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Finishing touchesCottage-style accessories and a mix of siding enhance the charm on this redesign. >

house numbersStand-off numerals 8 inches high cast

a shapely shadow and ensure they’ll be seen on the second story. HouseArt; $46 each

sidingFiber-cement clads this cottage in low-maintenance character. James Hardie; clapboards from $2 per square foot, shingles from $4.25 per square footlighting

The flared sides of these Craftsman-style

wall sconces echo the house’s sweeping gable.

Rejuvenation; $215

“They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but it’s hard not to. Please help us with our book cover,” wrote readers Lisa and Jim Steele of their 1925 cedar-shingled cottage near Syracuse, New York. They’ve been busy rehabbing the inside since they moved in seven years ago, but the exterior was going to have to wait. Until, that is, they won This Old House’s Real-Life Photoshop Redo Contest—and all-new siding from James Hardie. We asked designer Richard O’Leary to envision a radi-cal upgrade, and he answered with a mix of shingles and lap siding that emboldens the house’s character. As for the apron trim beneath the upper-story windows, O’Leary says, “I wanted to add some focus and a fun detail to the front elevation without dramatically changing the structure.” And what do the Steeles think? “Awesome,” Lisa says. “All the details give it that look of the quaint house we’ve always dreamed of.” Imagine when they see the real thing. Or see for yourself, after con-tractor David D’Agostino of Right Choice brings the makeover to life. We’ll showcase the results in a spe-cial feature in the November issue.

Notched shingles and a color switch highlight the top of the gable.

WANT A PHOTOSHOP REDO? Send snapshots to redo@thisoldhouse.com

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New siding revives a weathered cottageCreative trim perks up the facade, while a porch railing and window box bring cheery charm By ERIC HAGERMAN + Illustration by HOWARD DIGITAL

window boxHandsome, light, and durable, this custom 71⁄2-foot PVC window box adds instant curb

appeal. Hooks & Lattice; $399

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From sketch to finished facade The winners of our Real-Life Photoshop Redo Contest turn their rendering into reality By ERIC HAGERMAN + Photographs by DAVID LAMB

“We loved the designer’s sketch but never imagined it could be re-created to a tee,” says Jim Steele, who lives with his family in this freshly transformed 1925 cottage near Syracuse, New York. As you can see, however, the result is pretty dead-on. The contest winners’ cottage has gone from worn to wonderfully charming, thanks to designer Rick O’Leary’s reimagining of the exterior, using little more than a palette of fiber-cement clapboards, shingles, and trim from James Hardie. But it was the installation skill of Right Choice contractor David D’Agostino that brought the highly customized design to life.

“The process was really fun,” says Lisa Steele of seeing the plan on paper take shape on the house. To speed up the job (and save some money), off-the-shelf corbels from a home center stand in for hand-cut gunstock porch brackets. The most time-consuming part of the project had to be the “stepped coursing” clapboard design, with its overlapping boards of varying exposures. But the look is so special that D’Agostino says he can’t wait to try it again.

The Steeles love all the new details, especially the apron trim under the upper windows. “We named it ‘the teardrop,’” says Jim. “It’s a real focal point that does a great job of creating symmetry in an asymmetrical house.” And it’s a house they intend to stay in. “This is our first home,” says Lisa. “Thanks to everyone involved, it will likely be our last.”

sweat equity Jim and Lisa Steele (here with son Coby) pitched in

wherever they could, ripping off the old cedar shingles and painting the porch.

behind the scenesTo see how the project came together, visit thisoldhouse.com/bonus

November 2010 THISOLDHOUSE.COM 57

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