Your front entry says a lot about you. It’s one of the first things people notice about your home. If your entryway is underwhelming, try adding masonry! Here are some tips for using masonry to beautify front entrances in Amherst, NH.
Related: OUR TOP MASONRY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOUR AMHERST, NH, LANDSCAPE PROJECT
Let’s begin with the walkway. Many homes (even high-end homes) often have a boring poured concrete walkway that can’t help but become dingy and tired-looking over time. Poured concrete doesn’t have a lot of character, it often develops cracks and chips, and it has a tendency to become stained with mildew and moss, especially on north-facing exposures. You can instantly beautify your home by switching to natural stone pavers or manufactured stone (concrete) pavers that are designed to look just like the real thing. Both options will give your walkway character as well as a huge return on your investment. The durability, strength, ease of maintenance and, of course, the wonderful look of both natural stone and manufactured stone, make a great first impression on your visitors (and they’re nice to come home to, as well).
The beginning of the walkway can be beautified with stone pillars and landscape lights. A well-lit walkway is welcoming (and safe), and placing lights on pillars adds a touch of sophistication to your walkway.
Consider installing a low garden wall along the walkway: on the house side to bring definition to the landscaping adjacent to the home; or on the landscape side for a sense of protection. A masonry wall, such as stacked flagstone, is a timeless and beautiful way to add visual interest. A wall is also a great way to disguise light fixtures for a safe and romantic stroll to the front door.
At the end of the walkway, we reach the front steps and entry area. These, too, can be enhanced with natural stone or manufactured stone pavers and stone slab steps that give your home a historic appeal.
If you have a front porch, its pillars can be enhanced with a stone veneer. This gives your porch a more substantial and elegant look and helps tie the home into the landscape.
Masonry also gives you the opportunity to add symmetry to your home’s entrance. This could mean a masonry planter on either side of the front entry. But, it can also mean just one masonry feature, such as a waterfall or stone bench, that balances other landscape elements such as dense shrubs or low-flowering trees.
Planter beds along the front of your home are another opportunity to add curb appeal. A sloped lot lends itself to raised-bed masonry gardens. But you can place masonry planters anywhere there’s a corner: between the driveway and walkway; at any curve or corner of the walkway; and, of course, at the entry itself. Planters help you use seasonal colors for a cheerful welcome.
To make your home stand out, consider masonry art: a water-wall, birdbath, water fountain, or even a set of pillars with fire bowls. These elements can turn any entryway into a work of art! Any water feature will offer soothing sounds that make for a tranquil welcome, and fire adds drama to an otherwise ordinary entryway.
You can also wrap your mailbox in stone veneer to complete the look. If you need inspiration on how to incorporate masonry into your front entryway design or to decide whether you should use natural or manufactured stone, give us a call! Our masonry experts will guide you in making the best choices, and we’ll install masonry features that will completely change your home’s curb appeal.
