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Unique House Number Ideas for Your Home

Have you ever been walking around your neighbourhood when you noticed a house number that made you stop and take a second look? A unique house number really stands out from the crowd, adds character and improves a home’s curb appeal.

Creating a truly unique house number is a fun DIY project that lets you dream up a one-of-a-kind house number to complement your home and reflect your personality.

We’ve put together some unique house number ideas and tips to help you get started. Our team at Notre Dame Castle is looking forward to answering your questions, so stop by soon!

Where to Start?

Take your cue from the design, colours, style and landscaping of your home. Make a note of the best spots on your house or around your property for your new house number.

Your house number design will need to fit your space, suit your home’s style, and be in proportion with your home’s size. Decide if the numbers for your planned design will look better vertically or horizontally.

Typically, house numbers are mounted on the wall beside your door, on a mailbox at the bottom of your driveway, hanging from a lamp post, on a fence or in your garden.

Most importantly, will people be able to see your sign clearly from the street?

Get Inspired!

Take a walk around your neighbourhood for some ideas, or if you’re planning to travel to another part of the country or world, plan to take a closer look at house numbers. Maybe you have already been intrigued by house numbers in far away places, and have brought home some souvenirs just waiting to be put on your house.

If you have moved to a new place from another region or country, why not make a house number typical of those you left behind?

You can also find great ideas without having to leave home, by searching online. Your house number can reflect your hobbies and interests, for example, if you are a musician or simply enjoy music, why not include a musical instrument or musical notes on your house number?

Your favourite sports and activities can also be the theme for your house number; a paddle, sailboat or sea shells in your house number design will be a pleasant reminder of warm summer days at the lake or by the seaside.

Make a Plan!

Plan ahead to make sure you have the supplies and tools you will need to make your unique house number. Draw a design first, and make a template to ensure your house number sign will be the right size for your space, and that it will be easily visible from the street.

Determine the correct spacing of each digit and/or letter before mounting them on your home or display. Your house number will show up best if it is in a large, easy-to-read font, four to six inches high or larger, depending on the distance from the street.

Make the number stand out by using a contrasting colour background, or use lighting – backlit, or shine a floodlight on it. Floating house numbers naturally stand out, and their clean, sleek look will add to your home’s curb appeal.

Unique display ideas for your house number could also reflect your hobbies and interests, e.g., an old tractor, wood carving of a dog, etc. These display ideas can be life-size if you have the space, or smaller replicas or paintings to fasten to your house.

Where to Put Your House Number

Think about how the weather in your area will affect the visibility of your house number. If your region usually gets mountains of snow, it may be best to place it higher up or it could be buried until spring!

Where you live will make a big difference to where you place your house number. Out in the country, you will have a number on your mailbox as well as an emergency services sign, but you can have fun designing your own house number.

Ideas to Make a Unique House Number

You’ll discover all sorts of novel ways to make your house number, from things you find in nature to items you already have at home.

To keep it simple, purchase ready-made numbers and apply them to a salvaged or reclaimed piece of wood or a vintage find.

Mount numbers you purchase onto a tree stump or live edge wood
Carve or burn your house number into a piece of reclaimed wood, painting the background white to make sure the numbers stand out
Create a mosaic house number sign using coloured sand
Apply sea shells to numbers shaped from a mixture of sand and industrial strength adhesive for a seaside theme

Look for items found in nature and landscaping to display or create your house number:

Tree stumps
Tree “cookie” or slice of tree trunk
Branches
Driftwood
Rocks
Stone, from pebbles to large flagstone
Sand
Sea shells

Check your attic or your local thrift store for vintage and reclaimed finds to display your house number:

Vintage bicycle
Picture frame
Window frame
Bottle corks
Wine barrel
Basket
Wagon
Mailbox on post
Wagon wheel
Old trunk
Wood carved animal – cow, bear, horse
Old tennis racket
Old chair
Muskoka chair
Canoe

Visit a local artisan if you are interested in a stained glass, forged iron, or carved wooden number sign, or learn to make it yourself!

Stained glass
Pottery
Quilts
Paintings
Hand forged iron

Choose from a wide variety of materials:

Lumber, plywood, wood boards, posts
Stained glass numbers
Numbers made with metal: steel, stainless steel, aluminium, brass, copper
Vinyl
Floating numbers
LED house numbers
Waterproof solar number signs
Backlit LED number signs
Custom house number to match your home’s architectural trim and detail

Once you have decided what type of house number you want, it’s time to gather the materials and tools you’ll need to make it.

Supplies and Tools

You may need only one or a few of these supplies and tools in addition to the main elements you decide to use for your house number. There may be other tools not listed here that you will need as well.