As part of our curb appeal series, we want to focus on some curb appeal outside (so to speak) of the residential curb appeal. Commercial curb appeal is an important element of commercial construction and can make your building look truly beautiful, attract the right type of tenant and clientele, and can create a peaceful entryway for your employees. Hopefully, if they love walking into work they’ll love what they do there too.

The standard elements of commercial curb appeal are not very far removed from what you might consider when approaching front yard curb appeal. They include, landscaping, hardscaping, container pot gardens, and water features.

When determining which hardscaping elements to include in your commercial landscaping plan, discuss with your landscape architect the mood that you would like to convey to your building’s visitors. This mood can be conveyed by dramatic or subdued lighting and a careful choice of materials on walkways and pathways. Water features are beautiful, but they can be expensive to maintain and need to be incorporated into the design wisely. Keep in mind that visitors will want a direct path to your building. Sometimes they’ll arrive early (or want to linger later) and so they should be given options for seating. Creating an intimate seating area just off of the main path (or, at least, benches leading up to the entrance) will give the appearance of benevolent welcome and luxury.

Landscaping features should compliment the hardscaping features (and vice versa) and should reflect the character of the building itself, as well as the climate of the region. Help your landscape architect by letting them know preferred colors or favorite plants. Your personality (or the personality of your tenants) should be reflected in the landscaping as well! Do you want to convey subtle whimsy in the design or stark professionalism? If something is not quite right, they should work with you to explain why it wouldn’t work well and give you suitable alternatives.

Finally, your landscape architect may consider incorporating planters or container pot gardens to flesh out the design. Click here to explore the exciting world of container gardens and pot gardens.

No matter what, it is important that you realize (and I hope the fact that you’re reading this means you already have) that commercial curb appeal is incredibly important to the aesthetic appeal of your building. When the architect was envisioning the building, they were envisioning the building with supporting landscaping which would emphasize its facade and so should you.