Want curb appeal that feels just as curated as your home's interior?

You're not alone.

Homeowners pour thousands into designing interiors but often ignore what's happening on the front porch. Meanwhile, the front door gets pushed to the curb.

Essentially what this means is that buyers are shelling out big bucks on interior decor. But saving pennies on the exterior.

And that lack of alignment between their beautifully decorated interior and lacklustre exterior is costing them more than they realize.

Truthfully…

Designing your exterior doesn't have to be difficult. It just requires forethought and some simple fixes that will bridge the gap between your interior style and exterior appeal.

How to...

• Understand Why Exterior Design Consistency Matters

• Craft The Perfect Personalized Front Door Sign

• 5 Simple Ways To Design an Exterior That Matches the Interior

• Plus a Back Door bonus tip!

Understand Why Exterior Design Consistency Matters

Here's how to look at it. Your home tells a story the second someone drives up to the curb.

If your home has a modern, sleek and minimal interior but your exterior features paint that's chipping and decor that's faded… Something doesn't feel right.

There's a disconnect between the home you've worked so hard to style inside and what everyone sees when they pull up your driveway.

Research by the University of Texas at Arlington found that curb appeal can boost home sale prices by an average of 7% compared to other homes in the same neighbourhood. Curb appeal also has an even larger impact on home value in slower real estate markets.

Translation? The outside of your home is just as important as the inside.

But it's more than about home value. Consistency and flow between your interior and exterior creates curb appeal. Makes your home look thought through and put together. When the inside and outside match, it completes the whole aesthetic of your home.

Craft The Perfect Personalized Front Door Sign

Here's a fun fact most people don't know…

Your front door serves as the gateway into your home. More importantly, the front door and entrance creates the first impression anyone has of your home. One of the quickest ways you can create a cohesive look from your home's interior to its exterior is by adding in personalized touches like Modern House Numbers that act as a welcoming mat for your front door.

Think of your welcome home sign as an extension of your home's personality. It gives your home character and introduces your style to guests before they even walk in the front door.

Here are a few examples:

• If you love modern and sleek home decor. Your modern house numbers should too! Try matching metallic sign frames with everything from brushed nickel to gold interior hardware.

• Maybe your home has more of timeless and traditional vibe. Choose a front door sign made from rich woods and classical designs.

• Going for a minimalist look? Consider a simple and streamlined number and omit the accent sign altogether.

You get the idea.

Your home's exterior should extend the same level of personality your interior does. And what better way than pairing your interior home decor with a custom welcome home sign?

5 Simple Ways To Design an Exterior That Matches the Interior

Alright! Let's dig into it. Below you'll find the top five tips for creating a home exterior that'll make your interior proud.

1. Match Up Your Colour Palette

Ok, this should be obvious. But you'd be surprised how many people get this simple concept wrong.

Your exterior colour palette should be compared and contrasted with your interior colour palette. They don't have to be an exact match, but they should complement each other.

Top tip? Identify one or two accent colours you use inside and carry those colours to your exterior. Bonus points if you can match your front door colour to an accent colour you've used somewhere inside your home.

Your front door colour matters! According to Zonda's latest Cost vs. Value Report, homeowners who upgrade their steel entry door can expect a ROI of up to 188% when it's time to sell. That is incredible!

Establishing a consistent flow of colour between your interior and exterior will make your home look well designed from every angle.

2. Upgrade Your Front Door

Speaking of front doors…

If you want your home's exterior to match its interior, you have to start with the front door. And it's not just about the colour either.

Hardware is everything. Round modern knobs and pulls paired with a classic front door immediately sends mixed signals. Choose hardware that matches the style of interior you have designed.

Whether you spend $100 or $1,000 on your front door doesn't matter. If your front door matches the overall style of interior you've worked so hard to create, you're winning at exterior design.

3. Use Similar Materials

This is where it starts to get fun…

If you've incorporated natural wood, stone, metal or other unique textures into your home's interior, you should try to find areas on the exterior where you can do the same.

Look around you. Is there stone wall inside? See if you can add stone cladding to the exterior.

Love the metal light fixtures in your kitchen? Install outdoor lighting with matching finishes.

Does your living room feature beautiful wooden floors? Add exterior wooden planters or decking.

When the materials you use on the outside of your home mimic what you've used on the inside, it creates a cohesive feel. People shouldn't feel like they're looking at two different homes when they approach your front door.

4. Add In Exterior Lighting

Ah, lighting. The exterior element most people forget about.

Your outdoor lighting should act as an extension of the lighting you have inside. A home that features warm and brass toned lighting indoors would look equally stunning with warm LED light fixtures on the front porch.

Pros of incorporating indoor-outdoor lighting:

• It completes the "flow" of your home's interior design to the exterior.

• Proper exterior lighting can help light up your walkway and keep people safe at night.

The right lighting can take your exterior design from bland to beautiful in under 60 seconds. Don't sleep on it.

5. Tie Your Exterior Into Your Interior Landscaping

And now for the best part…

If you've spent time and money designing the interior of your home, you should do the same with your landscaping. Think of landscaping and outdoor decor as furniture for your yard.

Modern decor and architecture look great with streamlined and organized landscaping. Landscaping is perfect for filling space in your yard. Corner flower beds really pop when the front door is simple and modern.

Traditional homes look stunning with layered gardens and soft landscape designs.

You can even use planters filled with colourful flowers or greenery by your front door to match your interior colour palette. Pro tip: use planter colours that match other colours you've used inside your home.

Tie It All Together With Your Back Door

Let's tie this beautiful home onto a nice bow, shall we?

Designing your exterior to match your interior really doesn't have to be difficult. Small changes and upgrades can make a world of difference when showing off your home's interior.

The top tips for creating a well-rounded exterior include:

• Choosing a colour palette that matches or complements your interior decor

• Upgrading your front door to better match your interior style

• Adding personalized touches like modern house numbers and custom welcome signs

• Using similar materials found on the inside of your home on the outside

• Creating a consistent lighting design and don't forget your backyard!

Homes that sell don't just wow their buyers when they step into the front door. They wow them before they step in.

And while you should definitely aim to make your interior look fabulous, don't sleep on what's happening on the curb.