The Wimberly Residence: A Jones Pierce Not-So-Extreme Makeover
The Wimberly Residence
Sometimes what owners conceive as a potentially large-scale renovation can be made more manageable with a priority check. Tom and Sarah walked us through long-term plans for their recently-purchased home off West Wesley near Nancy Creek. However, the focus for the first pass was the front façade and the long front yard. Due to the of the placement of the house on a deep, wooded lot the long front yard becomes the desired outdoor hangout and playspace for their children. What we realized about the current design was the mediocre plan-book interpretation of the American Georgian vernacular and its non-site-specific treatment. A home intended for an in-town neighborhood was built, without capitalizing on the long visual approach from the road and without the architectural elements that project style.
Starting with the Site Plan
Starting with the siteplan, we conceived a series of spaces that would transition from elegant house to rambling woods and deal with the steep natural grade changes. A new, grander entry would lend style and protect the front door. It will also provide a shaded vantage point overlooking the new playspace. An upper patio with a low, encircling seating wall is the new adult hangout space. Descending naturally down the hill to a lawn situated in a natural clearing prevented the removal of specimen hardwoods and directs an axis of view from the visitor’s parking up to the house and conversely from the house to the farthest front corner of the property (not shown in the drawing) which in the future is an opportunity for a soccer lawn and a folly.
Front Facade
Besides the new portico, proposed improvements shown in the perspective rendering are the replacement of the flat, under-sized shutters with functioning pinion-mounted examples, the use of limestone plaques above the garage windows, helping to reduce the out-of-scale nature of this portion of the façade, and limestone belt course and keystones to help rationalize the short upper story windows.
This was a great first pass for maximum impact and curb appeal, and to get them enjoying their new home. In the future, we will help the owners plan work to the rear and interior.
Learn more about the Jones Pierce Not So Extreme Makeover here.
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