Copy the Curb Appeal: Birmingham, Alabama

Built in: 1920. Bought in: 2012. Size: 1,600 sq. ft. “We almost didn’t look at this house — it was blah beige, and the front was covered in ivy. But we did, and since we added siding painted modern gray, box columns and railings, we love coming home to it!” say homeowners Jamie Thomas and Ivan Skripnik.

Original to the house, the door has traditional Craftsman-style dentil molding. Before, it was basic black; the couple changed it to cheery aqua.

6811 Craftsman Dentil Shelf fir door, from $800, simpsondoor.com; Paint: Capri Teal by Glidden

Home Decorators Collection Dusk-to-Dawn 11"-tall metal outdoor wall lantern in black, $60, homedepot.com

The swing is original to the house. “Sometimes on weekends, we take a break from yardwork to sit and relax with a cold drink,” says Jamie.

Highwood Weatherly 52"-wide plastic porch swing in white, $328.50, amazon.com

Encinitas Cool 20" x 20" polyester pillow, $20, bedbathandbeyond.com

Contrast Piped 18" x 18" pillow in Sunbrella peridot, $49.50, potterybarn.com

Eos powder-coated-aluminum chair in black, $295, dwr.com

Madison Park Gaviota 14" x 20" polyester pillow in blue and green, $25, beallsflorida.com

Emissary Koji 18"H x 15"-diameter ceramic garden stool in green, $258, interiorhomescapes.com

Skylar polypropylene doormat in blue, $79, grandinroad.com

Built in: 1939. Bought in: 2013. Size: 2,500 sq. ft. “We added a second story in 2015, and we wanted it to really blend in. False jasmine that crawls up the columns and old-school seating make it seem like the house has always looked this way,” say homeowners Raegan and Alan Bellenger.

When Raegan and Alan renovated, they converted a window on the right side into a second entrance that opens into the family’s laundry room. “It’s nice to have a dumping ground for dirty shoes and backpacks that our guests don’t see!” says Raegan.

Crossbuck Panel mahogany door, from $1,040, doornmore.com; Paint: Beacon Hill Damask by Benjamin Moore

Slatted 54 ¼"-wide wood porch swing in black, $250, plowandhearth.com

Lexington 14"W x 14"D x 18"H wood planter in white, $60, hayneedle.com

A rocker with a whitewashed look has vintage appeal.

International Concepts acacia wood rocking chair in unfinished, $101, lowes.com

Mendosa Stripe 18" x 18" polyester pillow, $79.50, frontgate.com

Safavieh Eric Grid 18"H x 15"-diameter iron stool in mint green, $91, overstock.com

Threshold Scattered Grid coir doormat, $13, target.com

Built in: 1956. Bought in: 2015. Size: 3,750 sq. ft. “The sweeping lawn and serpentine sidewalk going up to the front caught our eye immediately, and that yellow door jumped out, too. Together, they pull you right in!” say homeowners Kathy and David Shows.

The house’s original six-lite wood door lets in a whole lot of sun; the hue is a traditional 1950s shade. “When I tell people I live in the house with the yellow door, everyone knows where it is,” says Kathy.

77506 Nantucket fir door, from $1,100, simpsondoor.com; Paint: Decisive Yellow by Sherwin-Williams

Sarno 23 ¾"H x 15 ¾"-diameter cement planter, $145, rh.com

David built a rot-resistant cedar planter along the left side of the house to hold shade-friendly cast-iron plants; you can get the same effect with a cedar-look slat wall panel.

Santa Fe 6' x 8' composite and steel fence panel, $272.50, homedepot.com

Wrought Studio Doylestown 24" x 36" polypropylene rug in gold, $26, wayfair.com

Built in: 1926. Bought in: 2013. Size: 3,500 sq. ft. “To play up the clean, symmetrical style of our Colonial revival, we accentuated it with a row of boxwood. Filling up the beds with ground cover keeps the hedges from looking too formal,” say homeowners Andrea and Goodloe White.

The six-panel wood door, original to the house, still has the old brass door knocker and mail slot.

Smooth-Pro 6-panel fiberglass door, from $199, jeld-wen.com; Paint: Blackout by Behr

Louvered shutters up the impact of the home’s mostly flat front. A subtle blue-gray color keeps them from overwhelming the house.

Standard Open Louvered 35" x 15" vinyl shutters, $26 for a set of 2, exteriorsolutions.com

Montague Metal Products Melilla 7 ¾" x 16 ½" aluminum lawn address plaque in antique copper finish, $98, wayfair.com

Designer Stone Vintage Grecian 10"H x 10"-diameter concrete urn, $50, hayneedle.com

Sea Gull Lighting Heirloom Lockheart 23 ¼"-tall steel pendant in blacksmith, $235, build.com