Want ideas to make your home pop? Check out this winning Modesto exterior, yard

Bold pops of color create a backdrop to a tranquil landscape palette at the Modesto home of Stephanie and Ian Van Evera.

An Asian-bungalow-fusion feel and drought-tolerant yard combined to garner their 507 Sycamore Ave. home Garden of the Month honors for June from the Modesto Garden Club.

The Van Everas’ home was built in 1916, according to a press release from the garden club. The couple have been working on their garden since 2008 and consider it still a work in progress as they continue to experiment with drought-resistant plants.

The current selection includes kangaroo paw, phormium, bottle brush and succulents. Maples are used to accent two plant islands that meander on either side of a natural slate stepping stone path. The path is surrounded by gravel that allows water to percolate throughout the yard. One of the maples is a soft green while the other is brilliant red, each growing from their beds of water-conserving mulch.

That pop of red in the maple is just one spot where bold colors accent the home’s facade. Wide pale gray-blue steps lead to a front door that greets with a bold orange hue, flanked by porch chairs and a planter all painted in calming-but-bright turquoise. The orange and turquoise are picked up via details in the exterior brickwork, with a few carefully selected bricks painted to accent those colors.

Ian designed and created the home’s distinctive porch railing, according to the garden club, which gives the bungalow an Asian-fusion look – a creative way to update that classic style.

The creativity with plants and paint give the front yard a wow-factor in the Van Everas’ well-established neighborhood.

This story was originally published June 4, 2017 at 10:10 AM with the headline "Want ideas to make your home pop? Check out this winning Modesto exterior, yard."