Yes, sometimes the smallest projects are the ones I’m most excited to show you. This week, Robert and I knocked out a handful of quick garage curb appeal updates, and even though none of them took more than an afternoon, the difference is kind of wild.
If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that this area of our house has gone through a glow-up once.
Nine years ago (NINE!!), we Lime washed And painted the garage door Behr Cracked Paper, and it instantly felt fresher and more collected.
Related: 18 Ways to Transform Your Entire Home With Just Paint
But lately I’ve been thinking, It’s good… but it could be great. Turns out it just needed a few finishing touches to get there.
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DIY Copper Lantern Fixtures
First: Lighting. We swapped out our black fixtures for traditional copper lantern wall lights on either side of the garage door, and I’m obsessed!
There’s something about copper that just feels timeless… it has an old-world, well-loved quality that makes a home look like it’s been cared for over the years rather than slapped together last week.
Remember how I recently a Test to find the best copper spray paint? This was all because I wanted these light fixtures to look as realistic as possible.
I am tempted to add some Glowing flame bulbs To create the appearance of gas lanterns.
Related: 16 DIY Curb Appeal Ideas That Transformed Our Front Yard
Star Jasmine Trellis
Then, vines. I’ve wanted climbing greenery around our garage door for what seems like forever, so I finally planted one. Star Jasmine On both sides and put A wooden lattice To grow it.
It will take some time (jasmine is not an “instant gratification” plant, friends), but I can already picture it a year or two from now as a fragrant green, softening the hard lines of the garage door.
Patience is the name of the game here, but I think it’s very valuable.
Trash can concealment panel
Next, a not-so-glamorous problem: our trash. It’s sitting outside the garage like a trash can.
So I added a couple No-dig lattice panels To screen it from the street. No digging, no cement, no major manufacturing… just a simple little privacy screen that means I don’t have to look at it (or think about hiding it) every time I pull into the driveway.
Carriage Style Garage Door Hardware
And the finishing touches: a Magnetic carriage-door-style hardware kit For garage doors only with handles and hinges. This is one of those details that photographs like this cost a fortune but is honestly one of the easiest upgrades out there.
It simply clips on magnetically, requires no drilling, and instantly makes the garage door look like an intentional design element rather than just a basic garage door.
Sources of garage exterior curb appeal
What I love most about this little refresher is that none of it was a huge undertaking. No permits, no contractors, no weeks living in chaos. Just a few well-chosen details layered over a foundation we already love, and somehow that’s what pushed this space from “nice” to “polished.”
It’s a good reminder that curb appeal doesn’t always need a dramatic before and after. Sometimes it’s copper lanterns, some plants, some netting and hardware that gets clipped in five minutes.
Have you encountered any minor external updates recently? I’d love to hear what’s on your curb appeal list… drop it in the comments!
PS If you like projects like this, check it out DIY Decorator School… This is a great place to learn the tips and tricks I use to pull off updates like this on a budget.
More simple curb appeal
