| Do you ever get the urge to give your house a | | | | put an awning over the front or side door, but it |
| little more style, but don't know where to start? | | | | can be a real starting point. Awnings allow you to |
| While a good decorator or architect can lead the | | | | add another color to your color scheme without |
| way to imaginative, eye-catching design, there are | | | | painting one thing. If you add an awning with |
| a lot of things you can do on your own, without | | | | stripes that match your existing color scheme but |
| paying the fancy-pants decorator price. Here are | | | | include one color more, you can easily use the |
| some tips to get you started. | | | | new color as your accent. The new window |
| Emulate techniques designers use...start out first | | | | boxes or garden accents can pick up that color. |
| by critically assessing the appeal of your home's | | | | Speaking of color, examine at your plantings. Do |
| exterior. Go outside and take a picture. Print it on | | | | they have any color other than green? Add a |
| a full page if you can get it that large. If not, take | | | | few potted plants. While any blooming plant will |
| a copy to a copy center and have a few | | | | brighten the look, picking plants that enhance your |
| full-color, full-page size copies made. Studying a | | | | color scheme is part of how you can get the |
| picture gives you a little more emotional distance; | | | | landscaped-decorator look. While there are many |
| it allows you to be a little more objective in your | | | | different ways to get a pleasing effect, unifying |
| assessment. Try to look at the picture as you | | | | pots and accessories through color usually works |
| would look at pictures of homes in a magazine or | | | | well. The eye likes variety, the spirit likes |
| real estate brochure. Note what you like about it, | | | | tranquility. To please both, use a variety of pot |
| and be specific about what you don't like. | | | | and planter styles, but keep them all the same |
| Look first for things that look overgrown and | | | | color. The easiest way is to use either all |
| untended. Overgrown bushes and trees, | | | | terracotta pots or all white concrete pots. |
| unweeded gardens, and drooping rain gutters and | | | | The last quick visual pick-me-up is through your |
| shutters are the fastest and most obvious places | | | | fixed accessories. Consider replacing your mail |
| to start. Then look for ways to add some | | | | box, your porch light and/or your house numbers. |
| low-cost architectural interest. Take a ruler and | | | | If your budget allows, add some coordinating |
| pencil to your picture. Would your home be | | | | low-voltage lighting by the walkways or in the |
| enhanced by a fence, a deck, or an arbor? | | | | gardens. Make all of these accessories work |
| Arbors, fences, sidewalks, and plantings can all be | | | | together. Mailbox covers and house flags are |
| used to define your home and its entry. | | | | additional items which can be coordinated with |
| Especially in a neighborhood of nearly identical | | | | your exterior to help create the look you want. |
| homes, you can make yours welcoming by giving | | | | Pictures are invaluable in the process. Use the |
| it a little added dimension. Awnings, window boxes, | | | | picture you took of your own house; draw on the |
| and shutters can be another low-cost way to do | | | | possible changes and evaluate the result. Look at |
| just that. Shutters can be purchased new or used | | | | pictures of other houses...examine what you like |
| (Check out on-line sources such as freecycle and | | | | about their look to see if there are ideas that |
| Craig's List or watch for garage sales or | | | | could be applied to your own. A good decorator |
| large-scale home remodeling projects where | | | | will have you put your effort and money into the |
| someone may be replacing their perfectly good | | | | things that show the most, so take the same |
| shutters.) If you are handy, you can make your | | | | approach. Use your resources carefully to take |
| own with plywood and trim. As for awnings, | | | | your house from drab to fab! |
| depending on your budget, you may only want to | | | | |