New Home Curb Appeal: 6 Design Elements to Consider

There’s just something about that new home smell. Unfortunately, that new home look isn’t always as pleasant. Production and custom homes alike can suffer from a lack of curb appeal thanks to bare bones landscaping and a lack of personality. Luckily, you can skip the impersonal look specifically by designing your home with curb appeal in mind. By thinking about how your new home will look from the street, you can design a few elements to make sure your place always looks warm and inviting. A few well-placed upgrades can give your home plenty of curbside character.

Statement Door

A bright door draws visitors in. Image: Artazum/Shutterstock

You only get one chance to make a first impression, so give guests the right idea with your front door. Doors are a relatively inexpensive upgrade, so it’s a good place to spend some of your design money. If you have more money in the budget, consider upgrading to a door with a window to let light stream in. If your design budget is shrinking rapidly, simply painting your door a statement color might be all you need to differentiate your home from your neighbor’s. Choose a bright color or coordinate with your home’s trim to make a statement.

Symmetrical Features

A symmetrical exterior gives the eye some rest. Image: romakoma/Shutterstock

The human eye craves symmetry as an aesthetically pleasing way to represent order. By designing your home with symmetry in mind, you can create a home that has more curb appeal. It doesn’t mean your home has to have the exact same number of windows on each side or that you need mirrored design elements. Rather, a symmetrical look means keeping your home design even. A design element on one side should be matched by something just as eye-catching on the other. Talk to your architect about using symmetry to give your home a timeless look.

Porch Appeal

A welcoming porch gives visitors a place to sit. Image: Christopher Edwin Nuzzaco/Shutterstock

One of the biggest design mistakes is forgetting the appeal of a porch. In fact, some homeowners spend so much time (and money) outfitting the interior of their home that they forget the importance of the porch. Think of your porch as your outdoor living room. It’s what welcomes visitors to your home and sets the tone for the interior. A too-small porch can make a home seem cold and lacking in charm. The good news? As far as square footage goes, porch space is pretty cheap. You can easily extend a porch and add a railing to the design of your home without busting your budget – and it’ll make your home look like a million bucks.

Bricks and Stones

A welcoming porch gives visitors a place to sit. Image: Christopher Edwin Nuzzaco/Shutterstock

We get it: many homeowners opt for siding and stucco because they’re simply cheaper than other materials. But, if you can swing it, natural materials like brick, stone and wood make a bigger visual impact. And improved visual impact means more curb appeal. You don’t have to outfit your entire home in stone. Instead, talk to your designer about using stone or brick accents on the front of your home to make it more eye-catching. A stone foundation or brick pillars can help you give your home more character without spending too much.

Garage Camouflage

Use good design to help the garage blend with the house. Image: breadmaker/Shutterstock

Depending on the size of your garage, it can easily dwarf the elevation (or front exterior) of your home. Some garages simply look bigger or take up more space when looking at a home head-on. It can also mean your home looks smaller than it really is in relation to your garage. You can help soften the contrast between living space and garage by making sure your garage is painted the same color (or uses the same materials) as your home. By removing the delineation between garage and living space, the size discrepancy between the two will be less noticeable.

Chic Shutters

Shutters give the home’s exterior more character. Image: Svineyard/Shutterstock

Finally, one of the simplest ways to create more curb appeal is by utilizing shutters as a design element. Most outdoor shutters are non-functional, so it’s unlikely you’ll have to worry about opening and shutting them. Still, ignoring window size and using shutters that are smaller than your actual windows is a rookie mistake. Small shutters can look cheap and off-balance, so make sure your shutters match your window sizes – even if you never plan on using them. You can also use shutter material or color to direct focus when looking at the home, showing off unique trim or drawing the eye upward to showcase your home’s size.

Curb appeal doesn’t always have to mean landscaping and gardening elements. In fact, some of your home’s most important appeal will start on the pages of your house plans. By talking with your architect about ways to add character and charm to the exterior of your home, you can create a warm and inviting space. Think beyond the shrub when creating curb appeal and you’ll design a home that is truly unique.

