Ideal for giving your home’s kerb appeal the wow factor…
With so much focus falling on the size of your sofa, the colour of your kitchen and the comfort of your toilet seat, sometimes your home’s exterior design can get overlooked. But the kerb appeal of your property counts for so much, whether you’re intending to sell up and move on in the near future, or you simply relish that warm welcome a manicured front garden and neatly paved driveway can bring as stroll towards your front door.
For those tired of looking inward and keen to cast their gazes expansively to their gardens, driveways, facades, walls and windows, then read on; here are 6 exterior design ideas for a stunning, standout home, IDEAL for giving your home’s kerb appeal the wow factor.
Master Your Front Garden
If you’re blessed with a front garden, then for heaven’s sake, make the most of it! This is one area of your property which is on display to the world, which makes it a prime candidate for some TLC and attention. Doing so can distinguish your property from other similar offerings in the neighbourhood, and makes a statement about your stylish yet effortless taste.
So, endeavour to get any green space you’re lucky enough to have looking pristine, primed and ready. Let’s face it; an overgrown, unloved front garden tends to speak volumes about the state of the property as a whole, don’t you think? Because if the owner can’t be bothered to take care of the small patch of land out front, we dread to think what’s lurking within.
Keep this mantra in mind when you trim back shrubbery and weed diligently, mulch flower beds, prune, and make sure the whole area is ready for some finessing. They’re dirty, tiresome jobs, but someone’s got to do them! Then, you can set about introducing hanging baskets, window boxes, and planting new flower beds.
If you have a lawn, do make sure that you’re watering it deeply and diligently, preferably early morning or late evening to reduce the opportunity for evaporation and taking care not to overdo it. Doing so will guarantee a verdant green.
Mow regularly but not so obsessively; you don’t want your lawn to look like it’s balding, but you do want it suggestive of a fresh trim. Once a year, make the effort to dethatch your lawn, using a specialist rake, aerating the grass and giving it a clean run at growing healthily. Experts suggest early Spring as the best time to do so.
It’s All About The Driveway
One of the most prominent yet overlooked areas of your home is the driveway. When selling a property, a well-laid driveway design can add value to your home and attract potential buyers and the roving eye of passersby, equally, with understated but reassuring quality a must.
Landscaping your driveway with kerbs or plants can really make your driveway ping. Decorative kerbs, in particular, are ideal for edging your driveway and can add that finishing touch adeptly.
The driveway sets the tone and character of your house. Therefore, you want to make sure it matches the overall aesthetic of the exterior of your home. To not consider this would be to risk a jarring effect. And let’s face it; first impressions count.
Adding a border of plants or grass to your driveway will frame it succinctly, too. Foliage and flowers can also work well at lifting the facade of your house tenfold and will soften any boundaries between your driveway and home. Moreover, it’s better for the environment; purely hard driveway surfaces can contribute to floods whereas rainfall on grass or plants will soak it up.
Read: 5 purchases to bring both functionality and flair to your driveway
Illuminate Your Pathway
Lighting plays a crucial role in enhancing the exterior appeal of your home, especially during the evening and night hours. A well-lit pathway not only ensures safety but also adds a touch of elegance and warmth to your property. Solar-powered path lights are an eco-friendly and cost-effective way to light up your walkway. They are easy to install and come in various designs, creating a welcoming glow that guides visitors to your front door.
For a contemporary look, consider installing LED strip lights along the sides of your pathway. These lights can be embedded into the ground or attached to the edges of your walkway, providing a continuous line of light that highlights the path. Motion sensor lights are another excellent option, adding an element of security to your home by automatically turning on when they detect movement, ensuring safe navigation even in the dark.
For a more traditional and charming look, lanterns or wall sconces can be mounted on posts or walls, providing a soft, ambient light that enhances your home’s aesthetic. Uplighting trees or large plants along your pathway can create a dramatic effect, adding depth and dimension to your garden with a beautiful interplay of light and shadows.
String lights are a versatile and festive option, perfect for draping along fences, pergolas, or across the pathway to create a magical ambiance. If your pathway includes steps, step lights are essential for safety, providing subtle yet effective illumination that prevents trips and falls.
By thoughtfully incorporating these lighting ideas, you can transform your pathway into a captivating feature that enhances the overall kerb appeal of your home, making it more inviting and ensuring it stands out beautifully, day or night.
