How Color Theory and a Few Flowers Can Make Your Curb Appeal Bloom

Stroll through any store and you’ll see a rainbow of products in colors specifically chosen to entice shoppers to buy. In fact, according to the Color Marketing Group, color can account for up to 85% of the reason someone bought a specific product over another. Sure, the product inside matters, but it’s the colorful packaging that first captures a buyer’s interest.

In real estate, your home’s curb appeal is the “packaging” and with a few colorful curb appeal flowers you can improve the color story it’s telling and make the buyers fall in love with your house at first sight.

Does Color Really Matter When Selling Real Estate?

Have you ever wondered why some products appeal to you more than others? Surprisingly, it’s primarily due to the color of the packaging. Studies show that

87% of our perception of a product comes from color alone.

Color is so important to selling a product that psychologists and scientists have invested time and money in studying the psychology of color to determine the consumer’s emotional response to each hue.

Ad designers also use basic color theory to help them pair various colors when creating a complementary color story for their product or brand.

Used together, color psychology and color theory can help you create a color story that both fits your neighborhood vibe and appeals to the types of buyers in the market for a home like yours.

Does all this mean you need to invest in repainting your home’s whole exterior? Not necessarily.

While the hue of your home’s exterior plays a big role in its color story, it becomes a backdrop when you plant an attractive array of colorful flowers to draw the savvy home buyer’s eye.

Whether your home has cool blue siding, bright red brick or crisp, creamy stucco, flower beds or potted floral arrangements add a pop of color that immediately alters the emotional perception of your property.

So let’s take a look at which flower colors are the right choice to plant in front of your home’s existing exterior hue.

Cool, Calming Curb Appeal with White  Flowers

Mood: There’s a reason why white is the top choice for surrender flags and wedding gowns—the crisp, clean purity of white creates an ambiance of peace, opportunity and new beginnings. The bright, light hue sends the message that your home is a blank canvas awaiting the creativity of a new family which puts home buyers into a “fresh start” mentality.

White flowers also create a sense of calm which makes them the perfect choice to appeal to the older buyers in 55+ communities. Its bright, lightness has an innocence as well, which means it works in family-friendly neighborhoods.

Best With: Since white is a neutral hue, it works with almost any color exterior, except white or off-white homes like cream bricks or stucco. It pairs best to balance out dark or brightly colored homes, such as red brick or yellow siding.

Just take care when planting white flowers against other neutrals like deep gray stone or black poured concrete. The bright, inviting blossoms may look cold and unfriendly against such a sterile backdrop.

Ideas for White Curb Appeal Flowers:

Lily of the Valley
Low maintenance ground cover flowers; Needs full sun to partial shade
Buy now at Home Depot

Vinca 
Drought tolerant flower that blooms from summer to first frost; Needs full sun to partial shade
Buy now at Home Depot

Delphinium
Towering flowers that add height to your flower bed; Needs full sun to partial shade
Buy now at Home Depot

Clematis
Climbing vine that produces a high volume of blossoms; Needs full sun
Buy now at Home Depot

Exciting, Energetic Curb Appeal with Red Flowers

Mood: Some marketing experts advise clients to steer clear of red because of it’s association with clearance sales, warning signs and mistakes noted by the dreaded red pen. But when it comes to planting flowers outside your front door, red is definitely a color to embrace.

Big brands like Coca-Cola have embraced bold red for its aura of energy and excitement—which makes it the perfect color to appeal to first-time millennial home buyers.

Best With: Like red roses on Valentine’s Day, crimson floral arrangements bring a touch of romance to the front yards of white or other neutral-hued homes. Rosy red’s fiery brightness will also warm up the cool, sterile lines of sleek, modern homes and help your simple house stand out on a street of cookie-cutter homes.

Red Curb Appeal Flowers Ideas:

Zinnia
Easy to grow, can grow up to 3 feet tall; Needs full sun
Buy now at Home Depot

Classic Rose
Note: pre-1867 rose varietals are more disease-resistant tea roses; Needs full sun
Buy now at Home Depot

Pentas
Thrive in container gardens and blooms last through the summer; Needs full sun
Buy now at Home Depot

Trustworthy, Stable Curb Appeal with Blue Flowers

Mood: Ever wonder why so many banks have blue in their logos? It’s because the cool, calming color projects an aura of honesty and stability. Perhaps that’s why blue is the most popular color in countries around the world.

