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Ok, are you sitting down? Brace yourself for this opening fact: most of our projects at Lorla Studio begin with a client who wants help with the living spaces inside the home. With that SHOCKING fact out of the way, you may be less shocked to find that we often help clients with the exterior spaces around the home, as well! Exterior-focused work takes many forms, including a focus on the home’s curb appeal, outdoor living rooms, and other facets focused on connecting the inside spaces to the outdoors. The following will focus on three swift steps to modernize the front of your home, particularly for those with older homes.
Old Ain’t Ugly! Modernizing Your House
We saw a statistic recently that compared new homes built in the U.S. to our population growth, and anyone who has bought a home in the last 20 years has felt the reality of the picture! There just aren’t enough homes, and many of them have been around for many decades– if not a couple centuries! While we have seen a recent boom in new single family homes that reached levels last seen prior to the 2007 burst of the housing bubble, most communities across the country have old housing stock from the post-WWII baby boomer era, or even older. If you are in a big city, odds are that the trees in your neighborhood are older than the homes– and often these are the prettiest, and most desirable!! We love old homes! Frequently, older homes have gone through various owners, who have taken some latitude in the materials and characteristics on the front of your house. Read on for a few swift steps to modernize the front of your home, and remember the importance of making a great first impression!
Curb Appeal: Paint, Upgrade, and Tidy Up!
There are several quick fixes that can respect the history and composition of your home, and immediately upgrade the overall appearance of the house.
Paint: A fresh paint job can give you that new-again feeling of a hot morning shower on a cold winter day! Take a look at the before/after of how we fully renovated a Forest hills house for the impact of paint. Picking colors can be daunting, and there are absolute pros out there, who have deep insights to help you arrive at a breathtaking result. When we lived in San Francisco a few years ago, Bob Bucktor aka Dr. Color himself, has been a legend in the Bay Area for 50 years as a color consultant. In a place like San Francisco, the Victorian homes and the colors of them are part of the fabric of the city. See some of his work here for inspiration, or to inquire for a consultation. There are various factors to consider when choosing a paint color, from the history and architectural style of your home, to the construction materials on the facade and the overall context of the home– not only your yard, but the neighborhood. Color can be tricky, but is an absolute game-changer when done right. Some choose to blend into the environment, while others choose to contrast from the surroundings. To be sure, choosing a neutral color, like white, beige or gray, is a generally safe bet. Darker neutral colors can be seen as edgier, while shades of primary and secondary colors (blue/yellow/red, orange/green/purple) can offer a little something different. Tones and combinations are important to finding what works best for your home. A pop of color in a contrasting hue for the front door or accents is also a popular way to give the home some additional interest.
Upgrade Your Materials: Many homes have shudders, light fixtures, door hardware, or other points of interest on the exterior of the home that can have significant impact on the overall feel of the house. We have seen clients successfully modernize the front of their home with a small project to change the entry. For instance, a new awning, or upgrading the front door with sidelights, or creating a wider opening can be a relatively minor upgrade that totally changes the look and feel of the home. Lighting hardware is another quick and cost-effective way to upgrade and modernize the feel of your home, and also consider the house numbers so that the font is consistent with the styling utilized on other parts of the facade. We also like to accentuate the character of the home with new lighting, such as uplighting or downlighting the bring attention to key parts of the front of the home. While within the context of bathrooms, see here how a change of materials can make a significant difference in the feel of a space.
The Yard and Approach: Some are surprised how much of an impact a few thoughtful new plantings, upgraded walkways, or a driveway refresh can have on the feel and look of your home. Dollar for dollar, upgrades to a home’s curb appeal can be the most meaningful when it comes time to put your home on the market. But, forget about the next homeowner, and think about yourself! The enjoyment and appreciation you get from some thoughtful considerations to the front of your home can bring immense satisfaction. Depending on a clients’ particular needs, there are various options to consider to upgrade the front of your home.
The First Step for Your Front Steps!
We are always ready to take on your home challenges, modernize the front of your house and look forward to transforming your home into a space you enjoy everyday. Often, this can include work on the exterior of your home, as well, and we can’t wait to help!
How You Can Work With Us
At Lorla Studio, a modern interior design firm in Washington, D.C, our talented team of designers craft modern, livable and functional spaces throughout the district and beyond. Hire us for a seamless renovation process, and a modern, approachable design you are sure to love!
Check out the five questions to ask yourself before hiring an interior designer in Washington D.C. If you think we’d make a good team, contact us today!
Ready to transform your space with us?
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