Residential Mailboxes -- Another Form Of Design?

Answer 1

There are so many things that people think about when furnishing a house. Furniture, lamps, bedding, kitchenware, electronics, appliances, toy boxes, artwork, tablecloths, rugs, and all kinds of items, but one of the least thought about necessities are residential mailboxes. It’s probably not too much of a stretch to say that most people don’t give their mailboxes a thought, not even when withdrawing the mail from it. It’s an item that is often taken for granted.

For some, there isn’t a need to consider mailboxes. Many parts of the country have centralized boxes, something that is convenient for the mail persons delivering the mail, but which also invites vandalism and postal theft. Centralized boxes are usually nothing more than rectangles on a post with nothing special or unique about them.

Then there are those who avoid having traditional mailboxes in one of two ways. Either they maintain a box at the local post office or through some other mailbox provider, or they use mail drops. These mail drops are basically slots, usually attached to a garage where the mail is simply slid through. About the only decorative decision with these is what material the slot is made out of.

Residential mailboxes for a large percentage of homes, though, are on the front porch, attached to part of the home. They actually come in several sizes, shapes, and colors now and can be adorned with all kinds of decorations, from stagecoaches to initials. Homeowners can even purchases mailboxes that can be locked, giving them an added degree of security when away on vacation or even while at work.

Whereas once residences had mailboxes that were out on the street, that has now become more associated with rural areas. Most suburbs have porch boxes.

Today, there are online retailers who sell large lines of mailboxes. It’s possible to get just about any design desired. Still, not everyone devotes time to thinking about residential mailboxes. Even with so many options out there, people just don’t realize how much their mailbox is an extension of their home. It’s actually one of the first things visitors see and really should be given a higher priority.