Guest Post - How to Keep Up With Exterior Design Trends

When most people are trying to upgrade or remodel their homes, they focus on interior design first. That’s usually because both tastes and trends change, and you spend most of your time inside your home. 

But, exterior design trends change, too. Unfortunately, they might be tackled less often because they can seem overwhelming. After all, it’s easier to paint a few internal walls than put new siding on your home. 

So, how can you keep up with exterior design trends? What can you do to erase past trends and bring your home exterior up-to-date, either for yourself or to boost curb appeal? 

Let’s cover a few exterior home trends that have stood the test of time and will undoubtedly look great, even years from now. When you know what will last, you can make better exterior design choices for yourself or a potential buyer. 

Look at Your Landscaping

Landscaping can make a big difference when it comes to curb appeal. It can boost the value anywhere from 5.5%-12.7%, potentially allowing you to add thousands more to your listing price. 

But, not all landscaping endeavors are created equally. 

Maximize curb appeal with timeless landscaping trends, including:

• A pristine yard

• Additional plants and flowers

• Little/no clutter

If you’re not sure where to get started when it comes to quality landscaping, think symmetrical. Whether you’re adding stones, plants, or furniture to your front yard or back patio area, keeping things as symmetrical as possible will give your home exterior a clean, welcoming look. It will draw the eye and make people interested in seeing more. 

Speaking of furniture and decor, another good idea is to make a seamless transition between the inside and outside of your home. Warm lighting and comfortable outdoor furniture can give your patio a “living room” feel while bringing live plantsbringing live plants inside your houseinside your house can add a much-needed touch of nature that reminds potential buyers what they liked about your landscaping. 

Lighting Replacements

If you want to renovate your home exterior on a budget, consider changing the lighting that surrounds your property. It’s easy to think that certain lighting elements are “trends,” but there are some things that are here to stay – or, they should be.

Switching to LED bulbs throughout your home can save you up to $1,000 a year on utility bills. That includes exterior lights. Whether you plan on selling or you just want to save money, it’s a great investment and can boost the overall appeal and value of your house. 

The good news? LED lights aren’t going to go out of style any time soon. They are quickly becoming the norm thanks to their energy efficiency, and you can find bulbs in just about any shape and size you could want. 

Another option is to install solar lighting around your house. Having solar lights in the ground to illuminate a pathway or on the corners of your house to light up your yard at night is a fantastic way to make your house feel more like a home while remaining energy efficient. 

Update Your Roof

One home exterior trend that will never go out of style is a solid roof. Composition shingles will last 12-20 years. So, if you’ve been in your home that long or you’re planning on selling, installing a new roof is a great idea. You can choose from different materials for your roof, including: 

• Metal

• Asphalt shingles

• Cool roofs

• Green roofs

• Synthetic materials

Some of these options are “hot” trends right now, especially green roofs or roofs with solar panels. And, metal roofing is making a big comeback. Instead of giving in to trends, though, think about what would most benefit your home for the next 10+ years. Think about other features your home has. For example, if you have a smart home or a sustainable home, a solar or “green” roof might be the way to go. 

There are so many ways to update your home exterior, it would be impossible to list them all at once. But, don’t fall victim to trendy designs that won’t be popular in a year or two. Do your research, go for the classics when possible, and think about how your home will benefit from certain trends. 

Author Bio: Noah Rue is a freelance writer.

4 Innovative Yard Design Ideas for Unique Homeowners

We often only think about the interior of our homes when it comes to expressing our unique sense of style through hand-made furniture and beautifully woven rugs. While the unique possibilities of interior design see no end when we have the money set aside to make our visions come true, the exterior parts of our home, like the front and backyard, are left abandoned.

You shouldn't have to set aside too much for the extra cost of decorating your yard when you have these four ideas in mind. They'll tell that neighbor passing by that you really do care about your home and its upkeep. Look to these four ways of bettering your home's yard before even beginning to look at that vacant wall situated above your living room couch.

Recycling an Old Bed

I'm sure your first go-to when looking to furnish your yard is an outside lunch bench or table to make all of your backyard barbecues possible. While needing a little place to have an evening latte with your friends in the summer sun besides Starbucks is more than necessary, you're forgetting about other furniture pieces that could look great in your backyard. A flower bed was once thought of as something that was soil surrounded by a pretty frame like stones. Now a flower bed can be an old bed-frame that flowers sprout through. It can range from elegant to tacky, depending on how you take care of the bed.

Creating Your Own Stone Gravel Path

The only thing you really need to complete a stone gravel path, at its most amateur level, is a hoe to remove grass and some gravel from a well trusted supplier of it. A stone gravel supplier can give you the amount of rock necessary to weave a trail through your rose bed and vegetable garden. It'll allow you to not step on those little flower buds that will soon render mighty squash. You can create a unique trail in any type of shape. Want to create a trail that's heart shaped? It'll look lovely with a rose garden in the middle of it.

