Curb Appeal in your home

Does your home have curb appeal? Is it esthetically pleasing or does it go unnoticed? Here are a few tips to improve the look of your home. If you have a small front yard with grass consider removing all the grass and add a garden with stepping stones, natural rocks and low maintenance shrubs and plants.

Grass is time consuming to maintain and requires frequent watering to keep it looking at its best. A garden, in my opinion, is the best solution if you live in the city with a small yard. A look I have seen growing more and more popular is a rock garden where all the soil is covered by river rocks and there are only a handful of plants. This look reminds me of Japanese gardens and often has a Zen like feel to it but this is also a great solution for yards that have difficult growing conditions or roots from a very large tree that make it difficult for planting.

For a standard garden choose one ornamental tree or shrub as your main focal point of interest. Japanese Maples are great as a focal point of interest. Japanese Maples come in many varieties – for smaller yards the cascading Cutleaf varieties are beautiful and for larger yards there are a number of taller Japanese Maple trees that are simply stunning. I would suggest placing your ornamental tree closer to the house rather than placing it in the middle of your yard. Remember to include evergreens such as low lying Junipers, Yews, Mugo pine, Nest Spruce etc, as they will provide winter interest. Dwarf Burning Bushes, Corkscrew Witch Hazels and Dogwoods provide winter interest as well. Plant annuals and bulbs in bare areas to add a pop of colour.

Accessorize your porch by adding one large potted urn by your front door or by the front stairs which instantly updates the entranceway to your home as well as adding additional colour. Update the plants in your urn each season to keep it looking fresh and interesting. Hanging baskets off the porch ceiling are perfect for injecting additional colour to your yard as well.

A seating area on your front porch makes your home inviting and welcoming. If furniture is not in your budget buy a Loveseat or chairs from your local yard sale and spray paint them. Update old chairs with new seat cushions. Consider adding an outdoor rug as well. I have been very impressed with the selection of outdoors rugs available as of late and at very reasonable prices. Include accessories such as a beautiful iron door mat, outdoor lanterns, decorative plant hooks, landscape lighting, a stylized address plate, a beautiful mailbox and consider updating your front door with new hardware or perhaps paint your front door altogether. Red doors are a popular choice and can be very dramatic but red doesn’t work for everyone. Deep slate grey can be dramatic as well and works well in many settings but you really need to assess the colours of your house and make sure your door colour will compliment your house.

Keep your recycling bins in the side or back yard if you can rather than storing them on your porch or in front of your house. I find they can be distracting and visually unappealing. If you have no where else to store your bins there are storage units available in hardware stores which are specifically designed to conceal recycling and garbage bins. Keeping your porch area clean, tidy and inviting will enhance the curb appeal of your home.

One last very important suggestion is to keep your windows clean. Clean windows can have such a positive impact in your home. Not only does your home look fresh and revitalized, but clean windows will allow the sunlight to enter your home easier thus aiding in heating your home naturally.

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