Recrafted Ranch House

Storybook Appeal

A renovation inspired by English country house design graced this exterior with abundant charm. The addition of dormers and gables, chocolate-brown trim, a cedar-shingle roof, and painted brick distinguish the home with cottagelike character; even the granite cobbles edging the path to the columned front entry evoke storybook appeal.

Elevated Entry

A bright and elegant entry makeover eases the transition into the home. Elevate style and function with a landing spot near the front door. Here, an upholstered bench piled with pillows offers a simple perch to put on boots, and an oversize mirror flanked by sculptural sconces reflects light to make the entry appear spacious.

 

Furniture with Flex

The living room is filled with flexible furnishings that can be moved at whim to accommodate entertainment. Chaise longues are used in place of sofas for their benchlike versatility and mobility, and an airy, glass-top coffee table can easily split into side tables.

Open Invitation

Let spectacular views take center stage in a window-wrapped living room with a fuss-free furniture arrangement. Chocolate-brown velvet sofas and subtly patterned chairs gather atop an off-white rug for year-round sophistication. Varying ceiling heights creates additional drama in the family room.

Gather Around

Introduce style and function in a small room with pretty details that add design drama. A soaring plank ceiling and glass chandelier elongate the small breakfast room and keep the eye traveling. Maximize a small eating area with a round table design, which can comfortably seat more diners than square and rectangle tables.

Clever Cabinetry

Custom kitchen cabinets are a beautiful way to add space, hide clutter, and impart architectural character. Storage cabinets surrounding the cooktop keep pots and pans within easy reach but tucked neatly out of sight. The sink wall is void of upper cabinets so the kitchen seems larger.

Room for Two

An efficient layout is essential to any kitchen, especially if square footage is slim. Here, the prep sink, microwave, and wall oven form a secondary work space that allows two cooks to make meals without crossing paths.

Paneled to Perfection

Green-gray hues, abundant paneling, and a low, coffered ceiling create cozy, cottagelike appeal in the family den. Built-in shelving and cabinets offer both open and closed storage, and a window seat invites readers to sit and stay awhile.

Classic Master Bath

Create a natural focal point in a master bathroom by placing a tub beneath a window. Repeating materials throughout the space elevates style and helps to move the eye throughout the space. Sophisticated soapstone dresses the countertop and borders the floor tile.

Serene Retreat

Outfitted for rest, relaxation, and connection to the outdoors, a neutral bedroom surrounded with windows is a soft, serene space to begin and end each day. French doors open to a balcony overlooking the backyard, and roomy chairs offer an inviting spot to survey views.

Small Garden Ideas

Make an Instant Table

Turn a large urn or planter into a quick and colorful outdoor table. Simply cover the top of the urn with a thin slab of stone or wood and pull up your favorite chairs. It's a fun and fast way to entertain unexpected guests in your favorite garden corner. Here, a pair of vintage wire chairs surround an oversize green urn with a stone top.

Create an Outdoor Room

Turn a tiny patio into a gorgeous outdoor room by adding a freestanding pergola. Here, a small wooden pergola was constructed over a gravel patio and enhanced with a teak seating arrangement. The pergola creates a sense of enclosure and makes the patio seem a lot larger then it actually is.

Go Gravel

Crushed brick or gravel is a beautiful and low-maintenance paving option for small gardens. It's also easier to use and less expensive than brick or flagstone. Just be sure to spread a layer of landscape fabric underneath the gravel to keep weeds from popping through. On this California hillside, the gravel also allows rainfall to percolate through to the soil instead of running off down the hillside.

Add a Pond

You don't need a huge backyard to have a water garden. In fact, installing a water garden is a great way to handle low or wet spots in your garden. Just dig out the area, add a pond liner and pump, and you're on your way. Even a tiny oasis will attract a wide range of colorful butterflies and birds. In this garden, Water Snowflake, Nymphoides humboldtiana, a small relative of water lily, provides color in tight quarters.

Double Your Pleasure

Get twice the flowers and vegetables in your garden by adding a trellis or low fence behind every planting bed. That way, you can grow vine crops vertically so they don’t sprawl over their plant neighbors. In this narrow garden bed, a trio of rustic wooden trellises support flowering vines at the back of the perennial border.

