No matter the type of home you have, the entry to your home is the first impression. Here are some tips and simple projects to amp up your curb appeal!
This past weekend marked the first official day of Spring and I can see the first signs of the seasons changing. The fresh air is begging for some outdoor projects and today I want to share some tips and simple projects to amp up your curb appeal! No matter the type of home you have, the entry to your home is the first impression. Whether decorated to the nines, strictly functional, or a relaxing porch, the exterior tells visitors and passersby about who lives in the home.
Much like the interior of our house when we first moved in, the exterior had been horribly neglected. Although we have primarily focused on the indoors of the house, I have been working on this stoop area since last fall. With some simple and inexpensive projects, it came to life as an inviting gateway to greet guests and visitors.
A Fresh Coat Of Paint
Giving your door a fresh coat of paint in a complementary color is an easy project that can make a dramatic change. Our door was originally a very oxidized red and, frankly had adhesive stuck on it from all the foreclosure notices. Now, a pop of blue against the dusty red brick creates a stately and updated focal point for the exterior of the house. In our case, blue is also a great color that blends with any landscape and most seasonal decor.
Spring Lawn Maintenance
The fall is the best time for overseeding and aeration. However, pesky bare spots can still remain after all that hard work. At the base of our beautiful flowering plum tree, we could not get grass to grow. We needed a product that was targeted for our problem rather than just grass seed, so we used this EZ Seed product which is made specifically for repairing bare spots. It is a mix of seed and mulch, and also has a formula to neutralize dog urine spots.
A nice way to transition from hard surfaces like concrete or a driveway is to edge the front yard with a few feet’s worth of landscaping and mulch. There are several varieties of barriers to keep a clear demarcation between the mulch and grass including stones, bricks, and even this “invisible barrier” we bought from the hardware store. Of course, we dug up the grass in order to lay these so we patched them this spring as well.
Spruce Up The Outdoor Decor
Is the doormat looking a little too weathered? Or, perhaps the walkway could use a good power cleaning. Spring is a great time for a fresh start and replacing worn out fixtures and decor. Maintenance doesn’t have to break the budget, though. Originally, I wanted to spray paint our builder grade and heavily worn brass fixtures. Hubby convinced me to replace them instead because several glass panels were broken. Really, he just hated them. The new candelabra lights serve as an architectural detail that makes a small but definite upgrade to the house.
A mix of structured shrubs and flowering plants turn a dull landscape into a paradise. Don’t feel the need to go overboard and plant everything in one year. I like to purchase a few new plants each season for a year-round landscape. This year I have added some containers to flag each side of the doorway. I am filling them with annuals while adding perennials to the lawn area. Topiaries are another great option to add a sculptural element to your porch.
It’s completely a personal preference but I love seasonal decorations. A simple wreath is fine or maybe a standout flag for the garden area. Grab them on sale when out of season for a great deal! I have collected a few wreaths in coordinating colors for the door. I have the egg wreath for Easter and spring and one day I hope to make it a double wreath that will be larger. I also have a patriotic themed wreath, a fall wreath, and the traditional Christmas wreath. I also created a huge vertical welcome sign for the entry way which I will post a tutorial for at a later date.
Enjoy Spring!
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alice says
Hi! What kind and how large wood piece did you use for your welcome/believe wooden sign? And thanks for posting the idea of buying the letters to trace or glue on!
Rachel says
The board is about an 8inch wide pine board from lowes or home depot. It was a leftover board that we had laying around but I would guess it to be rated for outdoor use, like deck boards are. I just switched ours around to the believe side and that is always so fun, like ringing in Christmas!
airbnb cleaning sydney says
This is beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing your ideas, Love the cleanliness of your house!
Megan says
What paint color did you use on the door?
Rachel says
That color was from Lowes. I think it was called Star Spangled Blue.
Bobbie says
Hi Rachel,
Your door is beautiful and my brick looks just like yours. I was hoping to spruce up my door with this color. Lowe’s can’t seem to find this shade called Star spangled Blue. The shade that looks like it is called
Valspar Deep Space. Does this sound familiar to you?. Thank you….
Rachel says
I tried looking for the old can that I used for my front door and unfortunately I couldn’t find it. It was a sample size so it may have just been a seasonal color at the time. From photos on the internet, it’s looks like Deep Space may be a bit lighter than what I used, but it is hard to tell. You could also compare a photo to HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams Delft Pottery Interior or Olympic Brilliant Blue and see if those are any closer. I see that both should be available at Lowes. I wish I could be more helpful, but I hope you find the color you are looking for.
security door malaysia says
that’s one amazing paint job you have done to your door, it surely will attract people to your door step. 😀
kay Storm says
what paint color did you use on front door….?? it’s beautiful!
Rachel says
Awww, thanks! That is Star Spangled and I got it at Lowes in a sample can size.
Sam says
OMG, I LOVE your front door! It looks so amazing in that shade of blue!!
Rachel says
Thank you so much, Sam! I love how the blue pops against the red brick. So much better than that boring old rust red color it was.
Jen @ Fresh Crush says
Your front entry is gorgeous. And, totally agree, painting your door gives it SUCH a fresh feeling. Love these tips!
Merryjo@PAINTONLINE.COM says
the color of your door really pops. This is really beautiful.
Rachel says
Thank you so much! It is much improved over the dingy rust color and I love it.
Jessica says
You have a beautiful front yard and the color of your door really pops. You rarely ever see Blue doors in a dark hue, I like it!