5 Ways to Make a Cookie-Cutter Suburban House Stand Out

Nancy Mitchell
Nancy Mitchell
As a former Senior Writer at Apartment Therapy, Nancy split her time among looking at beautiful pictures, writing about design, and photographing stylish apartments in and around NYC.
updated May 3, 2019
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Two-story white house with a front porch, swing, and a double garage, surrounded by a manicured lawn and trees.
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(Image credit: Eric Olsen Design)

The downside of a lot of typical American neighborhoods is that from the outside, all of the houses look almost exactly alike. But if you want to make your house stand out from the pack, or just make it a little easier for visitors and delivery men to find your home, there plenty of things you can do to give your home a unique look that don’t involve remodeling. Some of them might even be allowed by your HOA.

1. A fenced front patio (above) gives a home a little more character and presence — and adds a wonderful new spot to enjoy the outdoors.

tan sofa on pink chair

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(Image credit: Stylish Eve)

2. Flower beds in modern shapes are a great complement to a modern walkway.

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(Image credit: Empress of Dirt)

3. Plant a vegetable garden in your front yard.

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(Image credit: Molly Wood Garden Design)

4. Invest in a really lovely garage door. (This one’s definitely on the pricey side, but since garage doors occupy so much of the facade of your house, changing them out can have a really big impact.)

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(Image credit: Three Dogs in a Garden)

5. Or try a winding drive like this one, with poured concrete interspersed with gravel, for a more picturesque look.

Filed in:
Plants & Yard
renovating
outdoor plants & spaces

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