A cool, mod overhang option

As I asked in an earlier posting, what do you do if your front entrance is without distinction? Or your side or rear entrances, for that matter? Arnie and Lily chose one route to solve that problem at their Downey home.

But here's a neat plant-on solution I saw at the Builders Show. Offered by Feeney Architectural Products in Oakland, with offices in San Diego, these LightLine canopies are made of stainless steel brackets, aluminum bars and 3/16-inch thick acrylic glass sheets (clear or frosted).

They also have an integrated rain gutter and hidden rubber joints that divert moisture from the wall. According to the company, these canopies have "German engineering and quality." And as the owner of a German car, that sits well with me.

These canopies come in all-inclusive kits for about $500 to $1,800, depending on the size.

The truth is, many houses in Southern California could benefit from a little architectural interest, especially in some post-war tracts where features like front porches and overhangs were seen as luxuries. I could also see these jazzing up the sliding back doors of a plain stucco tract house, like the one my parents owned in in the San Fernando Valley.

Your thoughts?