There’s nothing like coming home to a place that, well, feels like home—and that all starts from the outside. When you pull into your driveway, don’t you want your home to wrap you in a warm ‘welcome home’ hug? And, unlike your bedroom or kitchen, the outside of your home is visible to everyone. Changing up your windows and adding a new front door and more current garage door can make a huge impact on the aethestic look and feel (and even value) of your home.
But where do you start?
Based on advice from Mississauga’s experts, it turns out that there are a wide range of resources and services available to help you upgrade your home’s exterior to match your perfect style—and become the envy of the neighbourhood!
Here are some tips for an outside facelift for your home.
Garage Doors
Just like interior design trends, outdoor living trends are everchanging. This year, garage door trends are on a pendulum, favouring either very simplistic, clean contemporary designs with minimal lines, or the exact opposite: old-fashioned, rustic-looking carriage door styles.
There’s one caveat, though, says Phillip Bennett, General Manager of B&M Garage Door Inc. “The more modern styles just won’t work on some homes,” he cautions. “That’s why it’s so important to collaborate with an expert who can help guide you through your selection and create a mock-up of your vision. We also send our clients out to other projects we’ve completed so they have an idea what the finished product will look like.”
While updating your garage door may seem like a daunting task—there are so many options!— B&M Garage Door’s useful website has a ‘Design Your Door’ application, where you can upload a photo of your home and customize your garage with just a touch of a button, making it easy to visualize your dream garage door.
You’ll be surprised, too, at the return on your investment. “Recently, the ROI on garage doors has surpassed kitchens and bathrooms,” Bennett says.
Windows + Front Doors
Glass is in: current architectural trends favour modern contemporary home styles with lots of windows to let in natural light. But what if your windows could use an update?
“The first concern homeowners should consider when replacing their windows is whether or not they really need to have them replaced or only repaired,” says Peter Petrovski of Mississauga’s Custom Window Designs. “If you do indeed need new windows, then it’s vital to find a reputable company with many years of experience that uses quality materials and provides exceptional installation.”
An in-person visit to a showroom is recommended, too.
“Visiting the showroom allows you to physically see and compare the different styles and mechanisms available to best suit their needs and preferences,” Petrovski advises. “You’ll also see truer colours with the naked eye rather than digitized photos.”
As for your front door, trends are showing that the days of a double front entrance are over for now. A double front door on a house can make a home’s entrance seem dated. Instead, homeowners are opting for a new, extra-wide door frame opening, transforming a double front door into one door by installing a single front door with sidelights.
Not only will a new door update the look of your entranceway but including sidelights in the doorframe will allow natural light to pour into your entryway. And when it comes to colour, “it really depends on the home,” Bennett says.
“Lately we’re seeing customers return to matching their entry door colour with their garage door colour,” he explains. “But if you intend this to be your forever home, why not add a fun pop of red, sage green, even orange?”
On that note, while current trends are a fun way to get inspired, you should always consider how long you plan on staying in your home and what finishes really speak to you. Yes, curb appeal is one of the first things people see when they’re looking to buy a home, but if your house is going to be your ‘home, sweet, home’ for the foreseeable future, it is more important to choose designs that you love rather than feeling the need to be ‘on trend’.
LOCAL LINKS
B&M Garage Door Inc.
BMgaragedoor.com
Custom Window Designs
customwindowdesigns.ca
