Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/72324
was white vinyl for two years," she says. "But we could get to the patio!" With the back setting the tone, the couple moved ahead with a small addition, working with Madison's Architectural Building Arts to craft their space. The timing of the addition also proved perfect for updating the siding, roofing, insulation and more. "The heating and cooling bills have dropped immensely," Ebert adds. "It's a really sound house right now." With the function of the home sufficiently upgraded, the style began to take shape. New slat siding on the sides and lower half of the house continued around to the garage, where a fresh, cottage-inspired door was installed. While out front, the smallest addition may have added the most personality. "I call it an apron—the front overhang—and the portico over the door," Ebert points out. portico and overhang make sense of the home's seemingly mismatched propor- tions while defining the transition from the original stone to new shake siding. Finished with new front and side yard walkways in the same stone as their back patio and fresh front door hardware, it's a look that exudes personality. "We had the form … but no charm," Eb- ert says with a smile. "So every opportu- nity we had, we put more historic detail into the house. We took the postwar stuff out and put prewar stuff back in." The result is your typical Madison bun- "We had no porch, no place to stand while you're getting your keys, and our front door gets west sunlight, so it offers shade." Added for both style and function, the galow with a bit of East Coast style—a look that Ebert found out was aptly called a Cape Cod bungalow. Fresh, fitting and welcom- ing, from this generation to the next. As a final touch, new hardware and a mailbox complete the Cape Cod face-lift. June 2012 bravamagazine.com 51