Here's a tip from a recent project.

My headache was the blank side wall on the second floor. It stuck out too much and looked out of proportion, so I added fake shutters to suggest a window opening. That made the facade more harmonious and cohesive.

And to soften the impression of the home's additions sitting at different levels, the stone base rises up into the walls in a few spots.

Another option that came to mind was styling it as a half-timbered house. This makes the house look more austere and pulled together, partly because of the cooler gray color. The decorative beams on the facade match the wooden railings on the porch.

I honestly can't decide which option I like better, but the client has already made up his mind—he prefers the first one.

Here's a look at the techniques I used in a recent project.

First, the sharp gables and stone trim already nod to the Tudor style.

Second, the refined color combination of blue shutters and reddish brick. You don't see this pairing much around here — and for good reason, in my opinion. The roof is graphite, the most discreet choice, so it doesn't pull attention away from the rest.

Third, instead of the classic decorative surrounds around the windows, there's decorative vertical brickwork.

Fourth, that same band of brick acts as an informal boundary between the plinth and the wall, and also serves as a crowning cornice under the roof.

Fifth, a clean, restrained pattern with no unnecessary curls on the wrought-iron fencing.

I think we ended up with a good example of style that speaks to the present day.

Summer, the sea — well, not really) But we can dream.

The designs for this project are in the Mediterranean style.

The defining feature of the Mediterranean style — color: the walls should be light, so they reflect the sun and keep the rooms from overheating. That's why the main wall finish for the house in our project — beige plaster with a textured application. Shutters, pergolas for climbing plants, a large balcony, and majolica above the windows all help round out the complete look of the house.

Bright shutters add a splash of color to a calm, understated façade.

It helps to echo the shutters with color elsewhere so they don't look out of place, which is what we did with the front door. But it's important to keep the balance and not overdo it — green roof tiles, for example, would have been too much.

Another nice detail in the house's trim — the brickwork around the windows and under the roof.

We also offered the client a more contrasting option with a deep maroon wall color, which works well with the green shutters and white rusticated inlays.

For this project we used tinted trim a couple of shades lighter than the walls, rather than white. The shutters and wrought-iron grilles fill in the bare stretches of wall. And the highlight — the concave, folded copper canopy over the main entrance.