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by Chris Lee
Photo by Steve McHugh
I’ve never been inside and don’t know the owners, but the face their home shows the street makes me feel as though they’d be gracious hosts. That’s the very essence of curb appeal—a home that embodies the welcoming personality of its owners. No wonder “curb appeal” is a phrase that works overtime in real-estate listings. And no wonder so many homeowners spend so much time and money improving theirs.
I speak from experience, having purchased a house in the ’90s that was singularly lacking in curb appeal. We immediately tore off an enormous planter, which was oddly suspended between two second-floor windows; revamped the front walkways and driveway; and added several perennial gardens and hundreds of dollars worth of shrubbery. The house now looks…better.
The transformations featured in “Love at First Sight” fill me with renewed ambition. These homes demonstrate how architectural changes, color, illumination, landscaping, and hardscaping can direct the eye, creating pleasing front entries from once mediocre façades.
The other homes in this issue also have curb appeal to spare—not too surprising, since all are designed by award-winning Minnesota architects. The residence Charles Stinson designed for Al and Joanne Siegel (“Light House on the Lake”) is one example. Its black-and-white geometric exterior makes a modern statement, while floor-to-ceiling expanses of glass fill it with light. The St. Paul home featured in “Bluff-Top Overlook” also announces its presence. Architect Kelly Davis designed a not-so-big house with very big appeal for futurist and author Joel Barker and his wife, Susan.
We also feature the work of the winners of the 2008 Residential Architecture Awards, the annual competition sponsored by Midwest Home and the American Institute of Architects Minnesota. I’m pleased to announce Dan Nepp, principal of TEA2 Architects, as this year’s Architect of Distinction, and Todd Hansen, principal of Albertsson Hansen Architecture, as the Emerging Talent winner.
Enjoy!
Chris Lee, Editor
clee@mhmag.com
clee@mhmag.com
11 ISSUES (1 YEAR)
