Who do homeowners turn to when they’re looking for ideas on how to improve those little details in life or make do with less? Jenny and Dave Marrs, naturally! Their HGTV show “Fixer to Fabulous,” has made them well-connected and reliable advisers for home improvements.
One such stunning design tip was showcased recently on their blog. The Marrs teach how a house’s entrance can be made even more enticing–by throwing in some luminescence and changing just a few things about where you park your bike outside.
A wonderful project Jenny and Dave Marrs did for their friend and neighbor Sophia in their home town Bentonville, Arkansas. Sophia, after spending time studying in the English countryside, wanted to replicate the transformation of her townhouse into a modern English cottage. Jenny expressed in her blog intention to bring out North West Arkansas like she would secrecy, and then add some English cottage elements (to make it) truly her own home.
Jenny and Dave turn to renovation tasks and low-cost repairs; they take inspiration from their work providing advice on old houses for transforming Sophia’s residence into a magnificent retreat.
Add elements to elevate the front door
In Jenny Marrs’ blog, she pointed out the single biggest problem with Sophia’s first home:
“The house was the perfect size for Sophia and just a stone’s throw from both Bentonville downtown Town Square in which we now live, plus all are now giving condos fixed up like this – but it had no curb appeal at all.”
This challenge was met by giving the overall transformation an exterior orientation. Such things as replacing the outmoded roof and updating the siding–it had all been covered over with paint at some point in a former life–were merely parts of an extended-on-job that was mostly achieved by strategic painting.
Finally, for a key defect in their renovation, the Marrs simply moved the front door from a side position to the middle of house. This was to play up the entrance, a point stressed by design expert Edyta Czajkowska who argued that it is critical to make visitors feel welcome. Two large windows were put in on either side of the door so as to emphasize it.
Brick Steps added at the entrance and subsequent enlargement of columns around front door increased old world charm for Melinda Welch, transforming it into what could now be called ‘country European style.’
Gas lanterns always works wonder
In renovating the front entrance, Jenny Marrs adds another important element, gas lanterns.In her blog, she wrote,
“We even added gas lanterns to impart a dash of warmth and old-world charm.”
Describing them as a “must-have” for the remodel, she adds,
“Now, the house exuded charm and sported a lot of curb appeal.”
Both interior designers Joan Craig and Edyta Czajkowska tell The Seattle Times how lanterns enhance the hospitality of a front entrance.Craig says to increase the scale of lanterns that bracket the door if you want a stronger impact. Since Outdoor lighting choice was quite crucial, Czajkowska says that it now plays a pivotal role in giving a whole home its one particular atmosphere.
She highlights the instant charm and cozy ambiance that gas lanterns provide but also recommends opting for warm lighting alternatives to achieve a soft, inviting glow if gas lighting isn’t preferred.
