We’ve decided to come back to our series on high-end finishes with an installment meant for Spring: High-end exterior home finishes.

You see you can spend a lot of time during a project considering all the interior finishes that go into a major renovation or new home. The kitchen alone offers an array of cool gadgets and beautiful fixtures from which you can choose. But you should take as much care in selecting the finishes outside of your home, because that’s where you are projecting the true quality of your home to the world.

Beyond Curb Appeal

Curb appeal not only shows the quality of your home to the world, it can also help you sell your home. First impressions matter, and your curb appeal is the first impression people get when they come to the home. There is a lot of information out there about simple curb appeal updates, like this Better Homes and Gardens article. But we’re talking about more than simply taking care of the basics such as nice grass, weed-free beds, pruned plantings and tidy landscaping. We want to add some special touches that add a real high-end feel to a home.

Copper Accents

We’ve incorporated copper accents into several homes, and it’s a really good way to add an accent to the front of a house. We’ve installed copper roofing sheets above front bump-outs. What’s great about them is that as they weather the copper changes color and can give a newer home an old-world look. You also can add copper gutters or downspouts. It’s a classic touch that although expensive can really make the front of a home stand out.

Water Features

Whether you’re using waterfalls, small ponds, or bubblers, there’s no doubt that a water feature, if done correctly and tastefully, can add a welcoming touch to any home. Here in the Pacific Northwest, many homeowners create bubblers out of small basalt columns (3-4 feet tall) that are cored lengthwise. Then they add a water source, reservoir, pumps and small rocks. These are a nice and easy feature to install and can have a great impact for modest cost. You can check out some basalt columns here.

Custom Art

This is my favorite way to add high-end finishes to the exterior of a home. This is especially good because you can have a talented sculptor or glass-blower create something custom just for your home. I like metalwork for homes and have turned to local artist Vlad Sumchenko of Art of Rain to create some really stunning pieces.  Some of my favorite pieces are his downspouts, which are made from copper and can be architectural or can flow the water into water wheels, fish mouths, or kettles. We’ve used these on projects with the Parade of Homes and installed them on others and the owners love them.

If you live in the Portland or Vancouver, WA areas and are looking for some special touches for your home, call Fazzolari Custom Homes & Renovations at (360) 571-7027 or fill out our form for a free consultation.