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mx2
millennium club
Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 1968
Location: Miami, Florida
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 Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 5:01 pm Post subject: |
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...I mean paint the door and sidelite frames a muted color (instead of leaving it white)...I see the door is already a dark wood.
mx2.5
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*Art of Architecture: The conscious use of skill and creative imagination in the production of an aesthetic building.
*Science of Architecture: The calculated use of technical skill and knowledge in the construction of a functional building. |
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41buick
Joined: 15 Mar 2008
Posts: 18
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| Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 10:59 pm Post subject: mx2 |
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mx2,
Thanks for all your suggestions, I definately appreciate them. I loved the picture of the hip roof. How much of a job would it be to modify my octagonal roof to a hip roof? If I modified my current octogonal roof into a hip roof and used 2 columns instead of 4, the front door would still not be centered, but at least there wouln't be a column in front of it. How do you think that would look as compared to how it looks now? Sincerely 41buick
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csintexas
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Joined: 06 Feb 2006
Posts: 1919
Location: USA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 5:27 am Post subject: |
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It would cost more to rip the new porch out and rebuild it than to move the door and then you would still have an off centered door (which is the real problem).
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Chris Stewart
Modern Texas Home Project |
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mx2
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Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 1968
Location: Miami, Florida
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:41 am Post subject: |
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I don't know if I agree...I think it's easier to rebuild the exterior roof then to pour new jambs and lintel and hang the door. But as I said, if we play down the door by painting the frame dark, and painting the sconce and wood backing dark to blend in with the brick, but have a bright white porch centered on the wndow above, no one will notice the door until they reach the porch.
mx2.5
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*Art of Architecture: The conscious use of skill and creative imagination in the production of an aesthetic building.
*Science of Architecture: The calculated use of technical skill and knowledge in the construction of a functional building. |
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csintexas
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Joined: 06 Feb 2006
Posts: 1919
Location: USA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:51 am Post subject: |
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Well I agree the most cost effective solution is to get rid of the brick and let the white door blend in with the white siding.
I would guess that this is a wood framed structure so pouring jambs and lintel is not a requirement.
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Chris Stewart
Modern Texas Home Project |
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mx2
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Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 1968
Location: Miami, Florida
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 1:08 pm Post subject: |
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Ha! That's funny...I NEVER even thought about it being wood frame. Of course...if it is a wood frame then by all means. Nix the brick, move the door and side over it all...
That's the problem with regional construction. Down here it's concrete block and poured jambs and lintels. And to have to "save" the brickwork would have been a nightmare...
mx2.5
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*Art of Architecture: The conscious use of skill and creative imagination in the production of an aesthetic building.
*Science of Architecture: The calculated use of technical skill and knowledge in the construction of a functional building. |
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41buick
Joined: 15 Mar 2008
Posts: 18
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Riversong
Joined: 22 Aug 2007
Posts: 17
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 6:43 pm Post subject: |
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I think it's a beautiful porch and you would be foolish to throw more money into redoing the porch or moving the door.
Plant more shrubbery in front of porch and create an entry path to the right such that the door appears centered as one approaches the porch.
The only thing "wrong" with the door placement is the angle of the photograph. Stand where the door appears centered between the two right hand columns and that's where the entry path should be.
Simple as that.
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JWmHarmon
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 112
Location: Ohio
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| Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 1:20 pm Post subject: Asymmetrical door/ porch post - no problem |
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The overall design of your house has asymmetrical balance. The fact that the door is to the right of center is no problem.
There are two things in your photo that tend to emphasize the fact that the door is off-center.
First, the reflection off the glass side lights makes it appear to have white pilasters (attached columns) next to the door. This factor tends to emphasize an illusion of six columnns instead of the actual four columns. This will tend to make the door in the photo, but not necessarily the actual door, appear to be more prominent than it actually is.
Second, the position of the wall light creates its own imbalance. If the top of the white rectangle were to be positioned in line with the top of the door moulding, it would create a more balanced appearance. As it is it creates tension with the door leaving an unsettled imbalance, like an unresolved chord in music.
Your photo is taken from a position centered between the two inner columns. People driving by, or walking by see your house from this position for only a second. They see it from all the other positions the rest of the time they look at your house.
You can find a position on the left side of your house that will tend to show the door centered between the two center columns. The door will look fine from that view point.
You can find a position on the right side of your house that will tend to show the door between the two lright-hand columns. Your entry door will look fine from that position. As one moves across the front of the house that viewpoint is constantly changing. As owners we tend to see what we think is a flaw and focus on that prticular point. That is not how others see it.
You also have shrubbery on the left hand side of the porch that de-emphasizes the left hand columns and no shrubbery in front of the columns on the right hand side. The shrubbery itself changes the overall balance of the designer's porch addition. The shrubbery changes the balance to emphasize the fact that the door is off-center to the right. It makes the door a more prominent feature by drawing attention to it.
You will note that only half of the columns on the left are visible, while the entire column on both of the right hand columns is visible. This also draws attention to the door being off-centered.
If you could have someone Photoshop the photo to change the shrubbery to the right hand side you would see a completely different emphasis. It would create a more balanced entry by de-emphasizing the door and emphasizing the openess towards the left, garage side of the hosue.
You could also add moulding to the top of the door or moulding all the way around the door. The top of the moulding could be kept in line with the top of the rectangle mounting for the light. This would tend to make the eye flow across the entire front wall instead of focusing on what is out of balance.
I would try changing the landscaping and adding moulding above the door before I would consider changing the door's location or changing the porch design.
Design is often quite subjective. I think that the designer did an excellent job of making the porch appear to be part of the original design of the house. It gives it a much softer appearance than a gable roof design and reflects the roof line over the bay window. To my tastes it makes it quite inviting. I want to pick up my laptop or my newspaper and sit on the front porch on the Fourth of July.
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When building or manufacturing always ask, "How will we recycle that?" - JWmHarmon |
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41buick
Joined: 15 Mar 2008
Posts: 18
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| Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 2:34 pm Post subject: |
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JWmHarmon,
Thank you for your thoughtful post and your suggestions. It's given me some different perspectives regarding the porch. If you were building this house and you had the choice of centering the front door or offsetting it, where would you put it? In other words, if there were no cost considerations, what would be better from an architectual design to have the door centered or where it's currently located? I'm seriously thinking about removing the brick and replacing it with a stone veneer or just siding over the brick and also replacing the front door and sidelights with a fancy wood grain door with oval leaded glass and matching sidelights. If I decide to do these things would you make any recommendations as to how they're done, so that I get the maximum benefit and curb appeal.
Sincerely
41buick
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SDR
millennium club
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 1716
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:34 pm Post subject: |
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Excellent advice as usual from Mr Harmon.
And, I wonder what your Buick looks like. I like those buggies. . .
SDR
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41buick
Joined: 15 Mar 2008
Posts: 18
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SDR
millennium club
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 1716
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:36 pm Post subject: |
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Oh. sweet. A little dolled up, eh ? Thanks for the pics. Hydramatic or standard ? Nice. . .
SDR
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Madimel
Joined: 06 Feb 2008
Posts: 155
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
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| Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Setting up the approach from the side of such a strong element that is set up by the porch and the window above will not work. That is like someone with croaked teeth telling people to only look at them at an angle that makes them look straight. I want to also point out that the owner already have raised concerns about the current configuration. Spending anymore money to put a bandaid on the entry instead of addressing the issue will only yield a compromise.
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SDR
millennium club
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 1716
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 11:02 pm Post subject: |
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So, center the door and it's right --- as you were the first to suggest. Right ?
SDR
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