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8 Ways to Design Multigenerational Homes

According to Pew Research, a whopping 64 million Americans live in multigenerational homes. Grandparents, parents, and kids all living under the same room has gained traction over the past few years, thanks to rising housing and healthcare costs. While packing more people into one house might seem less than ideal, it does have its perks. Whether it’s saving money or offering care, there’s something to be said for living with family.

Of course, that’s not to say there won’t be any discomfort along the way. The trick to multigenerational homes is designing spaces that make sense. When a home is geared toward comfort, privacy and accessibility, living with family can be comfortable and convenient. Homes that are designed with more than one generation in mind means you can live with multiple generations without losing your mind. Here’s how.

Think accessibility

Open concept layouts make the most sense. Image: JR-stock/Shutterstock

Multigenerational homes require an eye for accessibility. Even if Grandma and Grandpa can get around easily now, thinking ahead can save growing pains in the future. Creating spaces that are wheelchair accessible mean older residents will always feel welcome. Open concept layouts are great for getting around. And, configuring bedrooms so that everyone can reach their private living spaces easily (think putting older residents on the main floor) means everyone can remain as independent as possible.

Choose main floor bedrooms

When given the choice between main and second floor bedrooms in multigenerational homes, choose the main floor. Not only will they remain the most accessible as your family ages, but having one or two bedrooms on the main floor can create a natural separation between generations. While it might feel natural to put all of the bedrooms on the second floor level, putting a few on the main floor offers extra privacy and some breathing room to keep everyone sane.

Design for dual purposes

Create rooms that pull double duty. Image: Photographee.eu/Shutterstock

Remember this rule of thumb: it’s easy to convert a bedroom into another space, but it’s not always possible to convert a space into a bedroom. Bedrooms usually require windows and a closet, so design your multigenerational home with this factor in mind. If you think of all your spaces as dual purpose, you’ll have more flexibility along the way. Instead of having activity-specific rooms like an office or an exercise room, it’s best to design as many bedrooms as possible and convert them when necessary. That way, you always have plenty of bedrooms that can double as other rooms.

Give enough space

When there’s more than one generation living under the same roof, you’ll need to offer enough space and privacy for everyone. How do you ensure that no one feels totally suffocated? Make sure that for each generation in a home, there is at least one dedicated living space. So, say your parents live with you and your children. Multigenerational homes that include a family room, a den and a playroom means everyone has a little breathing room and a place to relax.

Utilize every inch

Every space can be utilized for family. Image: alexandre zveiger/Shutterstock

With several families living in the same home, every square foot comes at a premium. Get creative with all the spaces in the home and you’ll be a lot more comfortable. Think about converting some of the less-utilized areas of the home, such as the attic, the basement, or over the garage. Rethink each room’s purpose and convert storage spaces into comfy living spaces instead. You can always find other places to store your things and everyone will be happier when they can spread out.

Enjoy the suite life

If you’re lucky enough to get to design your home from scratch, ask your architect to help you configure suites for each generation. Sharing bathrooms can be a major pain point in multigenerational homes and you can easily reduce those quibbles before they even begin. A private bedroom and bathroom suite for grandparents and parents, and a jack-and-jill bathroom for kids can reduce some of the pressure on the busiest rooms in the home.

Offer separate entrances

Separate entrances offer additional privacy. Image: ppa/Shutterstock

Another design consideration to make in multigenerational homes is how each generation will actually enter the home. If there’s not a lot of overlap in schedules (early risers leaving for school versus night owls coming in late), it might be best to design separate entrances. Not only will this reduce traffic and chaos throughout the day, but it can provide your family with a sense of autonomy. Sure, living together ensures plenty of quality time. But being able to separate some of the coming and going can help each generation feel more independent.

Customize and adapt

Whether you’re designing a home, renovating one or looking to buy, know that there’s no such thing as a perfect solution. Living in a multigenerational home means customizing as much as possible and remembering to adapt when necessary. What works for other families might not work for you and you might even find that something you designed doesn’t actually translate to real life. The trick to living with more than one family is to keep communication open and stay open to change so that everyone feels welcome and comfortable.

Multigenerational homes are a reality for more and more American families each year. Living with family can definitely come with challenges. Still, if you plan ahead for issues and design your home accordingly, you can head off conflict before it starts. By considering needs, privacy and accessibility, your multigenerational home will be one full of love.

