When you’re designing or planning a commercial property, or just renovating your older residential apartment complex, you of course want your design to stand out in a positive way. After all, when visitors come to your property, you want to make a good impression. This is especially true for prospective renters, who will want to stay for a long time to avoid the dreaded tenant turnover.
Your centralized mailboxes will go a long way towards the attractiveness of your community, as well as its reputation for security. This is known as curb appeal. Curb appeal can add a lot of value to your property, which will also help you to sell should you choose to do that in the future. For commercial properties, the right curb appeal can also help with your branding, making your line of properties or your business recognizable.
You may think that mailboxes are barely noticeable, especially if they’re the centralized type with multiple compartments in one cabinet. But there are many things you can do to make them stand out in a good way. Here are some suggestions for making the best first impression that you can.
Choose the Right Colors. You’ve likely seen centralized mailboxes everywhere—they’re usually in front of businesses, and many are simply part of the background.
If you are branding for a business or simply want to match the palette of your residential property, choosing the right color for your mailboxes is a must. But which color should you choose? Most centralized mailboxes come in neutral tones, such as tan or gray, but in some cases, other colors are available.
Color schemes aren’t just for clothes and home interiors. This list should give you an idea of which color of mailbox you should choose for your property:
- Sandstone and Blue. Blues are often used for properties, and yellows and golds are typically good complementary colors. Sandstone is a common color for centralized mailboxes, no matter which type you choose, and will fit a blue and yellow color scheme nicely.
- Gray and Blue. Grays are common mailbox colors as well. Gray and blue are similar, with a calming effect, so long as both come in powder shades.
- Neutral Colors. Black mailboxes work very well as an accent color when using it along with a property exterior (or interior) that is made of neutral colors such as light brown or gray. Black can add much-needed contrast to a neutral landscape.
- Standout Colors. Standout colors are any fairly bright colors that pop when seen but aren’t used frequently in a property. Standout colors can make a door—or a mailbox—very noticeable, which can also help the USPS find your units. Green centralized mailboxes are sometimes available, and black mailboxes can stand out when mostly brighter and neutral colors are used.
- Bronze for Elegance. Bronze mailboxes are a deep shade of brown, which can provide a natural look when a lot of similar-colored wood is used on a property.
Use Landscaping to Your Advantage. If outdoors, your centralized mailboxes can pop when used in conjunction with good landscaping. Here are some tips to make your mailboxes noticeable, no matter which color you use:
- Combine Mailboxes with Parking Lots and Paths. All centralized mailboxes should be easy to reach, indoors or outdoors. There’s a reason many are placed beside central parking lots and common sidewalks. They’re easy for customers and the USPS to reach.
- Use Natural Decorations with Your Mailboxes. Boulders, flowers, and shrubs have all been successfully used around mailboxes to give them an extra pop. Planting flowers that complement your mailbox shade will add some bonus points to your curb appeal and branding. Just make sure that no natural decorations obstruct safe access to your mailboxes.
- Consider a Kiosk. Kiosks can be made to hold recessed centralized mailboxes, or to shelter freestanding models. A kiosk can be of any style, giving you the freedom and flexibility to decorate your mailbox area however you wish. They also provide customers with protection from weather, and help keep your mailboxes from weathering, too. Another helpful feature of many kiosks is safety lighting.
Create a Mailbox Room. You can be creative with your mailboxes indoors, too. Just always make sure they’re in a central location and accessible. A lobby is an excellent place for a mailbox room.
Here are some tips for making your mailbox room attractive:
Use Creative Lighting. Modern lighting fixtures can add an elegant atmosphere to an otherwise dull mailbox room. There are many types of lighting fixtures on the market today, and most are more efficient than lighting of the past.
Trim Can Complement Your Mailboxes. Trim is an easy, inexpensive way to add some color to your mailboxes, especially when they’re recessed into a wall. Trim can be painted any color as well, helping you to match or complement your mailboxes.
Consider a Unique Room Shape. Some mailbox rooms consist of curving hallways with mailboxes mounted in the walls, or mailboxes that are mounted within indoor, kiosk-like walls. Keeping the architecture interesting to prevent a room from becoming boring.
Use Different Materials. Indoors or outdoors, using a variety of building materials around your mailboxes will be sure to be a hit. Many builders use a combination of brick, tile, wood, metal, and stone to create mailbox kiosks and indoor mail rooms. Paint is also great to add to both rooms and outdoor kiosks. Just be sure that any materials you use, such as brick and painted walls together, complement each other as well as the mailboxes you choose.
Don’t Forget Open Space. No mailbox room should be cramped or full of obstructions, as this won’t look inviting to current or prospective tenants. Open space between mailboxes and walls should be enough to allow wheelchair users access as well.
Need More Advice? National Mailboxes is here to help you find the best mailboxes for your construction project, renovation, or your community. If you’re unsure which type of mailbox would best serve your customers, contact us today.
