Addition Recommendations for a Georgian Style Home

Serving the Washington,
DC Metro Area
Bruce Wentworth, AIA, is a practicing architect whose
insights on residential architec-
ture have been published in
House Beautiful, the New York Times, Southern Living, the Washingtonian, Washington
Post, Colonial Homes and Other periodicals. Ask the Architect appears frequently in the Times Mirror news group, and has been featured in titles published by Media General, Network Communications and others.
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“We have a Georgian style house. What are your recommendations for a home addition/remodel?”

- C.C. & Randy B.

Answer:

The house is wonderful old Georgian. Here are my recommendations:

  • To respect the integrity and historical value of the old stone house, I recommend that the addition be built with a clapboard (Hardy-plank) or stucco siding. I suspect clapboard would be more cost-effective and less maintenance for you. Stucco is nice, but if it is installed poorly, it can become a problem for the homeowner.
  • Let the old house speak on its own and the new work blend in a  subordinate way. Architectural historians frequently urge homeowners to let the old look old and the new look new. Yet, the new and old can work together and be compatible architecturally and aesthetically. Let the old stone house be the dominant form and the addition subordinate and even unobtrusive.
  • Think about proportions. Windows and doors can resemble the old if you prefer that consistency. Try to match gable roof lines, or use a roof line that is appropriate to the Georgian style house.

Read more in our article Georgian On My Mind.

Brief Overview of the Georgian Style

The Georgian style, with its long history in America, is among our country’s most consistently popular architectural styles. This style style utilized many of the hallmarks of Renaissance design. For example, Georgian homes and buildings often had rigid symmetry in building mass, in window and door placement and even in the layout of interior rooms.

Have another question? Want to know more specifics about additions for specific period style homes? Feel free to contact us!

About Bruce

Bruce Wentworth, AIA, is a practicing architect whose insights on residential architecture have been published in House Beautiful, Southern Living, Washingtonian, Colonial Homes, and other periodicals.