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Recently, I decided it was time to do something about the front of our house, which faces the street and could do with some curb appeal. I thought I would try asking AI for low-cost front garden makeover ideas. I have read of many instances where people use ChatGPT to solve daily problems, so I thought I’d give it a go.
Living in a rented home can make it difficult to make your surroundings better, especially when you are on a budget and permanent changes are not allowed. Although we live in a rented home, I am always looking for things I can do to improve where we live.
In this post, you’ll read how AI helped me with suggestions for this project, and which step I am going to do first.
Why I wanted to Improve Our Front Garden
While I love my home, the front of it didn’t feel very welcoming. The layout is simple — a red brick façade, white windows and door, and a few existing brackets for hanging baskets. But the space felt a bit tired, and since I rent, I didn’t want to spend too much or do anything I couldn’t undo.
So my goals were:
- Keep things affordable
- Stick to non-permanent changes
- Make it look good year-round
- Choose plants suited for a north-facing (shady) spot
ME: I live in a rented home but would like to improve the front of the house, which is visible from the street, without spending too much, as it is not my own property. Can you give me suggestions?
ChatGPT: Absolutely! Improving the front of a rented home (aka “curb appeal”) without investing too much or making permanent changes is very doable — and can really boost how the place looks and feels. Here are affordable, renter-friendly ideas:
ChatGPT: 🪴 Plants & Greenery (Portable & Pretty)
- Potted plants or window boxes: Use lightweight, movable planters with flowers, herbs, or greenery.
- Hanging baskets: Add color and charm without needing to dig or modify structures.
- Rail or step planters: If you have a small porch or stairs, add a few tiered pots or baskets.
🧼 Quick Clean-Up for Instant Impact
- Power wash the path/porch/front wall: A small rented power washer or even a strong hose and scrub can make concrete, bricks, or siding look brand new.
- Clean windows and frames: Bright windows = brighter curb appeal.
🪟 Non-Permanent Décor
- Door mat or rug: A stylish welcome mat adds personality and is easily taken with you.
- Peel-and-stick decals or temporary numbers: Upgrade your house number or mailbox with stick-on numbers or magnetic options.
- Removable seasonal décor: Wreaths, banners, or lanterns hung with temporary hooks.
💡 Inexpensive Lighting Upgrades
- Solar lights: Stick-in-the-ground solar path lights or hanging solar lanterns add safety and charm without wiring.
- Battery-operated motion lights: Add light where needed — some stick to walls or fences with no drilling.
🎨 Colour Touches (That You Can Undo)
- Paint a piece of furniture or planter: A painted chair or bench by the door adds color — and you can take it when you move.
- Removable washi tape or decals: These can add fun pops of color to doors, windows, or even mailbox edges.
🪑 Temporary Outdoor Furniture
- Folding bistro set or bench: Makes the entrance inviting and gives you a nice spot to enjoy it.
- Outdoor cushions or throw pillows: Use waterproof fabric — and bring them in when it rains.
🌿 Tidy Up What’s There
- Weed the path and lawn edge
- Trim overgrown bushes or grass
- Hide bins with a screen or plant wall: Even a pallet leaned against the bins with a few pots attached can disguise them nicely.
Analysing ChatGPT’s Ideas
I thought ChatGPT gave quite a comprehensive list of ideas, but I decided that some were not applicable to me. For example, in the second section where it suggested to have a big clean up – I regularly clean our windows myself as I personally dislike the tiniest mark on them.
As for cleaning up the pathway with a hired power or pressure washer, I decided this would be a lot of effort and expense, which I am not prepared to invest. This is mainly because we live right on the main thoroughfare into our small town, and in no time at all, that clean path would be dirty again from the muck off the road and traffic, etc. We also do not have an outside tap to do this, so that makes it a non-starter.
The “temporary outdoor furniture” idea would not work for us, as this front garden is small and right beside the road, so I would never sit out there.
I liked the idea of hiding the bin with a screen or plant as our wheelie bin and recycling bags and boxes are placed to the side of the front of the house, at the start of a path that goes down to the back of the property. As visitors walk in, these items are clearly visible and not pretty to look at.
Solar lights, a new doormat mat and seasonal decor such as a wreath on the front door are all ideas I like, but my first step is going to be to add some potted plants and hanging baskets as suggested in the first AI idea.
Plant pots are an easy first step, as I already have an excess of them in our back garden, which I can probably use here. They are also cheap and cheerful, and if we move, I can take them with me. I am spending, but not on something that is going to be part of the landlord’s property.
Asking ChatGPT to use an Image for the Makeover
I decided to see what would happen if I gave ChatGPT a photo, and asked it to implement that first idea re Plants & Greenery (Portable & Pretty) above
As this image had a few plants in the gravel and I wanted AI to have a blank area to work with, I asked it to remove the plants in the foreground of the image.
AI removed the wooden post to the left of the door, but otherwise, I think it did a good job.
ME: Using this image can you improve it by adding in some of the ideas you mentioned above – especially the idea about adding potted plants and hanging baskets as there are 2 brackets for them either side ot the door, don’t do the furniture section as I dont want that as the front garden is too exposed and lacks privacy.
ChatGPT:
AI did an ok transformation, but I wanted it to be more in keeping with the colours that are already there. I should have given it a bit more information and instruction to get the effect I wanted.
The entrance from the gate is a path that is to the left of the image, and there is a pathway in front of the main front step. So I then decided to give it more detailed information.
Asking ChatGPT for Specific Plant Type Recommendations
ME: I have a pathway from the gate that comes in to the left of this image, so I would rather add the solar lights along that path. While those coloured flowers are pretty, I would prefer to have colours that tone in with the colour scheme that is there already, ie the red brick walls and white windows. I was thinking of having only red, orange and white colours in this front garden. I also like to have textured and different coloured foliage plants ie with white, red, orange and green leaves. I think mostly evergreen plants will do well, as it means there is always something to look at even in Winter. Can you recommend plants that fit these criteria, and will take a north-facing situation?
