PHASE ONE: PAINT

AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE

1. Take Pictures of Every Angle of Your Home Us Robeson women love to dream! If you are making a big update to the exterior of your home, do some dreaming first! Take plenty of pictures of the outside of your home before paint ever goes near it. These photos will be great to have as before photos, but also to do some dreaming on! Print out a few photos and draw on them, color on them or even photoshop them to help give you a better idea of what your end product will look like.

2. Pick Your Paint Color(s) The best place for paint color inspiration is right in your own neighborhood. Drive around your neighborhood (with a paint fan of course) and look for houses that you love! Don’t be afraid to knock on someone’s door to ask for their paint colors. Your neighbors most likely will love the compliment and be happy to help! Here are a couple other things to keep in mind when choosing a paint color for your house: - Note the aspects of your house that you can’t change (i.e. the overall style ………of your home, your roofing, the materials your house is made out of, etc.). ………Make sure you are factoring those aspects in when picking out a paint …………fffffcolor. - Be mindful of the overall style of your neighborhood. You don’t want to be ………the neighbor who’s house stands out from all the rest.

3. Paint Swatches on Several Areas of Your Home Before you commit to a paint color, paint swatches of the paint colors you are considering on several different areas of your home. Make sure to paint swatches of each color in the shade and in the sunlight. Paint does look different in different lighting! Let the swatches sit for a couple days so you have time to decide which color you like the best.

4. Pick Painters When you go to pick painters, always get referrals or read reviews! Make sure you have a detailed contract so you and your home are protect in case anything goes wrong.

PAINT TRICK #1: Satin paints tend to show imperfections more than matte paints. Think about the areas of your home you are painting and which paint type is best! PAINT TRICK #2:Paint flaws (like a termite infested trellis) a darker color like black to mask imperfections.PAINT TRICK #3: Paint eyesores like AC units or water heaters the same color as your home so they blend right in. PAINT TRICK #4: If you have a fence along the outside of your home, paint it the same color as your house to give the illusion that your home expands all the way to the fence. PAINT TRICK #5: Write down your paint colors in a safe spot so you always have them to refer back to. Also, ask your painter to leave behind any leftover paint so you can do touch-ups later down the line if needed.

Here are a few exterior paint tricks that we’ve discovered during our painting experiences that are good to keep in mind!

PHASE TWO: PLANT1. Pull Out Weeds

Remember one of the first steps in last month’s Design Session about small spaces? Clean your space! The same goes for your landscaping. You will be so surprised at how much better your backyard and front yard look after you get rid of all the weeds and stuff that doesn’t belong.

2. Remove Chachkies Our backyards and front yards can sometimes house a collection of chachkies that we have collected over the years. If you aren’t fond of that metal flower sculpture anymore or you never really liked that bird bath to begin with, get rid of them! Fill the outside of your home with things that truly bring you joy, and get rid of the things that don’t.

3. Plant Flowers and Greenery Now that you have a foundation rid of weeds, time for the pretty stuff - flowers and greenery! Carry similar colors and flowers from your front yard into your backyard so you have a cohesive look. If you have the space, look into building your own vegetable garden like Sharrah and Rebecca did in Sharrah’s backyard with David! It can be fun way to utilize your backyard, and you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor (literally)! - To contact David, visit his website here: www.nativepathstravel.com or follow ………him on Instagram @native.paths

4. Maintain Your Landscaping Your front yard and backyard will look beautiful once all of your new landscaping is in place. But, it won’t stay that way if you don’t maintain it! Commit to maintaining your landscaping (watering, pulling out weeds, etc.) so all of your flowers and greenery grow and fill in your yard!

PHASE THREE: PERFECT

1. Update your front door hardware

2. Replace your mailbox

3. Install house numbers

4. Install a smart doorbell

5. Place potted plants around your backyard, front yard and entryways

6. Invest in outdoor furniture

7. Update the cushions or pillows of your outdoor furniture

8. Hang outdoor pendant lights, market lights or string lights

9. Install pathway lighting and/or landscape lighting

10. Add a fire pit or water feature to your backyard

The best part of any project - accessorizing! There are so many ways to accessorize your front yard and backyard. Here are just some of the many ideas you can do:

PHASE FOUR: PRESENTAn outdoor transformation is a big project! Once you finish, be sure to invite your friends and family over to enjoy your updated home and all that your backyard has to offer.

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