Three Neighbors' Curb Appeal Makeovers

Elizabeth Beeler never expected to set off a chain reaction of home improvement projects along her Birmingham, AL, block. But as the magazine stylist beautified her 1931 Spanish-style bungalow, gradually transforming it from depressing to charming with a blush-pink paint job and new perennials, neighbors reacted with enthusiasm—especially Gail Harper Yeilding, a schoolteacher and pal living two houses down, and Mimi Chambers, a paralegal next door to Gail Harper.

Both asked Elizabeth to help them boost their curb appeal. “We’re all friendly on this street, so of course I said yes,” Elizabeth says. With paint, plants, and some budget-stretching tricks, she pulled off exterior revamps so that their long-time postal carrier didn’t even recognize Mimi’s house. “It’s amazing how different it looks,” says Mimi (left). “I can’t believe I actually live here. Elizabeth helped turned my house into a welcoming home I love.”

Faded stucco, scraggly shrubs, and a past-its-prime door weren’t doing the home any favors. Elizabeth painted the facade the color of pink champagne (Touch of Pink by Benjamin Moore) to emphasize the roofline, then hung an ebony-stained multi-pane door.

She also painted a trellis pattern on the floor using outdoor porch and floor enamel. Vintage rattan chairs—free curbside castoffs—have cushions made with black-and-white cabana stripe outdoor fabric that keeps the hues from looking too sweet. Undemanding plants, including hardy boxwood and aromatic lavender and rosemary, don’t require deadheading or regular pruning.