Basic human nature attracts us to newer, more ‘in’ designs…whether of clothes, shoes or homes. This craving tempts most old-home owners to tear apart the existing haven and give it a new look.
The search for the updated look because of influence from magazine pictures tempts both owners and architects to graft fashionable additions onto older homes just to make them ever-so-briefly fashionable again.
Sadly, you only need to leaf through a 20-year-old copy of Better Homes and Gardens to learn how such updates have stood the test of time. Most would extract groans, if not laughter. The lesson here is simple: Thanks to the ever-shifting sands of architectural taste, the single addition that'll always be in fashion is one that respects the original architecture.
But how do you do this? It goes without saying that the overall proportions of any new addition -- wall heights, window styles and sizes, and the roof style and finish -- must be the same as in the original structure.
Beyond these basics, however, the real trick is to find and repeat the designer's signature details. By going through these important characteristic traits -- every house, new as well as old, has a whole lot of them -- you can pretty much make any addition look spot-on original.
Typical candidates for renovation are:
Porch railings and columns
Windows
Roof edges
Attic vents
Finally, if you have trouble finding a detail that has no direct precedent on the existing building, ask yourself what the original designer would have done. Would he have put in paired French doors or a sleek aluminum slider? Would he have the chimney built skinny, stout or asymmetrical?
In short, what would his style have been? With the original designer guiding you in absentia, your addition will certainly not stick out like a sore thumb.