FIRST IMPRESSIONS
While many of us gladly spend time making the insides of our homes look good, it's the curb appeal outside that first catches the eye.
Ken Best, of Synthesis Design, says that trip to the front door should include a sense of satisfaction in the look of your home.
Curb appeal is the catch phrase that refers to the exterior look of a home, and Best says designing curb appeal is like putting a stamp on your home that feels like you and that feels good to drive up to every day.
Curb appeal can be created by designing landscaping in front of the home, improving the look of the driveway, painting the entire home or touching up the trim, painting the front door, or installing a decorative mail box or other front-yard elements.
There are a number of questions to consider when starting the process of transforming or subtly refining the look of a home: Are the plantings too big or too small? Are the driveway and the front of the house on speaking terms? Is there something the homeowners wish their guests would ignore before reaching the front door? And what about that front door?
"You're taking all these different elements and having to set them all together into something that feels very unified," says Best.
Even smaller details can contribute to the overall look, such as the home's address. The numbers on a home can blend in with the paint job, or they can be something distinct.
"There are so many options available and obviously that's a hugely functional and esthetic consideration," says Best. "People have to be able to find your place."
Lighting is also a consideration and can become a part of the exterior design. A simple lighting concept can illuminate a path for guests and steer the eye toward the most pleasing elements of a home, such as its paint job.
When it comes to painting, Best generally recommends a colour for the home, a trim colour, and another colour for the door.
"Re-painting a house is not an inexpensive proposition, but if the colour that's picked is timeless enough and it's going to last for a long time, it's a worthwhile investment," he says.
Hiring a professional to draft an overarching vision for the esthetics of the home is usually better than taking the do-it-yourself approach, according to Best.
"People often try to do these things on their own and it's very difficult for a homeowner to put all these different elements together and make them feel really unified," he says, adding he takes special pleasure in working on gathering places.
"I always love the projects where you feel like you're creating a space where people are going to get together with their family and friends," he says.
"When you've got someone who loves to entertain and who loves to have other people around and what you're doing is helping them create a backdrop for sharing their life with other people, those are always the ones that are the best for me because I feel like that's design at its best."
JEREMY SHEPHERD . [email protected]
