House numbers—or as we like to call them, the final touch. These days, you can find house numbers in just about any style, color, and size to best suit your home and make for that fresh, curb appeal touch. But, there are a few things you should know when shopping and installing. Read on for a few of our house number best practices…
Color & Size
When it comes to house numbers, a general rule of thumb that can apply to, well, just about any house is as follows: Light exterior? Use black numbers. Black or dark exterior? Use light numbers. Not only does the contrast help them pop against your exterior, but it’s also helpful for readability.
As for size, we typically source 4–5 inch options on the majority of our projects. This is right in the midrange for size—not too big or too small! Of course, there are times oversized house numbers work well, too, for increased impact, but in general, opt for numbers in the 4–5 inch range.
Shop some of our top picks below… everything from modern metal house numbers, to cool mailbox numbered options, to custom pieces with room for a succulent or two (and if you haven’t already read our houseplants post, check it out to see some of our favorite succulent picks!).
Shop Our Picks
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Placement
You’ve found your favorites, now it’s time to install! Naturally, house numbers make the most sense by your front door or garage. Wherever they are naturally visible from the street so guests (or the mailman with your most recent online order!) can easily spot the numbers from their vehicle.
If you’re working with a blank slate, i.e. no exterior sconce or mailbox, look for a way to line them up with something intentional. At our MGDxPeninsulaPoint project (image above), we didn’t have a sconce to anchor the numbers nearby, so we aligned them with the entry gate for symmetry. Be conscious of architectural elements around the entry area and make sure the house numbers don’t interfere with details that might prefer to be standalone features. Typically, eye level or higher is a good height to hang then, and adding a sconce above the numbers is always a great choice to illuminate them at night!
If you purchase your house numbers individually (as opposed to those included on the mailbox, or placard with the numbers already engraved or added to the piece), it’s up to your discretion whether you hang them horizontally or vertically — great creative. We recommend laying them on the ground and getting the right spacing and layout prior to installing. And depending on what your exterior is made out of — siding, stucco, stone, brick — you’ll want to do a bit of research on how to actually install your numbers so that you don’t damage the siding house (and so they stay put long-term).
So there you have it! A few of our top tips for purchasing and displaying house numbers. Now comes the hard part—actually picking your favorites! Happy shopping!
