Up front
Q. The exterior of our red/brown brick house looks tired and boring, not much fun to come home to. The front door is brown wood with a window. We are ready to do some outside work and would like some ideas on what colors to paint the doors and shutters. Any other tips are appreciated. – Stanley
A. The first and most impressive change you can make is to brighten up your front door. This is the major element on the outside of the house, or should be, as it marks the entryway and sets the scene. As with interior decor, color tells your story, it projects your character and how you feel about your living environment. Since it’s a personal choice, I can only give you some guidelines.
I find it interesting and helpful to learn a bit about how we react to color. Colors do have personalities that vary according to their intensity. Pastel shades are subtle, calming and introverted. Bolder, more vibrant colors bring out stronger reactions. Sunny yellow is cheerful and confident; shades of green have a natural charm that is balanced and peaceful; red is physically powerful and self-assured; blue is thoughtful and serene but can also be cool or a bit aloof. Your front door is wood brown, one of nature’s solid and reliable colors. It imbues a feeling of safety and warmth. But it can feel heavy and straightlaced.
Begin your exterior plan by deciding what color or colors will enhance your personal style. There are paint sites on the Internet that will help you visualize how different colors would look on your house. Modern Masters (www.modernmasters.com) has a new no-fade, water-based paint designed specifically for front doors. It is quick-drying so that you can complete the project easily in one day. The site has step-by-step instructions on how to paint the door without taking it off its hinges, plus a video. They offer 25 paint colors with names chosen based on the emotional color wheel. Shown here is Modern Masters Happy Yellow, and as its name suggests, it is a very optimistic shade.
Other decorative elements will build the mood. Lay down a door mat with a fun phrase or image, or a playful design. Door mats are easily changed with the seasons, as are crafty wall accessories and wreaths. If you like to hang out at yard or estate sales, and discover some unusual artifacts, such as the gigantic dill pickle jar beside the door in this photo, that adds another layer of interest and provides a peek into what you are all about.
Gardening styles differ according to your climate and your interest in plants, shrubs and trees. Nothing says welcome in the same way as fresh blooms do, and greenery bursting from pots as you walk up the front path. If you are new to gardening, you will get good advice from your local nursery or garden center. Describe the direction your house faces and the amount of sunlight. A few photographs of the front of your house taken from different angles as seen from both the street and the interior helps with the quantity and height of the plants you buy. A little TLC, and you will have the kind of curb appeal you are looking for … a perfect project for this time of year.
Email your questions to house2home@debbietravis.com.