Curb appeal for metal cottage

Janet AF
by Janet AF
We have this metal cottage at the coast, it is our vacation home. We can't do extensive landscape because there is no one there to take care of it on a regular basis. How can we give the cottage some curb appeal on a pretty low budget? The inside is great but the outside does not do it justice.
  9 answers
  • KatAych KatAych on Mar 21, 2016
    What about painting your outdoor seating a bright color and/or adding a fun print cushion? How about awnings over the windows? (I was going to suggest shutters, but it looks like there might be something in the way on the bigger window). Paint the door a fun color. What about a rock garden of some sort, or brick and stone?
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Mar 21, 2016
    I would put up a low retaining wall on both sides of the door and fill it with succulents that do not require much maintenance.Then perhaps choose a brighter color for the door and windows. Put a door mat to co-odernate with the color you choose for the door.Then try to find a colorful outdoor rug for under your chairs.
  • Janet AF Janet AF on Mar 21, 2016
    Thank you Janet for your reply this cottage is on the Texas coast very high maintenance area I appreciate your suggestions and we are planning on taking a large aloe plant down as they require very little care down there.
    • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Mar 21, 2016
      @Janet AF Excellent choice. I will say I am jealous. Your place looks wonderful. Enjoy
  • I would google native plants for your zone and go from there. I would make a floating deck which could be made inexpensively and maybe even some planter boxes out of cedar or treated fence pickets and maybe do something fun like use metal flowers instead of real ones or maybe even find some beachy type accessories pretend the planters are fish bowls and have fish poke out instead of flowers? just something fun. I would paint the chairs and check hobby lobby for ideas on beachy type decor that you could possibly make yourself out of driftwood (such as a wreath or a ships anchor- i saw this at Hobby lobby the other day). you could have some fun especially if you painted the door a beachy color and on the top of the windows look for something like wrought iron to dress it up.
  • Lisa - Condo Blues Lisa - Condo Blues on Mar 21, 2016
    I'm not sure if there are flower beds in front of the house. You can add a stone border and fill them with stone mulch around the large aloe plant you are planning. A new paint scheme could be fun too.
    • Janet AF Janet AF on Mar 21, 2016
      @Thank You Lisa - Condo Blues we are right next to the drive way so our flower beds or grassy area options are non existent I do like the idea of stone mulch around the aloe.
  • Janet AF Janet AF on Mar 22, 2016
    Hi everyone, I have two of these and am thinking about taking them down to use and plant my aloe's in what do you think?
  • Cheryl Cheryl on Mar 23, 2016
    It's a beach house! Forget the maintenance of plants (aloes are great, though) and just put nautical stuff on it like distressed signs (Island Time, Beach this way, etc.), an old rope hammock made flat and hung with round foam bouys, a couple of crossed oars, paint a pair of flip flops on it, etc. Decorate the outside of the house itself with stuff that already looks worn. And maybe beef up the trim and paint it. You didn't say what coast, so if it's New England .... it might not be considered 'curb appeal' ;-)
  • Loretta Loretta on Mar 25, 2016
    I think it would look cute with some shutters by the windows.
  • Janet AF Janet AF on Apr 04, 2016
    These are the same planter things I painted them a coastal theme. I also got some dollar tree solar lights to put in them along with the aloe vera. The plan is to have one on each side of the entry "deck". I used the stone paint, the planters were the aqua color so I glued paper cut outs onto the planters then spray painted over once they were dry I peeled off the cut outs. I traced in the lines with sharpie then sprayed once again with clear paint to seal the sharpie lines and the edges of the cut outs.