Dear Jean and Richard, Do you find that someone who takes pride in the outside of a house has a nice interior as well? –Mary, Kansas City

Jean: Hi Mary. The best answer might be—usually. Despite the fact we specialize in interior design, we are asked from time to time to assist clients with color choices for a home’s exterior as well, and we’ve even been hired to help coordinate the color scheme for several houses in a new neighborhood for better curb appeal.
Richard: Well, to Mary’s point that the interior often mirrors the taste of a home’s exterior, there can be limits. For example, after we completed the entire interior for a home in Las Vegas, the client asked us to select a color for the covered patio area facing the golf course. No sooner had the painters started did someone representing the homeowner’s association call to warn them they were in breech of “protective” covenants. In this case, our clients were forced to comply with deed restrictions, which required approval by a ‘standards committee.’ The fact that we were in the business of design had no influence on the neighborhood fashion police.
Jean: It was a really nice neighborhood, too—if you like rows of homes in pink brick. But let’s say you do have some control over the exterior of your home, and unless you’re partial to chartreuse, the neighbors don’t organize against you. I find that most people are a little more conservative with their home’s exterior treatments, almost as if “blending in” was the goal. Yes, of course a tidy lawn suggests a tidy house, but the houses I’d like to visit (and see inside) are the ones with a dramatic driveway entrance, or an outrageously colorful flower bed, or an English roadster in the garage. (You can bet if there’s a Hummer in the drive there will be a ginormous plazma TV dominating the living room.)
Richard: OK, now you’re profiling! But sometimes there are personality clues. Lots of clutter in the yard will almost certainly mean a busy interior. Kids’ toys? Anyone can predict that one. Porch swing? Antiques. Most people who choose a brick home prefer traditional or even formal furnishings; resort homes typically will be casual and more playful But the homes that are unique in their architecture or creative in their landscaping will also be the ones with inspiring interiors.
Jean: What you say may be largely true, but you’re leaving out town homes, condos, and even those country club homes in Las Vegas. Sometimes it’s impossible to predict a resident’s taste or style by what’s on the outside. If there’s opportunity, though, I think a house’s exterior can build expectations of gracious living by how it presents the home—and not just with architectural treatments. Attention to shrubs and flowers, decorative and uncluttered walkways, thoughtful garden sculpture, and even mailboxes are all ways to make a design statement and herald a high regard for style.
Richard: And it follows that a theme of gracious living will be reflected inside. If you don’t have a front yard, consider painting or even replacing the front door. Our consistent advice to “catch ‘em at the door.” is a way for clients to understand the need for a great first impression. But that first impression may be the entrance itself.