We’re all very familiar with the process of interior design and the benefits an interior designer can offer but what you might not be familiar with are exterior design services. And no, you don’t need an exterior designer for this. I’m walking you through my exterior design services so you can see how easy it is to move ahead with confidence, knowing your money and time are not wasted.
It’s easy to feel anxious about the idea of changing the exterior of your home. It can be a large investment of money and time for a project that’s difficult to visualize. If you make a mistake painting a single room inside your home it’s annoying but you buy some new paint and try again. You didn’t invest thousands of dollars and then have the whole neighbourhood watching while you made the mistake. Even something as simple as painting your front door can put fear into people. Need help picking a paint colour for your front door?
WHAT ARE EXTERIOR DESIGN SERVICES?
It’s similar to any other design consultation except that the entirety of your home’s exterior is considered, not just the painted areas. That means we look at how to improve curb appeal and how we can improve and update your home’s aesthetic.
When I do an interior design consultation, I look at all of your home’s fixed materials like flooring, cabinetry, countertops, fireplace material, etc.
The same process has to happen with exterior design services as well. Instead of hardwood flooring and quartz countertops I’m looking at the colour of your driveway, the paving stones you use for a walkway and the planted materials you have around your home.
All of this helps determine the direction but really, the most important aspect of all is the architectural style of your home.
I would never recommend a modern kitchen in a traditional home and likewise with the exterior. If you have a very traditional exterior we need to honour that and find ways to maintain the classic appeal but update it just enough to add lots of curb appeal and make it feel fresh again.
WANT TO KNOW HOW TO DECORATE AND STYLE YOUR OUTDOOR SPACES FOR WINTER? READ THIS POST
WHAT ARE THE STEPS FOR EXTERIOR DESIGN SERVICES?
STEP 1 – THE DISCOVERY CALL
All my design services begin with a complimentary discovery call and the exterior design services are no exception. This allows me to fully understand your needs. When it comes to exterior design services I want to understand whether you’re looking for an exterior paint consultation or if the full exterior service is best for you.
STEP 2 – ON-SITE VISIT
I’ll show up to your home ready to get started on our 2 hour consultation. To begin, we’ll walk around the home so I can get an overview. We’ll discuss your needs so I can understand what you currently like about your home and what areas you’re looking to improve.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
You can expect recommendations, ideas and paint colour suggestions for your home. If you have inspiration photos, bring those because as we know, pictures tell a thousand words. And if you have materials like siding or stone that you’ve been considering, definitely bring those with you as well. It will help me a lot to see what styles you’re currently considering. There’s a lot of insight that I can gather just from reviewing your selections.
I highly recommend homeowners to take notes when we walk around your home. No matter how confident you are that you’ll remember, there’s a lot that will happen and I don’t want you to forget anything afterwards.
So what do we discuss during those two hours together? Here are main areas we’ll touch on during this consultation:
EXTERIOR DESIGN SERVICES TOPICS:
- General suggestions on how to improve the curb appeal
- Paint colour recommendations for your home
- Front door paint colour recommendations
- Ideas for upgrading your exterior lighting
- Recommendations can be made for upgrading your home’s materials:
- garage doors
- stone
- soffit/fascia
- Eavestrough
- siding
- railings and more
- Where and how to begin making updates to your home’s exterior. I’ll give you an overview of how to proceed whether you want to tackle all the changes at one time or pick away over time.
- How to ensure your home aligns with its architectural style. It’s very important to honour the architecture of your home. We always start there.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE CONSULTATION?
If you gained enough understanding during our consultation to manage on your own, that will be the end. If you know you want to make some changes but you’re still afraid to commit because you’re having a hard time visualizing the changes, this is where the magic happens.
My exterior design services include exterior renderings that will give you up to three examples of how your home could look by implementing some changes. Using the information gathered from our consultation you can decide which changes you’d like to see and I’ll get to work.
In just 2-3 weeks (times may be affected due to covid) you’ll have realistic renderings of your home with some of the changes we discussed. Now all you have to do is decide which version you like best. That’s going to be the hard part.
You’ll feel confident going forward with any changes, whether they’re large or small. You can avoid costly mistakes and you’ll get the exterior you’ve always wanted.
Revisions are not included in this service so before you commit be sure you know exactly which changes you want to see.
If you love the idea of exterior design services but you don’t live in my area, please contact me to discuss virtual design services for the exterior. Yes, virtual exterior design is possible due to the power of technology.
Here is a real-life example of a client’s home and how we created various choices for materials and paint colours.
OPTION 1 –
white siding and stained wood front door and garage doors
OPTION 2 –
white siding with black front door and garage doors
OPTION 3 –
with gray siding and stained wood front door and charcoal garage doors
OPTION 4 –
with gray siding and stained wood front door and garage doors.
OPTION 5 –
with gray siding and black front door and garage doors.
OPTION 6 –
with black siding and stained wood front door and charcoal garage doors.
If you’d like to learn more about my exterior design services you can fill in my contact form or reach out to me via email at pam@pamelalynninteriors.com.
If you know your design style but you struggle with which paint to use, take a look at my Made-For-You paint palettes. They take the guesswork out and give you the confidence to get started.
