Dear danica,
What can I do to add architectural details to my split foyer? It lacks personality and has small windows and a flat roofline.
– Nicky
I will be the first to admit that envisioning elevation changes is not my strong suit. But I do know a couple designers that have done incredible things with split level homes! Brick & Batten is one of them and they have a whole blog post featuring split level homes that they’ve virtually re-designed. Highly recommend reading that for inspiration.
Traditional split level homes can lack architectural charm with a fairly flat elevation, and they can also appear top heavy with the overhang. So the main goal becomes:
-
Balance out the visual weight
-
Add some dimension
The great thing about your home is that you have multiple siding materials and multiple levels to the elevation. The stair step roofline adds interest and the 2 siding materials add texture.
Brick & Batten are masters at adding architectural charm and dimension to split level homes and they tend to do so by adding a porch roof. This is such an unexpected element with split levels. Take this home for example:
Notice the stair step roofline, the attached garage on the right, and the incredible similarity to your home?!
The main changes Brick & Batten made were adding a porch roof, swapping the vinyl siding for board and batten siding, and repainting the shutters. Of course, 2 of these 3 changes are not inexpensive updates, but if you plan on being in this home for a while, these three changes would make the biggest impact.
There’s also an option to repaint the brick and siding to match. Take the home below for example. If you happen to not like the color of your brick, this would be a good option for simplifying the two tone elevation without removing the textural differences that add charm to your home.
As for balancing the visual weight of the home, landscaping is key! More bushes and flowering shrubs under the overhang, a row of plants along the walkway, and a few more under the tree. In fact, if you only decide to do one thing, I’d focus on landscaping. That would add so much curb appeal and charm to the home!
Leave a Reply
DO YOU WANT
The Inside Scoop
Where behind the scenes, exclusive advice, and candid conversations are sent straight to your inbox every week.
I think it would look fantastic a uniform paint color. The example from Grace Start is brilliant.
I really love the front porch idea. That would certainly make an architectural statement with that roof line. Hope they’re able to do that.
If adding to the roof isn’t in the budget, extending the brick landing out to make a patio without the roof would look nice too.
If affordable, I’d replace the concrete walkway with a wide brick walkway that goes straight out 10 feet or so from the bottom step, then turn it in an L or some other interesting shape keeping that same wide width over to the driveway. Adding a step or two down to the driveway if necessary. If that much brick is too expensive or you aren’t that fond of brick, you can pour a larger concrete path with a row of brick along each side that coordinates with the stairs. Plants around the walkway and across the front of the house would make the yard pretty and tie everything together.