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Exterior Curb Appeal help
We are in our first spring in a new house, anxious to better our curb appeal.
We are thinking of adding brick along our landscaping line, and adding dark mulch.
We also would like to add window flower boxes.
We want to add window shutters, however there is one window on the second level that doesn't have room for shutters on both sides. Does that mean we can't do shutters at all? Would shutters look bad on this house?
Its tough to tell the landscaping since we still have some snow around, so blooming bushes/plants/trees are not up yet.
We are on a tight budget...but don't mind getting our hands dirty. What ideas do you have to help guide us? Thanks so much!
We are thinking of adding brick along our landscaping line, and adding dark mulch.
We also would like to add window flower boxes.
We want to add window shutters, however there is one window on the second level that doesn't have room for shutters on both sides. Does that mean we can't do shutters at all? Would shutters look bad on this house?
Its tough to tell the landscaping since we still have some snow around, so blooming bushes/plants/trees are not up yet.
We are on a tight budget...but don't mind getting our hands dirty. What ideas do you have to help guide us? Thanks so much!
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I would change all the doors, re-do the retaining wall, do a new front walk, and all new plants - which will give you a dramatic change. You can do some of that yourself if you are skilled, or do in phases to make it affordable.
Do not do brick borders along the driveway - it's a big mistake I've warned clients against for 15 years. It only draws attention to the driveway (ask yourself, is the driveway the best thing about your house that you want to draw attention to?). Furthermore, small sections of brick pavers don't stay in place very well, so they will always come loose or be uneven after a winter or two. They also say "We wanted a brick driveway, but couldn't afford it, so we'll just do this little bit..."
Im not sure where you are located on this earth, so that may alter the plant selections. I am in the Toronto ON area, and have a lot of success with these plants. I would suggest easy to maintain choices such as tall ornamental grasses (generally drought tolerant), an Annabelle Hydrangea (white flower) between the two front windows to the left of the door & two where the current shrubs are in the sectioned off area.
You may also want to include some low lying (blue/gray-green) junipers (something that will only spread about 5', like 'Icee Blue Juniper') for the edge of the 'new garden' and a small ornamental tree such as a japanese maple (like Inaba Shidare Cutleaf Japanese Maple). Lavender is also an easy to maintain plant and great at any entrance.
Stick to shades that will complement the colour of your home like whites, blues and purples.
Good luck!
It is quite costly because you are have to buy big, heavy, uniform pieces to do this successfully, especially if you live in a climate where the ground freezes and thaws. For a tightly-fitting, level curb you are actually burying the stones halfway into the ground, maybe more, so that they don't move. If they shift, settle, or tilt it looks awful - like broken teeth. Better not do it at all if you can't do it right. I've never seen a DIY curbing project look very good or last long in a northern climate.
Here's why. If you want the finished curb to be 4" tall you need to buy stones, bricks, or blocks that are 8-10" tall. Below the curbing stones/bricks you will need 4"-6" of compacted gravel as a base, so you would have to excavate a trench anywhere from 8"-16" before you even start. You need the right gravel substrate, a mechanized plate compactor, and more muscle than the typical homeowner is prepared to exert to pound in each and every stone till it is perfectly level and won't budge. Some contractors even trowel-in a back support of concrete.
Personally I'd want to give serious consideration to warm tones to really soften all the chopped up lines. Also, I'd ask myself, "why white"? Click around here on Houzz and see if you can find some other colors that you fancy. In fact, how about the trim in a darker color than that on the body of the house? And those white eves...consider trying an experiment in the back on a portion of the eves there. Try a color or two of some shade that harmonizes with the gray of the roofing shingles. When it works it's makes for a rather dramatic impact.. For one thing the roof and eves become more of a linear element. And drawing out the horizontal for this dwelling could well make it sit the land better.
As for the doors...consider making a statement....brick red anyone?
The garage door well, you could have some fun with the thing. Get a roll of butcher paper and tape it on the door and let your inner 8 year old out to play with chalk and paint...could be something of a framed mural, eh? If you find a fun idea, easy to convert to real paint.
Have you considered planting boxes under the upstairs windows? Stick with simple linear shapes in your mind. Keep them rather shallow so you don't have heavy boxes stuck on the walls and let the extend past the edges of the windows...herbs would love to grow in such a box.