The Easy-To-Miss Door Detail You Forgot To Put Personality In

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The outside of your home is the first hint people get of your personality. Neat, orderly plants say something different to a wildly sprawling mass of color and scent. But did you know that there's another element of your entrance that can set the scene for your visitors? It's your house number. Whether you've realized it or not, your house number gives people a glimpse into your personal style.

While many people give thought to ways to creatively display your house numbers, the style of those numbers also deserves attention. Many simply pop down to the local hardware store and pick up numbers without giving it much thought. But choosing something unique or different can add so much unspoken character to your home. How do you know what to pick? The first step is knowing what the perfect design style for your space is and echoing that in the numbers you choose.

You might lean towards something from the same period of time that your house was built, or the predominant style of the architecture. A modern Scandinavian design calls for wood or stone numbers in a neutral color palette with clean lines and no embellishments, while a Gothic revival-style home might lean towards ornate lettering in a vintage metal. The sleek lines of modern architecture embrace geometric shapes and suit generous lettering without fussy details in brushed metal of a complementary hue.

Another angle to consider when infusing your house numbers with personality is your family's lifestyle. If you spend more time on the beach than at home, let that show in your house number. Aim for something colorful and fun that carries the vibe of the outdoors. If you prefer hiking through forests over getting sandy feet, go for earthy shades of green and brown, or choose natural materials, such as the Minimalist Wood 3D Waterproof Numbers.

The big question is, what do you do if you can't find the right style of house numbers? You have some options. Try your hand at making a DIY door number sign for less than $20 using Dollar Tree supplies. If you have handy skills such as mosaic work, pottery, woodworking, or metal craft, you're ideally set up to make something that is perfectly suited to your home, your lifestyle, and your family. 

If you know exactly what you want, but you can't make it yourself, ordering customized house numbers online from websites like Etsy opens up a world of possibilities! There will be someone out there who sees your vision and can produce something colorful, whimsical, or ultra-sophisticated. Once you've got those numbers and installed them, it will be as satisfying as slipping the last puzzle piece into place. Letting your numbers mirror your personality, family, design style, and lifestyle is an unexpectedly delightful way to finish off the process of decorating your home.

As the goal of a house number is to help people find your home, paying attention to how you light your numbers at night is also something to consider. This is another area to let your personality shine through, quite literally! Lighting your number in a way that suits the style you've chosen adds another layer of character to your home's exterior. Cat lovers can embrace the utter whimsy of the YY Gardenia Solar Lantern that will charm visitors and be a hint at what awaits them inside.

Some house numbers are designed to be lit from behind, often using cutouts for letters and numbering. Pay attention to the color and intensity of the light you use to make sure it suits the exterior of your home and shows off the number clearly. Warm, white light paired with clean lettering is well-suited to a sophisticated aesthetic, but if you're more playful, there's nothing stopping you from picking out colored lighting.  

If your home is decked out in a neat, minimalistic style, choose sans-serif numbers and flank them with WISELUME Rectangular Outdoor Wall Light Fixtures. The straight rectangular blocks of light are not only functional, but offer an elegant, subdued illumination that oozes understated class. Lighting your house number from the top-down, offers another opportunity to match your style. Go modern with something sleek, or opt for old-world charm, by picking out a farmhouse gooseneck barn light or a vintage wall lantern with rippled glass.