Don’t judge a book by its cover. That’s what we always say. Do you judge a home by its first impression? This is where curb appeal does make a difference. There are many ways you can clean up and stand out! In this blog you will lean some tips on creating a eye catching entry and how to get noticed from the curb!
1. Give it a Good Clean
Before we can get into it, get out that pressure washer! Don’t have a pressure washer, grab a bucket of water and some soap to wash down the porch. Clean out those cobwebs. Don’t forget to wash the windows. Starting off this project with a nice clean space, will make it shine even more!
2. Updating Lighting
Updating the lighting is the first easy fix! Typically a house comes with standard lighting that is usually either too small for the space or doesn’t highlight the area very well. Some people tend to think that this is an expensive fix. Definitely not. You might be looking in the wrong place. That is where I have become an expert in the field. Scoping out lighting for a fraction of the cost. Anther easy fix for a light makeover, spray paint them! Super easy and very inexpensive. A 5 buck can of paint goes a long way!
For this particular project I found a larger hanging pendent for the big space, the light before was lost as it was on the smaller scale. This particular pendent was purchased from Wayfair Professional. It is actually considered an indoor pendent. I sprayed it with two coats of Satin Clear Seal Protect & Revitalizes spray! Perfection!! The two scones on each side of the door we kept. The homeowner cleaned them up and made them looking like new!
3. Front Door Spruce up
Obviously the front door is the main attraction on the porch. If you find your door is in need of some TLC, no need to replace. Again, get that can of paint! Either sanding and staining it back to its beautiful vibrant color or painting it a pop of something new. This is where you can be very creative. Adding a pop of color is easy, can be changed and super inexpensive.
For this particular project the pop of color is evident within the wreath. Clearly you can see a theme with this porch. Bringing in the bright yellow of the lemons added an element of summer to come, and the warm weather ahead. I custom created this wreath for the client…something I am sure you can all create! If you need help, I would be happy to guide you through it, or you can contact me for one!
4. Add New Hardware
Adding new hardware can consist of several new little changes. From the door handle, door knocker, kick plate, door bell or even house numbers, this can make a huge impact. Depending on the style you are looking for, dressing it up your way can style a plan front door into a modern or country look. The options are endless when it comes to hardware.
For this project we added new house numbers. Some pop out, modern numbers that gave the door a classy new look.
5. Welcome Mat
This is a part of the ‘dressing up’ the porch, which will will also talk about in number 6. No matter what entry it is, side porch, garage, or front door, having a welcome mat makes it super inviting. The trick to a good mat is layering. A very popular choice of mats are the grass mats, which are great for getting dirt off your shoes, however often too small. They are also great to add character. Many of the grass mats come with saying or fun designs. What you should do, is place a larger mat under it, covering the distance of the door frame, included the sidelights. Below are a few of my favorite mats! Cute and fun!
6. Dressing up your Porch
This is where the fun decorating comes in! It is my favorite step. This can be done seasonally or just once…depending on who you are! There are a few important points and tricks to getting a decretive look right. One thing I will say is “Yes”, there can be too much stuff, so be careful and don’t over crowd the space. If it is a smaller porch, either stick with one side or trickling it down the front steps. You want to give the illusion of a larger space. So the opposite goes with large porches. You will want to display several things to fill in the gaps. The other major tip is to cluster in odd groupings. If it is a cluster of 3 or 6 different pot sizes. Keeping them in odd numbers will be eye catching.
On this particular project I worked with what the client had initially. So we had two large urns and a beautiful stone lion. Adding in the tall linear lemon trees, gave height and color (currently out of stock). while the different size lanterns created clusters of three and also brought in new elements of light and texture.
There are so many different ways you can bring your front porch to life. These are just a few tips, feel free to message me if you would like to know more. If you are in need of a refresh, maybe you just want to have it inviting for you or you are placing your home on the market, either way…I would love to help.
Jill
