Ranch Redo

Traditional touches and rich color give this house a fresh attitude.

Plain Jane" best describes this basic ranch-style home before its spicy makeover. It was easy to drive by and not give it a second thought. Still, Nancy Bourn saw beneath the blandness and bought the house, located in Jackson, Mississippi.

Colorful Inspiration

The entire street was pretty unremarkable. "There was no color anywhere," explains Nancy. "The rich terra-cotta shade we added really makes people stop and look." Nancy, a contractor and designer, found her inspiration for that and other changes in the West Indies-style homes she saw so frequently on visits to Baton Rouge. She brought those ideas home to Jackson.

A row of cypress French doors and cypress beams used as columns bring a refined but slightly rustic attitude to: the front porch. The doors flood the, interior front rooms with lots of light.' Other windows were updated with dark, pop-out style shutters often found on Caribbean homes. Glasspaned doors salvaged from New Orleans make a beautiful addition. A pretty gas lantern, also from New Orleans, further enhances the oldworld Louisiana spirit.

Landscaping Makes It Better

When Rondah and Peter Marks bought the house, Nancy's exterior makeover was finished, but the couple upped the eye-catching factor. "We were very attracted to the house because of its character. It reminded me of my grandmother's house," says Rondah. "We also loved the generous front yard, but it needed some work." So the couple got busy. "We did all the work ourselves," says Rondah. "We added 30 to 40 azaleas and brought the front beds up to meet the house and driveway."

The Markses also trained ivy to grow up the cypress columns and along the step risers, giving the house even more aged character. On the right side of the house, they mixed in creeping fig, Confederate jasmine, and Lady Banks's rose with the ivy. "It takes a lot of effort to keep the ivy from taking over, but I love the look," says Rondah. She also loves the three glass-paned doors on the front, which she opens up for entertaining so guests can spill onto the porch. -ALICE WELSH DOYLE

FOR MORE | sources: southernliving.com/features

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation May 2006
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