the two integrate in such as way as to be a single design as opposed to pieces thrown together.         
• Simple detailing- This design does not rely on fancy masonry patterns to capture the eye and bring attention to it. A simple band helps delineates the 1st and 2nd stories, there is some decorative metal work on the upper windows. The windows have simple, yet elegant cast stone surrounds which blend in well with the overall material of the house.           
• Uniform materials- While that majority of this design is rough stone (not an inexpensive option for the entire house) I want you to see that the house does not rely on sharp color contrasts or a mixing of materials to capture the eye. It's more subtle, elegant, and will probably be more timeless. Ever drive through a neighborhood and immediately know it was built in the mid 1980's? Why is that? Mostly because almost everyone used the same materials, forms and massing. More than likely, it will be just as easy to place the time period of the first design, probably in the not too distant future.               
• Better proportioned clad windows- Specifically looking at the windows to the left of the entry, we can see that they provide a good ratio of glass to the wall (a bit tight without looking forced maybe) and they have a good height to width proportion. Also, note the size of the window frame in relation to the previous design. Again, a subtle detail, but these windows visually appear more substantial and become an asset to the overall design.

I'll give some further examples in upcoming blogs. Please feel free to voice your thoughts below. I welcome your opinions, whether you agree or disagree with my assessments.

Also, I believe that credit for the second design illustrated here in this blog should be given to C. A. Nelson Architects (although I have not confirmed this as of yet.) Their website can be found at:

C. A Nelson Architects. This house, I believe, is the 5th one in the "French" section of their portfolio.

If you would like to see view of my work, please take a look at my company website at:

Heritage Design Studio.

The purpose of 'The Home Design Guide'

Welcome to one of my Blogs.

My intention with this blog was to be a compliment to the work I do in new home design, and to be a resource to those interested in hearing a perspective from a professional in the industry. Whether you're a builder, or someone considering having a new home built, I hope to lay some groundwork here that will challenge the way homes are designed currently and lead to general improvements in the housing industry.

For some clarification, when I talk of "home design" in the context of this blog, I am speaking of the laying out and designing of a new home (although some of these principles will also undoubtedly apply to remodel work as well) as opposed to interior decorating or designing (the selection of colors, materials or furniture) of the interior of an existing home.

Right now, we are seeing a large "correction" in the housing market in the majority of the United States. Housing prices, in some markets, are varying greatly in their valuation. This may be a cause for good deals to those looking to buy, or a source of great anxiety to those looking to sell. For the builder, it's a time to look at where the housing industry is going as a whole and try and figure out how to survive, if not thrive, in these times.

I believe that the opportunity lies in situations such as these to take a hard look at the product that is being produced and to find ways of improving it's functionality, it's value, and it's aesthetics. This is a time that those willing to reinvent themselves, to improve their product, will be able to differentiate themselves and attract the business of discerning buyers.

So, what are the main issues with homes of today? What can be improved, and what can we learn from the past? Where is the industry headed, and what is "the next big thing"?

I think there are several things to consider when designing any home today.

1. Size matters: Many of the homes built today are excessively large, with many rooms whose function does not really make much sense, or are used only on rare occasions. Consider dual or even multi-purpose rooms instead of dedicated room. For example, one builder we work with has begun combining the Game room with the Media room, allowing them to keep the functionality of both room while reducing overall square footage of the design.
2. We can learn a lot from the past. Many stylistic trends of today use romantic terms such as "Old World" , "Country French" or "Mediterranean". In reality, these designs are using an eclectic mix of many different styles in a single composition. Eclecticism can be a good thing when done by someone who has a particular intent in mind, and understands the pieces and the language of what it is they are mixing together. However, all to often someone is simply adding a "bit of this and a dash of that" because they liked it somewhere else, and are not really stopping to think about whether it fits with the design of the home or not. Homes designed in the late 1800's and the early 1900's were, for a large part, designed by people who took the time to learn the language of the different architectural styles and trends, and knew how to assemble those pieces into a pleasing and balanced composition. By studying (and hopefully successfully emulating) these styles, a home begins to take on a timeless quality that transcends the housing trends, and won't quickly go out of style.
3. Form follows function. This is an old saying, but it bears repeating. A home cannot simply be an artistic expression without providing it's specific and proper function first. A home must work on a practical level to the function of  it's owners. To bring balance to this concept, however, I would add that a house does not become a work of art without the form being carefully considered. You need both parts of the design to be in harmony with each other. Thus:
4. The floor plan is only one part of a well designed home. Many of the designs that are being generated today are made by starting with the floor plan and molding the envelope & the exterior of the house to fit a particular layout. By focusing strictly on the plan and ignoring the exterior while rooms are being laid out, one looses the opportunity to shift rooms around to achieve a balanced design on the exterior. The best designs start with a good impression of what the shape of the house will be when it's finished BEFORE a floor plan begins.
   

These are just some concepts that I hope to elaborate on in this blog. In the coming weeks and months, I intend to outline my thoughts and ideas to help guide, in some small way, the industry towards a better product. I look forward to your input as I collect these thoughts as I strive to assemble a work of value here.

Thanks for reading!