Published: June 30, 2009 03:46 pm      

Plainfield resident earns top honors in curb appeal

Praising its “Japanese feel,” the three judges in this year’s Curb Appeal contest in Plainfield were unanimous in selecting the home of Wayne Stanley, 302 Lawndale, as the top winner from 10 entries.

The home not only benefits from sitting on a corner lot, but is also set sideways, so that nearly all sides can be seen from either Lawndale or Buchanan Street. The overall effect of the home was also cited for its “great driveway” and “natural appearance.”

The judges were all artists: Clay Bolser, new Plainfield High School basketball coach and art teacher; Libby Givens Whipple, an Avon artist; and Katie Whipple, a 2009 Avon graduate who is going to art school in New York this fall.

The second-place winner was the home and yard of Kay and Ed Cunningham, 1283 Renee Road. The judges thought it was “nicely put together,” with a large willow tree as a focal point, and ivy covering part of the walls.

For third place, they particularly liked the way owners Jolene and Mark Mason of 728 Willow Point Road North Drive had incorporated the pleasing architectural style of their home with plantings and hanging baskets emphasizing a wrap-around porch.

Honorable mention went to “a quaint little house” with a peaceful feeling in both house and garden. It’s the home of Jesse and Dorothy Matthews, 104 Spruce St.

“It’s a place where you’d want to spend some time,” Bolser said.

The winners will receive certificates from Plainfield Plus, a local civic group that sponsors the contest in the interest of presenting Plainfield in a positive light. Signs denoting their placing in the competition will be set in the winners’ front yards.