How to Decorate the Outside of a Split-Level House

Split-level homes feature multiple stories at different elevations. They also offer some challenges in decorating, typically the lack of porches or architectural detail on the sides of the home. Highlight your home's advantages, such as its height and street-facing windows, through the use of color and decorative details.

Add a fresh coat of paint to your home. Coordinate this color with the shade of other levels of your house, such as a brick or vinyl portion. Use a contrasting color on all trim work and windows.

Place shutters on the windows. Choose ones with architectural details, such as raised panes or a board-and-batten style. Paint the shutters to match the color of your trim work.

Add a patio to the side or back of your home. Consider pavers, stained concrete or faux flagstone as a base.

Place an arbor in front of your garden or patio area to create a formal entrance into the space.

Set decorative rocks or stones in a circular or rectangular shape near the exterior walls of the front and sides of your home. This will help to define the area for flower beds or shrubs and provide visual interest.

Landscape your yard. Add flower beds and place small trees and shrubs at the front and sides of your home. Hang planters to extend from windows on the higher levels of the house. Window boxes provide another option to add color and an organic touch to the exterior.

Place outdoor furniture by the front entrance, in the backyard and in the patio. Wooden benches, wicker armchairs, a freestanding swing, lounging chairs or stone or cast-iron benches are a few options that provide decoration and will be able to withstand the elements. Place a small bistro table by a window and top it with a planter or vase of fresh flowers. Set a bench under a tree for a shaded seating area.

Erect lampposts near the front of your home and any walkways. Add decorative lighting fixtures above or to the sides of the front door.