People may say never judge a book by its cover, but in fact, that’s exactly what we tend to do. When it comes to your home, first impressions are the most important. No matter how beautiful your home may be on the inside, it’s the front of your house that draws people in and creates a lasting impression. It’s important to think about how others, including friends and family, will feel when they walk through your front door. Fortunately, it’s easy to avoid neglecting exterior features. By making a few, simple changes, you can control those first impressions and make your house that much more beautiful in the process.
The Big Picture
If you’re thinking about redecorating your home, the first thing to do is to take a step back. Head towards the front of your house and have look back on your home. Does its façade fit with the rest of the neighbourhood? What does the exterior paint job look like? Remember, one of the most effective ways to add immediate appeal to your home is to freshen it up with a new coat of paint. Not only will this take years off the life of your house and perhaps even enable you to experiment more successfully with your own colour palate, it will also add value to the overall worth of your home. Be sure also to consider the outdoor colour trim of your home – the spaces around windows and doors. If you’re on a budget, it may be that by repainting these areas alone, your house gets that extra lift you’re looking for. If money is particularly tight, consider simply giving your exterior a good clean. Nothing makes a house look more tired and old than blistered paint and mildew. Even a bit of water can make a difference by removing any accumulated dirt.
The First Entry
As you and your guests approach your house, the first point of welcome is your porch or patio. Although this is technically an outdoor space, it’s important to give your guests a good first taste of your style and make them want to come inside to see the rest. Firstly, make sure the space is neat and tidy. Nobody wants to be greeted by clutter, so if you have any shoes, games or additional things lying around, find a convenient place to stow them so they will not be in the way. Make sure your porch is swept regularly to remove any dirt or leaves, and that there is a clear, uninhibited path to your door. If you have furniture in your porch or patio, try and arrange it so that it sits at angles across each other, to create the feeling of conversation. A bright or colourful chair can be a real feature, and brighten up the entrance to your home.
Think carefully about the floor space. As with indoors, a rug can bring a space together and make it feel more comfortable and homey. In the case of this outdoor space, a water and mould resistant option could be a worthy investment. Certainly one of the fastest and most effective ways of showing off your entryway is to add some greenery. Not only can it link the exterior of your home to the house itself, it can be used as a perfect means to decorate to match the seasons and to show off your own green fingers. Potted plants are at home outside almost any house, whether you place them around the edges of your porch, or arrange then on shelves for optimal sunlight, they will add life and radiance to the space. Finally, consider adding a few indoor touches as well. Just as lighting is important inside your home, it can also play a role in helping you to enjoy your outdoor space as well. An outdoor lamp can enable you to stay outside for longer, enjoying cool summer breezes, as well as providing that bridge between the outdoor and the indoor for your guests.
The Small Touches
As your guests approach the house and want to enter inside, they will be confronted finally with your front door. A front door is more than the key to the rest of the house, it is the first point of contact and needs to make however opens it feel positive about entering the home beyond. The design of the door itself can be simple. If this is the case, you may want to consider making it more attractive by thinking about striking paint colours or materials. Another way to make your door stand out is to include eye-catching features, such as designer These Please door knobs. There is nothing like something colourful and original to bring attention to your door and lift it out of the two dimensional space. If it’s a certain time of year, think about adding some greenery to the door, and decorating it in line with changing weather. All these easy touches can transform the exterior of your home into a welcoming, attractive space you and your guests will want to spend time in.
