The design of your home is always important. This is often the first impression people get from outside. We all know that leaving a nice first impression is pretty good, and improving your curb appeal could do just that trick for you.
Because of this, for step one, these ideas may be exactly what you need to do. Reaching a location is not an issue that you will face in exterior design as you rarely have to worry about permanent structural elements compared to indoor spaces.
Image source: Rachel Greathouse
Still, if you have a slope, you need to consider the outside. This is because you also need to include an inclined path to the outside stairs.
Image source: Balanced design
Entrance steps are not only used for decorative reasons, they also have functional significance. They give the facades and the exterior of the house unique architectural details. Usually, stairs make a building look bigger and more expensive, and are perfect if you want to get beautiful displays.
They’re also great if you want to blend your home with the surroundings and want to blend them with hills. Let’s discover more ideas for the first step that we can use.
Check out ideas for the first step
Paint the steps
Image source: Cardea Building Co.
If your house has steps, no matter where, make sure you give them some color. Wood can be painted or stained to give them a new atmosphere. In this way, you can improve both the exterior of your home and the interior with a small investment.
Image source: Barrow Building Group
The front staircase can certainly have a different architectural style. You can also go with different colors that bring a new atmosphere. External stairs painted black should also be combined with a second color so that you get a complementary effect. Red is a great choice and who knows, you might also bring some natural vibes by adding some plants to the balusters.
Add light
Image source: In2 Pty Ltd.
If you put a light on your outside stairs, let’s really burst them. In addition to this built-in lighting, you make your stairs safer, especially in the evenings when they can be difficult to use. Luminaires are not only suitable for your front-step ideas because they offer a more interesting design, but also for reasons of protection.
Image source: 186 Lighting design group – Gregg Mackell
The LED strips are ideal for this and can be used without any problems. When adding Zen-like features, you’ll need to use both subtle lighting and small light poles that go into the green itself. Adding lights makes for a stronger visual impact at night.
The ideal amount of light is enough to walk safely on the stairs. If you do too much, your home may look like a commercial banner, and you probably don’t want to. Just add some simple light and you will add interest and sense of design to your entire room to make it look better.
Wooden steps
Don’t ignore the natural beauty that wooden stairs have to offer. They can certainly be great ideas for getting started if done correctly. They don’t resist for very long, but if you take care of them you shouldn’t have any problems for a lifetime. The cool thing about them is that they also work well with panel, rope, and glass panels.
If you want to know which are the best it really depends on the environment your home is in. Every wood has its advantages and disadvantages for this type of project. So focus on your needs and you will get what you want.
Treated wood
Image source: Chapman Construction, LLC
Treated wood is great for projects like deck stairs, basement stairs, and steps that lead to back porches and outbuildings. If you want it to resist more in time, go for a treated product.
cedar
Image source: sagemodern
Cedar is great if you want a more sophisticated look. It also lasts as long as treated wood, so you should expect some resistance from it. It looks more complex, but is also a little more expensive.
Hardwoods
Image source: Fluidesign Studio
Often times, these types of wood are teak or mahogany and they are perfect if you want to get luxurious ideas for front steps.
jaw
Image source: Rick & Cindy Black Architects
Pine is easy to get around. Not only is it inexpensive, you can also cut it and work with it fairly quickly.
Cover stairs with paving stones
Image source: WDG architecture | Planning + interior
Whether you’ve already installed concrete steps, you can add paving stones to them. They offer an excellent way to cover them and improve their look. Pavers are also very easy to work with and reasonably priced, but offer you a beautiful appearance that increases the appeal of the curb. You can also cover steps with bricks or other material that quickly.
These front-step ideas with concrete ideas can make your home look more modern and convey a feeling of strength. The steps can even be covered with brick or similar material to match the steps.
Image source: Greymark Construction Company
Paving stones are also great support for a strong and permanent outdoor installation that includes decks, walkways, and retaining walls. The pavers can also resume any signs of wear and tear that appear on outdoor steps. You can find many designs and styles so you can end up choosing the ones you like and making them look great.
Playing with colors
Add contrasting crotch colors
Image source: BuilderFish
If you want to add a little drama and interest to otherwise boring steps or simple designs, use colors. Let’s say your ideas for the first step want to be combined with white paint. If they are white, you can paint the tops red or use a darker color that shows the strong contrasts.
This way you get elegance and beauty for these steps and they will surely be admired by anyone who discovers them.
Black and white tiles
Image source: Arrow tiles
If you’re getting an Italian-inspired look and want to make your outdoor stairs black and white, you need to make sure that you only use outdoor tiles that can withstand rain and wind and other harsh elements.
Your home can look really great when you go for the best front staircase ideas. Just make sure the installation and maintenance is done correctly.
Plant additives
Image source: Tim Barber Ltd architecture
When adding plants, try using the same color types if you want to get an elegant look, or mix it up for a more interesting approach. For a luscious, elegant twist on your front staircase, try the ivy risers. The green green of the plant looks great against the dark brick and makes the entire space more cohesive.
Final thoughts on these ideas for the first step
Finally, if you’re looking for getting started ideas that fit your home design, there are several styles to choose from. Perhaps you want them to be subtle or to attract attention, the decision is entirely up to you. However, when making the final decisions, pay attention to the right materials, colors and safety details.
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