Entry Refresh: 19 Mailbox Ideas to Try Before Holiday Cards Arrive
Change your mailbox color, type or placement to deliver a new look to your entryway
Communications come in many forms, such as text and email, but physical mail still has its place, and so does your mailbox. Here are 18 ways to update this “in-box” before holiday cards — and guests — arrive this year.
2. Maintain the detail. From the front door to the stonework, this porch feels custom. A mailbox can have the same feel, and this tree-lined mailbox does not disappoint.
3. Liven up the entry. A lime mailbox paired with a colorful doormat brightens up this entry, but a mailbox could be done in any color of the rainbow.
“Pick a color that you love!” says Ami McKay, the owner of and lead designer at Pure Design. “We always ask our clients what colors they are most drawn to and find creative ways to implement them into the design.”
This client fearlessly loved color, so McKay saw this as an opportunity to add bold hues to the dark and neutral exterior, and have fun with outdoor accessories.
Mailbox paint: Limelight, Benjamin Moore
See more of this colorfully accented home
“Pick a color that you love!” says Ami McKay, the owner of and lead designer at Pure Design. “We always ask our clients what colors they are most drawn to and find creative ways to implement them into the design.”
This client fearlessly loved color, so McKay saw this as an opportunity to add bold hues to the dark and neutral exterior, and have fun with outdoor accessories.
Mailbox paint: Limelight, Benjamin Moore
See more of this colorfully accented home
4. Coordinate with the front door. A mailbox that matches the front door can lead guests from the curb right up to the house.
5. Match the hardware. The similar materials used for the mailbox, doorbell and front door hardware keep the small details of this entry consistent, creating a unified design that lets guests focus on the bright yellow door.
6. Blend it into the design. The mailbox, even if it’s used frequently, doesn’t need to be the star of the show in the entry. At this traditional home, the designers placed it right by the door for convenience, but on first glance you might not even see it.
7. Create a personalized box. A custom lighthouse mailbox greets guests at a beachy New Jersey home. A mailbox like this extends the home’s style to the curb, and no one else will have one exactly like it.
Before you construct a personalized box, share the plans with your local postmaster and receive approval. All mailbox designs have to be approved, whether you are a company or a homeowner, according the postal service.
Read more about this bayfront home
Before you construct a personalized box, share the plans with your local postmaster and receive approval. All mailbox designs have to be approved, whether you are a company or a homeowner, according the postal service.
Read more about this bayfront home
8. Add your house number. Vinyl letters and numbers provide additional home information and help guests — and the mail carrier — know they are at the right front door.
“I decided to add the number to customize the mailbox and add a bit of punch,” designer Camille Dickson says. “Vinyl decals are an easy and cost-effective way to customize an entry.”
She purchased the vinyl decal on Etsy. She recommends picking a design with high contrast so that it can easily be seen from the street.
“I decided to add the number to customize the mailbox and add a bit of punch,” designer Camille Dickson says. “Vinyl decals are an easy and cost-effective way to customize an entry.”
She purchased the vinyl decal on Etsy. She recommends picking a design with high contrast so that it can easily be seen from the street.
9. Stand it up. The mailbox doesn’t need to be a small rectangle attached to the side of the house. A box standing on the front porch turns an everyday object into an entry sculpture.
10. Let letters fall into the house. A slim mail slot allows the mail to fall right inside the front door. Large packages go in the lockbox to the right of the door.
11. Use mailbox hooks. If you get a newspaper delivered to your house, a mailbox with hooks could add another functional detail to your entry. Now you can grab your morning coffee and the newspaper out of the hooks, assuming your paper deliverer knows you installed them.
“Thinking outside the box and layering new with vintage creates an interesting and intriguing home,” says interior designer Kim Trouten of Bay Street Bungalows. Bay Street Bungalows staff kept this in mind while remodeling a 1940s bungalow. The mailbox hooks, along with a porch swing, window boxes and shutters, add vintage charm and keep the home from looking completely remodeled.
“Thinking outside the box and layering new with vintage creates an interesting and intriguing home,” says interior designer Kim Trouten of Bay Street Bungalows. Bay Street Bungalows staff kept this in mind while remodeling a 1940s bungalow. The mailbox hooks, along with a porch swing, window boxes and shutters, add vintage charm and keep the home from looking completely remodeled.
12. Hang it on the railing. This Washington, D.C., entryway lacks wall space, but the porch railing offers additional real estate that can support a mailbox.
13. Post it near the door. Many mailboxes on posts stand out near the road or driveway. Change up the look by adding this style of mailbox to a landscaped area near the front of the house.
16. Tuck it into a flower bed. Nature surrounds the mailbox of this Maryland home, making the box another part of the growing landscape.
Read more about this New England home
Read more about this New England home
17. Paint it all. This home has lots of curb appeal, and an all-white mailbox and post keep the focus on the home’s detailed exterior.
A mailbox by the curb, no matter the color, should be 41 to 45 inches from the ground, according to postal service guidelines.
A mailbox by the curb, no matter the color, should be 41 to 45 inches from the ground, according to postal service guidelines.
18. Install a second box for personal use. A small box emblazoned with the word “post” confirms that you still appreciate this form of communication, even if it’s not your everyday mailbox.
The homeowners of this cottage remodeled by John Daly, vice president of Revision, already had a traditional mailbox along the street, but wanted a box near their front door to use as a general drop-off box. They fell in love with a friend’s mailbox and had to have one like it. The friend had purchased it during a recent trip to Stockholm. Because she frequently visits, the homeowners asked her to bring back another one from her next trip to Sweden. Instead, the friend gifted hers to the homeowners as a housewarming present.
“While we don’t use it for our daily mail, it always brings a smile to my face, not to mention it fits the house well!” the homeowner says.
See more of this remodeled home
Your turn: What does your mailbox look like? Tell us about it and post a photo in the Comments!
More
Special Delivery: Keeping Your Packages Safe
Mini-Me Mailboxes Add Curb Appeal
The homeowners of this cottage remodeled by John Daly, vice president of Revision, already had a traditional mailbox along the street, but wanted a box near their front door to use as a general drop-off box. They fell in love with a friend’s mailbox and had to have one like it. The friend had purchased it during a recent trip to Stockholm. Because she frequently visits, the homeowners asked her to bring back another one from her next trip to Sweden. Instead, the friend gifted hers to the homeowners as a housewarming present.
“While we don’t use it for our daily mail, it always brings a smile to my face, not to mention it fits the house well!” the homeowner says.
See more of this remodeled home
Your turn: What does your mailbox look like? Tell us about it and post a photo in the Comments!
More
Special Delivery: Keeping Your Packages Safe
Mini-Me Mailboxes Add Curb Appeal
The United States Postal Service suggests that homeowners install the box in a place that is accessible from the sidewalk, steps or porch.