Dressing Up Exterior on a Budget

QUESTION: Our home is a plain, box-like structure. What can we do to the exterior to add interest? We are on a somewhat limited budget.

ANSWER: There are a number of things you can do to add interest and character. One of the simplest and most inexpensive solutions is to add window boxes and keep them overflowing with plants and flowers. Add wood shutters and create French windows by using prefabricated glass.

Replace your front door or add decorative molding if the existing door is a plain one. If the garage door is also plain and is in the front, repeat the molding with the same pattern but scale it appropriately. Add street numbers in shiny brass or hand paint them.

If you have a concrete walk from the street to the house, add a strip of brick along each side. If the concrete is broken, replace with a brick or stone. Place a potted plant or container of flowers beside the front door.

Plant your front yard to its maximum. There’s nothing as welcoming as a lot of flowers, shrubs, climbing plants, potted plants and a few trees.

A new paint job with a combination of three colors can be striking.

SANDRA HAYES, ASID

Fullerton