Add Architectural Details To Your Home For Curb Appeal

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Everyone knows the importance of curb appeal. Not only is it important to attract potential home buyers, but also curb appeal can have an effect on neighborhood real estate values. If your house recedes into the background, this may not have a huge negative effect on curb appeal, but it also doesn't show your house in its best light. Add architectural details to the exterior to boost curb appeal – and just the overall appearance of your house.

Pediment and Brackets

The front door is literally the gateway to your house's interior, thus providing visitors with their first impressions. Perhaps your entryway lacks presence. One way to accommodate this is with a pediment with brackets underneath. A pediment is a triangular topper for your door. Add brackets underneath, and you give the impression of a classical style building. Such an addition can lend sophistication to your entire façade. Consider this option if you have a smaller home with a plain front.

Open Porch

If you have a wider home with a plain façade, Better Homes and Gardens suggests adding an open front porch. This can augment an existing portico or be added to the pediment and brackets. The benefits of adding an open front porch are two-fold. Naturally you get the advantage of having usable outdoor space in the front. However, the columns and railings of the porch act as adornment for your home's front door, thus making it stand out even more.

Decorative Architectural Arbor

Perhaps the problem is that your garage doors take up too much visual space in your house's façade. This is especially tricky with small houses or multi-car garages. To de-emphasize the visual impact, consider adding a decorative architectural arbor. Built out from the façade of the house itself, an architectural arbor provides more visual interest than the garage doors alone. You can hang lanterns from the posts and even use the arbor itself as a space for growing climbing plants.

Dormer Windows

Another issue with some homes is a long stretch of roofline. As with garage doors, such a roofline can dominate the house's façade. You could add architectural interest by having dormer windows installed. These windows are built out from the roof itself, thus breaking up the block of roofing. There are a couple considerations with dormer windows. First, ensure the style of dormer fits in with the overall style of your house. For example, shed dormers are appropriate for ranch homes, while gabled dormers fit well with Victorian houses. Second, the windows should be a similar ratio to the ones below but smaller. These considerations ensure cohesion with the rest of your house's façade.

Give your house's exterior a makeover with the addition of architectural details. For more information, contact local professionals like Stofft Cooney Architects.


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