2023 Front Yard Makeover - Finalist #3 - Northend Bungalow - Design Process Part 1
Summary:
Did a survey of this property Wednesday within a nice quiet neighbourhood at the north end of East Hill. Lot sizes and street widths here are slightly increased from the other corners of East Hill, with the properties having broad frontages which allow for a lot of space to play with. Family of two lives here and a couple of house cats.
In recent years two very mature blue spruces were removed opening up the view and allowing more sun to be available to the property. But since the trees have been removed the lawn area has not looked great and plantings are currently to a minimum, with a couple large shrubs along the front of the home and side property line separating the neighbor’s front yard. An asphalt driveway leads to a back concrete slab and detached garage where cars are parked.
Paralleling the City sidewalk is a small poured concrete wall (about 12” tall) which has settled and cracked in a few spots, likely due to the rooting of the old blue spruce tree. This wall returns up the driveway and makes for a bit of an awkward 10” step up to the walkway that leads to the house with a small crack at this point in the wall/step. Most step risers are 6”-8” in height.
This wall allows for a nearly level front yard and is located 6’ off the sidewalk allowing for a small area of creativity between the wall and the sidewalk.
The color palette of the home is quite neutral, with only they dark shingles of the home standing out. So the home definitely needs some green and some color within the yard to help off contrast the neutral balance of the home structure.
What I really liked about the view from the street is the backdrop of the large, mature chestnut tree in the backyard. Even in early winter it provides a nice focal point with some height to the property to help break up the view of the house slightly. This is a rarity for us when the bulk of our work is on new homes in Vernon.
Challenges:
I am hung up on the entry. It seems like the entry steps and planter combo could use updating. They are somewhat sound with no large cracks or chips in the concrete. The last step looks like it was poured as an after thought and doesn’t quite match the rest. The steel lattice detail within the planter actually seems like it supporting the roof, and the side of the built in planter has a vent within it - likely to exhaust the homes HVAC system. The lattice and matching railing are unique to this style of home so my gut tells me we should leave it alone and perhaps deal simply with the bottom step that doesnt match.
The large dogwood is quite unique and offers some brilliant color at this time of year. But it is positioned in a spot where it could one day be a nuisance.
Irrigation may be tricky, as there is no clear supply line from the home. Just a 1/2” faucet nearby which might be difficult to run lawn irrigation off of.
Moving Forward:
Need to investigate the front steps more, and look at starting a plan this week. Looking at substitutes for walls, steps and possible entry will begin the process of hardscape layout, and onto softscaping.