Ten tips on making your home’s exterior appear beautiful too
Make your home beautiful on the outside with these insights from top designers
1 cool continuity
For a great talking point, consider laying a dramatic tiled front path in contemporary colours, then continuing it into the hallway. Change the door furniture to a finish you have used in your interior – antique or polished brass will add some glamour, while matt black or bronze will look timeless and elegant.
2 warm welcome
A beautifully painted front door is the way to my heart. Even though neutrals are popular for interiors, external schemes often fall flat without the gusto of a generous splash of colour. My favourite front door colours are those that put a smile on your face. Blues would be my first port of call, and then pinks and greens. Choosing the perfect shade is a considered choice with lots of samples to ensure it works with your brickwork and roof tiles, but always worth the effort. Irene Gunter, co-founder, Gunter & Co
3 paint by numbers
One of my favourite ways to personalise a home’s exterior is with a hand-painted house sign. A local signwriter created mine. I matched the colour to the front door and had the name of the house with the number underneath painted on the wall. I chose a Castellar typeface as it suited the period of my house.
Sara Cosgrove, founder,
Sara Cosgrove Studio
4 grown up
Adding mature trees and planting of varying heights not only has visual impact while softening the facade, but also gives a sense of an established front garden. In addition, it’s great for privacy and concealing external storage. A consistent style of planting, whether Mediterranean or quintessentially English, creates a more considered look. Clara Ewart, head of design, Kitesgrove
5 street wise
When choosing a colour for painting window frames, be led by the tones of other surfaces around. In urban settings, be sensitive to the style and colour of neighbouring buildings and decide whether you want a complementary or contrasting scheme.
Joa Studholme, colour curator,
Farrow & Ball
6 knock knock
The quality of your door hardware is important. If the colour of your front door is the face, then the furniture is the features. On traditional doors, good quality bronze or aged brass ironmongery adds a timeless aesthetic, whereas chrome could look out of place. For modern door styles, black hardware is popular.
7 give it a spruce
Oiled front gates, cleaned leaded roofs, polished glass and healthy-looking plants will elevate the look of your home. Pleached trees are beautiful, if you have space, and provide privacy. Low hedges and box balls either side of a pathway give a defined English home look, while climbing plants help soften an exterior. Rebecca Wakefield, founder,
Studio Fortnum
8 layer lighting
Think of the exterior of your house as a visual introduction to the interior. A well thought-out mix of task and ambient lighting will make your front garden an inviting space, while for a balanced look, try a pair of box lights f lanking the door. Peter Bowles, founder, Davey Lighting
9 go potty
I like to use huge pots and planters in lots of contrasting colours and textures. Atelier Vierkant has a wonderful selection in different shapes, sizes and shades. They can be changed seasonally for interest and are so nice to come home to. Suzy Hoodless, founder, Suzy Hoodless
10 flower power
Window boxes in custom-made slatted timber, black metal or a bronze finish with seasonal flowers of a single colour give a polished appearance. For a more organic yet still well designed style, play with volumes and heights of plants. Shalini Misra, founder & creative director, Shalini Misra