House Number Plaque
Showing Pride in Your Neighborhood
Every home has an address, but does yours have a house number plaque? A house number plaque is a small sign, usually affixed to the front of a house, giving the numerical street address. It may also show the homeowner's last name or the name of the street, although a sign like that could technically be considered a house sign and not a house number plaque.
There are many style, font, and decorative differences between each and every house number plaque. As many of them are hand-made or customized orders, it's possible to create a new and unique house number plaque for every house on your street.
Stylistic Freedom
The beauty of the house number sign is in its simplicity. These signs are typically not very large, and they're designed to be seen from the street. Bold lines and bright colors are essential for optimal viewing.
Black and white is a classic color scheme for a house number plaque, but consider the colors in your home's exterior. Perhaps your house number plaque would look better in blue on white, yellow on black, or even something a little wild like orange on blue. You can use your house number plaque to show the colors of a favorite sports team, coordinate with your garden, or match your car.
Additionally, the typeface or font you choose can say a great deal about you as a homeowner. Are you old-fashioned, traditional, and conservative? Perhaps a tight, bold Blackletter Gothic typeface would suit you. Are you laid-back, casual, and comfortable? A typeface such as Comic Sans on your house number plaque will show off your easygoing attitude.
Graphics: To Use or Not To Use
Some house number manufacturers allow space for graphics on their signs. Whether or not to take advantage of the offer depends largely on the size of your house number plaque and the size of the graphic. For example, a small cluster of grapes can add a touch of elegance to a wine country house number plaque, but a too-large Scottish terrier silohuette can ruin a house number plaque by overshadowing or interrupting the numerals. In most cases graphics can be re-sized to suit your house number plaque, and custom sign-makers may contact you if they question the size of your chosen graphic.
For purposes of aesthetics, it's not wise to choose a graphic that is larger than the numerals on your house number plaque. It would be to your benefit to think of any possible elements of wordplay that can be integrated into your house number plaque, as well. For example, if the street name is 'Cardinal', including a small picture of a cardinal would be charming.
The design of your home sign is entirely up to you, but try to keep in mind the sort of image you'd like your home and your family to have among your neighbors and friends. A house number plaque that is too "showy" or illegible might have a worse impact on your local reputation than no house number plaque at all.