Garrison Colonial

So, we met with an architect yesterday to discuss the house.  One of my biggest concerns was the front facade of the house.  While I was looking for a way to "fix" the front of a house in a way that was more appealing to me, the architect was trying to help me appreciate the style for what it is.  After meeting with him, I'm making a genuine effort to appreciate it.  Afterall, I love older homes and would love to maintain the historic character of the house.  The problem is, the home doesn't feel like it "has character" to me.  We were discussing how home styles can have different connotations.  My favorite home in Manhattan, a beautiful white two story with Craftsman features, connotes a warm, welcoming abundance.  It says "Come on in, we have enough to share."  The house we are buying doesn't say that.  I'm not sure what it says, other than "I'm a dumpy, schlumpy kind of Colonial" or "Paint me!"  Part of the problem, as we discussed it, is my lack of familiarity with the architectural style of the home. 

Apparently, the home is a Garrison Colonial.  The central difference between this type and that of a more "traditional" Colonial home is the cantilevered front facade.  The style has been around for a long time (Paul Revere's home, in Boston's North End, is an example.)  Apparently, this style got quite popular in the 1930s continuing in popularity a bit during the boom of the suburbs in the United States.  This may be my problem, as I associate this particular facade with suburban homes.  In fact, the only homes with cantilevered front facades that I'd ever seen, prior to this home, were suburban split level homes.  Because the suburban split level is entirely antitethical to what I want my home to connote, I feel put off by this style.  Suburban split level homes say to me "I'm just a place to park your family." or "I was built during an era in which beauty and character were not priorities in home construction."

So, if we are to maintain this home as a Garrison Colonial (as both the architect and the husband wish to do) the challenge is to find a way to change the connotation of the home.  Part of that is my own process of finding a new association for this style.  But, it's also a challenge for the architect to find a way to design the addition and make minor cosmetic changes to help improve the look of the facade.  I want the home to look beautiful, well-designed, abundant, and welcoming.  Part of this will be helped by creating a path from the front door to the street (handicap accessible) and improving the landscaping.  I liked what the architect said, about putting a lot of windows in the addition, helping it shine like a lantern at night.  Who knows, if the proposed design is good enough, maybe he can convince me to keep the finials (which, I now know are classic features of Garrison Colonials.  But, I still find them a bit annoying.  I'm not much for decorative doodads that serve no functional purpose.)

Here's an old advertisement that Mike found for Garrison Colonial house plans.  The great part is that you could order the plans, which came with a cardboard model, for just $1.00!

Rethinking the Front Facade

This is what the front of the house currently looks like.  We plan to add a two story addition approximately 10 feet to the south (left in picture).  Plus a single story sunroom or screened in porch.  I'm not overly fond of the appearance of the upper windows.  The very flat appearance and the blank white space above the windows looks awkward to me.  Originally, we were thinking of putting a two-story Craftsman style porch on the front.  In doing this, we hoped to change the look to Craftsman (my preferred style) and to eliminate the odd appearance of the windows. 

Well, we're rethinking this.  First, the interior of the house is fairly dark due to the large trees in the front yard.  A front porch would only worsen this problem.  Second, a protection from sunlight is unnecessary on the front of the house, as it faces east, so we'd be shaded in the evening.  Third, we have a potential problem with the setback.  There may not be enough room to build a porch without violating the 25' setback (because our property starts fairly far from the street.)  We could apply for an appeal, but this would set back renovations by 45 days.

So, I began thinking about sticking with a Colonial facade.  But, that still leaves me with the problem of the windows.  Extending the house just 10 feet to the south would give a fairly asymetrical look to the building.  So, I had a thought:  if you added a window between the two existing windows, you'd be able to go out just 10.5 feet and still have symmetry, by having four windows.  Also, if you bumped the roof line up a bit, you could eliminate the gables.  Or, maybe you wouldn't have to bump up the roofline, if you could make the gables more attractive. 

So, here's the idea (crudely sketched by me!):

What's My Style?

When I try to describe the style of house that I'd like to have, I use words like "historic," "cottagey," "farmhouse," and "Craftsman." The truth is, I know what kinds of houses I like when I see them, but I'm not exactly sure where my style fits in terms of architectural lingo. So, I set out to help myself define that. HGTV has some information on architectural styles that I found helpful. I'll go through each (of the styles that are remotely related to what I like) to describe what I do and don't like about it.

Craftsman Homes

Key Elements of Craftsman Homes
Built of natural materials. I actually don't want a house that is too woodsy looking. I don't want to use unpainted woods or stone. I prefer siding or painted brick.

Built-in furniture and light fixtures. LOVE built-ins.
Fireplace. A wood burning stove and a warm, inviting hearth area are things I like.
Porches. LOVE porches. I really like the porches to have solid columns, that are wider at the bottom than at the top. I think this is why I've always said that I like Craftsman homes.
Low-pitched roofs. I do really like the overhangs and wide eaves of Craftsman style.
Exposed beams. I like seeing the beams supporting the eaves, but don't want to see them inside the house.
Open floor plan. Actually, I don't like an open floor plan. I really like a formal, symmetrical floor plan. But, Mike loves openness. We hope to deal with this by having wide doorways between public rooms with pocket doors that can be opened fully for a more open look and closed for more formality.

Summary: I love the simple exterior elements of Craftsman, especially the porches framed by columns that are square and thicker at the bottom. I love the wide overhangs, both aesthetically and practically (for heating and cooling.) I don't want a house that looks too woodsy or "natural." Or a really open floor plan.

Victorian

Key Elements of Victorian Homes:
Two to three stories. I like 2-3 story homes. That's something that differs from the Craftsman style, which tend to be 1 1/2 stories.
Complicated, asymmetrical shape. Nope. I prefer a more symmetrical shape. Prefer simplicity, without plainness.
Decorative trim. Nope. Nothing decorative in a cutesy way.
One-story porch. I love porches, one or two story.
Towers. Towers seem a bit costumey to me. Overall, the Victorian style is a bit too ornate, too much like it's pretending to be a little gingerbread castle.
Vibrant colors. I like rich colors in interiors (offset by white moulding) but I don't like a vibrant colored exterior.
Summary: I like the height and formality of Victorian homes. But, overall, too fussy for me.

Colonial

Key Elements of Colonial Style: "These homes are often marked by a centrally located front door, evenly spaced double-hung windows and simple side-gabled roof. " I really like a central front door, but would prefer one that stood out from the exterior, containing a foyer with windows. I like the simple roofline on Colonial homes.

Square, symmetrical shape. I really like the formality and symmetry of Colonial homes.
Flattened columns on each side of door. Don't like this. In fact, I don't like any columns that are "wannabe" Greek looking. Much prefer the more substantial and humble columns on Craftsman homes.
Shutters. I like the look of shutters. I wonder sometimes if they are "real" or just for show. I'm the kind of person who is practical enough to want the shutters to have some kind of use.