{friday finds: accenting the exterior of your home}

When you’re painting the exterior of your home, it can be tempting to use an accent color for your garage door. However, Faye from the Woodbury Hirshfield’s has some expert advice — don’t! “Your garage door is likely not the most interesting thing you can draw attention to,” she says, “and an accent color should highlight the most attractive parts of your home.” Instead, be sure to remember the accent ratio: 70% should be body color, 20% trim, and 10% accent color.

Here are some examples of how to properly incorporate accent colors on the exterior of your home.

Front Door

You may have heard this before, but the front door is a great place to use an accent color. You can use a bright color, like green, for a great pop of color.  Grand Entrance®, from Benjamin Moore, is a paint designed specifically for doors – check it out.

Benjamin Moore Grand Entrance®

Or, you can never go wrong with a classic like black.

Craftsman Entry by Palo Alto Architects & Building Designers FGY Architects

Window Boxes or Shutters

This is another popular place to use an accent color, and it works really well with the accent ratio. Be sure to choose a color that goes well with both the body color and the trim, and again, you can’t go wrong with a classic.

Traditional Exterior by Richmond Architects & Building Designers Island Architects

Your Garage Door

Yes, your garage door may be a great place for an accent color, but there’s a catch. You only want to draw attention to your garage door if you have a beautiful garage door.

FHC Arch Irving

Traditional Garage And Shed by Chatham Architects & Building Designers Siemasko + Verbridge

One more tip — never use an accent color to highlight an access door outside of your garage. For safety reasons, make sure to paint that door the same color as the body of your house.

Since Frank and Elizabeth Hirshfield opened their first store in 1894, it has been our mission to do the best job possible meeting customer needs and solving customer problems. Hirshfield’s. People and products you can trust.

{curb appeal}

You only get one chance to make a good first impression – and the same goes for your house! Whether you’re getting ready to put your house on the market, or you just want to do a little sprucing up, the curb appeal of your house is what makes that so very important first impression. If people don’t like what they see on the outside, chances are they will be less inclined to want to see what’s on the inside, and vice versa. So take a little time this spring to invest in the curb appeal of your house. Here are some tips to get you started.

Create beauty with symmetry: Symmetry is not only pleasing to the eye, but it is also simple to arrange. Light fixtures, potted plants and outdoor art work can all be easily arrange in a symmetrical fashion to accent your front door.

Better Homes and Gardens

HGTV

Give your home a facelift: Whether you need to replace some old hardware, install a new mailbox or give your entire house a fresh coat of paint, there are many ways to freshen up the exterior of your home. Mark Masica of Hirshfield’s shares some tips for choosing the right exterior paint color in parts one, two and three of this series on painting the outside of your home.

HGTV

HomeIdeas.com

Add architecture: Adding a cute fence or romantic archway can add instant curb appeal. Using these elements, you can define outdoor spaces and gardens to make them feel like an extension of your home.

Better Homes and Gardens

HGTV

If you have any questions about choosing the right paint color for your exterior paint project, or you just want some advice or more inspiration, stop in to your local Hirshfield’s!