Designer Tips for a Beautiful House Exterior in 2024
By: Cassie McDowell
A beautiful house exterior is something most homeowners desire but not all know how to achieve. Some have ideas of various things they could do to make their exterior more attractive but aren’t sure if all the updates will look cohesive. Others are simply unhappy with the look of their home and are unsure of how to change it.
Fortunately, our team of expert exterior designers knows how to take any property and transform it into a beautiful house. Keep reading to discover our top tips for creating the beautiful house of your dreams.
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Prioritize paint
The perfect paint colors can take your home exterior from bland to beautiful. A new paint job can also pay for itself — and then some — should you decide to sell your home. (Real estate technology company Home Light says painting the exterior of your home can provide a 152 percent return on your investment.) With that said, if you’re going to update one aspect of your exterior, consider prioritizing paint.
After you pick the paint colors you want to use on your home, we strongly recommend testing them before fully committing. Factors like undertones, lighting, and your home’s fixed elements can affect how a color will appear on your exterior. Testing your colors first will ensure there’s no surprises when it comes time to paint your entire exterior.
Whether you paint all of your home or just the trim, the right hues can transform the look of your property. Take the home above for example. Originally, it was dated and underwhelming. We brightened things up with an airy, inviting gray on the siding and an earthy green-gray on the accents. We didn’t change much else on the home, but the transformation is substantial thanks to the new color palette.
Elevate and emphasis the entry
If an entire exterior overhaul is out of the question, start small and focus on a specific aspect of your home. For the most bang for your buck, we recommend your main entrance. This is, after all, one of the most utilized areas of your home exterior. Plus, it’s often the first thing guests see when they come over to visit.
Using columns to frame your front door is an effective way to draw attention to your home’s entrance. For homes where columns don’t make sense, try framing the door with planters or light fixtures instead. In the design above, we extended the stoop area and replaced the small awning with a larger portico. The thick wood columns with stone bases frame the front door nicely and draw the eye to the entrance.
Choosing a different siding material or paint color for the space around your entry door will also bring attention to the area and make it stand out. Above, the vertical wood siding behind the patio contrasts nicely with the white stucco. It also helps define this space and makes it an attractive focal point.
Small details matter
If a truly beautiful house exterior is what you’re after, you have to pay attention to all the details — big and small. Elements like light fixtures, mailboxes, front door hardware, and outdoor decor might not take up a ton of your home’s real estate, but they can have a significant impact on your curb appeal.
The suggested updates for the home above were minor but hugely impactful. Removing the shutters made the façade appear less cluttered, and the lighter paint color on the front door brightened up the entrance. The new landscaping also gives the exterior a cleaner look.
Window boxes, like the one seen above, planters, house numbers, and other small items can also have a big impact on your curb appeal.
Show it off
While we love incorporating plenty of lush greenery and whimsical florals into our designs, sometimes a more pared-back approach to landscaping is best. This is especially true if you want to show off your home exterior.
A good portion of the home above was hidden by a large tree. In our design, we recommended removing it and replacing it with some smaller plants. Now, you can see the beautiful house in its entirety, including the dutch door and stunning new light fixtures.
Pretty pathways
The path that leads to your beautiful house should be just as attractive as the building itself. Incorporating a curved walkway like the one above into your exterior design can add quirkiness. If changing the layout of your walkway isn’t feasible, try switching up the material. An aged material like brick will add tons of charm and character to your property.
We’re also big fans of walkways created with permeable pavers, which are porous and allow water to pass through into the ground below. Permeable pavers can help prevent run-off, and they’re super durable. On top of that, they’re visually appealing and can help elevate your curb appeal.
Bonus tip: Lining your walkway with landscape lighting will increase functionality by making it easier to see and use at night.
Don’t neglect your doors
Don’t let a dated garage door or a front door that’s at odds with your home’s architectural style dampen your curb appeal. The home above had a dated exterior, so we recommended a fresh paint color for the siding and trim, as well as a new entry door rendered in a dark hue like the garage doors. All the doors pop nicely against the white siding and contribute to the home’s updated look.
The owner of the home above felt their exterior looked tired and wanted to make it feel more contemporary with paint and other upgrades. The old entry and garage door wouldn’t have meshed well with the new color palette, so we suggested replacing them. The gorgeous glass double entry doors with a black frame are a timeless, elegant option that match the new windows and painted garage door.
Add interest to the roofline
If your roof is highly visible from the curb like the one on this home, be sure to update it accordingly. You can add character with a textured roofing material like cedar or take a more contemporary approach with a metal roof. You can also play with the roofline by making the pitch steeper or incorporating dormers for added interest. We recommended altering the dormer above with a curved top instead of a flat one to add some softness to the façade.
Utilize the front yard
Outdoor entertaining spaces in the front yard are becoming increasingly popular. Some homeowners don’t have a backyard large enough to entertain in, while others simply want to maximize their entire lot. When designed well, these outdoor spaces can really boost your curb appeal. A cozy and inviting front yard lounge area can create a neighborhood feel that lots of homeowners desire.
For the home above, we designed a small seating area covered by a pergola. We suggested a wood pergola to match the flooring and new garage door. The stone wall creates some privacy and adds textural contrast.
This before and after is another excellent example of how a front yard entertaining space can make a home feel more welcoming. We removed the walls of the home’s courtyard to open it up and show off the new front door. We filled the courtyard with a modern lounge chair, concrete side table, hanging chair, and plenty of planters. Finally, we designed a stone paver walkway that leads to the courtyard.
Bring your beautiful house ideas to life
Everyone deserves to have a beautiful house. And the good news is that no matter what shape your home is in now, there are tons of things you can do to achieve the exterior of your dreams. We hope this post has provided you with plenty of inspiration and ideas you can apply to your own home.
Your beautiful house awaits! Send us a photo of your home and answer a few quick questions, and we’ll get to work creating a showstopping new look for your exterior. Begin your exterior design project today.
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