How does the guarantee of a great first impression for your home’s entrance sound to you? Curb appeal improvements can wow visitors, plus they can also add to your home’s value on the market, if you were ever to think of selling. And, contrary to popular belief, renovating your bathroom or kitchen aren’t the only ways to achieve that goal. Luckily, improving the looks of your front entrance way — whether it’s the walkway or the driveway — is a relatively cost-effective way to make an impact, too.
With that in mind, here are a few ideas for turning your driveway or walkway into great curb appeal.
1. Start With Your Front Door
Anyone who is on a budget can concentrate their resources here, with a fresh coat of paint or some new fixtures. For something more dramatic, consider replacing the old door with something more updated and a little more dramatic, like an arched doorway ensconced in stately stone.
2. Make it a Destination
That patch of manicured grass doesn’t have to just sit there as visitors pass it by on their way to your front door. With a little hardscaping and some creative designs, that space can evolve into something much more exciting and beautiful. It can become a destination! Picture a herringbone-patterned walkway leading to a simple water feature like a reflecting pond, surrounded by a year-round, all-weather, built-in bench. With protective landscaping , it can serve double duty as a reflecting pool for quiet times, too.
3. Wrap Your Backyard Outdoor Living Space Around to the Front
Do you have a beautiful backyard patio area, an outdoor kitchen, or an al fresco dining patio – or how about a sitting area with a firepit, for entertaining? Well, bring all those good-time feelings out to the front yard, with a wraparound porch that encompasses your entryway and front door. It’s as welcoming as a dude ranch resort and as homey as a neighborly, southern-style front porch (the kind with rockers, sweet tea, and friendly smiles from passersby). Integrate your driveway to circle right up to the front door and it’s the most welcoming spot on the street!
Or, you could go grand with built-in box seating covered in stone, on either side of the front door. It could match other outdoor living installments that you might have already had built in your back yard, like other permanent fixture outdoor seating, retaining walls, or fireplace. That would create a consistent look for your home.
4. Consider a Gravel Walkway – or Stone!
Walkways come in all sorts of natural-looking materials these days, making it easy to create any look you want. If you want a walkway that’s integrated with nature and easy to care for, gravel is a nice option. It allows for good drainage and blends in with the landscape. If you want a highly styled look and you are going for precision and sharp lines, stone can provide the style, color, and texture that fits your design aesthetic. A straightforward, contemporary style typically calls for clean lines and sharp edges, so a relatively hard, mono color stone that can be cut with precision will be a good bet if that’s the look you’re going for.
More Ideas to Come!
Here at COVIS, we love to hear what our network of friends is up to with their home projects. If you need to bounce ideas off us, get more tips like this, or learn about what your options are, we’re always here to chat. Get in touch any time for a chat, a consultation, or just to say hi.
