Contemporary House Design for Waterfront Property in North Carolina
By: Hannah Warne
George B. loved his 1986 lakefront home. But he felt it needed an upgrade to achieve the contemporary house design he desired. While he wanted to make updates, he was also searching for a way to upgrade the exterior on a budget — without paying thousands of dollars to work with an architect.
After discovering brick&batten on social media, George knew it was the perfect solution to help him transform his exterior.
My wife and I purchased a 1986 lakefront home in North Carolina and really wanted to update the exterior. We had some ideas but knew that getting an architect involved would cost thousands of dollars. So, I began searching for other, affordable options and saw an advertisement online for brick&batten.
Keep reading to discover how our team partnered with George to bring his exterior vision to life.
Whether you have a traditional home or want a contemporary house design, brick&batten can help you bring your exterior vision to life. Our team of experienced designers will partner with you to find the color palette, design elements, and finishes that will transform your exterior and turn it into your dream home. Learn more about our virtual exterior design services.
Our designers only use and recommend products that we know, love, or would use on our own properties. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission, at no cost to you.
The before
Before he began renovations, George’s exterior featured dark green siding, high-contrast white accents, and gray roofing that blended into the the home’s wooded surroundings. He was ready to leave this look behind in favor of something a bit more modern.
While he had general ideas about the look and feel he wanted for his exterior, he wasn’t sure how to bring his vision to life on his own. Luckily, he discovered brick&batten’s virtual exterior design services. Thanks to our experience and team of experts, these services were the perfect solution for his project.
After reviewing some of brick&batten’s amazing before-and-after photographs, I began by getting in touch with a consultant that answered a lot of questions for me and stated that the whole redesign process would be very affordable and look great!
The design
To begin the design process, George worked with his dedicated designer to share his style and his likes and dislikes.
I was teamed up with a brick&batten design consultant and was asked to answer several questions about my budget for the proposed exterior project. I was asked to provide images and pictures of the style of the exterior design that I was looking for. I think I classified our style as ‘contemporary lake house’ and I submitted several photographs of the type of exterior refresh that I had in mind.
Once our team understood the look George was hoping to achieve, they set out to create his virtual exterior design. Their ultimate goal was to refresh his home and make it reflect the contemporary house design he wanted. First, they recommended swapping out the dark green siding for a lighter option. Siding and trim in Alabaster by Sherwin Williams instantly brightened George’s home, giving it a clean, sleek feel.
Alabaster is soft, warm, and welcoming off-white hue. Perfect for both contemporary house design and traditional styles, it’s a versatile color fit for any exterior. It has a slightly creamy (not yellow) beige undertone that makes it feel less stark than true white paint. Because of its neutrality, it also complements almost any other color, from other neutrals to bold, statement-making selections like tropical hues or dark palettes.
To complement the Alabaster siding, our designers recommended beautiful stone siding in earthy gray hues for George’s exterior. This elegantly ties in the tones of the Alabaster paint while incorporating a natural, organic element to add depth and dimension.
Warm wooden details — like wooden beams, a wood garage door, and wooden fencing — add another natural element to the exterior and a darker tone to offset the light paint and stone. Finally, a black metal front door, faux copper gutters, and black accents like lighting and planters completed the design.
We also recommended upgrading the home’s entryway with bluestone pavers, a stone walkway around the side of the home, and updated landscaping to pull it all together.
The brick&batten team had created an amazing design that we were 100 percent happy with.
We always recommend sampling and testing paint colors before committing. Factors such as natural lighting, undertones, and your property’s fixed elements will have a significant impact on how a color will appear on your exterior. Our friends at Samplize offer extra-large 9 x 14.75 inch peel-and-stick paint samples of the colors we love for exteriors. Order your ‘Real Paint, No Mess’ samples from Samplize here.
The process
Once his design was finalized, George was eager to bring it to life. He used his brick&batten design deliverable as a guide throughout the entire process.
I went to Staples and printed out two huge poster boards of the brick&batten design. Then, I called a general contractor out to my property, showed him the design, and said, ‘Can you do this?’ He said, ‘Absolutely.’
Once he had hired his team, work on George’s exterior began. While many parts of the installation process were quick — it only took about a day each to install the new garage door and front door — the entire renovation process took a bit longer. After about four months, his new exterior design was complete.
The actual after
After his team completed the work on his exterior, George’s home mirrored his brick&batten design almost to a T.
The design really complemented my existing architecture and has made my house very modern and contemporary. I absolutely love brick&batten’s design.
George took into consideration all of our team’s recommendations, updating his siding with Alabaster paint and adding stone siding, wood accents, and even the new landscaping shown in his design deliverable. The overhaul continued around the back of the home, where the Alabaster siding creates a bright and airy feel when viewed from the home’s private deck and lakefront dock.
Instead of using the exact products recommended by our team, George made a few substitutions for similar alternatives. Despite the small changes, he still was able to bring the contemporary house design to life beautifully. The final result was so striking that it made his house nearly unrecognizable to friends, family, and neighbors.
The front of my house looks brand new. I often get asked, ‘Did you build your house?’ because it looks so custom now.
A beautiful and contemporary house design
With our team’s help, George was able to transform his lakefront oasis into a stylish, modern home. By incorporating a beautiful color palette, organic design elements like stone and wood, and upgrading the landscaping, George’s exterior was transformed.
Gone is the dark, high-contrast color palette he started with. Now his neutral, sleek home has a statement-making exterior that perfectly reflects his personal style.
If you want to upgrade your home or business exterior, the brick&batten team is ready and waiting to help! Our team will work with you to understand your vision and curate a color palette and design details that expertly bring it to life. Start your project today!
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