Time and weather had taken their toll on George and Christine Rossie's real cedar shake roof. After 25 years and several hail storms, they decided to replace it in 2015.

"I think Colorado is the hail capital of the country," says Dr. George Rossie. "The roof was ready to be replaced after some significant hail damage in 2014 ... and we were ready for a worry-free change.

"We're very happy with the quality of this composite shake product, and especially glad to move from a high fire-risk real wood shake roof to one that is both fire- and hail-resistant. As another advantage, once the new DaVinci roof was installed we switched insurance companies and got a significant discount in our homeowner rates for having this new, highly-rated roof."

The team at Advanced Exteriors recommended an impact- and fire-resistant Bellaforté Shake roof in an Autumn Blend from DaVinci Roofscapes to provide the Rossies with peace-of-mind.

The couple's 1930s Tudor-style Denver home has multiple levels, additions and slopes. Some areas are extremely steep while other parts are flat. "Advanced Exteriors handled our roof challenges extremely well," says Rossie. "We love the way this roof turned out. We've received lots of compliments from neighbors and friends and we'd have no problem recommending this synthetic shake roof or Advanced Exteriors to anyone!"

To commemorate National Curb Appeal Month in August, DaVinci Roofscapes has compiled a list of five top curb appeal resources for you.

"Summertime is the perfect point in the year to make improvements to your home exterior," says Michael Cobb, vice president of sales and marketing at DaVinci Roofscapes. "The first step is to carefully look at your home from the 'top down' to see what can be done to enhance its appearance and overall value."

Cobb reminds homeowners that the roof can sometimes offer as much as 40 percent of the visibility on a home exterior. "Take a fast look at your home and you'll most likely see that the roof plays the largest part of your curb appeal view," says Cobb. "If your roof is in poor shape --- if it's missing tiles or has curling shingles --- that makes a negative impact on the overall curb appeal of your home.

"A new roof, with colors that complement your entire home exterior, can make a positive impact on your home's curb appeal and value. Just imagine a new, low-maintenance composite slate roof on your home with a blend of different shades of gray that sets off the rest of your home. It's a stunning way to add more color and style to a home."

 If it's time to consider a new roof for your home, Cobb and our experts at DaVinci Roofscapes recommend these five free resources to get educated on re-roofing options that can increase the curb appeal of your house:

• Upgrade Your Roofing from This Old House - easy-to-understand online tutorial of the structure of the roof, options for roofing tiles and environmental considerations. 
• Top Down ColorTMVisualizer- online tool allows you to upload pictures of your home exterior or use images of 10 supplied home styles. Tool lets you quickly make and see changes to roofing materials and colors, along with adjustments to the home's siding, accessories, doors and windows trim. 
• FRESH Home Exteriors Color Guide - online guidebook featuring "5 Steps for Finding the Perfect Hues for Your Home." Learn the importance of fixed features, regional colors, the environment, style of the home and "have-to-use" colors when considering the overall curb appeal of your home. 
• FRESH Color Schemes for Your Home Exterior - online booklet shows step-by-step process for selecting the best exterior color combinations for your home. Tips on adding coordinated color selections for a variety of home styles, including Colonial, Ranch, Bungalow, Victorian, Spanish Mission, European and New American. 
• Tips for Selecting Roofing Productsfrom Allen Lyle with Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford - overview and tips on selecting roofing materials includes review of features and benefits of composite roofing. 

If you're scratching your head trying to make a decision on composite slate versus synthetic shake roofing, we can help. More specifically, Katie Thoele, our Eastern Project Specialist, can help.

On the DaVinci team since 2006, Katie's helped hundreds of people decide on the DaVinci product best suited for their homes. Here are some of her tips. See if any of them "ring true" to your upcoming roof renovation project.