Paint A Mural
Can I really paint my house any colour, we hear you ask? Well, environment lawyer Alison Ogley tells The Guardian that “if you want to paint your house a particular colour, then you have particular development rights to do so, but local authorities can remove those rights. Everybody has to check for themselves that there isn’t what’s called an article 4 direction in place in their area. If there is, the rights to paint your house any colour you want has been taken away.”
Of course, there are certain rules which apply for listed buildings and you may end up falling foul with your neighbours and the local council. However, painting the facade can really make it pop – you’re here for exterior design ideas for a standout home, after all. If painting your whole home is a bit too bold and brash for the overall attitude of your street, then have fun with the colour of your door, instead.
If you’re keen to avoid breaking planning law or annoying your neighbours, then why not sling up something that’s still quirky and colourful, but a little more transient? Out front, you could introduce a statement sculpture, erect some bunting, or even hoist your family’s own flag. If the latter sounds like your sort of thing, then rest assured that you can now buy flagpole parts that are large and sturdy enough to survive the unpredictable nature of the Great British weather, rather than buckling at the first sign of a strong gust.
Think Foliage
Though a manicured look in the front garden certainly speaks volumes about the conscientiousness of the owner, a little organised chaos can also appear stylish in the right hands.
The key here is to add plants that don’t need much maintenance. Choose a combination of plants that flower in every season and ensure that the plants won’t grow too tall, blocking natural light from entering your windows.
Consider a flower that smells wonderful, like lavender, jasmine or honeysuckle for a really welcoming, refreshing burst of aroma when you come home. How lovely that sounds.
Adding a pergola to park your car under that’s made with climbing plants is great for providing shade for your vehicles in the summer months. Climbing or rambling roses offer a timeless while certain species of flowering Clematis can give you colour throughout the year.
Hanging baskets can bring some colour to your garden, too, and fast, if you don’t have the time to plant flowers and tend to them, and can look natural, rugged but totally beautiful!
To perfect your hanging basket displays in time for the summer months, you should ideally be planting them in April. However, be prepared to protect them from any potential frost well into May. Calibrachoa is a good choice to add to your basket, alongside blue petunias – a flower which is known for being weather resistant.
If you’re looking for a more expansive look, consider creepers. Though some believe these are bad for your exterior walls, other horticulturalists are less convinced, suggesting these climbing plants are harmless, and may even offer a layer of protection against the elements. Either way, a climbing plant which covers the facade of your property can look gorgeous.
A More Seasonal Approach
It’s only July, but December will come back round before you know it. We’re sorry we even said that.
But when it does, it’s best to be prepared. So, get ahead of those neighbourhood turf wars while you can and start planning your Christmas decorations as soon as possible. Not only does it give you something to look forward to, but you’ll also get a head-start on the purchasing rush, maybe even bagging some savvy savings in sales along the way.
Decorating the exterior of your home with seasonality in mind shouldn’t only be confined to Christmas, however. You can deploy seasonal plants and flowers all year round, with the emergence of apple blossom, daffodils, orchids and tulips all just around the corner. We can’t wait!
Summer sees chrysanthemums, daisies, marigolds and sunflowers come into their own, and speaks of the optimism and vibrancy of the warmest season. Harness that energy with a seasonal outdoor display and you’ll create a truly inviting vibe for your property.
In Autumn, that creeping, climbing plant we recommended earlier will turn the most gorgeous shades of amber, auburn and crimson. And repeat next year!
Deck The Walls
If you’re looking for a way to revitalise the outward appearance of your home, rendering might just be the answer you’re looking for.
An easy way to breathe new life into your home’s exterior, it’s the perfect solution to an unsightly façade of aged or cracked brickwork. This can add a neat, tidy finish to the front of your home; consider the overall aesthetic and its appropriateness for rendering before moving forward.
Meanwhile if you’re the artistically-inclined type, the walls of your home might just be the perfect canvas for a flourish of creativity. Consider creating a mural on the front of your home, as we mentioned, or even try spray-painting your garage door for that suburban-cool look. Fair warning though – be wary of setting your teens loose with a spray can unless you’re up for some eyebrow-raising designs.
The Bottom Line
Though they say that you should never judge a book by its cover, we think it’s fair to say that you can learn a lot about a property from its facade, front garden and even its driveway. As such, we hope you’ve found some inspiration on how to make those first impressions of your home count.
