Custom mailboxes are a great way to add a distinctive personal touch to a house. For a wall-mount mailbox near the front door, this might mean Victorian wrought iron or gleaming brass. For a post-mount at the end of the drive or lane, it might mean a mailbox planter or a floral verdigris post and box. The possibilities are limited pretty much only by your imagination.

You might have called in a landscape designer or be taking that challenge on yourself. Once you've finished with the azalea, herb garden, and periwinkle and hosta groupings, you realize that it all needs a finishing touch. Details make a big difference in home decor. A custom mailbox might be just the element to pull the entire scheme together.

Custom Mailboxes: Among the Options

Giving your creativity full rein with custom mailboxes pays off. Maybe you're thinking about a decorative finished or painted design. Would a pilastered, Greek revival column with an inset mailbox found off the formality of your colonial home? Maybe a wrought-iron post with an L-bracket support for mail and newspaper box would do better. Taking an hour or so to browse online vendors will probably help you develop your own ideas for custom mailboxes.

Whether you have a wall-mount or a post-mount mailbox, and no matter its shape, it will almost always be made of metal--aluminum, brass, copper, or galvanized steel. This is not, interestingly, a USPS requirement. USPS specifications dictate only dimensions and placement. One of your first choices for the mailbox itself will be the finish. Typical finishes--no matter the color--include antiqued, hammered, polished, lacquered, verdigris, power-coated, texture powder-coated, or satin.