Add Curb Appeal to Your Home

Want a quick pick-me-up? Try adding new curb appeal to your castle.

Nothing helps make you fall in love with your home faster than a little sprucing. Just-planted containers full of flowers, a fresh coat of paint, even new house numbers can keep that visual interest exciting. Just think what personalized signs can do! Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Grand Entrances

●Draw attention to your front door, the focal point of your entry. Some designers call molding the “architectural eyeliner” of curb appeal because it can enhance the door’s look when applied to the sides and top of the doorway. Give it a splash of color against the generally neutral backdrop of the house. Use metal polish on the door fixtures, or replace them altogether. Add your own personal style by hanging a wreath, swag or other decoration.

● Stylized house numbers,brand new door hardware or a bold porch light all add interest to your home’s exterior, especially if they look dated (think a light fixture original to a 25-year-olf house, for example). When designed as a coordinated collection, the impact really pops. Use oiled-bronze and copper finishes to convey a traditional aesthetic; for a contemporary vibe, choose brushed metals surfaces such as titanium or stainless steel, even printed plastic.

● Symmetrical compositions that include lighting and other front-door accents, such as customized welcome signs, create a warm, inviting entryway for your guests. Tiled or painted design doorsteps can impress visitors with their uniqueness. Consider laying in a custom granite outdoor plaque that features a particular message or image that’s dear to your family.

● Give attention to the mailbox, whether it’s wall- or post-mounted. Choose a hanging drop box that complements your home’s design; paint the post to match the house’s exterior color; surround it with a beautiful flower bed.

● Upgrade porch and stoop railings that are past their prime, so they enhance the overall look of the front yard rather than deter people from stepping up to the front door.

Garden Basics

● Container gardens are colorful and affordable, creating an instant breath of freshness. Pots can also be moved around as seasons change or your design sense does.

● Window boxes are another fast, easy way to bring color and charm to your home’s curb appeal.

● Planting beds located at the front corners of the yard, along driveways or walkways and around the front entryway can not only be planted with select perennials that will come back year after year, try adding seasonal annuals, upgrading mulch to decorative stone and adding customized gardens signs to let admirers know what plants they’re admiring.

● Add a bench of seating to your garden that memorializes a special gardener in your life.

Architectural Touches

● Install low-voltage or solar outdoor lighting to make a huge impact not only on your home’s curb appeal, it provides added safety and security.

● Arbors, garden gates and decorative fence panels can provide privacy to your yard.

● Shutters and trim accent the already beautiful architectural lines of the house while provide visual interest or a pop of color.

● Adding weather-resistant outdoor art such as birdbaths, metal cutouts, sculptures, wind chimes, even personalized outdoor plaques create an ambiance that’s uniquely yours.

● An exterior facelift with new house paint, siding or trim details instantly transforms the look of a home. Replacing old gutters and downspouts can also do the trick.

● The driveway usually takes up a lot of curb appeal space and can make or break a nice-looking front yard, if it’s cracked, stained and sprouting vegetation. No need for a complete redo – kill the weeds and repair cracks and stains, amend existing stone, replace worn brick or pavers or stain the concrete.