West Orange City Zoning Code

A good exterior design solution should be an expression of what is going on within. This approach will result in a quality end product that is more than simply "cosmetics."

Good design can begin with an efficient and attractive exterior and follow through with good detailing of such elements as window openings and entrances that lead to rooms and spaces of good proportions and shapes. The quality of the interior should fulfill the promise of a well-done exterior.

Certain interior materials, through commercial over-use or residential saturation, almost always are disappointing and should be avoided. A few are shag-rugs, multi-colored or not; gold-flecked mirror tiles; veloured wall paper; barnwood, imitative stained glass; wood shingles; and simulated or imitative materials of any kind. These materials generally lack quality (plastic wood grains), soon show wear (shag carpets) and are hard to clean (wood shingles).

Another consideration with these types of interior materials is that they are faddish and have no sense of duration or permanence. This is generally inconsistent with exteriors that carry the dignity of years.

A prime example of the importance of exterior-interior relationship is evidence in the expression of the ceiling height as it relates to storefront windows. In the past, standard ceiling heights were much higher than they are today. In the case of remodeling, it is desirable to remove the once popular dropped ceiling thus restoring the original ceiling height on the interior and restoring the original window height on the exterior. If factors do not permit raising the ceiling, it may be possible to turn the ceiling up for a few feet just inside the window.