Updating curb appeal is an opportunity to try something new.
“I don’t like change.”
Now that’s one of the toughest statements for a designer to hear. It’s even more difficult than a small budget. No matter the size of your bank account there usually is a limit to what you want to spend. And budgets provoke creativity, which can be frustrating and fun.
So we were challenged to help update a fading exterior for homeowners who haven’t changed the colors inside or outside their home since they moved in, more than a decade ago.
Burgundy, dark green, cream were the main colors in the color scheme, and there were traditional-style wood furniture inside.
When I shared that we could update the entry door in any color, which provides me with personal delight, the homeowner Sandy looked anxious.
With any client, I like to take color cues from the treasured personal objects that around the home and in the client’s wardrobe. And I couldn’t find much. Sandy had committed to a color scheme and just like she said, she didn’t change.
But I found some little flowers growing in the front garden bed. They were a pretty periwinkle, which would go beautifully with the red brick and white siding home. I pushed a little, but let it go. If a homeowner doesn’t show signs of being tempted by something new, the homeowner isn’t ready.
So we settled on bringing in some new decor for their little front porch. I updated their exterior light with a lantern-style from LampsPlus that has an LED bulb, so they probably won’t have to worry about it going dark until their 13-year-old is in her 30s.
And Sandy fell in love with a wood grain fiberglass door with a decorative privacy glass from Therma-Tru doors. We added new trim details, and updated their faded and decaying shutters on the front facade. The new Fypon shutters, in Sandy’s persistent burgundy, update the look with panels instead of the louvered shuttered that were original to the house.
A makeover isn’t always a dramatic eye-candy before-and-after that brings about a jump for joy. Sometimes, like this project with Sandy, Bill and Julia, a makeover means updating the thermal efficiency of the home with a more energy-efficient door and making little changes that make a home and a family more comfortable.
And at the end of any makeover project, we’re pleased when we have been able to help make a family happier. Oh, and the designer in me is happy that the colorful outdoor decor is still on the porch. Maybe Sandy might be ready to embrace change sooner than we might think.
[…] use the power of color for good when selecting your new entry door color. You can change the way your friends see you. They could see you as more relaxed, more creative or […]