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You can designate this parking place as different from the rest of the driveway in a variety of ways. Consider special paving that upgrades this location from the concrete, asphalt or gravel driveway. Above all, make it clean and safe with material dense enough to allow you to steam clean oil stains that may result from delivery vehicles.
In place of an unbroken walkway, pavers and curved borders create a sense of movement to the front door. Overgrown and ill-placed shrubs formerly distracted from the home's exterior, and dated accents gave it a tired, unkempt look. The first steps in this home's exterior renovation were removing old wood siding and redoing the exterior material palette, including the roof. A pretty pattern of stone on the lower half coordinates with a new front landscaping bed as well as revamped fireplace chimneys. A line of newly planted trees also helps to divide public from private areas in the front yard. Dark brown and slightly foreboding, the old barnlike siding material and color felt out of step with the coastal location of this expansive home.
Hedge Opens as Gate Into Yard
Otherwise, the cobblestone path would be perceived as too stark against the grass -- almost as if it had "imposed" itself on the lawn. But with the plantings of dusty miller and begonias, it seems to blend in better. Its silvery foliage picks up the color of the cobblestone path, thereby further softening its edges. It's not as uncommon as you think because builders of large developments are notorious for failing to create intuitive connections at this point. Create a walkway wider than the minimum four feet and pay attention to the details so your entry will beckon visitors as if you've rolled out a red carpet. In the prior landscaping picture, brick columns adorned with pineapple decor rested at the foot of a flight of landscaping stairs.
When designing a larger homesite, the vehicular circulation is even more vital, hinging on designating the location of guest parking or a drop-off point. All in all, I'd say the homeowners in this case turned a challenge into an opportunity. What could be viewed as a difficult slope to climb instead has become the canvas for an attractive entryway. This design draws the viewer's eye to the front door entrance by framing it with Grecian urns planted with dwarf Alberta spruces.
The Vehicular Experience
An extended entry gives presence to the front door, and large concrete blocks play up the organic feel of the new exterior color scheme. For the most part, this brick home's entryway details worked well together, but a boring swath of ordinary lawn didn't match the elegance and grace of this home's architecture. Now, a wide, stone front walkway gives a feeling of discovery and importance to the home, and a formal collection of boxwood shrubs adds a touch of graciousness to the yard. On the facade, removal of first-floor shutters, new front windows, and redone brick details on the second story helped to better tie the two floors together. Sometimes a slope prevents a homeowner from enjoying outdoor spaces as they should.
Unlike the house in the prior picture, this one sets back enough from the street to invite more extensive landscaping. The granite-slab pathway leading up to the front door entrance is lined with boxwood shrubs, drawing the viewer's eye to the entryway. Symmetry is once again achieved at the entryway itself, using container-grown plants, and is perpetuated even in the uniformity of the foundation plantings. I'll provide further examples of the use of symmetry for front entries later in the photo gallery.
Outdoor Structures
After functionality has been addressed, then you can consider "curb appeal" . In the examples of landscaping for front door entrances that we've considered so far, the ground between the street and the entryway has been level. In such cases, pursuing the objectives of leading the viewer's eye to the entryway and making the route to the house entrance inviting are not pressing matters. The bottom line is that visitors to your house will eventually find the front door entrance, regardless of the landscaping.
Install sufficient lighting at path level to clarify its edges and grade changes, particular if the walkway is sloped. With no finished upper level and awkward straight-angle brickwork, the original structure lacked historic appeal. To gain more family space, the homeowners of this circa-1934 brick Tudor added a finished upper level, which also gave them more room to flex their design muscles on the exteriors.
A new bumped-out entrance follows the elegant curve of the door, and a muted gray-green base color keeps the expansive exterior facade from feeling too overwhelming. This challenge is usually met by installing landscaping steps, as in the picture above, although some homeowners might prefer a multi-level deck . For curb appeal, brick pillars frame the approach to the stairs, and the pillars are topped with pineapple ornaments. This deals with your visitors as they transition from the car to the front door on a walk or pathway. Third is the sense of arrival, that tells the visitor he or she has reached their destination.
Brick pathways lead to the front door, which is painted a glossy shade of red. If there are steps up to this entry level, make them as wide or wider than the entry walk to avoid a bottleneck. Spring flowering or fall color accent trees are the most affordable way to emphasize this location. Adding detailed close up planting gives waiting guests something beautiful to peruse. Ambient lighting or attractive light fixtures can further highlight the entry location after dark.
In these pictures of landscaping showing front door entrances, I will provide examples of entryway plantings showing how each of these objectives can be met. Rather than depending solely on path lighting in the adjacent planter to show visitors where the edge of pavement lies, consider the aesthetics of lighting integrated into the steps themselves. Louvered vents set into the face of each step riser offers spots of brighter light along with easy bulb replacement. More complex are linear light bars built-in beneath the cantilevered tread nose of a step. If the visible riser is veneered with colored tile and bathed in linear lighting, this option can contribute outstanding night time sculptural qualities.
Multipane windows with wide trim replaced the old versions, and a new stained front door and a charming picket fence announce both entry and border to passersby. Black details provide balance and grounding to the mostly neutral color scheme. Before, a lack of architectural features, such as an overhang or stoop, left the front door feeling lost and floating in the home's facade. Now, this exterior entryway demonstrates that even the smallest details can make a big difference when it comes to improving curb appeal. In addition, bright white trim around the windows and at the roofline give subtle contrast to the warm gray color scheme.
By fixing the siding, tearing out overgrown shrubs, and giving it a fresh coat of paint, the homeowners gave the entryway a fresh face. This homely bungalow originally felt hidden by overgrown trees and a carelessly chosen front stoop. For the entryway makeover, the homeowners took charge of the approach to the front door, removing overgrown trees and adding a paved sidewalk lined with pretty flowers. In place of plain, inoperable square windows, they added oversized, multipane versions that flood the interior with light. A small arched covering signals the front door, and a bump-out gives new height to the small home. Outdoor living spaces are often placed at the back of a home, but there's a certain charm and value in adding them to the front landscape.
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