Asked on Jun 01, 2016

Need Ideas to Boost Curb Appeal (besides Replacing the Dead Grass)

Hi ! I'm looking for ideas to help boost the curb appeal to my home. The front door is double and painted a light green, like the trim. If I paint the green trim a white color to match the garage door, would this help? I also need ideas for the color of the front door. I plan to replace the 1970's hardware. Thank you.
  24 answers
  • Lagree Wyndham Lagree Wyndham on Jun 02, 2016
    Personally I like the green trim, it stands out against the light color of the house, I think white would blend to much with main color of the house. If anything I would change the garage door color so that it does not blend in to background and trim out front window in your green color and change the front door to something bright...if you want it to pop. JMO. Colors are all a matter of personal preference. Really like the style of your home. PS I wish my grass looked half as good as yours.
  • Candace Candace on Jun 02, 2016
    Hard to see the colors from the pic. It looks very beige from what I can see. What I found interesting is that corner column, it would be a great place to put your home address. Modern numbers to keep with the style of home.
  • Candace Candace on Jun 02, 2016
    Regarding gutter and garage door color, go with roof tones since there is so much of it.
  • Sandra Sandra on Jun 02, 2016
    I would do something with the column, it just stands out too much Maybe smaller wood column stained and your front door painted to match stain.
  • Amy Amy on Jun 02, 2016
    You might consider a dark bold color for the door with a muted white trim. As for the yard, how about either a berm with planting seeds (we have one and it looks great!) or a rock garden with a few plantings and a cement bench or bird bath.
  • Birdz of a Feather Birdz of a Feather on Jun 02, 2016
    The colour of your door is too dark and recedes so much that you can barely see it; you should paint it a bright red. You should also repaint the green on the overhangs to a medium-dark taupe. You've got too much of the landscaping up against the house; maybe should consider a small water feature to add some interest and more plantings into the front yard?
  • Lajobes Lajobes on Jun 02, 2016
    Where the yard is sparse (from picture it kinda looks like a figure-eight of mostly sand), I would till or turn with shovel and pick, incorporate manure and good soil, then use an edging of stone to make a large flower bed. Those shrubs need to be planted elsewhere or given away. Put wispier/lighter branched plants there such as some large grasses that look nice year round. I agree with others about changing the door color - so many different choices of paint color - go fun! Can always change it
  • Diana Deiley Diana Deiley on Jun 02, 2016
    Not sure if I already commented on this, but I'd open up the entire right side making it larger with more mulch, large boulders, a water feature and maybe bench, bordering it with landscaping stone. A beautiful aqua blue for the door, or a warm yellow will draw the eye to the entrance as well. You have a beautiful home. Best of luck.
  • Bonnie Woolever Bonnie Woolever on Jun 02, 2016
    Oh, I'd paint that door a bright color so that you can see better. Yellow? Red? Those colors would look nice and probably go with your green trim. Painting the ceiling in the entry to a nice bright white would most likely brighten up the porch.
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Jun 02, 2016
    I think I would a brighter color for the trim and door would help alot. It is hard to tell from your photo the shade color of the house. Is it a light yellow,creamy beige?
    • See 1 previous
    • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Jun 02, 2016
      @Caroline Tofflemire Hobbs Ok got you . Then just do what your heart says.Keep it simple and put color where you see fit. There are going to be positive and negative replys so with that in mind do what you feel is necessary. Good Luck.
  • Daw3000588 Daw3000588 on Jun 03, 2016
    I would remove all of the shrubbery especially around the porch and paint the door a light colour. Plant flowers in front of house then replant grass or sod. The yard looks like it's on a slope so I would keep it simple and easier to mow.
  • Sandy Sandy on Jun 03, 2016
    I would paint the door Yellow to lighten up, white trim, replace the bare lawn area with a flower bed and a Japanese red maple and some rocks. plant yellow flowers around the front to match the door and pull it together.
  • Rebekka Rebekka on Jun 03, 2016
    I really like the green trim. I agree about the garage door. It is so prominent, that it needs to be painted and prettied up. Either the green of the trim or perhaps a faux wood treatment? You could also apply some faux windows to it! And a trellis on either side with some climbers on them (I don't think those two little bushes are accenting the area). I think the front doors would look great if they were stripped and stained (I am assuming they are original to the house. I actually like the hardware. It goes with the architecture of the home!
