"First impressions are the most lasting" goes the old saying. The first impression made by the original entryway for this house was bad - bad when rain poured on visitors ringing the bell, bad when the paint needed touch-up every six months.

A simple extension of the framing created a covered entryway that fit in with the look of the house but was more functional and better looking than the original and won it a 2000 Rex Award for Details and Finishes.

When we set out to design a new entryway for this house, we wanted to maintian the 1920's look of the home. Given the small size of the front yard and the scale of the house, we immediately ruled out support columns as too large in scale. Instead, steel reinforced knee braces were chosen to allow for a more airy, open feeling.

The knee braces insure support of the new roof, while the arched moulding details embellish and enhance the home's entrance, yet maintain a period-correct look and feel.

Tongue and groove, clear fir, bead board was placed in a herringbone pattern on the soffit to match the house's existing back porch.

With a fresh coat of paint on the front door, the entrance is now dry and inviting, and the overall effect is one of balance and proportion, creating a first impression of warm welcome, structural integrity, and well designed grace.

The Remodelers Council of the Master Builders Association gives Rex Awards for remodeling excellence in King and Snohomish counties.