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Curb Appeal Wish List

by | Aug 20, 2012 | exteriors, Gardens & Outdoor Rooms

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Curb Appeal Wish Listvia Brooke Giannetti

Does your house have curb appeal? I haven’t been able to work on the outside of my house much this year since I kind of got myself into a lot of indoor projects instead, but it is definitely on my “wish I had time and money for it” list.

We did get a new fence for our backyard, which I’m really happy about, but it was more for Jack’s safety and fun this summer than for actual curb appeal. Although I have to say even though it is a really basic fence, it gave me a much greater vision for our yard and what it might look like someday! You have to start somewhere!

Curb Appeal Wish ListHouse & Home

Late summer and early fall are usually great for completing outdoor projects! We generally have beautiful weather in the Northwest in the fall, even through October it is usually quite lovely. So outside projects are still possible for quite a few more weeks around here! Yay! Maybe I’ll get that front door painted, after all. I’m still holding out hope.

Today I’ve put together inspiration pics for 9 things on my curb appeal wish list! Maybe they are on your wish list too!

Curb Appeal Wish List

1. Window boxes

2. Lanterns

Curb Appeal Wish ListTraditional Exterior design by Cincinnati Architect RWA Architects

3. Trellises

Curb Appeal Wish List

 4. Cottage style plants and picket fencing.

Curb Appeal Wish List

5. Secret garden entrance.

Curb Appeal Wish List

6, 7 & 8. Front gate, hedge and awning.

Curb Appeal Wish ListCurb appeal at BHG

9. Garage door spruce up.

What is on your curb appeal wish list?

Photos are mine unless otherwise credited.

30 Comments

  1. Kelly - Talk of the House

    Window boxes are on mine and have been for quite awhile. The one in your first photograph (lengthened to about 5 ft.) would be perfect! I would also like to replace one wall of board and batten with cedar shakes. That would about do it for me. Great eye candy here today as usual!

    Reply
  2. Heather

    Right now my wish list consists of an irrigation system to water our very bad looking lawn. It’s a losing battle with a month long drought and crabgrass taking over.

    Reply
  3. Vee

    Love a sweet window box and lost mine with the new siding. I am told that it won’t be going back up. Perhaps I could figure a way to have it be free standing. Have been working on the front garden for several years adding new perennials and hoping that they not only survive but do very well. No white picket fence with the plow shoving mounds of snow to my doorstep—we do what we can where we are. Did finally get the front door painted last year and that is a big help.The simplest fix I know is a flower pot on the steps. It says “welcome” and that’s what curb appeal is all about. (A mowed lawn is always nice, too.)

    Reply
    • Deanna

      I like your comment Vee, that “we do what we can where we are.” That I think brings contentment with what we have! You’re place looks great –

      Reply
  4. veronica

    I love all of these “curb pictures”! Since my hubby built me a window box this spring, the front or our house is pretty much finished, but the back and garage is a totally different story! We are DIYers so it will be a long process but right now on my list is grass, new garage, and veggie garden (all for next summer).

    Reply
  5. Diane

    I’ve got the window boxes on my “new” house and I’m loving it!!!!!!!
    Previous to us someone over trimmed our pretty light green colored evergreens and they look like they have gray whiskers on the bottom….I don’t know what to do…but something has to be done!! Of course my answer to almost everything is more flowers!!!!
    Love your inspiration!! I could just go down the line and say “ditto” to each one!
    Hope your week is wonderful!

    Reply
  6. Cheryl Thornton

    would love that trellis over my garage door…and by the way you can add that gate hardware to your garage for less than $40 cause I just added it to mine!…I have curb appeal and lots of gardens – I had wooden window boxes but found that they rotted too fast so now I have an iron one with a cocoa mat that lets the water drain out better…have fun with your curb appeal projects! can’t wait to see them!

    Reply
  7. Alison

    This place is pure perfection!!!!!

    Reply
  8. Kim Moore

    To spruce up my outdoor spaces all I wanted to do was fix the giant crack in my patio. It gathers water, and my mom might one day break her neck tripping on it. But pursuing that revealed that a basement waterproofer would first be needed because the patio side of the house has basement water issues. And if we’re ripping out the patio the time to dig around that foundation is BEFORE installing a new patio.Then instead of only waterproofing the back of the house, it would be cheaper to finish the waterproofing of the whole basement. And we’ll need a sump pump. And a lateral hook up to the city’s storm sewer line that’s never been installed in this very old house. Then replace the patio. You don’t want to know what this is going to cost. All because of that big crack in the patio! The moral of the story is this: ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Live small enough that unplanned expenses don’t devastate you. And if you love old houses like we do, accept these kinds of expensive repairs so you can enjoy the unique beauty of your older home. ;<)

    Reply
  9. Lisa at celebrate creativity

    For now I’d love to turn back the hands of time and regain the beautiful growth of my continuous hedges in the front of my house.

    After three years of growth, my individual bushes had finally grown together (horizontally) to create the hedge I wanted. However, some of the branches were starting to grow upward and peek over the window sills. So, I asked my husband to trim the TOP of the hedges so they would be level with the bottom of the windows.

