Siding

Besides windows, stairs, and entries, the exterior appearance of your newly lifted residence will be affected by the choices you make with your siding.  Let's start with a one-story stucco house and continue the stucco to the ground for the two-story result.  You can imagine that, without a little detail, you'll end up with a monolithic, large structure in place of something that worked before as a small bungalow.

The details to consider have to do with transitions between levels and the resulting proportions.  One good kind of detail to incorporate is a "water table".  This is a small ledge that serves to push rainwater away from the house as it runs down the wall.  The logical place to put this is where you make the transition, but what happens then is too similar a volume above as below.  It's like putting your belt right at your waist - this might be comfortable but it certainly won't be fashionable!

Lower the water table - to the tops of the windows?  to the horizontal line made by double hung sashes?  to the bottoms of the windows?  Your choice, but all of these are better choices than at the second floor level.  Draw it up and you will see the difference.  Of course this will require a little better stucco work, as there will be some texturing that should match the existing, but it is well worth it.

Once you've placed your water table, decide whether you want the stucco texture the same above and below.  There are many textures to choose from, including faux stone which, done well and painted well, can be quite pleasing.  Of course real stone is best, in which case you probably should keep the water table at the level of the window sills for easier detailing for waterproffing.  Stone, stucco texture, and paint below a water table serve to give the house a "base" and a feel of solidity - another intangible but important value.

Houses with wood siding are a little easier to deal with, because it is so much easier to match wood siding than stucco textures.  However, don't make the mistake of just bringing the same siding down from above - you will again end up with a large monolithic structure, regardless that it has the appealing look of siding.  Here again, a water table will help and the same goes here as above, in terms of not putting it right at the transition between floors.  Look around at the houses in your city that have been raised - you'll probably see a number of them with the transition there.  Notice how the proportions seem to be "off".

Here again, the choice you make for the siding below the water table is important, and will serve (or not) to give the house a "base".  Typically, you will get a sense of solidity from a wider siding below.  If there are any Victorians in your city, drive by one and notice the siding below the inevitable water table - 90% of them will have wide boards there, and the other 10% were raised houses with no considerations for base!

Once you've come up with a pleasing design for the exterior, paint can enhance it all wonderfully ... but that is the subject for another post some other day.