Once you have found the perfect location, creating your personal outdoor space is easy.
With careful planning, it is easy to transform any house into your dream home. When buying a new home, look for the requirements that cannot be changed, such as location and price. Creating the perfect space inside is achievable through paint, flooring, cabinetry, fabrics and accessories. Transforming the exterior of your home can be as simple as painting and planting flowers and shrubs. Making home improvements not only makes the space more comfortable for you, but can add value to your home. Here are some tips for designing the exterior of your home. Does this Spark an idea?
Paint
Freshen the outside of your home with paint. Research when your home was built, and find out what exterior colors were popular during that time. You will need to select three colors for the exterior. The first color is for the main body of your home. The second color is for the trim, such as shutters and windows. Select a color that is a lighter or darker shade from the main color. The final color is the accent color, used to highlight architectural elements and draw the eye. Accent colors should be boldly different from the main color, but still should complement the main color of the home. Some homes, such as Victorians, can benefit from more than three colors, as their ornate architecture lends itself to a multitude of colors.
Windows
Replacing old, drafty windows will upgrade the exterior and help to lower your energy bills. Expand the space of a room, by adding a bay or bow window. The addition of a bay window accentuates the front of your home and increases the natural light inside. Upgrade other windows in keeping with the architectural style of the home. For example, an Arts and Crafts or Mission style home would benefit visually from incorporating elongated windows featuring small rectangular panes of leaded glass on the top sash and single pane at the bottom. Frame the windows with shutters and plant a flower box at the bottom.
Create an Inviting Entry
The entry to your home should be a focal point. If guests are confused as to where the main entry is, then it is time to create one. A flat front is given dimension by adding columns, topped with an overhang constructed to match your home's roof line. Not only will the entry become the focal point, but this overhang will protect you and your guests from the elements. Increase the natural light in your entry by flanking each side of the door with side transom windows. Paint the door a high contrast color and install lighting under the architectural overhang.
Light It Up
Lighting is as equally important outside the home, as it is inside. A well-lit property is safe and deters burglars, since lighting limits hiding places. First, add decorative lighting fixtures at the door, garage and at the beginning of the walkway. Use solar lights to light the path to your front door and place lighting strategically in your landscaping to highlight various features, such as a tall tree or a garden path. Then, use motion detectors, installed on corners, to illuminate anyone or anything that approaches the perimeter. Motion detectors also may scare away nocturnal creatures, such as opossums or raccoons.
Landscaping
No exterior renovation is complete without greenery. A green lawn, small trees, shrubberies and flowers accentuate your entire home, making it approachable and inviting. Consider ground cover that requires little maintenance, such as English ivy, instead of grass, which requires maintenance during warm months. Plant several types of shrubbery that will pick up the colors of your home and an abundance of perennial and annual flowers in pots flanking your porch, windows, and walkways. Flank the steps to your front door with large pots of colorful, blooming and fragrant flowers.
Backyard Improvements
Extend the living space of your home with a deck or patio. Destination central in the summer, your outdoor space should include a lot of seating and an area for grilling. Add a water feature that will be pleasant to look at and act as a sound muffler to neighbors and traffic. Include a vegetable garden to grow your own organic veggies and a shed for storage.
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