ChatGPT: That’s a smart and cohesive approach — sticking to red, orange, white, and tonal foliage will make the front of your house look thoughtfully designed. Since the house is north-facing, it’ll get less direct sunlight, so you’ll want shade-tolerant and evergreen or semi-evergreen plants to keep things attractive year-round.
I was pleased to notice that it equated north-facing with shade-tolerant plants, which is spot on.
ChatGPT: Here’s a mix of flowers, foliage, and structural plants that work well in containers or beds in north-facing, low-light spots, and that suit your red/orange/white color scheme with foliage interest:
🌿 Evergreen & Foliage Plants (Color + Texture)
| Plant | Foliage Color | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Heuchera (Coral Bells) | Red, copper, orange, lime | Compact, colorful foliage year-round. Look for varieties like ‘Caramel’, ‘Peach Flambé’, or ‘Paprika’. |
| Carex (Sedge grasses) | Green, bronze, variegated | Graceful, low-maintenance grass; great texture. Try Carex testacea (orange tinge). |
| Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’ | Green & gold | Evergreen, brightens up shady spots. Compact and easy in pots. |
| Ajuga reptans ‘Burgundy Glow’ | Red, green, white leaves | Ground-hugging, colorful, spreads well in shade. |
| Ferns (e.g., Japanese painted fern) | Silvery-green with purple veins | Delicate texture, shade-loving, pairs beautifully with Heucheras. |
| Skimmia japonica (female) | Glossy green leaves, red winter berries | Evergreen, compact, good for pots. Needs a male plant nearby for berries. |
🌸 Flowering Plants – Red, Orange, White – Shade-Tolerant
| Plant | Color | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Impatiens (Busy Lizzie) | Red, white, orange | Great in containers, constant blooms in shade (but protect from downy mildew with good air flow). |
| Begonia (fibrous or tuberous) | Red, orange, white | Shade-loving, long flowering season, brilliant in pots. |
| Astilbe | White, red, pink | Feathery plumes, thrives in part to full shade, moisture-loving. |
| Camellia (esp. sasanqua) | White, red | Evergreen shrubs with glossy leaves; beautiful flowers in autumn–winter (perfect for winter interest). |
| Cyclamen hederifolium | White, pink, red | Great for autumn–winter color, shade-tolerant, pretty foliage. |
| Hellebores (Christmas Rose) | White, cream, green | Early bloomers (Jan–March), evergreen leaves, shade-loving. |
🪴 Design Tips for a Polished Look
- Group by foliage contrast: Mix fine-textured (ferns, grasses) with broad leaves (heuchera, camellia).
- Layered heights: Tall plants (camellia, ferns) at back or sides, lower ones in front.
- Pot materials: Use terracotta, dark greys, or black planters to match your red brick and white trim.
- Avoid too many busy patterns in containers — let the plants be the focal point.
- Use mulch or slate chips in pots to help with winter moisture and keep it tidy.
AI Design Tips
The design tips that AI gave me were useful, especially the use of terracotta coloured pots (which match the brick colour), simple pot designs and grouping the foliage so that the leaves contrast with each other.
Recommended Plants were Ideal
I checked the plant species it suggested, and they were correct. Carex testacea also known as “Prairie Fire” or New Zealand sedge, was an interesting suggestion with its orange leaves.
Skimmia japonica was another suggestion I liked as it is compact, evergreen and does well in a pot. I discovered when I researched this one that it has red berries in the Winter so that will add the right colour.
I was surprised to see Camellia mentioned as I have always seen them as big shrubs but on further investigation I discovered that you can get compact species that are ideal to grow in pots. So I learnt something new there, and I look forward to finding one.
I love Heuchera plants too, so I was not surprised to see them mentioned, but have always had them in the back, south-facing garden. It will be interesting to see if they cope with the low light intensity at the front.
ChatGPT: Would you like me to create an updated visual of your front door with this new plant colour scheme and style in place?
ME: Yes, please update the visual
ChatGPT: Image created
The Results
The AI suggested makeover after giving it more detailed instructions was much improved. It has definitely given me the first step I need to take to improve this area of my home.
In the AI image you can see that it has tried to match the plant foliage with the red-orange brick colours. It has also listened to my instructions about the foliage colours and textures. Again, the path is not in the right place, but it has given me the push and ideas to get started with making over this area of our home.
I’m using container planting to avoid digging and to take everything with me if I move.
Summary – How AI Helped Me Plan
I asked AI for help in figuring out some ideas. After conversing with it helped me:
- Gave me a list of ideas to tackle
- Choose a first step to tackle
- Clarify my colour palette (red, orange, white, and tonal greens to suit the brickwork)
- Recommend plants that suit a north-facing, low-light garden
- Suggest ways to boost curb appeal without permanent fixtures
The process was similar to chatting with a well-informed friend who knew the plants that grow in UK gardens and didn’t push expensive or permanent ideas that I can’t implement because I rent the property.
In summary, I am pleased that I gave AI a picture, which enabled me to see how it might look. Overall, AI has helped me to get this project started. The ideas it suggested were personal to my situation. It has given me a list to work from, starting with the first step of getting the plants together. I’ll be sharing that in my next post
It is clear that the more detail you can give AI, the better the result you get. Would you try using AI for your home or garden planning?
Inspired to Start Your Makeover?
Why not try using AI to help plan your own space? Whether you’re renting, on a budget, or just want a fresh look — it’s an easy way to get personalised ideas in minutes.