House Number Sign
What Does Your House Number Sign Say About Your Home and Family?
House number signs serve a very basic yet important function - to alert visitors and delivery people of your address. A clearly displayed, legible, and attractive number sign will draw the attention of your guests, making it easier for them to recall your address in the future.
Consider this: if your visitor has never been to your home before and is attempting to find directions through an email, MapQuest, or another online method, chances are they printed out the directions and are looking for the specific house number. Their visual memory has registered the numbers, but the memory is only as strong as anything else they've read from their computer monitor or on a page from their printer. Once they actually see the numbers in a three-dimensional, tangible form, this memory will be enhanced by recognition. This memory can be further enhanced by touching the sign. Many people are able to remember the addresses of friends by using a visual recall method, where they might picture their friend's house number sign, street signs, or the house number plaques of neighbors.
Choosing Your Style
House number signs come in a number of different varieties. There are mailbox post number signs, with the numeric address displayed from top to bottom on the same post as your mailbox. These are often combined with a silohuette image to draw the attention of drivers passing the house. You can also get wood, iron, or plastic home signs that display across the top of the mailbox, similar to house number plaques but mounted on the mailbox rather than the home. Mailbox decoration is common in areas where the homeowners have narrow drives, large yards, or porches that would otherwise obscure house number plaques and signs. It's also common for these homes to have custom-painted or high-end mailboxes, to further enhance the aesthetic appeal.
House number plaques are ornate customized signs. They can display the family name, street address, the house name (if there is one), and some house number plaques include a graphic image such as a breed of dog or horse. They can be displayed set into a stone close to the road or beside the door of your home. In areas where the homeowner doesn't own the land, or has no yard space to speak of, house number plaques can also be displayed in the foyer or entryway of a home. Signs displayed near the road are common in crowded subdivisions or cases where the house itself is set far back from the street.
Why Do My Neighbors Have House Number Plaques, and Why Should I?
Some homes are sold with house number signs installed, but most new homes are bare. There are dozens of quality online retailers who can custom house number plaques with a wide variety of graphics, ornaments, styles, and materials to choose from.
You should consider several things when purchasing house number plaques: your home's architectual style and design elements; your personal tastes and the way you'd like to be represented to your guests; and any possible wordplay or humor inherent in your house's address or family name. For example, if your address is on Spooner Street, a house number sign with an image of a spoon would impress your sense of humor on your guests. If you have a colorful, descriptive, or nature-related family name, such as Ivy, de Leon (of the lion), or Brown, you can use a sign with your family name to reference these alternate meanings in a humorous and ornamentally attractive way.
Greet Your Guests in Style
House number plaques and signs are becoming more and more common as communities get increasingly crowded and confusing. When guests are directed to your home by a classy and personalized home number sign, they're bound to be impressed with your design and the pride you take in your home.