If you are getting a home with a low-lying facade and you are looking to boost its curb appeal, there are some things you can do that will help spruce things up. If you are looking to add some curb appeal to a flat-front home, your work is going to be somewhat different from if your homes facade has a little bit of depth. The fronts of many homes can be detriments to curb appeal, and you need to look for ways to alter this.
If you have the time and the budget, you can significantly improve your homes curb appeal with small additions, like front porch arbors, trellis-style or brown-barreled pergolas, or a front porch porte-cochere. If you have the budget, you can even add a porch on the front, which will create some size on either the front or the sides of your home. More specifically, for the front porch, heres what you can do with one that will help to enhance your homes curve-to-curve charm. Extend your front yards landscaping outwards and to the sides, and consider including an arbor, a gate, or a compelling walkway.
Adding tall trees to the side, evergreen shrubs to the middle of the home with flat facades, and rocks with flowers from several types of plants would give different heights and a splash of color at the front of the house. Then, lower shrubs and flowers can fill in the center portion of the front yard, while grass and ground covers are placed around the patios and walkways. You can also plant fun things in the yard to provide a colorful contrast to your home facade. Consider adding lights on your porch, above the front door, around your garage, and along the driveway for added accents.
The color contrast of your front door with your homes exterior will give you depth and interest that is instantaneous improvements. You can add these colors right into the outside walls by adding molding around the windows and doors. If you like the shape or style of your door as it is, you can switch up the colors at a canning expense. If you prefer to do nothing extra with your house, one very easy upgrade is painting the front door in a bolder color.
If you cannot afford to paint the whole house at once, however, consider painting your shutters or applying a new coat of paint on your front door. If you are hesitant about painting the front of your house, at least make it look brighter by cleaning it well and making your various fixtures glow. You could also just opt for painting a door or a portion of your house, if you are not looking to spend much money, but you still want a fresh feel. If your door is the same door the original builder placed in your house, you could even swap out the doors for ones that make a statement with carved ornate panels or rustic embellishments.
Since doors are very main points of interest in split-level homes, consider replacing it with one with a little bit more character, or at the very least, painting it. If your house still has a base steel garage door from the time you built, that is another opportunity to add some character and curb appeal. Putting in a few shutters could give your homes front elevation a bit of dimension, which will greatly increase its curb appeal. Window boxes or shutters are another good way you can bring some life into a front elevation with otherwise limited charm.
These will frame your windows with a bit more texture, and if you pick a good color, will break up your homes facade as well. Adding some structure to the exterior of your home really helps the depth of interest created by the outside of your home. Even a little porte-cochere placed over the front door supported with L-brackets, instantly adds dimension and becomes a focal point for the fronts of many homes. As you can see, the options are endless, but adding natural materials like rocks, rocks, and pebbles is sure to set your front house apart.
If you are feeling really inspired, you could go with a lower rock fencing which not only looks great, but adds some complexity and a natural element to your front yard. You also could swap out your lower siding or brick with manufactured stone panels, like this New York homeowner who installed those panels along the base of his raised ranch, and on his front steps and around his front door.
Adding elements like shutters, front porches, and landscaping also will build a variety of textures into your house, giving it a little extra character. Elements such as vertical or slender siding panels and trim, decorative shutters, and stonework will bring your home from boring and bland to gorgeous.
From adding a custom-designed front porch to replacing outdated vinyl siding, there are many ways you can improve your homes exterior. One of the best ways to give your otherwise bland home an edge is by overhauling the doors and trim. When thinking about a general plan for attacking your homes exterior, whether it is painting the trim, adding planters, or landscaping your yard, do not be shy about going for a few splashes of color and other fun architectural touches that make your house pop out from the road and stand out.
Decorating your homes facade is not all about plants and colors — lighting is an important factor, too, particularly for those who view your home when evening falls. The flat facade of your home may have thrown you off in terms of lighting fixtures, but landscaping lights casting tiny rays onto the front helps designs such as a Georgian colonial feel grand. For an accent color, take advantage of the idea of contrasting colors and add shutters, which add character, dimension, and texture, drawing attention to the windows.