• Tip #1 - For a Colonial style home, focus on Bellaforté Slate. The simplicity of the home's style works well with the clean, straight symmetrical lines of this synthetic slate product.
• Tip #2 - Don't be afraid to make a switch. If you have a shake type roof, consider modernizing your home exterior with a simulated slate roof. If you have heavy real slate on your home, a composite shake roof can completely change the look of the home exterior.
• Tip #3 - If you have something like a Cape Cod style home, choose Single-Width Shake. Usually characterized by real cedar shake roofs (and even siding) the imitation shake product holds up longer and stronger than real cedar. And yes, it can be used for siding too!
• Tip #4 - Save money with Bellaforté products. You get all the same details as with our other products (for example, Class A fire rating and Class 4 impact rating) but with a more economically-priced roofing tile.
• Tip #5 - Get peace-of-mind when investing in a DaVinci roof. The synthetic roofing product performs exceptionally well in unique weather conditions, such as hail and high winds. And the Lifetime Limited Materials Warranty means this is the last roof you'll ever have to purchase.

"Whether you're looking for a single- or multiple-width profile, or a straight or staggered course, DaVinci has the options to fit your project and your budget," says Theole. "The common denominator is that every one of our product lines are made to last, to withstand storms and to hold their beauty for decades to come.

"The other common factor is that all of us in customer service are here to help. Whether a homeowner has a color question or a performance question, you can count on us for speedy assistance."

Contact Katie and the DaVinci customer service team at 800-328-4624.

A classically tailored roof brings a well-styled feel to the entire home. From the coast to the farm, the versatile nature of the Autumn shade is clearly an alluring benefit.

Autumn is one of my favorite times of years and DaVinci's Autumn cedar shake alternative is also one of my favorite color blends. It works well with many colors and the variations of hues of Autumn blend perfectly with the natural environment.

When creating an exterior color palette, I follow my FRESH steps to choose each color. I have selected five fabulous exterior color palettes for homes that look great with DaVinci Shake in the color Autumn. Use one of these color schemes exactly as show or let one or more of them inspire you to create an color palette of your own.

Colonial Revival Tan

A rich warm gold, paired with Autumn roof can only bring back the spicy scent of fall and pumpkin spice. The trim and accent color follow along with rich red and an off-white trim.

Egyptian Pyramid

A home deep in the forest is barely visible when a monochromatic mix of brown hues coat the exterior. If one color was called upon to wake up the brown, it would be fresh blue. Nature is our guide and a blue door would be the perfect compliment for an outdoor setting.

Navajo White

A muted white paint color coats the home exterior while the white trim liven up the smaller details of the home. The brown and deep teal blue are a different, but welcome color option that stay in line with the Autumnal tones.

Sourdough

For all non-risk takers the main exterior color Sourdough is the safest option when it comes to pairing with Autumn roof tile. The trim and accents get a bit more daring using dark green, brown and red.

Wedgewood Gray

Autumn roof tile can go bold with a soft blue reminiscent of a coastal home. The main color is blue paired with a dark blue trim and complimentary color orange produce an unexpected design masterpiece. The orange also ties the roof tile back into the main color nicely.

Do more than just dream, visualize. See what your home would look like with a DaVinci Shake roof in Autumn or one of 49 nature-inspired colors using the Top Down Color™ Visualizer.

See more expertly-chosen color schemes:

• Exterior color schemes that are tall on style featuring Mountain shake.
• Steal the show with an exterior color schemes for a home with European slate.
• See exterior color schemes befitting one of the top colors for a roof - Slate Gray.

**The paint colors used in this article are from Behr, Benjamin Moore, PPG Paints, and Sherwin-Williams. To find out more about any color shown, search online using the color name and number.

By Gillian Lazanik, Houzz

There’s no need to buy a new house or take on an extensive remodel to get the curb appeal you want. There are many ways to approach your exterior to give it a serious update without a serious overhaul. These are my 10 favorite tips for you to boost your house’s first impression.

LDa Architecture & Interiors, original photo on Houzz

1. Stairs. If you update the stairs leading up to your front door, it’s amazing how much of a statement you can make. To beef up the entrance without building a whole new porch, consider a tiered stair design like this one in Boston to give your entrance more presence.

Door paint color: Egg Yolk, Martha Stewart 

AMEK Custom Builders, original photo on Houzz

2. Railings. A new railing at the front of your house can really transform its look. Choose a style that reflects your taste. It doesn’t necessarily have to match the style of your house, as eclectic-style homes are the norm these days. Besides, none of us is truly 100 percent one type of style. 

