Everyone wants to be proud of their space, feel good about their property when arriving home and be comfortable with the design. But how do you achieve that solid ‘look’ that appeals to others and ensures you will feel great about your choices for years to come?
There are many ways to achieve an aesthetically pleasing and finished look for your house and your property, and they don’t always have to cost an arm and a leg. The greatest single trick to make curb appeal a reality is to have a good design. The beauty of your property is greatly amplified when it is well curated and coordinated to your own personal tastes. It’s always a good idea to start with a master plan.
Design a coordinated look
First you need to decide on your favourite styles and choose the major elements. What materials will you use for the exterior of the house? Are there any existing details on your property that could coordinate with those materials? What type of front door would you prefer? A Craftsman? A modern front door with contemporary hardware? A glass door?
Use what you have to coordinate elements of the design. For example, if your home is a bungalow with a lot of surface space comprised of windows, think of incorporating an outdoor water feature such as a small pond or a fountain to mirror the reflective characteristics of both the glass and the water.
Is your preferred vision something more natural and rustic? Are you planning to use a rough-surfaced stone veneer in neutral tones? If so, you might consider designing a ‘desert’ look with a rock garden, boulders, a wrought-iron bench and potted succulents.
Bolster biodiversity and add some planted accents
Another way to get the most out of your property’s coordinated look is to add a combination of splashy and subtle greenery. The colours and textures can vary widely, and an expert landscaper can go a long way in helping you design a seamless but striking look.
Plant deciduous or coniferous full trees to add shade, height and colour to a yard. Make sure to plan out the appropriate spacing to accommodate long-term growth.
Think about plant colour too from traditional green lawns to a garden of blue fescues, to a full floral English-garden or a neatly arranged set of rocks and stones – the built-in colour wheel of nature is limitless.
Pairing stone and brick
Another way to ensure you have a coordinated and appealing property is to use complementary materials on your home’s exterior. Pairing stone with brick is a simple way to add a dynamic look to your walls while breaking up the available spaces with interesting combinations of textures and colours.
Shouldice Stone has many choices of size, shape, finish and colour that work well together and would add a great deal to a visually impactful and well thought through property design.
Estate Stone is a versatile and classic stone veneer that’s most similar to natural stone, offering timeless features and lines. It comes in colours such as Kingston, Bradford and Slate – tans, beiges, greys and browns. While Estate Stone has multiple stone heights and some texture to the face, Strata Brick Smooth has a more uniform and linear look. Its smooth surface blends well with Estate Stone on a structure, with complimentary colours including Tutela, Waterford and Oxenden as well as options in a grey, black and white palette, such as Polar and Galaxy.
Check out the Shouldice Stone Portfolio to see what’s possible.
