The beautiful redwood front porch with a lighted hidden trim detail on the step provide a welcoming entryway to the home. Golden Visions Design Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Summit Park House

Stephenson Design Collective

Andrew Pogue Photography

Modern Blueberry Farm and House

Flavin Architects

Flavin Architects collaborated with Ben Wood Studio Shanghai on the design of this modern house overlooking a blueberry farm. A contemporary design that looks at home in a traditional New England landscape, this house features many environmentally sustainable features including passive solar heat and native landscaping. The house is clad in stucco and natural wood in clear and stained finishes and also features a double height dining room with a double-sided fireplace. Photo by: Nat Rea Photography

Hermosa Beach

Rich Starley Interior Design Studio

Villa D2

IDEAA ARCHITECTURES

Alain-Marc Oberlé photographe

Galatea

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Metallic accents, glass railings and rock beds greet those who visit this contemporary home located in the Southern California community of Corona del Mar. Clean lines are found in the hardscape, windows and roof line. Uplit trees and plants add a natural warmth and beauty.

Craftsman Exterior Paint Color Consultation

Masterworks Window Fashions & Design, LLC

This house is adjacent to the first house, and was under construction when I began working with the clients. They had already selected red window frames, and the siding was unfinished, needing to be painted. Sherwin Williams colors were requested by the builder. They wanted it to work with the neighboring house, but have its own character, and to use a darker green in combination with other colors. The light trim is Sherwin Williams, Netsuke, the tan is Basket Beige. The color on the risers on the steps is slightly deeper. Basket Beige is used for the garage door, the indentation on the front columns, the accent in the front peak of the roof, the siding on the front porch, and the back of the house. It also is used for the fascia board above the two columns under the front curving roofline. The fascia and columns are outlined in Netsuke, which is also used for the details on the garage door, and the trim around the red windows. The Hardie shingle is in green, as is the siding on the side of the garage. Linda H. Bassert, