Your exterior design is an extension of your home and a reflection of the person you are. It is where you come home to, and it in a way determines how safe you feel. This also extends into the sense of security that your family feels in your home. So, why not make sure that your exterior design is appealing and encourages people to want to come and visit?
There are a ton of things that go into making an exterior design better: landscaping, roofing, paint color, window type. The list goes on and on. While there are many things to take into consideration when designing your exterior, it can be difficult to know where to start.
The following tips will help you make smarter decisions that result in a more beautiful, inviting space for both yourself and visitors alike.
Install Outdoor Lights
Outdoor lights are a great way to make your home stand out at night. Some people prefer the soft glow of recessed lights, while others like a more vibrant look from the track lighting. Perhaps you would rather have spotlights to highlight your landscaping. Installing lighting can help with security, not just making your home pretty at night. Whatever you choose, adding exterior lights will increase security and improve the beauty of your home.
Pick a Better Color For Your Exterior
Many people spend hours agonizing over the perfect paint color for their interior. However, when designing an exterior, most tend to stick with neutral colors like white or gray. While these colors are great for uniformity, they can be very boring and unimaginative. If your home’s exterior is the first thing people see when you welcome them, then it is time to step out of your comfort zone.
You are not just painting the walls of a room in your house, so choose something fun and lively. While picking a color for exterior design can be somewhat subjective, there are rules to follow when deciding what color looks best on what kind of home. For example, if you have a brick or stone facade, pick colors that have warm tones, like reds and oranges. If you have more of a frame-style house, try gentler tones like blues and greens.
Contrast Interior And Exterior Style
The most interesting homes are those that look completely different from how you would expect them to look from the street view. This is because the contrast is interesting and visually appealing. Contrasting your exterior design elements with the interior of your home will make it look unique, artistic, and sophisticated.
This can be done by using similar materials for both the interior and exterior or contrasting the two styles completely. For example, if you are building a modern home, choose bricks or stones for the exterior instead of engineered wood to create an interesting visual dynamic between what you see from the street view and what you see when you walk in through your front door.
Enhance Your Landscape
Large, beautiful landscapes can act as a barrier between you and strangers entering your home. Instead of just planting flowers in the front, consider what other landscaping possibilities may be available to you, such as using composite decking. If there are trees on your property, place some bird feeders near them so that birds will start to build a home in your yard. Landscaping like this can increase the curb appeal of your home dramatically, increasing the value and safety of your home.
If you have a tree or other structure overhead, aim to light these areas so that people can both see where they are walking and so you can enjoy the beauty of your landscape at night. If your home truly welcomes you with a beautiful landscape, then all that is left to do is sit back and enjoy it. This is not only attractive, but it will also alert you when something suspicious is going on.
Creating A Water Feature In Your Yard
One of the best things about landscaping is that it can be customized to fit any aesthetic you have in mind. That being said, the cheapest and easiest way to upgrade your exterior design is by just creating a water feature in your backyard. If having a pool is way out of your price range, then try building a small pond or even just some potted plants with flowing water from them.
There are many ways to add this element into landscapes, depending on how much time and money you would like to spend. Having a water feature in your yard can add interest to the exterior design while also adding a peaceful, calming element. If you have an aesthetically modern home and want it to look more welcoming and less sterile, then creating some kind of water feature may be what you need.
Creating A Focal Point In Your Exterior Design
The best way to create a focal point is by creating a contrast between two different elements that are visually interesting. For example, if your house has large windows, but very little front landscaping, then plant flowers just outside the windows, so they pop out against the inside of the house. Even though these exterior design elements will not be visible from the street view, they will make your home feel larger and more inviting once people are inside.
Depending on the interior design of your house, you can use different things to create a focal point that works for both styles. For example, if you have a very modern home with lots of sleek-looking furniture, then try using some rustic pieces outside the house to make it feel more inviting. If there are beautiful wood floors inside your home, paint them the same color as the exterior because this will make it look like they were meant to be together from the start.
Designing the exterior of your space is something that you should take seriously. No matter if it’s a small addition or an entire re-design, there are plenty of ways to make your design much better than before, and we’ve laid out just some of them in this blog post for you.
