If you live in a suburb, private housing area, or conventional community, odds are you have neighbors and perhaps a street where many houses are visible. In the internet of community life and connecting to the environment around you, it’s not uncommon for homeowners to style their properties so that a good balance between unique style and wider conformity is achieved. After all, it’s nice to have that aesthetic line through across the street. That might also mean sharing similar driveway designs but with its own twist, such as stone pavers lining the driveway sides or patio area.

But what if you hope to differ dramatically from those on your street? It’s your house after all, and you shouldn’t have to ask permission to enjoy a little fun. In this post, we’ll discuss a few tips for achieving the best possible outcome:

Blending In vs. Standing Out:

It may seem tough to find that sweet spot between fitting in and showing your own personality, especially if the other houses around you are, quite frankly, a little dull. But a property that sticks out too much may seem out of place and even draw attention, which could go against security and safety. An understated approach could be angling for some personal touches that provide unique value, but don’t go overboard and clash severely with surrounding aesthetics. So you may wish to paint your house pink. But if the houses either side of you are softer, pastel colors, it might work better for a lighter pastel pink that fits in, but is clear in its identity. This is just one example, but shows where to start with your planning process.

Considering Neighborhood Aesthetics:

Most communities adhere to some established aesthetic for cohesion among properties, because often, communities are built at relatively similar periods or at least “eras”. There may be unspoken (but still relevant) guidelines around home colors, lawn decor styles, or architectural designs, but you can always balance two differing opinions. Maybe you want a modernist house but are happy to curate the interior to match while offering more robust and rural exteriors to fit in among the landscape.

Respecting Your Own Property:

Of course, you get to decide what you do with your own home. That being said, it can feel somewhat inspiring to allow the natural character of the home underneath to come out. If you’re looking for small wins, then you can restore certain elements of a home’s history, such as the vital function to the very unique river water wheel, unblocking the chimney, restoring the window arches, and using reclaimed wood to fashion a door that matches the period of the place. When it’s clear you’re paying utmost respect to the home, who could ever criticize you for updating parts of it to the modern age?

With this advice, we hope you manage your project well, even if you implement changes for a different effect!

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