Friday, March 13, 2009

Make an Entrance

Your entrance says a lot about you. It is the first thing that the eye should see when viewing a property.

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Visitors should not have to guess where the entrance is or how to find it! It should be obvious.

AHBL Entrance

Photo and Design by AHBL

Plants and paving should compliment the architecture of the house and be pleasing to the eye.

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Photo and Design by AHBL

Entrance plantings should be bright enough or interesting enough to catch the eye. DO use bright colors to catch the eye!

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If the entrance is not a front entrance, than plants and hardscape should reinforce the message “enter here” or “come this way.”

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

The journey from street to front door is experiential. There should be a nice progression of space or spaces leading to an entrance that is pleasing to experience.

MagraneAssociatesSanFranEntrancePath

Plants and paving should always work together to lead the way to the entry.

Photo by Exterior Encounters

Your entrance is often one of the first things your visitors will see of your house. What does yours say about you? Is your entrance appealing and welcoming? Or not?

This week, I’m hooked on well-designed entrances! To see what others are hooked on, visit Hooked on Houses. Have a great weekend!

21 comments:

  1. I love the first 2 pictures. Lovely entrance. Elegant yet inviting and pleasing.

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  2. I love the first two pictures too... so welcoming.

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  3. Where do you find such GORGEOUS photos? You make me see the need to improve my front entrance!

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  4. You've shown such beautiful examples-from very different architectural styles. I like to think my front entrance says, "GO AWAY!"

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  5. These are all such beautiful examples of what we can do to make our entries grand.

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  6. You have shown some great images here! Love that first one with the gate and then the one with the tuscany inspired trees. I completely agree, curb appeal is everything!

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  7. These are quite FASHIONABLE entrances... could you add a link to your post to Fashionable Fridays please since you joined Mr Linky... thank you... here is the link...
    http://www.fififlowers.com/2009/03/fashionable-jobs.html
    ENJOY your weekend!
    Fifi

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  8. I love this post! I am planning on sprucing up my covered porch with a large urn of something...something that can be in complete shade...and, I am going to get some large pots to put on my back deck to make the deck area look better! This post is inspirational.

    In my latest post, I put a few landscaping pictures in there for you.

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  9. Oops, posted under my email and not my blog account. Hopefully you know that the post above was me!

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  10. I am visiting via H.O.H. Great post!

    I hope you'll stop by for a visit, I am hosting a giveaway.

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  11. Thanks for posting the link to your blog on my Hooked on Fridays post -- funny that our topics for this week are practically the same!!

    You posted some great pics. The house in the last one looks a bit like ours. But I don't think I'll ever create landscaping anywhere near as nice!! That house definitely invites you to stroll through the flowers right up to the front door :-)

    Kelly @ DesignTies

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  12. Hi Pam... thanks for strolling through the Vancouver neighbourhood I showcased today :-)

    Your post on curb appeal is so timely for me - my husband and I have so much hardscape and landscaping to do that it's overwhelming to even think about it! It doesn't help that I don't know how to garden!! I'm hoping Brian's parents come for a visit this summer - they're originally from Denmark and really know their gardens!!

    I do hope you'll drop back from time to time to see what decor/remodeling topics Kelly and I are sharing... and to see what Lower Mainland neighbourhood I showcase next (where???).

    Victoria from EdinDesign Interiors @ DesignTies

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  13. So true! I'm determined to work on my own entrance this year with some new landscaping. Thanks for the inspiration! :-)

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  14. Just gave my front door a glossy new coat of paint and have been mulling over some new planting ideas for my front walk.... love your examples- and actually love your entire blog... being alone working in my garden is my ultimate joy... can't wait to read more!

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  15. These are great entries! I especially love homes that you enter down a long side walk way...like you are discovering something- and you can't see it from the street.

    Lovely pics; I'll have to check back more often. Thanks.

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  16. I love all these entrances. One thing I have come to feel more passionate about is a sufficiently large 'landing' or 'resting' place right in front of the door.

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  17. Can you do a great entrance on a budget? Don't see many like that in magazine or blogs. These are fantastic. I'm an entrance stalker. I do so enjoy finding them where I least expect. I love this one in East Atlanta: http://tinyurl.com/cpouey it's really needed here. Just a hedge and gate. Who knows what's behind it?

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  18. Gorgeous! I love naturalized daffodils and those tiny blue flowers (scilla siberica?). Love!

    I have an entrance problem. I have boxwood (Franklin's Gem) in a shape (created by former owners) but it is not very hardy and several die out each year. The replacements are much smaller, of course. And now, the cultivar doesn't match!! I guess I am going to have to rip it all out and start over.

    Can you recommend either a better, heartier box or replacement? Thanks!

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  19. Think you could pick up one of these houses and deliver it over to my place? {:o)

    I'm practically getting down onto my knees that you could come up with some designs to buff up our front yard as I am tired of having a plain, boring old front. Trouble is that I often don't feel the energy to get down and dirty in the garden when I commute a hour each way for work and have four kids ready to maul me when I get in the front door.

    Keep up the great posts and pictures! Your blog is always a treat to read.

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  20. A great post! Found your blog through Garden Chick's blog... its so great finding other designers' blogs. You have a great eye and I love how you use all the photos to illustrate the points you're making.

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  21. sorry to post this as a comment, but I don’t have your email.
    I am regular visitor of your blog..
    Sir i would request to write more about green architecture...
    architects as architecural know more about Green eco architectural designs are reusable materials, green designs etc.. ..… Create an Eco friendly Green design… Save Earth.. interior designers Bangalore as of natural materials interior designers in Bangalore with almost modern concepts architects bangalore

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