What do house numbers have to do with gardening or landscaping, you ask? A lot! Thoughtful, integrated landscapes pay attention to every exterior detail, particularly if the house has a strong architectural style. I urge you to forego the standard hardware store rubbed bronze house numbers or, even worse, the black stick-on variety. Most home improvement stores or specialty home and garden stores carry a wide range of creative styles to fit your home perfectly—and if you can’t find just what you’re looking for, consider commissioning a local artist or steel worker to create the perfect numbers to perk up your curb appeal.

Start with the style of your house—a very creative, “cottage-y” house will be enhanced by equally creative address markers, while more formal or contemporary residences will look best with a simple but strong design. Take a look at the following examples and see if one can serve as inspiration for you!

I happen to know that an artist lives in this house, and it’s evident as soon as you pull up to the curb! Only a highly creative person would dare to paint their house purple, and add house numbers in a painted pottery design. You don’t have to go the purple house route to show your creative side, though—address markers that are colorful and artistic will do the trick just fine, thank you.

So many houses now feature either a southwestern or Mediterranean exterior, with stucco walls and clay tile terra cotta roofs. Complete this style with house numbers that are forged from steel for a solid, earthy look. If you want more color, consider numbers that are painted on individual tiles, available at imports stores.

How about houses with strong, linear contemporary lines? Any house numbers that are too fussy, detailed or colorful will appear out of sync. These numbers are attached to the industrial-looking concrete mailbox at the curb, and perfectly complement the strong, clean look the owner is going for.

Remember, every detail counts; so pick your house numbers with your style in mind.