The trust and confidence blue flowers exude will appeal to family-oriented home buyers looking for a safe place to raise their children. Its international appeal means it’s a safe bet for homes in multi-ethnic neighborhoods. The only trick is finding truly blue flowers as many lean more toward the warmer, blue-violet end of blue’s color spectrum.

Best With: Like crisp white, blue is another option to tone down the impact or dark or ultra-vibrant home exteriors. For example, the coolness of blue enhances the rich warmth of brown homes, transforming it from muddy to chocolate.

Blue Curb Appeal Flower Options:

Forget-Me-Nots
Spreads easily, minimal care needed; Needs partial shade
Buy now at Home Depot

Morning Glory
Grows easily but slow to bloom; Needs full sun
Buy now at Home Depot

Desert Bluebells
Drought-tolerant, prefer sandy soil and a desert climate; Needs full sun
Buy now at Home Depot

Warm, Youthful Curb Appeal with Yellow Flowers

Mood: If there were a competition for the most eye-catching color, yellow would take the top prize. Why? Because the vibrant hue literally excites the eyes and is visible even to colorblind folks. Yellow exudes warmth and happiness (just ask all those smiley face emojis) and puts people in an optimistic frame of mind.

Bright, cheery yellow flowers have a youthful energy, which makes them a great choice for home sellers looking to attract millennial buyers. Its sunny optimism also makes it an appealing color to attract young couples planning to start a family.

Best With: If your home has cool blue siding or somber gray stone, planting sunshiny yellow flowers will infuse your curb appeal with much-needed warmth. The attention-grabbing hue can also help your home stand out from the crowd.

Yellow Curb Appeal Flower Options:

Marigold
Grow well in most soils, blooms throughout the summer; Needs full sunlight
Buy now at Home Depot

Daffodil
A symbol of friendship, follow planting instructions carefully or blooms will droop; Needs full sun
Buy now at Home Depot

Craspedia
Low-maintenance, blooms almost year-round in warmer climates; Needs full sun to partial shade
Buy now at Home Depot

Royal, Creative Curb Appeal with Purple Flowers

Mood: Once upon a time, purple was a color reserved for royalty and this refined reputation has stuck with the color. Since it’s derived by mixing red and blue together, purple has a duality in that it can act as either a warm or cool color depending on its backdrop.

With its association to wealth and elegance, deep purple flowers are ideal for appealing to high dollar buyers to luxury homes in upscale neighborhoods. Purple is also the go-to color for signifying magic, mystery and whimsy, so planting violet-hued blooms will attract the right buyers to unique homes in eclectic neighborhoods.

Best With: With its unique duality in color temperature, purple flowers add a softening warmth to dark or stark exteriors while still complementing their coolness. Purple blooms pop against white stucco, black poured concrete and sunny yellow siding, but may get lost against brown or darker blue homes.

Purple Curb Appeal Flower Options:

Wisteria
Picturesque quick-climbing vine with cascading blooms; Needs full sun to partial shade
Buy now at Home Depot

Hydrangea
Flowering bush with large flower heads, soil acidity can alter bloom color from white to blue to purple; Needs full sun to partial shade
Buy now at Home Depot

Liatris
A fuzzy wildflower that grow almost anywhere and reaches heights of 1 to 5 feet; Needs Full sun to partial shade
Buy now at Home Depot

Flower and Curb Appeal Considerations Beyond Color

While color needs to play a major role when choosing flowers that can help sell your home it’s not the only factor you need to consider. The last thing you want is to plant finicky flowers that will die before your home is sold so be sure to consult your local landscaper or nursery to find flowers that will flourish in your climate.

Since all plants have different sun and drainage needs, it’s a good idea to take morning, midday and late afternoon photos of your intended flowerbeds to show your gardening expert.

You’ll also want to ask them about which flowers are the most hearty, low-maintenance and fast-growing. That way your flowers will lose that “just planted” look more quickly and will continue to flower throughout your home sale.

Even if you’re listing in a hot seller’s market, your home won’t sell if your front yard isn’t on point. Luckily, color theory, color psychology and the right hue of vibrant flowers to complement your home’s exterior color will help you “package” your home’s curb appeal like an advertising pro.

Article Image Source: (Louis Lo/ Unsplash)