A REAL KNOCKOUT
Open your front door’s inner curb appeal,
Painting your front door a brilliant red is not only a beautiful look but — according to a friend’s take on an old Scottish tradition — it was also a statement that your mortgage was paid and you were free of the shackles of debt.
Now that I’m finally free of the shackles of winter, I was ready to unwrap my patio furniture and shake up some exterior home looks for Cityline. After all, nothing beats a good first impression whether you’re welcoming guests or potential buyers. I wanted a new look for spring myself, so I picked up some trendy red jeans my stylist had been daring me to try — my own declaration of freedom. A pop of colour in the right spot can brighten your day and the front door is also a perfect place for it.
Punch up yellow masonry with vibrant, trendy red or light blue; pair traditional brown brick with bronze or forest green for a strong, regal statement; and mix grey stone with deep navy or a cheerful yellow for a happy, welcoming entrance. The front door is like the feature wall of your exterior, so don’t be afraid to experiment.
Despite spring’s chilly breeze, we plunged ahead. Originally I had wanted to film a Cityline segment featuring real home exteriors, but I thought if I went snooping and knocking on doors I might seem a little crazy (although I encourage you to take a stroll and get inspiration from the neighbours). Instead, we brought the outdoors in. Media Marksmen applied a printed image of a typical Canadian home facade to our studio wall — a technology you could also use, indoors or out. This gave me a great starting point: a strong, attractive door is key to any exterior scheme. It draws the eye to a beautiful entrance, and away from what you don’t want to focus on (say, the recycling bins or a missing shingle). From there I built two different looks — one traditional, one modern — to show how much potential every house has. Two minutes before live taping: Tracy and I arrived separately on set to find ourselves in matching red outfits. There was barely time to laugh. I guess my stylist was right that red was hot this season: even my own (faux) front door got the memo. The clock was ticking and the set design team managed to get everything up. I put my newspaper in the mailbox and hopped into position for the live segment just on time — or, to be honest, just a few minutes late. LOOK 1: Canadian Classique
Working with rich, timeless metal tones, I included a gold-hued handle set with a gleaming brass doorbell, knocker and numbers. For variety I chose dark bronze for the mailbox and pair of oversized sconces, all from Home Depot. Mixing metal tones adds interest, but it’s also practical: the polished finishes are safer kept to small accents that see less rain and snow. I added visually appealing circular lounge chairs from Andrew Richard Designs, as well as their rustic hand-carved teak table. Finally, two large, classic lion-emblem square planters anchor the look, with low, lush green yew shrubs to avoid crowding the wall.
Tip: A set of ingenious patio “stones” — made of lightweight recycled rubber — can effortlessly direct a path to the door. LOOK 2: Modern Maison
I’m a big fan of transitional design so even if you have a home with mainly traditional features, modern accessories can refresh the whole scheme. Going high tech, I used a contemporary LED number plate and a cool wireless doorbell, traded out the brassy knocker for sleek silver, and installed one of my favourite finds: the Twitty door handle from Orion Hardware, shaped as a bird perched on a peg to tweet as you arrive. Bright colour reads as modern, so I used a cherry-red mailbox, yellow geometric pillows and a striped rug. Bright green contemporary planters replaced the classical lions.
Tip: Your mailbox can comfortably sit 104 centimetres off the ground and your numbers will look balanced when horizontally centred with it on the other side of the door. LOOK 3: Many Lumiere A single wall fixture makes a great cap over the door, but it likely isn’t enough. Lightform’s architectural pathway lights and outdoor floor lamp rounded out my scheme. Exterior potlights work well under your cornice, to highlight a fixture or accentuate a wall’s rich texture. Using a striking Edison bulb (with large, visible filament) in a traditional lantern pendant will create a look that is simultaneously classic and modern — it’s the easiest DIY ever and high style on an accessible budget.
Tip: Centre sconces vertically above the mailbox and house numbers, and lower than the top of your door frame, to create an orderly arrangement.
Before the episode had finished airing I had people lining up to schedule exterior design consultations.
Start planning your exterior remake now — summer comes and goes too quickly to wait. You’ll be ready to welcome guests in style. Yanic Simard, founder of the Toronto Interior Design Group, appears every two weeks on Cityline (9 a.m. on City) and is the design editor of New Condo Guide. You can contact him at info@tidg.ca, read his blogs at tidg.ca, or follow him on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Houzz and Pinterest. He appears every two weeks in New in Homes & CondOS.