After practically eight years of chipping away on the exterior of our home, I can affirm—entrance yard curb enchantment tasks are among the most rewarding. Generally, it simply takes somewhat sweat fairness and a sunny Saturday to make an enormous first impression.
We’ve finished our fair proportion of weekend warrior tasks round right here, and I can say with confidence that the “earlier than” and “after” moments are all the time value it.
This spring marks 8 years of us dwelling in our brick colonial home (arduous to consider), so I’m taking you on a recap journey of your entire curb enchantment makeover course of. That is the place we began 8 years in the past.
As all the time although, we all know each “after” is basically simply “progress”. As a result of truthfully, is a home ever actually “completed”? (If your own home is inform me what that’s like… I doubt I’ll ever know.)
For those who’re watching your entrance yard questioning the place to even begin, listed here are 16 entrance yard curb enchantment improve concepts we’ve finished through the years.
Entrance Yard Curb Enchantment Concepts
1. Limewash Brick
In December 2017, we took the massive scary leap of getting our brick exterior limewashed within the coloration Romabio Bianco White. A few years later, it’s nonetheless going robust! Usually, I like a deep purple pure brick, however I wasn’t a fan of the orange brick in our case.
What I like most about limewash is it nonetheless permits texture to peek via. In contrast to many paints on the market, limewash permits the bricks to breathe to forestall peeling or cracking. (Our contractor Hans at Reflections of Italy is a specifically educated artisan, and he’s completely wonderful!)
2. Paint the Storage Door
An upgraded storage door has been on our want listing for some time, however portray our current storage door Behr Cracked Pepper helped give it an enormous facelift for simply the price of paint. We used the identical coloration on our shutters and exterior doorways. That is what it regarded like proper after we completed it in 2017, and it nonetheless holding up completely.
3. Paint the Porch Flooring
porch ground paint could make a dated concrete slab or scuffed wooden look model new. I stenciled our terracotta porch ground a number of years in the past however not too long ago determined I most popular the simplified grey coloration (Behr Battleship Grey), so I painted over the stencil design.
We used Behr Porch & Patio Flooring Paint; it’s held up nice!
4. Widen and Clear Up Flower Beds
Huge flower beds = large wow issue. We did a significant DIY flower mattress makeover a number of years in the past by extending them. Ripping out weeds, pruning shrubs, and throwing down contemporary mulch is instantaneous gratification.
These had been our flower beds earlier than:
And right here is the after:
5. Add Stone Backyard Edging
Stone edging creates such a elegant border round flower beds and retains mulch in verify. It was again breaking work, however we couldn’t be happier with the top consequence.
We used Tremron Munich Stone within the coloration Sand Dune (the identical stone we used on our DIY yard fireplace pit).
6. Set up a New Mailbox
Bonus factors if it’s one with character or somewhat backyard mattress round it. This white mailbox now we have is HUGE!
All collectively, it made such an enormous distinction in our entrance yard.
Earlier than:
After:
7. Improve the Movement Sensor Lights
I used to be decided to have a “fairly” choice for movement sensor flood lights. Movement sensor lanterns had been a reasonably improve with operate in thoughts round our storage.
8. Spray Paint Planter Pots
By no means underestimate the ability of spray paint. We stretched our low cost pots and spray paint stash to make these DIY concrete look planters.
9. Use UV Handled Pretend Crops
As a lot as I like actual crops, they inevitably die inside 2 weeks in my care. So I’m an enormous fan of utilizing lifelike UV handled fake crops for porches. Perhaps at some point as soon as my youngsters are grown I can deal with caring for actual crops. But it surely’s not in my wheelhouse at this level in my life.
10. Restore the Garden
Rescuing our dying garden was a tough journey. For years, our youngsters couldn’t play within the grass due to brambles and thorny weeds. However now it’s as mushy as an opulent inexperienced carpet.
It took a couple of yr of babying our grass to encourage wholesome development. Now now we have an area garden care pal (Tanner at Palmetto Garden Providers) who helps us hold it wholesome.
11. Change the Entrance Door
We actually beloved our previous entrance door and needed to maintain it. But it surely was an vitality effectivity nightmare actually leaking cash into skinny air. And our darkish entryway wanted extra pure mild.
We discovered our new door at an area constructing provide warehouse right here in Charlotte (Pop’s Constructing Supplies) and employed an area contractor (Mike Bates) to do the heavy lifting that was past our DIY skillset. We instantly noticed a lower in our vitality invoice!
12. Paint the Entrance Door
After set up, we painted the door the identical coloration as our shutters: Behr Cracked Pepper.
13. Replace Outdated Porch Lights
You’d be stunned what a lightweight fixture replace can do for nighttime appeal within the curb enchantment division. This copper lantern was a splurge for us, however not practically as a lot of a splurge as a actual fuel lantern.
14. Attempt a Flame Bulb for a Fuel Lantern Look
Since working an expensive fuel line to a lantern was out of our funds, I did some analysis to search out the most lifelike flame bulb to search out the clear winner. It’s unbelievable how a lot it appears like an actual flame!
15. Add Photo voltaic Panorama Lights
We had photo voltaic panorama lights out right here for just a few years, however these stone look photo voltaic spot lights are subsequent degree! Line the walkway or tuck just a few in your flower beds for fast cozy glow, no wiring required.
16. Replace the Roof
This was an expensive improve however because it was one we needed to sort out anyway as a result of our previous roof was broken, we took the chance to get designer shingles (CertainTeed Belmont in Colonial Slate). They added a lot character!
(Our contractor right here in Charlotte was Taylor Roofing – couldn’t be happier with their work.)
That’s it! 8 years value of curb enchantment tasks and fairly a metamorphosis.
We nonetheless have entrance yard issues on our to-do listing like:
- Repave the cracking walkway and driveway (possibly even substitute them with pavers)
- Change the too-small gutters (we’d love copper cutters however not completely certain in the event that they’re value the price)
- Improve the storage door
- Preserve giving the landscaping some like to encourage extra development
Even when nothing else occurs from right here although, we’re content material with the place the outside of our house is correct now.
Right here’s a full “earlier than” and “after” with a nighttime take care of 8 years of progress.
What’s in your curb enchantment to-do listing proper now? I’d love to listen to what you’re engaged on within the feedback.
