The brick&batten Blog

7 Shutter Styles That Work on (Almost) Any Home
Shutters are a pretty hot topic around here at brick&batten. Just to sum it up, we are big fans of shutters when they are done right. But in all honesty, some homes look better without shutters, and a poor shutter choice can make a home look like an eye sore. While getting personalized design advice ...

21 Predictions for 2021 in Exterior Home Design
As professional exterior designers, at brick&batten spend countless hours skimming home design magazines, researching, talking, traveling, and learning about what is heading our way in 2021 exterior home design. It has given us the ability to make pretty accurate predictions for 2021 in exterior home design trends. Here are some looks we expect to see ...

15 Exterior Paint Colors That Are On-Trend for 2021
Like many of you, we’ve been busier than ever thinking about home improvements. So as early as spring 2020, we already began researching and dreaming up plans for next year’s virtual exterior redesigns. Part of the design process includes trend forecasting. While we can’t really see into the future, we’ve been in the business long ...

10 Must-Know Exterior Home Design Trends Coming in 2021
If you’re putting time and money into an exterior redesign, we can guess that you probably want it to look updated. While many homeowners desire a trendy curb appearance, they often don’t want the details to fall out of style within the next few years. This takes a delicate balance, but as virtual exterior designers, ...

17 Gorgeous Late-Summer & Fall Flowers to Liven Your Landscaping
Contrary to popular belief, spring and summer don’t get all the fun when it comes to beautiful blooms. With some strategic plant choices, you can have your garden beds flourishing during three out of the four seasons. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite late-summer & fall flowers to liven your landscaping. We know that ...

15 Colorful Fall-Blooming Perennial Flowers We Just Love
What’s better than blooming flowers in your front yard? Flowers that bloom again year after year in your front yard. Yep–We’re talking about perennials, which are nature’s gifts that just keep on giving. While most flowering perennials make their debut in the spring and summer, there are plenty of ones that grace us with their ...

Screened-In or Not: Porch Ideas You Wish You Thought Of
Screened-in or not, these are porch ideas you wish you thought of. Screened-in porches have many benefits. You get to enjoy the sense of being outside without dealing with pesky bugs that aren’t afraid of your citronella candle. That said, some people opt to open up their screen and create more of an outdoor space. ...

40 Front Porch Ideas for Every Style and Season
We believe your front porch should be an extension of your house and speak to your personality. Porch decorations go far beyond a front door wreath. A porch is a place you can get creative with comfortable furniture or porch swings, potted plants, and address numbers. Porch accessories are easy to swap out and change ...

25 Front Porch Decorating Ideas to Make Your Entry More Inviting
Porch decorating is a long-standing tradition. In the days before air conditioning, we can imagine that a home’s front porch was a go-to gathering spot where a pitcher of lemonade never ran empty. It was an extension of the home and simply another room to decorate, and we believe it still is. Whether you frequent ...