Little Greene's MD David Mottershead on how to make a stylish entrance

Kerb appeal is so important and can affect how you and your guests feel about your home. What you see around the entrance becomes the first statement your home makes, both about you and your design choices. Obviously the front door makes a huge impact, and it's essential to consider a colour that you love as you'll have to look at it every time you enter or leave your home. So choose a shade that makes you happy as soon as you walk through the door.

Remember that gardens change during the year, fading or blooming with spring flowers and autumn leaves, so you need a paint colour that looks good all year. Paint pieces of paper and stick them to the front door so you can see how they look at different times of day, in bright sunlight and under gloomy skies; you'll be amazed at how much the tones can alter.

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Surrounding brickwork is a constant element and its colour should be considered when choosing the shade for the front door. There needs to be an element of harmony; if you look at the door on its own and not together with the encompassing masonry or brick, then the colour you choose may be lovely, but might not work well with its environment.

Picking a door colour with a similar pigmentation to the masonry creates harmony. For example, terracotta brickwork is complemented with deep sumptuous reds, browns and off-black paints.

Woodwork for windows is no longer limited to white. We're seeing a trend for painting all the exterior paintwork in the same colour. Subtle tones such as willow-green Salix, Bone China Blue, or Pearl Colour Mid or Dark look dramatic yet understated.

Eggshell finishes are far more popular than the more traditional glosses for exterior paintwork, the matt look is very now. The best products for the environment are those specially formulated for exterior woodwork, which are water-based and last for years to come. Our Bone China Blue Pale and French Grey Pale shades are beautiful paired with both brickwork and concrete façades.

For a bold look, try painting your masonry surfaces, too. Instead of choosing a single colour, create a palette. Our Colour Scales are colour families of shades that come in four strengths of the same pigment. These can be used very effectively on different facets of the building recesses to windows for example or as a gradient going from light to dark versions of the same shade, getting darker as it ascends the building.

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Preparing surfaces before painting is the key to keeping your home's exterior looking good for as long as possible. Make certain they have been primed before applying top coats.

Those surfaces that get the heat and strength of the summer sunshine will always be the first to suffer, so keep an eye on south-facing windowsills. Giving them an extra coat of paint when they look tired will save time and cost in the long run. And talking of savings, it's always a good idea to call in the experts when painting your home's exterior.

How to boost your home's kerb appeal in seven steps