The Villaluna family of San Marino, Calif. found out when Chayse Dacoda, an L.A.-based author and designer on the home improvement television series "While You Were Out," made a house call to help them transform their 1934 Tudor home.
A young, professional couple with two small children, the Villalunas bought a fixer-upper three years ago and have been working their way through a variety of renovations, but were stuck on the front of the house, and on a tight budget.
They entered and won the "Transform Your Home Contest" sponsored by garage door manufacturer Clopay and Meredith Corporation, publisher of several magazines including "Better Homes and Gardens."
"The 'a-ha' moment for us was seeing how minor cosmetic changes and a not-so-outrageous budget can yield big improvements to a home's curb appeal," says homeowner Doojduen Villaluna. "We weren't pretending to do a $75,000 transformation on a $5,000 budget, but the results look like we spent that much."
In fact, the makeover cost about $10,000. The budget included a new garage door (about $3,500), $500 in exterior lighting fixtures and $6,000 toward the cost of repainting and landscaping the home.
The Process
Villaluna and her husband are experienced remodelers, but they had never utilized a designer before. Even so, they had no problem letting Dacoda take the reins.
"Since we are avid home improvement enthusiasts, we were well aware of Chayse's style from watching her transform homes on T.V. and very excited to see what her ideas would be for ours," Doojduen adds.
The makeover was definitely a collaborative process, and in this reality re-do, there was no drama.
"At the very first meeting it was clear that Chayse's vision for our home was going to bring out the cottage charm, yet stay true to its French-Country style, which was important to us. The only suggestion we elected not to do was to repaint the stucco, since that had been done less than a year ago, and the existing color was almost identical to the shade she recommended."
That decision allowed Dacoda to reallocate some of the paint budget towards decorative accents like a wood fence, Adirondack chairs and a birdbath, which had a huge impact.
"Our house used to be one of the darkest and least welcoming homes on the block. Now it's bright, inviting and a real standout in the neighborhood," says Villaluna. "Without a doubt, people comment most often on the garage door. They can't believe that simple change transformed the entire look of the house."
The Plan
Chayse Dacoda turned the Villaluna home into a stunning French-Country cottage. While the makeover was dramatic, the plan was simple. Here's a breakdown:
1. Replace the garage door: The old ribbed, metal garage door belonged on an industrial building instead of the front of this historic home. Replacing it with a Clopay Reserve Collection Redwood carriage house door added instant old-world charm.
2. Lighting: The wrought iron lights echo the decorative antique hardware on the doors creating a cohesive look.
3. Paint: To brighten the exterior, Dacoda suggested painting the front door light beige and the windows' trim a brick red.
4. Landscaping and Decorative Accents: Lush greenery and accent pieces like Adirondack chairs, a stone birdbath and a redwood fence were installed in the front yard.
"You can achieve dramatic results on a realistic budget if you know where to invest your dollars," says Dacoda. "When considering a makeover, I encourage homeowners to look at exterior details they can add or enhance. Some key areas to focus on are the garage door, especially if it faces the street, the front door, lighting fixtures, landscaping, the paint color scheme, and accent pieces like house numbers, porch furniture, window boxes or planters."
If improving your home's curb appeal is on your to-do list, Clopay is accepting entries until April 27, 2007, for this year's "Transform Your Home Contest." To enter, mail or e- mail a color photo of your home's exterior, including the garage, along with a 50-word letter explaining why it is the best candidate for an exterior makeover. Complete details are available at www.clopaydoor.com.
