A Dramatic Facade Makeover in Maine

Without moving a single window or door, architect David Matero gave this coastal Maine home's exterior a dramatic makeover. The owner, a British man planning to rent the house part time, wanted the outside of the home to match his modern aesthetic. "He wanted to create a new language for this house," says Matero.

Matero worked with the owner to spruce up the home's exterior without going through a full remodel. New cedar shingle siding on the front, fresh paint on the back, modern cedar board treatments and a shiny metal roof did the trick.


Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Rental home and part-time residence for a British man
Location: Harpswell, Maine
Size: 1,600 square feet with a 1,000-square-foot basement

The home's interior had an updated open-concept floor plan, but the exterior didn't suit the owner's modern sensibility. Plus, the asphalt roof was in poor shape, and the 4-foot-wide wraparound porch felt like an afterthought.


AFTER: Instead of tearing down the entire facade, Matero took off the wraparound porch and replaced the shingles on the front with new cedar shingles, keeping the same window and door openings. A smaller front porch topped with a gable now defines the home's main entrance.

Matero replaced the asphalt roof with durable Galvalume metal roofing. The reflective roof changes color with the sky from dawn until dusk. "It's almost like a mood ring," says Matero.


Over time the cedar will patinate to a natural gray — some of the shingles have already started to change.


Vertical cedar boards create shade and privacy on the porch. A new exterior color palette of dusty purple on the front facade and warm cream on the rear adds unexpected richness.


The narrow wraparound porch made poor use of the available space and didn't provide privacy from neighboring houses. It also blocked sunlight from the basement windows.


AFTER: The new back porch mimics the front with its vertical cedar boards, which provide privacy and shade. Without the wraparound portion of the porch, sunlight now pours into the basement windows, too. The back of the house wasn't shingled, so Matero cut costs by simply painting the existing siding.


Matero replaced the traditional crisscross railing with a more modern cable-rail design that exposes the view.

URL: A Dramatic Facade Makeover in Maine http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-21469.html