CURB APPEAL: Driveways and entrances

Exterior appeal: A look at front gates, driveways and entryways…

We’re quick to judge a book – or a house – by what we see at the front, from the front gates, paths and fences to the garden and drive. So here is some inspiration which might enable you to revamp the first impressions of your own home.

Having lived in many rental apartment buildings and houses, it’s frustrating not being able to make structural changes, but I now have a lovely red bench (found cheaply and painted by yours truly) and I splurged on two urn bases and two faux hedge balls to put on top each.

These items add some formality to either side of the front door, and the red bench adds colour to an otherwise dull house exterior. See our Front doors and Door knobs and handles photo galleries for more ideas.

I wish our house looked like this one:

With our latest home, Mr Luscious replaced the completely useless (broken) letterbox with one he built himself, with lovely large numbers of the front. It makes it more convenient for our visitors to locate our home.

Building the mailbox to a large size it is not only makes checking for mail easier, but also provides a waterproof spot for couriers to leave parcels if we’re not at home. You might also like our Luscious letterboxes album for your own inspiration.

Poor Mr Luscious faithfully lugs a multitude of pot plants with us every time we move, and I feel awful as it happens, but grateful that we take pots of colour with us from home-to-home.

One day, once we’ve been able to buy and fix up our own place, they will be lovingly planted in the garden, English country style.

I dream about having a large luscious entryway with front gate, beautifully paved road and tree-lined driveway, winding slowly through luscious woodlands, to our front door. [sigh]