Garage Curb Appeal: 4 Simple Updates That Made a Big Difference

Y’all, sometimes the smallest projects end up being the ones I’m most excited to show you. This week, Robert and I knocked out a handful of quick garage curb appeal updates, and even though none of them took more than an afternoon, the difference is kind of wild.

If you’ve followed along for a while, you know this area of our house has already been through a glow-up once.

garage curb appeal with copper lanterns, star jasmine, and outdoor trash can hiding panels

Nine years ago (nine!!), we limewashed the brick and painted the garage door Behr Cracked Pepper, and it instantly felt fresher and more collected.

But lately I kept looking at it thinking, it’s good… but it could be great. Turns out it just needed a few finishing touches to get there.

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DIY Copper Lantern Fixtures

First up: lighting. We swapped our black fixtures for traditional copper lantern wall lights on either side of the garage door, and I am obsessed!

There’s something about copper that just feels timeless… it’s got that old-world, well-loved quality that makes a house look like it’s been cared for over the years instead of slapped together last week.

Remember how I recently conducted a test to find the best copper spray paint? It was all because I wanted these light fixtures to look as realistic as possible.

I’m tempted to add some flickering flame light bulbs to create the gas lantern look.

Star Jasmine Trellis

Then, the vines. I have wanted lush greenery climbing around our garage door for what feels like forever, so I finally planted star jasmine on either side and put up wooden lattice for it to grow on.

It’s going to take some time (jasmine is not a “instant gratification” plant, friends), but I can already picture it a year or two from now with all that draping, fragrant green softening up the hard lines of the garage door.

Patience is the name of the game here, but I think it’s going to be so worth it.

Trash Can Hiding Panels

Next, the not-so-glamorous problem: our trash can. It’s been sitting out by the garage looking, well, like a trash can.

So I added a couple of no-dig lattice panels to screen it from the street. No digging, no cement, no big production… just a simple little privacy screen that means I don’t have to look at it (or think about hiding it) every time I pull into the driveway.

Carriage Style Garage Door Hardware

And the finishing touch: a magnetized carriage-door-style hardware kit with handles and hinges for the garage door itself. This is one of those details that photographs like it cost a fortune but is honestly one of the easiest upgrades out there.

It just clips on magnetically, no drilling required, and instantly makes the garage door look more like an intentional design element instead of just… a basic garage door.

Garage Exterior Curb Appeal Sources

Brick Limewash
Shutter & Garage Door Color: Behr Cracked Pepper
Lantern Wall Sconces (painted in Rust-Oleum Bright Metallic Copper)
Outdoor Trash Can Hiding Panels
Star Jasmine Plants
Miracle-Gro Mulch
Wooden Trellis
Garage Door Carriage-Style Magnetic Hardware Kit

What I love most about this little refresh is that none of it was a huge undertaking. No permits, no contractors, no weeks of living in chaos. Just a few well-chosen details layered onto a foundation we already loved, and somehow that’s exactly what pushed this space from “nice” to “polished.”

It’s a good reminder that curb appeal doesn’t always need a dramatic before-and-after. Sometimes it’s copper lanterns, some plants, some lattice, and hardware that clips on in five minutes.

Have you tackled any small exterior updates lately? I’d love to hear what’s on your curb appeal list… drop it in the comments!

P.S. If you love projects like this, check out DIY Decorator School… it’s the best place to learn the tips and tricks I use to pull off updates like this one on a budget.