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5 Ways to Stay Organized While Building a Home

Let’s face it: building a home comes with a lot of paper. Whether it’s rough plans drawn on a napkin, pictures torn from magazines or a receipt for that perfect neutral gray, it’s easy to find yourself buried in important documents. Then, when it’s time to find the info you need, you’re left paging through a mountain of paper – sometimes to no avail.

Staying organized during your build doesn’t just help you keep your desk clean – it’ll save your sanity. From communication with your contractor to finding your dream cabinets, the construction process means you’re constantly checking and rechecking information. By putting a system in place, you’ll easily be able to locate what you need when you need it. Organization doesn’t have to be complicated. Try these five tips to help yourself stay organized so you can easily access everything you’ll need for a smooth build.

Getting organized keeps your vision in sight. Image: New River Building Co.

1. Delineate between wants and needs

The first step for an organized build is making sure you know the difference between wants and needs. With all of the inspiration, trends, materials and ideas available, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The fastest way to gain control of your build is to know where you stand on wants and needs. Take the time to write a list of five to ten must-haves. These should be items that your home needs for you to be happy with the end result. Then, do the same with a few nice-to-haves: things that you’d like, but won’t make or break the experience. By knowing the difference and creating a strict line between the two, you won’t get sidetracked by tasks that don’t really matter in the long run.

2. Create a build binder (or board)

Building a home is an exercise in collaboration. You’ll be working with a myriad of professionals, from interior designers to concrete workers. A build binder helps you stay organized and on track no matter who or where you’re meeting. A build binder is simple: just use tabs to organize your home into different categories. One way is to split your home into different rooms. Or, if you find it easier, go by categories, such as cabinetry, flooring, countertops, paint and so on.

If you’re more comfortable going digital, use a tool like Pinterest to create inspiration boards and invite your contractors to collaborate. Your interior designer can show you some of the hottest trends while you keep all of your favorite layouts, colors and materials in one place.

Create a filing system that goes from the office to your phone. Image: Donald A. Gardner Architects

3. Organize receipts and documents

There’s no shortage of receipts and docs during the build process. You’ll have land contracts and build contracts, material receipts and floorplan print-outs. If you don’t stay organized, you won’t be able to easily refer to them as needed. While you should always keep important home document hard copies in one place, you’ll need mobile versions, too. If you don’t want to find yourself lugging a file cabinet to every build meeting, use your phone as an organizational tool. Create a folder in your phone’s photo album for home documents and snap a picture anytime you receive something important. You’ll have easy access to all of your contracts, receipts and other important docs on the fly.

4. Create email folders

While the building of your home happens on your lot, the logistics will happen in your email inbox. Don’t lose important communication among your work and junk emails. Create a space for home-specific mail.

You can easily create custom folders within your inbox. If you use Gmail, for instance, you’ll click “Settings,” then “Labels” and “Create New.” You can then name your new label anything you want and use that new label to file important messages. If you really want to stay organized, you could create an entirely new email address for your build and create folders for the different categories of your build. Whatever you decide, it’s about having organized and easy access to all of your communications throughout the process.

Keep a tape measure handy 24/7. Image: Covenant Kitchens

5. Carry a home kit

If there’s anything you should know about building a home, it’s that a meeting can spring up anytime, any place. Whether you’re visiting your home site, dropping by the cabinetry showroom or running into your contractor in the grocery store, you might find yourself making decisions on the fly. That’s why you should stash a home kit in your car at all times. It doesn’t need to be fancy, but should include:

• A tape measure


• A notebook


• A pencil


• Your build binder


• A pair of shoes you don’t mind getting dirty

Wondering if a light fixture will work in your home? Grab your tape measure! Think you might have found the perfect shade of blue for your front door? Scribble it down. Schedule an impromptu walkthrough? Throw on your shoes and take a look. With a home kit, you’re never caught without the tools you need to keep the build moving.

It’s all too easy to feel overwhelmed by the logistics of building a home. There are a lot of moving parts and contractors to manage. By getting yourself organized, you can feel more in control of the process and easily identify areas that need a little more work. Stay organized and you’ll keep your build on schedule (and the end in sight).

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