Welcome Wildlife

Even a small garden can become a haven for birds and butterflies when you choose flowers they prefer. For example, this square bed is packed with bird and butterfly favorites, such as black-eyed Susan and phlox. A bird feeder and birdhouse add to the garden's wildlife-friendly features.

Add a Mowing Strip

Keeping turf grass from encroaching in your garden beds is a lot easier when you install a mowing strip at the border's edge. This mowing strip was specially designed to keep weeds at bay and act as a low-maintenance garden path. It also provides easy, mud-free access to the garden for wheelbarrows, mowers, and other equipment.

Curb Appeal on a Dime

 

Illuminate Pathways

Curb appeal doesn't end when the sun goes down. Highlight pathways and trees with landscape lighting. It improves safety and can yield dramatic effects for your home's nighttime appeal.

Landscape for Curb Appeal

Smooth the transition between the street and your front steps by landscaping for curb appeal. A clear, curved path will move visitors to the home's entry and is pleasing to the eye. Surround a walkway with midsize shrubs and flowers; passers-by will notice plant groupings more than individual flowers, making greater streetside impact

 

Add Container Plants

Turn your home's entry into an inviting focal point by adding a few well-chosen and nicely arranged plants on the front porch. Vary the plant and container sizes, and arrange them on multiple levels.

Replace Old Walkways

If a concrete walkway is in bad shape or is just dull as dirt, replace it with a fresh path made entirely of stone or brick. Visitors access this front door via square pads of bluestone trimmed with brick. Narrow strips of turfgrass separate the squares, which step up slightly with the change in grade from the street to the house.

Hang a Wreath

Whether placed on your front door or beside it, a wreath is a simple way to personalize your entry. This living monogram wreath was created using spray-painted cedar boards and chicken wire and was filled with peat moss and succulents.

Get a Healthy Lawn

One of the least-expensive improvements you can make to improve curb appeal requires two simple steps: First, apply a weed-and-feed treatment to your lawn to ensure the grass has the soil nutrients it needs and doesn't have to compete with weeds. Second, sharpen your lawn mower blade regularly and cut the grass at or near the mower's tallest setting.

Accent with Color

When repainting, take the opportunity to choose fresh colors or add an accent color to your exterior color scheme. Paint test patches before committing to a color scheme; some colors look great on a sample card but are too intense on a house.

Give Planters an Edge

Keep your lawn from invading your flowerbeds with stylish edging. Concrete planters are a quick and easy way to customize your landscape at an affordable price.

Restore an Asphalt Driveway

Patch and seal the surface of your driveway, filling holes and cracks with asphalt patch. Apply fresh sealer to make a worn asphalt driveway look new again.

Upgrade the Garage Door

Sectional doors can feature windows in an upper panel, and some higher-end versions can mimic the look of traditional carriage-house doors. If a new garage door is out of the question, add character with a pergola, new lighting, or by painting it to coordinate with your exterior color scheme.

Install a Prefab Trellis

Use an arbor or trellis to give form to your yard and complement your plantings.

Boost Basic Concrete

Install brick edging or apply a colorful concrete stain to the surface to add character to a plain concrete walkway.

Power Wash Exterior Surfaces

Take a weekend to freshen up your home's exterior. Aluminum, wood, and vinyl siding are safe surfaces to power wash, as are wood decks and concrete sidewalks. If you don't own a power washer, you can rent one from your local home improvement center.

Plant Trees

Put in small ornamental trees if you're preparing the house for sale soon. If you're staying put, think long-term and try oaks, maples, honey locust, or other large and strong species suitable for your region. Consider fast-growing species or small ornamental trees, such as pagoda dogwood, redbud, flowering pear, river birch, or Japanese maple; these can add dramatic interest without requiring years to get established.

Beautify the Driveway

The colors and textures of plants soften a driveway's expanse and make it look less utilitarian. Groundcovers and low-growing plants are best in beds along one or both sides of the driveway.

Bring Style to a Slope

Cheap-looking materials detract from a yard's appearance. For sloped areas that still need terracing, use cut stone or precast decorative wall blocks for a high-end look.

Beautiful Deck

Cozy Outdoor Rooms