    OK, what do you think happened? He trimmed each bush back as an individual bush, destroying the continuous hedged effect. Yikes. I now have ten individual bushes under my front windows instead of the thick, healthy hedge I had been painstakingly grooming.

    Needless to say, he’s now banned from using the hedge clippers-lol.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Lisa, my husband did something similar years ago when he got a hold of hedge trimmers. I feel your pain. Ha!!!

      Reply
  10. Carrie

    We have quite a few things we need to do, but my wish list would include a new front door color (or new door!), window boxes, and more plantings. I LOVE the photo of the cottage with the picket fence and lavender. I may have to plant a whole bunch of lavender in my yard!!

    Reply
    • Autumn

      Ditto! I’m trying to commit to a new front door color as I feel it would tremendously help the curb appeal of my home….and it was just repainted white by the painter a year ago! (this repainted will have to be all my doing!)

      Reply
  11. Jaye

    Definitely re-doing the front yard landscape! I’m a landscape designer but you know that old saying about the cobbler’s kid’s shoes! Don’t look at my yard!! It’s on the list for next year after I finish all this inside stuff!!!

    Loving your kitchen by the way!!

    Reply
  12. Linda Stoll

    This was the summer of ‘curb appeal’ around here!

    * Walkway made up of vintage bricks redone with new sand underneath to shore up that which has eroded from weather and rodents {and a lone frog}. Broken bricks replaced with new-to-us used bricks.

    * New white railings replace worn, rusty, black iron railings at front entrance.

    * Front steps painted gray to match house.

    * New screen door that’s all glass from top to bottom installed – the open door now lights up the front hall and gives us a view of the beautiful walkway, old vintage washtub filled with geraniums, yellow daisies, and the front lawn as we look down the hall as we sit at the kitchen table.

    * Retractible awning over back porch lets’s us hide from the sun in peace.

    I’m thankful for these practical, sweet gifts … and for my husband who rolled up his sleeves in the hot humidity to make it all happen!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Wow, yes, it sounds like your home got a big boost in the curb appeal department this summer! So exciting!

      Reply
  13. Franki Parde

    For want of a “full view” back door (to see the lake better.) What color did you decide for your front door?? franki

    Reply
    • Melissa

      I’m still so torn about that front door . I don’t know why I’m having trouble deciding. Guess I’ll just have to pick something knowing I can always change it next summer, right?! :-)

      Reply
  14. Lauren

    We have absolutely no curb appeal, unfortunately… we were one of the finalists almost picked for America’s Most Desperate Landscape (that should give you some perspective on just how bad it is, haha) Next year’s project will be tackling the great outdoors. I love the look of lanterns and white picket fences… beautiful

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Ha, well you know, that just means your home has lots of potential!! :-)

      Reply
  15. how2home

    I wish to have window box too!

    Reply
  16. KATHYSUE

    I had to laugh, almost every single thing that is on yours!! I have a pinboard with my dream list. I think at the very top is black and white striped awnings, next is a trellis over a NEW carriage garage door, a new front gate. I would love to have gas lanterns outside,but gas is a little cost prohibitive. I love wish list post, I need to write one, I have not done that in a long time. Our dreams/wishes are what keep us thriving!! Happy Week, Melissa!
    xo Kathysue

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Oh yes, I love my wish lists. It is fun to dream a little!

      Reply
  17. judi

    YES. to.it.all! love all those pics of inspiration.
    i was on the same page with you about curb appeal this spring. we have an old home (thus my blog name) that sits VERY close to the road (4 lane in the burbs) and i have let my curb appeal DIE. so this year i decided to start with the front door. then the porch railing. plants. wood screen door. and a rocker. looks SO much better. i love looking at it when we pull in the driveway now. (i don’t shade my eyes any longer in shame). i still have more i’d like to do but its about 90% done.
    thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  18. Brooke

    i really love a cute garage door! weird right? :) And if I didn’t kill every plant I’ve had I would LOVE a couple cute window boxes.

    I love how you can add a few little touches to a homes exterior (like lanterns or corbels) and make a big difference!

    Reply
  19. Stephanie

    fall is a great time to work on your yard! and I love your inspiration pics!

    Reply
  20. Pinky

    We are moving in 6 weeks so I hope what curb appeal I have is OK. THIS house is not sold yet so it is scary. I love your list and saved the picture oof the lanterns, love them! I DO have window boxes on this house and hope to do them at the new house next Spring. XO, Pinky

    Reply
  21. Garden, Home and Party

    Melissa,
    I’m hoping for a new walkway from the front door to curbside. Curb appeal does stop me in my tracks when driving around.
    Karen

    Reply
  22. amy2boys

    We just finished having landscape lighting done in front and that was on my list. I want to add a portico and deepen and widen our front steps, new paint color on the shutters and door, and new landscaping.

    I’ll probably just paint!

    Reply
  23. Bev

    Who manufactures the white garage door in photo #9, above? I love it, but cannot find where to purchase it.

    Reply

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