10 Sleek Designs to Welcome You and Your Mail Home
Innovative designs, contemporary materials and daring colors set these mailboxes apart from others on the block
Lauren Dunec Hoang
December 19, 2017
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and in-house designer for Sunset's Editorial Test Garden. Her garden designs have been featured in the Sunset Western Garden Book of Landscaping, Sunset Western Garden Book of Easy-Care Plantings (cover), Inhabitat, and POPSUGAR.
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and... More
Think out of the box when it comes to how you receive your mail. Your mailbox provides an opportunity for expressing your personal style and adding a contemporary design feature for your front yard, whether you’re choosing among manufactured models or making a custom design. From zingy red to weathered metal, these 10 modern mailbox designs get a stamp of approval for their ability to boost your home’s curb appeal.
1. Color jolt. Brighten your entry with a mailbox in a vivid hue that complements your home’s exterior colors. This electric red mailbox brings the same bright color of the front door (which looks darker here under the shadow of the covered walkway) forward to the street, visually tying together both areas. The eye-catching color stands out against the dark exterior of the building and the all-green planting, adding energy and interest to the overall front yard design.
2. Coordinated. Use a mailbox as an opportunity to reference the exterior details of the home through coordinated colors, materials or overall design. For example, this metal mailbox set into a wooden post echoes the materials and design of the home’s front gates and exterior light fixtures.
The landscape architects had a local metal fabricator make the custom mailbox, which sits inside a post surrounded by horizontal wooden boards like the ones of the gate in the background. The mailbox and lighting below it mimic the design detail of the exterior lights, another complementary touch.
The landscape architects had a local metal fabricator make the custom mailbox, which sits inside a post surrounded by horizontal wooden boards like the ones of the gate in the background. The mailbox and lighting below it mimic the design detail of the exterior lights, another complementary touch.
3. Envelope style. A simple envelope-style wall-mounted mailbox coordinates with the metal house numbers of this home in Long Beach, California. A suspended orb-shaped light fixture ensures that the mailbox and house numbers can be seen after dark.
Make sure wall-mounted mailboxes are easily accessible to postal workers and can hold at least a day’s worth of mail.
Make sure wall-mounted mailboxes are easily accessible to postal workers and can hold at least a day’s worth of mail.
4. Set in a bed. A custom-made mailbox of wood and metal perches curbside on its four legs among the rippling grasses, much like the Weber’s agave (Agave weberi) seem to sit in the same sea of green. While the mailbox is set back into the bed, it’s still easy for the postman to reach, with no obstructions around it. The mailbox’s materials relate to the wood and metal work of the home’s gate and garage.
5. Cor-Ten steel. The shape of this mailbox in Bethesda, Maryland, echoes the geometry of the home’s entryway, while its rusty patina picks up the rich mahogany color of the wood siding. Overall, the mailbox feels edgy, contemporary and perfectly in sync with the home.
6. Sophisticated. This boxy metal mailbox looks right at home in this front yard made up of rectilinear walls, steps and sculptural plants. The landscape architects cut a notch into one of the charcoal-colored masonry walls to create a spot for the mailbox to settle. A low bowl planter of succulents on the wall behind mimics the placement.
7. Horizontal. A sleek mail slot allows letters to drop straight into the entryway of this contemporary home. The style coordinates with the other metal elements of the exterior and references the door’s horizontal windows.
Keep in mind that mail slots should conform to USPS guidelines, including being placed at least 30 inches above floor level, with a slot size of at least 1½ by 7 inches and, for horizontal mail slots, a hinged flap that opens at the top.
Keep in mind that mail slots should conform to USPS guidelines, including being placed at least 30 inches above floor level, with a slot size of at least 1½ by 7 inches and, for horizontal mail slots, a hinged flap that opens at the top.
8. Built-in. This metal mailbox was built into the stucco walls of the entryway for an easy-to-spot but understated design. The shine of the metal contrasts with the matte of the stucco, while the burgundy-colored door of the mailbox picks up the tones of the Cor-Ten retaining walls of the planting beds.
9. Playful. Numbered metal mini house mailboxes collect the mail for the homes in this multi-unit housing development. Their use of primary colors with their jauntily pitched roofs sets a playful tone to the contemporary design.
For mailboxes that are grouped for multiple addresses, be sure that numbers are easily visible. Check local building codes and with your postmaster for other region-specific regulations.
For mailboxes that are grouped for multiple addresses, be sure that numbers are easily visible. Check local building codes and with your postmaster for other region-specific regulations.
10. Unusually shaped. Formed from a metal sheet curved into an open tube with a metal floor and hinged door, this unexpected mailbox gives a dose of contemporary style to a Craftsman-style home.
Mixing modern accents with a more traditional architectural style works well when there are multiple related contemporary accents. The metal mailbox, for example, relates to the silver house numbers (in a contemporary type) and the overall more-contemporary landscape.
Mixing modern accents with a more traditional architectural style works well when there are multiple related contemporary accents. The metal mailbox, for example, relates to the silver house numbers (in a contemporary type) and the overall more-contemporary landscape.
Bonus box. We couldn’t help but include this over-the-top mailbox idea from a Pennsylvania home that lifts mailbox creativity to new heights. The hands are also fitted with sensors that send an alert to the home once mail is delivered.
A quick note on USPS mailbox guidelines. While we encourage you to think out of the box when it comes to your mailbox design, be sure to comply with USPS guidelines for placement and dimensions.
Post-mounted mailboxes:
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Post-mounted mailboxes:
- The mailbox should be positioned between 41 and 45 inches above the ground, set back 6 to 8 inches from the curb
- Place your house number on the mailbox
- If your mailbox is located on a different street from your home, indicate your full street address on the mailbox.
- The opening must be at least 1½ by 7 inches
- The slot must be at least 30 inches above the floor
- Horizontal slots must have flap hinges at the top, and vertical slots must have flap hinges opposite the door’s hinges.
- Be sure the box can be spotted and easily accessed from the sidewalk or steps, or that the porch is large enough to hold the mail you receive on an average day.
- While there are not official USPS guidelines regarding the size and height of the box, local codes may apply.
More
Follow One Man’s Midcentury-Mailbox Dream
Hit the Mark With Creative House Numbers
Browse mailboxes
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This article has me reminiscing about days long ago when I had my own individual mail box. Many communities these days use communal locking units that are functional, institutional, and ugly as heck. Sure wish the municipal design review process made developers put some design thought into the mail areas too.
I designed and built this mailbox to go along the lines of the entry arbor (shown in the background), with cedar and stainless steel.
Pretty!
We have not received mail at home for decades. It all goes to the community mailbox - a pock on Canada post! We do have a brass mailbox near our front door, but all it ever receives is junk mail, flyers and such.