We’ve had a lot of submissions for exterior makeovers lately and I find it’s often one of the hardest places to visualize. Exterior improvements feel more permanent than indoor improvements and it’s harder to find ideas and inspiration among all of the interior-focused magazines and products.

That said, an exterior update is exciting – and fresh curb appeal means fresh home pride, even before you walk through the door.

First, here are a few inspiration photos of colonial brick homes. Notice the painted brick versus the natural brick, accessories like shutters and the addition of architectural details.

Ok, with some new ideas in mind, on to our makeover. Here is a lovely brick colonial, which our reader recently purchased. She’s worried that it looks a little too much like everything else on the block is wondering how she can add her own curb appeal.

The most dramatic and obviously different approach is painted brick. Painted brick can be really fresh, especially with contrasting black shutters. I would think that this house would really “pop” on the block.

For something a little different, how about powder blue? This color palette is taken directly from the inspiration images – a stately blue townhouse from Georgetown. I think this works well with the addition of painted details like the white border above the ground floor. Formal topiaries keep it clean cut.

Lastly, I call this the English Manor makeover, again inspired by the photos above. I also added a small portico on the front to create a focal point on the facade. This kind of architectural feature can make a huge difference by breaking the flatness on the front of the home. Check out the blog Where Your Hang Your Hat to see where I got inspired for the porch. The green shutters keep the house friendly and my favorite feature is the ivy on the side of the house. So charming!

This brick charmer is blank slate and I can see it going in a number of directions. Get inspired and go for it!

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