Updating Your Front Entry In Attractive Ways
When it comes time to spruce up your home a bit, it is common to start thinking in terms of major improvements and costly add-ons. One of the most effective and inexpensive ways to update your home quickly, however, is to give some attention to the front entrance. It is not only the first thing that the world sees when they view your home, but it is also the first and last thing that your family sees when entering or exiting on a daily basis. Get some insights and ideas here on how to update the important part of your home in very little time.
Make your front entryway more attractive and more accessible with a wide pathway leading to the door. You do not want visitors or family members to be constantly trudging through mud or stumbling over shrubs and uneven patches of ground just to enter your home. Creating a simple pathway can bring aesthetic appeal as well as enhance safety. It does not have to be a poured concrete or other costly endeavor, but can be as simple as using flat pavers, gravel, pebbles or even landscaping bark. The important thing is to make it accessible and attractive, preferably with some curves and interesting features.
When planning the pathway leading to your front door, remember to install outdoor lighting along the sides. This will give the yard a warm glow in the evening hours, and will help guide people safely on the path, even in the darkness, fog or rain. If possible, choose lights that are energized by sunlight, to be more cost-effective and eco-friendly. Plant shrubs and small bushes along the pathway, choosing ones that flower in the spring and summer, while staying evergreen in the winter months.
Do not fall for the myth that a front door has to remain in the natural wood tints that it came in. One of the easiest and least expensive ways to brighten up a front entryway is to apply a fresh coat of paint to the door. Make sure it blends well with the rest of the exterior, but be bold and have fun with it. The great thing about paint is that it can be done in just a couple of hours, at very little cost, and can also be re-done whenever you choose. Consider red for the holidays and even orange for Halloween, or pastels in the spring. It can be painted over in no time at all. Another option is to just paint the trim in a contrasting and appealing color.
Take a look at the exterior hardware in your entry area, making sure that it all matches and has the same style. This can give a feeling of congruity and harmony to your home. Replace outdated and rusting hardware and choose contemporary styles that give a fresh look.
As you can see, brightening up your home from the outside can be as simple as doing a few easy things to the entry. Make yourself and everyone else smile when their eyes fall upon your home. It is, after all, where you live your life -- so make it stand out.
