First Impressions

You only get one chance to make a good impression. So if those little cosmetic tweaks just aren’t doing it for you anymore, it may be time for a more dramatic facelift. Upgrading and modernizing your look will definitely give you more appeal—curb appeal, that is—for your home.  There’s never been a better time to improve the outside of your home because:

Construction and material costs are still about 25%–30% lower than they were just a few years ago. But act fast. With lower interest rates and home prices rebounding, demand may drive costs up again soon.  
Upgrades and improvements that are energy efficient will likely qualify for hefty state and federal government rebate and incentive programs. Summer’s ideal for exterior home projects. Risks of rain delays are past and the warm temperatures speed up by the drying process for paint, cement and other materials.

As the first decade of the 21st century draws to a close, there’s a new modern look in home design that’s both chic and popular. It is geometric with an emphasis on natural hues and textures. Think Frank Lloyd Wright with Asian influences. This sleek design trend offers exciting options for improving your home’s exterior adding to your home’s value as well as to your everyday enjoyment. Here are some exciting new trends to boost your home’s curb appeal with an updated look:

Vertical Gardens: Imagine your home’s exterior façade as an integral part of the landscaping with plants as living wall décor blending in with the canopies of trees overhead and smooth stone underfoot. This exciting trend, first launched in Paris and Rome and now often featured in projects by HGTV’s Jamie Durie, was the focus of a recent show exhibit at the American Institute of Architects in San Francisco. Vertical gardens also were the highlight of the recent San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. When installed properly by a knowledgeable landscape professional, the green panels are hydroponic, requiring no soil and no or very little water, thus making them lightweight. This enables designers to “paint” the wall with a striking composition of plants with a rhythm of lush natural textures and hues. Sometimes called living walls, a vertical panel of living plants makes a striking visual entry way statement.

Cast in Stone: Every material in today’s home is chosen for its tactile allure. Stone in its many varieties excels in sense-pleasing options. Stone stays cool in summer and holds warmth in winter. It injects an earthy style with unique textures and rich depth into every space on a home exterior, the front doorstep, the walkway or the driveway. Bluestone, flagstone and travertine offer elegant versatile choices. With the new techniques for scoring, stamping and staining concrete, the options are vastly increased. Check out this amazing example: it’s a permeable quarry stone by CalStone. It’s also worth exploring are the new permeable stone pavers. These prevent storm water runoff by allowing rain water to percolate through to the aquifers below. They can incorporate grass set in geometrical grids or provide a solid surface of interlocking stones set in various patterns.

Glass Walls: Retractable glass walls that are nearly invisible connect the home to nature while giving it a cool contemporary look and a generous feeling of space. A stunning design feature, glass walls and door panels invite the outdoors in while optimizing light and creating an organic spa-like feel especially when combined with natural materials like wood and stone. With a continuation of a natural floor material like bluestone or travertine, the line between indoors and outdoors further disappears. State-of-the-art glass with a high energy efficiency rating and coated to diminish ultra-violet radiation help make this look as comfortable as it is aesthetic. Glass panels can slide open lending a Japanese shoji-screen style aesthetic. An added bonus, new privacy glass walls employ an embedded crystal film that at the touch of a button, can turn the glass from clear to opaque in moments.

From the Top: Why have a roof that just lays there when you can have a roof that works for you? And looks gorgeous while it’s on the job. Forget those big unsightly solar panels of yesteryear. A brand new product created in California (of course) combines the energy-capturing efficiency of traditional solar with the beauty of traditional Mediterranean-inspired tile roofs. The tile mimics the shape of the traditional curved “barrel tile” made from terra-cotta. Except that this tile is a mini-photovoltaic panel generating electricity for your household. The main visual difference is its iridescent blue hue. “The 32.25-inch by 18-inch navy tiles can either be installed on an entire roof, or on a part of an existing tile roof, with the remaining clay tiles stained to match the blue color. To further reduce labor costs, the tile system can easily be installed by roofers—it doesn't need a special solar-specializing team of contractors—and can replace an existing roof at the moment when a homeowner is going to need to upgrade anyway,” states an industry design blogger.

A New Coat: “When casting about for ideas to transform the appearance of a home, the value of a coat of paint cannot be underestimated,” states the international design website www.trendsideas.com. Always opt for the best quality paint. It can double the life of a paint job.

The savings will be higher if a painting contractor is hired. A qualified professional will know what type of paint and brushes to use of the variety of materials and surfaces on your home’s exterior. Spending the money now for quality materials and craftsmanship will save you money in the future. Overall, colors in demand now follow the earth-tone palette of stone grays, light greens, earthy golds and browns.

A River Runs Through It: Over the past decade, incorporating water features into the architectural landscape has become a popular way to make a stunning entrance. The resulting drama and beauty integrate the landscape into architectural design and offer the sense of calm and tranquility. Custom copper water walls, water sculptures, rain curtains, bubbling brooks and architectural moats are all new elements possible for today’s exciting front yard landscape. A fountain or pond with geometric lines will look best with a formal house and garden. A water feature that mimics shapes found in nature will complement an informal architectural style. Moving water is a favorable feng shui feature for the front of the home because it is believed to attract wealth and prosperity. A Google image search for architectural water features will give you plenty of ideas. Avoid placing a pond beneath trees that will fill it with leaves and debris. If you’re considering a spray fountain, place it in a location that is protected from the wind, which can blow the spray and accelerate evaporation.

Freshen up your home front with an updated new look. It will add value to your home and immeasureable enrich your life. Because the feeling of driving up to your home and thinking, “Wow, I live here,” is priceless!