If you live in a cold climate during the winter, it’s easy to focus your design efforts on your home’s interior. This can mean the exterior becomes forgotten until spring’s sunnier days arrive. However, enhancing your home’s exterior can help it stand out in a winter wonderland, improve its curb appeal, and elevate its charm. It may also give you additional living space. Read on for ways to enhance your home’s exterior and curb appeal in the winter.
Incorporate evergreens
During spring and summer landscaping, it can be tempting to select trees, shrubs, and flowers that bloom brightly and colorfully. However, incorporating evergreens, such as boxwoods, juniper trees, arborvitae, and holly bushes, will ensure your yard and home are surrounded by greenery all year. A potted spruce, fir, or pine tree is another way to quickly and easily add greenery around your home during the bleak winter months.
Illuminate the exterior
An illuminated exterior provides the necessary lighting for winter’s early sunsets and a warm way to welcome you home after a long day. The holiday lights may be down, but warm white lights around a few trees or around any backyard structures can create an ethereal glow. Pathway lighting will offer safety when it’s dark while highlighting the walking paths up to your home and around the property.
Seasonal entry
The home’s exterior focal points are the front door and surrounding entry area. Keeping them fresh and seasonal will elevate your home’s curb appeal and create a welcoming first impression. The below ways can instantly elevate a home’s entry.
- A winter-themed wreath, such as one made from pinecones, eucalyptus, or frosted twigs.
- A fresh, glossy paint color will stand out against the snowy landscape.
- Decorative planters with seasonal foliage
- A spotlight to shine on the front door.
Functional walkways
A clean and clear driveway and walkway make a home look well-maintained and provide much-needed safety benefits. Keeping the walkways shoveled, clear, and iced will prevent trips and slips, and a stone paver walkway can offer additional traction.
Intentionally designed window boxes
If your window boxes remain empty until spring, fill them with seasonal greenery to bring instant winter curb appeal. Evergreen branches, pinecones, thin birch branches, metallic ribbons, and soft, warm lights can create a sparkling, magical effect.
Set up an outdoor lounge area
If you have a covered outdoor space or fireplace, don’t save this cozy outdoor feature until the spring. Using the outdoor space in the winter gives you more living space and can make your backyard appear less neglected. Fire up the outdoor heaters, light the fire, pile on the blankets, and enjoy much-needed fresh air.
Highlight the architectural details
Snow can act as nature’s highlighter, making everything feel brighter, cleaner, and lighter. You can enhance this by freshening up some of the home’s architectural details, such as investing in a custom lighting plan, updating the shutters, adding additional decorative trim that enhances the home’s existing architectural style, and updating the house numbers.
