Copy the California Curb Appeal

Debbi and Randy Hoffman's 1922 home has all of its original features. They bought it in 1999, and say "other than the arbor and picket fences we added, it looks just as it did in the '20s."

Dark red brick ties in with the house's chimney and gives the front yard a tidy, classic look. A lush flower bed bordering just one side of the walkway makes it feel less formal.

Mounted in front of the door, a simple arbor draped with 'Cecile Brunner' climbing roses provides a cottagey touch. Garden Treasures 51"W x 26"D x 88 3/5"H resin semigloss white New England garden arbor, $200, lowes.com

Spanish lavender and daffodils lend color to the green and white landscape. A camellia shrub in the far right bed blooms fall through spring.