There’s a reason curb appeal is the first part of the home I tackle in my book, House Story. Although the home exterior is often neglected, curb appeal is the first impression anyone has of your home. And just as important, it’s the first part of your home you experience when you come home after a long day. It matters!
Every year around this time, I start thinking about things I can do now to keep up on my own curb appeal before the back-to-school, back-to-work shift happens. Truth be told, most of our worlds and schedules change once our little ones head back to the classroom and we suddenly have a little breathing room to refocus our work goals, our home office and our daily life.
For me, not having to worry about an all new to-do list when I pull up to my house means that I’ve taken care to spruce up the exterior of my home. It really helps me build my own happy when I feel like my curb appeal is up to par after a long day in construction site chaos.
Here are all the ways I like to use the exterior of a home to create the best possible first impression that also matches your personal style.
What’s Your Curb Appeal Style?
If you know me, you know I think it’s important to nail down your house style before picking any paint colors or banging any nails into the walls. The more you can identify your personal style and what you want your home to feel like, the easier the process will be to come up with a curb appeal style that’s a great fit.
Is your primary style cozy and comfortable? Sophisticated and refined? Or maybe it’s industrial, with modern touches here and there. However you define your style, make the exterior of your home reflect a little of that style too. Once you do that, you get curb appeal!
Knock, Knock…
People love a good paint recommendation, and I totally get it. Nothing sets the tone in any home project more than your color choices.
In fact, one of the questions I get the most is about door colors, and again, I totally get it. Painting your front door is one of the easiest and most impactful ways to customize the front of your house. Not to mention—it’s really fun to do, too!
For example, if your home has a beachy or Craftsman vibe, I bet you’ll love Vintage Vessel—talk about a breath of fresh air!
Or perhaps you’re looking for a warm gray color to work with a neutral color palette. If that’s the case, then you can’t go wrong with Colonnade Gray.
Still undecided? Check out all my favorite front door paint colors here.
More Exterior Paint Choices
OK, your door is a beautiful new color, but we’re just getting started!
Of course, I get that painting your whole house is a bit more intimidating than painting your front door. So take a deep breath with me, and check out the following resources:
• My 6 Favorite Exterior Paint Colors
• The 7 Best Colors to Paint Your Garage Door
Yes, you totally can paint your garage door—and you totally should! I do it all the time on my home projects, and it makes a huge difference. It’s such a huge opportunity to showcase your personal style.
For example, see what a difference using Catalina Blue for the garage makes in this home? This is such a joyful color, and it’s particularly beautiful against the rest of the white exterior.
My favorite way to choose a garage door color is to pick one that complements your main exterior color while adding a lot of depth and personality. Have fun with it!
It’s All In The Details
Not quite ready to get out the paintbrush? No worries - there are still a lot of small ways to add personality that will definitely up your curb appeal.
Take this doormat combo for example. See how I layered a heavy-duty coir mat on top of an easily washable cotton one? This layering method brings in both pattern and texture to create a happy and memorable entrance.
What’s Your Number?
House numbers are another quick and easy way to add to your curb appeal and I take full advantage of this with every single project I do. Lean into your home’s style when choosing numbers. If you’ve got a home with lots of natural, organic elements, I’d probably go for some reclaimed wood house numbers. Or if you’ve got a modern beachy home, a metal set of numbers paired with wall-mounted succulents would be an awesome touch.
Alright! We’ve covered a lot here and you’re totally on your way to creating some curb appeal that not only looks great, but reflects your unique style. What are you waiting for?
And it wouldn’t be a Jas article without me making a pitch to add more green! I try to have a potted plant in every room, so you can just imagine how excited I get about landscaping your exterior!
A little intimidated? Don’t be! Just check out my favorite low-maintenance plants, don your Dirt Shirt and some gardening gloves, and enjoy being out in the sun!
Dutch Doors!
Last but definitely not least—if Dutch doors work with your climate, then I definitely recommend them! I mean, what’s not to love?
And if you’ve found this guide helpful, I think you’d enjoy being on my mailing list. I regularly send out lots of easy-to-follow advice to take the guesswork (and stress work!) out of any home project.
Thank you for this wonderful article. I love these pics! It’s so inspiring!
Adding a water feature is another way to add a tremendous amount of curb appeal to your property. Any kind of water feature can work wonders, but a swimming pool might be a more practical solution. Swimming pools make your home feel more like a resort and create a wonderful environment for parties and family gatherings. A swimming pool can also increase a home’s value. HGTV reports that the average in-ground pool can up your property’s value by 8 percent.
DSP
on December 15, 2022
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