There are a few obvious ways to modernize the front of your home. Sure, a new porch can add character, and replacing front and garage doors make your home stand out, but options exist other than making big investments.
To modernize your home, you must add charm, update the features, and focus on curb appeal. It's more than just getting a new window treatment and calling it good—modern homeowners should strive for simplicity and beauty in any home improvement project.
Below, we will discuss these three ways to modernize the front of your house:
- Focus on Curbside Appeal
Take a step back and look at your home from the street level to view it as others do. For example, the front door is one of the first things your eye is drawn to on the home's exterior. If you want a modern feel, consider the environment you're making for the rest of the house. It should match the interior's color scheme and stand out from the siding—not too much, but enough to clearly indicate an entrance. Modern-style doors may often include address plaques/planter boxes nearby, just as a traditional home has address numbers on the side of the house. While you're at it, you can consider changing the front porch.
While improving the porch and putting a fresh coat of neutral color on the front door, the landscaping could use some refreshing. If so, do it. Cut, trim, and mulch wherever you need to, plus add new flowers and plants. A little bit of greenery and color goes a long way. Adding water features and shrubbery along a stone path can look amazing, too, so long as there's enough open space for aesthetic and practical purposes.
And if you have a porch, personalize it with area rugs, nice furniture, and modern decor. Continue inspecting and prioritizing any aspect of your home easily seen from the curb.
- Add Charm
A charming home welcomes visitors from the street and adds strong curb appeal. Great lighting is an easy way to improve curb appeal and add charm to the front of a home. So during any home improvement project, ensure your home and its pathways are well lit with either landscape lighting or natural light. Ensure the entryway has thorough lighting to help invite guests to your home. Also, modernize your lighting by replacing old porch lights with newer ones or surface-mounted lanterns. Since the entryway is the first point of contact guests have with your home, it's beneficial to make it welcoming and appealing. However, if it's not in your budget to completely re-pave it with stylish stones, update it with path lights, flowers, or even rock. Keep the neutral color scheme so it stands out from the greenery and flowering plants.
Also, consider getting perennial plants instead of succulents for some displays, because succulents must be replaced yearly.
- Update Features
After the major home areas are updated, look to modernize house accessories like the hardware and fixtures. If you live in and old house, you'll need to install air conditioning, as most new homes expect AC as a minimum necessity. Countertops, a bathroom remodel, kitchen cabinets, and hardwood floor improvements are all on the table, too. It can be overwhelming to take all of these at once, so please focus on one at a time to make it more manageable.
We have already touched on the importance of a front door. So after you throw on that fresh coat of paint, take the next steps like updating its metal finishes.