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7 Spectacular Steps to Beautiful Curb Appeal
Set the tone of your entire home by making that first view an inviting one. From adding accessories and going green, to investing in home improvement, you can improve visual beauty and add to homeowner enjoyment when you follow these 7 SPECTACULAR STEPS TO BEAUTIFUL CURB APPEAL:

1. FUNCTIONAL AND STYLISH FENCES
Whether for a pet, for privacy, or simply for aesthetic purposes, a fence can enhance the beauty and functionality of your yard. Get the ideal look in wood, PVC or ornamental aluminum or wrought iron, with suitable touches like arches or spears. Discount Fence Co.: 709 Ogden Ave.; (630)971-1404; www.discountfenceco.com

2. ADD A WARM GLOW
Add subtle focus to the beautiful outdoor elements of your home through landscape and architectural lighting. Illuminating pathways, planting beds and/or structural details enhance your home exterior's visual beauty. Artistic Outdoor Lighting: 24 W. Potomac Ave., Lombard; (630)244-1924; www.artisticoutdoorlighting.com

3. LUSH LANDSCAPING
The green/sustainable landscaping trend continues with eco-landscaping, recycled containers, and living retaining walls, wherein plants grow between each block, beautifying not just the landscape bed, but even the wall itself! Bruss Landscaping: 1607 E. Roosevelt Rd.; Wheaton; (630) 665-1600; www.brusslandscaping.com

4. INTENSIFY THE OVERALL TONE
Updating the color of your home through paint or stain is more than just a coat of color; so make sure it's done right from the start - including washing, scraping, caulking and cleaning - to the finish of the perfect color to accent your home's beauty. Jalapeno Paint Werx: 801½ N. Bridge St., Wheaton; (630) 527-1829;
www.jalapenopaintwerx.com

5. FASHIONABLE PORCH DÉCOR
Prettify your porch with trendy accessories including a rustic rectangular planter or a charming duo of rope-accented oval baskets, to be filled with flora of your choosing. Or add an old-world glow with chic oversize floor hurricanes and battery-operated candles. Serenede: 129 N. West St., Wheaton; (630) 682-0200

6. ADD CURVES AND PATTERNS
Draw the eye in the most beneficial directions for your property by adding paths or accents with earth-loving clay, permeable pavers, or reclaimed street cobblestones, in colors, designs and patterns to echo the style of your home. Precise Brick Paving: 107 N. Dorchester Ave., Wheaton; (630)653-2423

7. FABULOUS FUNCTIONALITY
Achieve garage-door elegance when you choose a carriage door in steel. This low-maintenance alternative to solid wood facilitates a semi-custom look of swing-door appearance with a panel-style opening, with or without accent windows. Check out their online coupons! SAR5: 11 Briar St., Glen Ellyn; (630)888-9275; www.sar5.net

-Lisa Gangi, Contributor