June 05, 2013

Reader Mockup: Adding Custom Detail & Drama

Adding Custom Detail & Drama • AD Aesthetic Photoshop Mockups

Hey there friends! I have a really fun reader mockup today that I can't wait to share with you! If you're new here, our reader mockups are one of our favorite (and most popular) features. Our readers submit their photos, and I make some Photoshop magic happen to show them what I would do with their design dilemma. If you want to know more, you can visit our services page to read all about how to submit your own photos. Now, on with the show! Today's mockup was submitted by Stephanie, and here's what she told me about her home:

Looking for improved curb appeal for this house! Please help!! We`re able to change anything to have curb appeal. My husband is a contractor...and we have the ugliest house on the street, which is going to make for a hard sale when we go to sell it. So I`m using your mockup as a guide to GET IT DONE!!! We are in an estate area with very large properties, not a subdivision style...i`m classic and traditional...if that helps!!

Before we get started, here’s my standard mockup disclaimer: While I can recommend ideas that I think look nice, I have never seen this house in real life and don’t have accurate measurements. I am also not an architect or landscaper and do not know the planting recommendations for your area- I just like to make things look nice. I can’t guarantee that any of the items I put in my ‘virtual’ design will actually work in real life (or that they’ll fit your design style for that matter), and this is not intended to be a professional design consultation. So think of this as a just-for-fun rendering that hopefully gets your wheels turning and provides some inspiration!

Now that that's out of the way, let's get to the fun part. Here's the original image that Stephanie sent over. You can see how much potential the home has, but it's just lacking that custom look. Adding Custom Detail & Drama • Before • Photoshop Mockups by AD Aesthetic

Adding Custom Detail & Drama • Before • Photoshop Mockups by AD Aesthetic

To update Stephanie's home, I wanted to add some elegant and traditional elements to make it feel more custom and grand. To do that, the first change I made was adding a more substantial porch area with large stone columns and large curved steps. I also enhanced the sidewalk with brick detail, to bring some of the warmth of the house down to the walkway.

I think the bright white against the dark brick home is a little too jarring, so I toned that down by changing the windows, garage doors, and trim to black- with matching windows across the front, and adding some contrast with a warm off-white around the top of the windows and garage. This could either be painted or whitewashed brick, but either way, I think it adds a lot of interest to both areas, and makes the windows look much larger as well. I also changed out the front door from a single door with sidelights, to a double front door. I think, given the scale of the home, that it makes a wonderful bold entryway and fits nicely with the overall style.

Finally, I added in some traditional style through the landscaping by keeping the plantings symmetrical and uniform. Adding in some soft cream colors in the landscape, will help the lighter colors on the house look more at home, and I also brought those lighter colors down into a limestone wall around the edge of the landscape. This further adds to the custom look, and makes the house look much grander in scale as well.

Adding Custom Detail & Drama • After • Photoshop Mockups by AD Aesthetic

I'm really happy with how this mockup came together, and in case you're wondering, Stephanie loved it too! :)

I just want you to know....I"VE BEEN OVER THE MOON!!! since you sent me the mockup!! I just keep staring at it!!.... really I can't begin to thank you so much!!..... and I can't wait to send you the final pictures when we've completed your ideas!!.. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

That kind of happy client feedback makes me so thrilled to be able to help folks visualize ideas for their homes. It was great working with you, Stephanie, and I can't wait to see photos of the finished project! Thanks for trusting me with your house (and for letting us share it here on the blog)! :) Adding Custom Detail & Drama • Comparison • Photoshop Mockups by AD Aesthetic

Adding Custom Detail & Drama • Comparison • Photoshop Mockups by AD Aesthetic

If you have a design dilemma you’d like to see us tackle, be sure to check out our services page for more info, and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest! Have a great week!