SECTION 2: EXTERIORS
Our homes are monuments. But unlike a monument erected to commemorate a great battle or fearless leader, our homes are dedicated to ourselves. So it makes sense that the exterior of a home does much more than protect homeowners from the elements.
The building and its surroundings speak volumes about its inhabitants—from shrubbery and pavers to siding and windows. At the most basic level, you can judge a home by its shape and roofline, by the landscaping that frames it, and the systems that power it. Making the right choices for your exterior is of great importance, in part because of the permanence of these decisions. Indoors, you can easily toss and replace an inferior chair. Not so with roofing or windows or photovoltaic solar electric systems.
Designers and architects often advocate “bringing the outdoors in,” a philosophy that relies heavily on the assumption that there is something appealing about the unruliness of nature. More often than not, however, it’s the outdoor areas that should be shaped by the design scheme of the interior—bringing the indoors out, if you will.
In this section, we’ll guide you through the treacherous process of selecting exterior details that complement both the rooms inside and the larger environs outside. The vast maze of your local garden nursery will become an easy-to-manage resource after reading through our suggestions for plants, pots, and pesticides. Untouched wilderness will give way to a controlled concrete patio filled with geometric outdoor seating, a shiny metal fire pit, and a slick boxed pool. Unsure of how your dedication to the environment fits into all this? We’ve covered the basics, from alternative lawn care to renewable energy. If you reach a crossroads where the choice seems unclear, we recommend the perennially winning design ethos of unified juxtaposition.
CASE STUDY #390
“Something to do with architectural complexity and contradiction; everything to do with seasonal affective disorder.”