Lubowicki Architecture, original photo on Houzz

3. Overhangs. By adding a stylish overhang above your front door, not only are you adding something functional to shield you from the sun and rain, you are adding character to the front of your house. Get creative with your overhang and incorporate some architectural screens like this home in Denver.

4. Materials. Covering your house in a new veneer and siding can breathe fresh life into your exterior. You can layer on brick or stone veneer to bring substance to the front of your home. Also, consider the underside of your overhang — adding tongue and groove cedar can raise your front porch to a new level. 

Contemporary Exterior, original photo on Houzz

5. Pathways. You don’t need to spend a fortune on all new landscaping. Start with an interesting walkway to your house and slowly work on the surrounding landscape to get it to where you want it to be.

6. Soft and hard landscaping. If you want to take on a bigger project, adding soft and hard landscaping is one of the most effective ways to transform the front of your home. It’s best if you work with a landscape designer to come up with a cohesive plan for your walkway, stairs, plants and flowers. This takes some planning and it can be costly, but it’s satisfying to witness the transformation. 

Tim Barber Ltd Architecture, original photo on Houzz

7. Paint. A simple paint job for the front of your home can work wonders. There are a lot of computer programs that let you see the exterior of your house in various color combinations. Find the combo you love most and go for it. If you grow tired of it, you can always change it.

Related: Hire a Local Painter To Do the Job

8. House numbers. Adding new house numbers is a simple way to make an instant impact on the exterior of your home. Besides just picking out new numbers, consider where they will work and look the best. It might be a different location than your current house numbers. 

Lincoln Barbour Photo, original photo on Houzz

9. Front doors. If your budget lets you update just one thing at a time, you may want to start with your front door. Consider choosing something that lets light into the interior of your house. That serves dual purposes, by changing the feel of the outside of your home and altering the inside too.

10. Lighting. It’s amazing how much lighting can transform a space, even on the outside. Consider wall sconces, overhead lighting and path lights for maximum impact.

You saw it here first! This is a sneak peek at the show home that will be profiled in the Holiday Southern Home magazine!

While most people will have to wait for the magazine to be issued in October, we're able to offer you this "first look" because DaVinci Roofscapes contributed the composite roof tiles for the remodeling project.

In the works for more than a year, the home sports a Bellaforté Slate tile roof in Smokey Gray VariBlend. Embraced by flowing gardens, the English country style house draws envious glances from everyone in the neighborhood.

"We couldn't imagine a better, more authentic-looking roof than the Bellaforté Slate," says Phyllis Hoffman DePiano, chairman of the board/CEO of Hoffman media. "We're so pleased with how the entire home turned out that after profiling it in-depth in our Holiday Southern Home magazine we have plans for featuring it in our Cottage Journal, Southern Lady and Victoria magazines. We want everyone to see how perfectly the home turned out and how the DaVinci product fits so naturally with the stone exterior."

The Alabama house has a breathtaking view of the mountains, which sets the background for outdoor cooking and dining. Internationally-recognized master designer Jeffrey Dungan is the architect for the project. Dungan set out to create a new energy efficient home that has the look of a home hundreds of years old.

"Jeffrey truly put his mark on this home," says DePiano. "He specified a synthetic slate for the roof and then we picked up the ball and selected DaVinci. The composite slate product definitely brings charm and efficiency to this house. Just strolling through the stone-walled garden or wandering up the path, you glance back at the house and would swear there's natural slate roofing overhead."

Slate Black is a timeless roofing color applied to every style of construction from ultra modern to traditional homes. The look of stone extracted from the earth centuries ago, has continued to be a popular choice. Its exterior color versatility is a major advantage in home design.

For your Slate Black roof you can follow my "top down" approach, to give your home a FRESH Color Scheme. To give you a few ideas for your home, I have selected five favorite exterior color palettes to inspire you to create one of your own or your can use one of the schemes I have created.

Calcite

DaVinci Slate Black paired with creamy beige exterior paint provides a powerfully bold contrast. The tan painted trim creates depth. A fiery accent to a neutral palette, Red, gives an unexpected highlight to intricate windows and door paneling. The mixture of these three tones, produce unique and impactful curb appeal.