Fire Pits Are the Latest Fashion

Fire pits are the latest fashion as more people are desiring a fireplace that can be taken into the backyard for S’mores and something to add light to the darkness. Do you enjoy starting a fire near your campsite to cook your latest catch after fishing? You can install a fire pit into your backyard. They typically come in square or circular.

String Lights

String lights are an excellent way to add a unique style to your backyard as they come in many different shapes and colors. If you're looking to add a girly touch to a sweet 16 party, they have pink unicorn ones that serve the purpose of lighting up the cake's table and add a sweet, soft, pink hue to all of its surroundings.

Enhancing your yard isn't challenging with all the ideas that have been used to date. Understanding what you already have in your yard can help you match its decor with the latest ideas. Creating a yard with your own unique ideas can expand on the ones presented in this article.

Blinds Styles to Choose From for Your New Home Design

When planning your new home design, it is exciting to focus on the big decisions and leave the smaller ones for later. Windows play an important role in your home by controlling the amount of heat and sunlight that enter from outdoors. They also contribute to the decor of your home by adding visual appeal and coordinating with the rest of the house. Here are some window blind styles to consider as you think about window treatments and use.

Faux Wood Blinds

This style of window treatment adds elegance and class to any room or nook in your home. Built in a substantial design that is easy to manage, they come in various colors and textures to enhance windows of various sizes and shapes. The slats are easy to dust and readily wipe clean of fingerprint smudges.

Mini-Blinds

Cordless mini-blinds lend a subtle effect as a type of window covering. With simple styling and a delicate appearance, they fit any type of home decor and can either fit in with the background or become a focal point. You can buy them in different widths and colors to go with your home's design.

Room Darkening Blinds

If you love sleeping in a dark room without the interruption of bright moonlight or sunshine, you may want to install room darkening blinds in the bedrooms of your new house. They can be opened when desired but will keep out disruptive bright lights from outside your home.

Light Filtering blinds

You might be interested in window blinds that filter outdoor light to avoid a stark glare entering your home to interfere with computer monitors and television screens. The natural light will be diminished to brighten your home in soft rather than vibrant ways. They can be useful in any room of your new home to control the amount of outdoor light that comes through the windows.

Pleated Shades

Another style of possible interest is pleated shades that come in different colors. These work well with many kinds of home decorating and window designs. Like other blinds, they are cordless and can be easily raised or lowered by hand.

Vertical Blinds

Traditionally used for larger windows and patio doors, vertical blinds fit many window sizes and styles. Once installed, they are durable and easy to maintain. They require similar window blind installation as other styles of window treatments.

With many styles of window treatments to choose from, look for those that will complement your new home's design. You will love the way they add to the overall decorating scheme of your house.

Plants and Pools: How Can You Prepare Your Yard's Landscaping When Adding a Pool?

A pool can be the focal point of a backyard oasis, with the right landscaping. Planning your landscaping and preparing your yard for your new pool takes considerable thought. So, here are a few points you need to know about landscaping when installing your pool.

What Not to Plant

The wrong plants can create extra pool maintenance as will planting grass too close to the pool. For example, bougainvillea will shed tons of pretty pink flowers into your pool that can clog your pool’s jets and drains. You will want to avoid these kinds of plants around your pool. You'll also want to avoid plants that attract a lot of bees, such as honeysuckle.

Grass too close to a pool can also create problems. Not only will grass clippings fly into the pool, but the roots can eventually cause damage to both in-ground and above-ground pools. In fact, do not plant anything with invasive roots, such as oleander, around a pool.

Plants Appropriate for Around the Pool

If you want a tropical look and feel, stick with non-shedding poolside plants. Go with plants like canna lilies, bird of paradise flowers, and hibiscus plants. These are hardy plants that do not shed.

While lawn grass must be kept away from the pool, decorative grasses, such as feather reed grass, zebra grass, and mondo grass are very appropriate for around the pool.

In desert regions, succulents are a good choice. They can withstand heat and intense sunshine like cactus, but unlike cactus, they do not have dangerous thorns.

Landscaping Around Above-Ground Pools

While in-ground pools have a rim of cement decking, above-ground pools do not. That means, before you decide on any plants, you'll need to decide what to surround them with. Several inches of gravel or decorative rock around the pool is a popular option. However, before you lay down any rock, put down a layer of landscaping fabric to prevent weeds. The rock should extend two or three feet from the pool.

Not only does the decorative rock look attractive, but it also allows for evaporation. This keeps water from building up around and under the pool. Once you have your rock laid out, you can plant it around the perimeter of the gravel. You can place potted plants around the pool too. Potted plants also give you the option to change your landscaping seasonally.

When you’re planning the landscaping for your above-ground pool, talk to your installation company about which plants work best for your area and style of pool. They can give you specific advice for what will work well in your yard.

With some research into the best plants for your region, your pool's landscaping will not only create an oasis but will also be relatively low maintenance.