  • Kris Lowe Kris Lowe on Jun 03, 2016
    I would paint the shutters and the door the same color. You need something that will stand out against the house paint color. Go with whatever is your favorite color, then look at a color wheel to make sure you are in the right color range or opposite from your house color. Depending on what area you are in and it is sunny or shade and what time of the day is the sun or shade are both. Once you figure this out, there are great resources at various colleges that have a master gardener degree. I would start there. You can also drive around to a neighborhood and look at their landscaping to get ideals. Hope this helps!
  • Tammy Tammy on Jun 03, 2016
    Lighten up the front with white. Shutters paint them a darker color to pop the white. Hang a pretty porch light. Plant your yard with grass seed to fill the holes.
  • Jennie Lee Jennie Lee on Jun 03, 2016
    I think your house really looks pretty good. I like the green trim. I think you should put up an attractive, largish house number on the brick at the right of the garage door and put some faux windows on the garage door, to break up the large white expanse. Put a tall, narrow bush of some type at the right corner of the house, and use some plants that are larger, with larger flowers, like hibiscus or clematis, that are big enough to look good from the street. Use cool colors, like pale blue, white, and lavender, to go with your mellow green trim. The main problem is lack of interesting details and a parched, arid look. Once you do this, and get your grass looking lush and green, I think it will look cool and inviting!
  • Dawn Gagnon Dawn Gagnon on Jun 04, 2016
    One thing you may want to do is try to use decorative landscape wood or borders around your existing flower beds. Paint them or stain them in a nice earthy rich color to pull focus to the positive parts of your home which to me is where the flowers and shrubs are. Personally I wouldn't draw attention to the garage door, b/c it is so large it will become the focal point and once you paint it, that's about all you can do with it. I'd pull focus to the entry and flower beds more. I think garages should sort of just blend in with the overall house. Also I have had bare spots in my lawn before and the only way I could deal with it was to plant flower beds where they are.
  • Cathy Feldman Sanders Cathy Feldman Sanders on Jun 04, 2016
    Enhance what you already have. Take this collage and go across the street from your house. Hold up the pictures so you can easily imagine it. Imagine the garage door an ochre color to complement the roof and set off the tan yellow bricks. The front door an exciting teal with darker hardware. The showstopper would be the hardscape planting to disguise the dead patch as well as create a focal point to catch the eye. Most important thing to do is go across the street with paint chips, pictures and your imagination.
  • Mary Kay Mary Kay on Jun 05, 2016
    Try adding a dry rock creek bed (san diego local rock places have 4 or 5 design plans on their websites, u choose the rock color/size you like,they deliver in huge bulk bags. Then add drought tolerant plants and save big time on your water bill and your gardening labor.
  • Birdz of a Feather Birdz of a Feather on Jun 05, 2016
    Adding to Mary Kay's answer, I just posted a tutorial on Hometalk on how to install a dry creek bed: http://www.hometalk.com/diy/grow/landscaping/low-maintenance-gardening-part-1-dry-creek-bed-16847259
  • Katie Katie on Jun 05, 2016
    here is my suggestion - Paint the garage door one shade lighter than the brick surrounding it (the white is a wee bit stark and draws attention to the garage) then I would paint the door either 2 shades darker than your beautiful trim colour or a cranberry red (personally I'd try the green first). It's a really pretty house. I can't wait too see the after photos
  • Lori Scarafile Lori Scarafile on Jun 07, 2016
    Another thought is to add some architectural dimension above the garage door with a White garage pergola. I would also suggest over sized house #s on the large brick porch column with an uplight on the ground to add drama at night. Lastly I would paint the garage the same color as the trim
  • Dehumphries Dehumphries on Apr 15, 2018

    Skylights to bring some light into that covered entry. Perhaps a crepe myrtle or depending on your location maybe a Dogwood in the inside corner, kept shaped. Get rid of the foundation plantings and bring your bed out in front of the windows and have yourself a nice garden offering varieties that will give you some color and or bloom all year.

  • Fiddledd224 Fiddledd224 on Apr 15, 2018

    You need contrast!!!!


    Use dark trim on light base/walls and vice versa.


    I would use dark shutters on your house with a contrasting front door.


    I would paint all of the trim and the garage door dark brown and the front door a bright red or salmon or burnt orange.


    Your existing light green trim fades into the background and does nothing for the house. Dark brown trim on your house would be like putting mascara on pale eyelashes - and red door like putting on a nice lipstick.