The exterior of your home is like a book cover – setting the stage for what’s inside. So, it’s as important as the interior. Plus, your home’s exterior can also make a big difference in the value of your home if you ever consider selling it. Your home’s curb appeal is the first impression people have of your home and by improving it you will ensure that your home gives off a great first impression. At the very least, it will look great when you arrive home after an exhausting and long day at work.
How can I make the front of my house more attractive?” – you might ask now. There are many design ideas to consider when you want to improve your curb appeal and here are a few interesting ones.
Add the Right Lighting
With the help of lights, you can easily emphasise the architecture and design of your house. Let the lights highlight the most beautiful focal points of your outdoor space. You will best improve the ambience of the house by adding a variety of lighting options (which obviously, will be only visible at night), including both exterior wall lighting and ground lighting.
Hang some stylish and functional exterior wall lighting to create a welcome glow near the front door. You won’t have problems finding the most suitable ones for your exterior as they come in a variety of shapes and styles, ranging from contemporary bunker lights to traditional coach lamps. If your home is of a more traditional or colonial style, you can never go wrong with coach lanterns and wall brackets.
On the other hand, if you have a modern-style home, you can opt for some wall bunker lights as they can help provide visibility and set the right tone your home deserves. Most of these outdoor wall lights are made of aluminium, as it is known for being corrosion-resistant. However, they can also be made of stainless steel, plastic, copper, bronze, etc. You can find them in different colours as well.
When it comes to ground lights that provide the utmost visibility, it’s inevitable not to mention LED floodlights – a trend in efficient outdoor lighting. Such ground lights are usually placed around the patio, the walkway, accent trees, high bushes, etc.
Aside from considering the style, when choosing new fixtures for your house, consider the function as well. Make sure that the chosen lights will provide adequate light for your entryway. Also, don’t forget adding lights near your house’s number sign, because it is important for the guests and visitors.
Hang Window Boxes
Hanging window boxes gives you the opportunity to have colourful flowers and plants growing right on the side of your home. They give the house a charming, cute, and vibrant look, thus bringing loads of curb appeal. You can admire them even from inside the house. They can be found in a range of styles and designs, and you will surely find some that are wells suited to the style of your home. To match, or just to give them an even more appealing look, you can also paint them.
What are the best plants for window boxes? Typically, these window boxes are meant for planting colourful flowers. However, you can also add some greenery in the form of succulents, veggies or fruit. You can even use them for growing herbs which you can later use in the kitchen to prepare delicious meals.
Dress Up the Garage Doors
If you have a large garage door and it is at the front of the house, you shouldn’t emphasize it even more, because its positioning already makes it conspicuous. Therefore, paint it to match your home’s architecture as closely as possible. Generally, improving the look of your garage door could add a lot to a house too. However, it easily gets dirty and faded from all the up and down movement, so it should probably be repainted every few years.
If once these plain doors were only flat, these days they have much more detail and better design overall. This upgrade can add a lot to the front of a house. So, if you decide to buy a new garage door, look for carriage style, panelled, shaker details, etc.
Plant an Arbour
An arbour over the gate is absolutely charming, especially if it’s planted with climbing roses or some other fragrant plants. You can place it at the base of your walkway or at the entryway of a front yard garden (if you have any). Paint it so it matches the exterior of your home or plant some vining greenery or flowers at the base to give it even more beauty.
Create Symmetry
Symmetrical patterns are integral to creating curb appeal. They create pleasing-to-look-at focal points and instantly make your exterior look very neat, clean, and organised. You can achieve symmetry by putting matching wall lanterns or putting plants on either side of your front door. You can do the same around your garage door as well. You can also add some embellishments that will frame your front door and make your entire entryway look much more friendly and inviting.