Flagstone

Some say gray has become the new beige. It is a simply sleek color option that leaves room for more vibrant colors. Gray acts as a blank canvas. In this color combination, black and red inject personality into the home. This use of color could mimic a downtown townhouse with a brick & pavement metropolitan vibe.

Banana Cream

When done right, yellow is a color that can add instant appeal to a home but care must be taken to pick a shade that is not too bright or so light that it reads cream instead of yellow. A light golden yellow and creamy white trim say that someone happy lives inside. Classic choices for the front door are black or red. You can go with a true red or tone it down and go toward red-orange as shown. 

Deep Sea Dive

This teal color scheme features a bold main color surrounded by white trim, with a touch of red. Blue-green and red-orange are opposite to one another on the color wheel. This indicates complimentary colors, thus a perfect pair. A lighter roof would seem unfinished, but the Black Slate roof completes the adventurous color choice.

Beige

The house below offers a mixed materials approach. Stonework accompanied by beige siding produces a monochromatic tone. Golden undertones harmonize with the stone for a unified look. To enhance the stone texture, use a dark golden undertone. This will accent the stone texture. The trim with black shutters creates a uniform look with the Slate Black roof.

Will the boldness of the black roof tiles last? DaVinci’s 49 standard colors are composed from a polymer that has been a game-changer for the industry, standing the test of time. For added piece of mind, all DaVinci products come equipped with a worry-free 50 year limited warranty.

See what your home would look like with a DaVinci Shake roof in Slate Black or one of 49 nature-inspired colors using the Top Down Color™ Visualizer.

See more expertly-chosen color schemes:

• Exterior color schemes that are tall on style featuring Mountain shake.
• Steal the show with exterior color schemes for a home with European slate.
• See exterior color schemes benefitting one of the top color for a roof - Slate Gray.
• Check out the versatile nature of Autumn shake.

**The paint colors used in this article are from Behr, Benjamin Moore, PPG Paints, and Sherwin-Williams. To find out more about any color shown, search online using the color name and number.

 By June Scott, Houzz

Eclecticism in designing a garden is trickier than it seems. Combine several styles or elements together, and the risk of nothing standing out is great — as is the risk for, well, a cacophonous mess.

But what if your house is one style, and your garden another? As a designer, I’m sometimes asked by clients to help them create a personalized Eden that may not reflect the architectural style of their home. To do that I establish links rooted in the principles of design that tie the two together. Here are some ideas.

 Austin Outdoor Design, original photo on Houzz

A graphic mix. Let’s start with one of the most challenging combinations: blending a traditional home with a contemporary landscape. One way to successfully marry the two is to play up the graphic qualities of each element. Note how the fence pattern, tree, hardscape and house each feature strong lines. Because everything is pared down, the eye can pick out the graphic qualities of the various elements.

Related: Colorful Outdoor Chairs for the Porch

DHD Architecture and Interior Design, original photo on Houzz

Texture. Texture is an often-underconsidered element that can help tie together a design. The earthy blend of Mediterranean and modern styles in both the architecture and landscape here relies on links between textures. The stone facade and gravel relate to each other and to the broader landscape while providing contrast to the smooth walls.

BiLDEN, original photo on Houzz

Color. Two styles of architecture on one lot? Try keeping the planting simple and bold. Monochromatic plants, including yellow kangaroo paws and Coleonema‘Sunset Gold’, hold this outdoor space together and stand up to the eclectic architecture.

Related: Paint the Exterior Chartreuse to Match These Plants

Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture, original photo on Houzz

Mass planting. Simple planes or masses of plants can help bring balance and unity to homes with more than one architectural style.

Feldman Architecture Inc, original photo on Houzz

Proportion. Often we need to take cues from the proportions of our home’s architecture to create a harmonious landscape. This can be a subtle but effective way to tie two disparate styles together. The proportions of the slender Victorian windows on this home are echoed in the walkway and planting beds.

Rich Mathers Construction Inc, original photo on Houzz

Historically related. Try mixing styles that have some similarities. For instance, elements from Greek, Roman, French and formal styles can work well together; the same goes for Spanish, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern styles. Simple Asian-style gardens tend to work well with contemporary architecture.

Related: How to Get a Japanese-Inspired Garden