8 Ways to Upgrade Your Curb Appeal This Summer

There are many parts of the country where some of us have spent a lot of time indoors(bar the usual skiing, snowboarding, hiking and snowshowing that takes place in winter). You’ve thoroughly enjoyed looking at our custom kitchen cabinets, furniture, wood floors and relaxing in your cozy bedding.

But, now, it is time to liberate yoruself, and get outdoors, to enjoy the exterior of your home. When you do, you might find it is time to upgrade your home, to give it just a little more curb appeal so you can welcome your guests in style, and enjoy the view from your front porch with a glass of cool iced tea.

Whether you live in an urban city flat or a rural farmhouse, we have some tips to help you give your home more curb appeal.

Victorian Exterior by Atlanta Architects & Building Designers Harrison Design

The Driveway & Entrance

Every home is unique in terms of how you, and your guests arrive at the front door. Is it a long, winding driveway or a short pull up to the garage. Whatever it is, make sure you put some planning into this portion of your entryway.

This Huron Point project, created a driveway that works with the natural landscape of the property, preserving several large trees. The driveway conveniently connects to the garage for homeowners, and wraps around in front of the main entrance, for an easy drop off. If you take a peak to the left, you can even catch a glimpse of the lakefront view. Both sides of the home feature customized fencing to add privacy, and small architectural details that complete the home’s exterior décor.

Traditional Exterior by Ocean City Interior Designers & Decorators Beach Transformations

Make sure your home is clearly marked with large numbers, so it is always easy to find. This home uses a fun, unconventional design.

Modern Landscape by Encinitas Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers debora carl landscape design

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The Front Door

Now that you know it’s beautiful getting to your home, it is time to where people get into your home by updating your front door. The goods news…there are tons of ways to update your front door to give it a look that complements your home. You can find something colorful and eclectic, clean and modern door, or something totally unique like the one below. This Craftsman-Style Michigan home uses a front door made from wood, windows, granite as a toe kick, and an interesting pattern of intersecting lines.

Transitional Entry by Chicago Architects & Building Designers roomTEN design

As the primary entrance for your home, you want to keep this clear of clutter, but full of beautiful details. Now that it is summer you can update your front door with a fresh coat of paint, hang your flag, and perhaps add some seasonal accents like this home, with antique gardening tools.

Farmhouse Entry by New York Photographers Rikki Snyder

The Yard

Keeping a healthy, green lawn can seem like a full time job, but it’s satisfying seeing the beautiful green hues that help to beautify your landscape, and your home. If you don’t want to maintain a yard, you can still create a beautiful front yard. Replace most of it with shrubbery, plants or flowers in an extensive flower bed. Be sure to use different variations of plants, so you have ground cover through the seasons.

Rustic Porch by Plymouth Home Builders Abode Builders of New England

Flowers & Shrubbery

Flowers at the front door are an easy fix to dress up any home, and will give it immediately curb appeal.

Traditional Exterior by Essex Architects & Building Designers Eric H. Gjerde AIA

If you want to go beyond a simple fuschia hanging basket, you can create a walkway through a beautiful section of garden. Guests are sure to be in awe as they make their way to your front door.

Victorian Landscape by Minneapolis Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Heidi’s Lifestyle Gardens

If you live in the city, you can add flower boxes to your windows to beauty your entrance even with limited space.

Spaces

Or if you are lucky enough to have a rooftop getaway, make the most of it. Check out this project on Houzz.com to see how one New York city home transformed their rooftop garden. This gives a whole new meaning to phrase “curb appeal”.

Contemporary Before Photos by New York Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Todd Haiman Landscape Design

Stonework & Masonry

Unlike a gallon of paint for the front door, or a few posts of flower for the porch, adding masonry or stonework to your home requires a little more planning. It can also be more costly to incorporate into your exterior landscape because of the time, labor and materials required.

But, the results can be stunning. Stonework can include everything from landscape pavers, brick, stone, gravel, concrete and other masonry work. enhance your exterior by more clearly defining architectural spaces,

Rustic Exterior by Charlestown Architects & Building Designers Giambastiani Design

Lighting

Having ample lighting at the entrance of your home serves two purposes. The first, and most important safety of you and your guests. Secondary, it can serve as an architectural accent that illuminates your home from dusk to dawn. The lighting in this ocean front home in Middleton, Rhode Island, is like a beacon of light, and captivates the eye, as the sun goes down.

Traditional Exterior by Middletown Design-Build Firms Aquidneck Properties

You create a lighting design that incorporates lights outside your home, but also plays off the interior lighting. For example, placing a chandelier at the front entryway so it illuminates the front door as people come up the front walkway. And don’t forget to install motion sensor lights for easy navigation to the home, anytime of day – no worries about whether you left the outside light on or not.

Seating

Make sure people know they are welcome at your home. A few comfortable Adirondack chairs, or a patio set will show them that there is room to relax when they arrive at your home.

Exterior by Chicago Architects & Building Designers Searl Lamaster Howe Architects

Or a porch swinging will make people feel right at home.

Traditional Exterior by Austin Architects & Building Designers FAB Architecture

Architectural Details

Adding architectural details to your home, might be a little easier to do if you are building a home. This California home got it right with a mix of wood, antique flooring for the barnsiding, windows, shrubbery and cruiseship-style iron railings. The project name Lifegaurd Tower House is a great fit.

Contemporary Exterior by Manhattan Beach Architects & Building Designers Lazar Design+Build

But if you are updating an existing home, you can also make changes to the architectural details. to make the exterior of your home more beautiful. Some examples include adding shutters to the windows.

Traditional Porch by Covington Design-Build Firms Highland Homes, Inc.

Taking a grass path and adding a stone walkway.

Exterior by Mexico City Home Builders Carlos Avila ConE

You could change your front door.

Midcentury Entry by San Francisco Interior Designers & Decorators Kropat Interior Design

Outline your architecture with landscaping details. This home uses a stone border around the outside of the home to accent the architectural footprint.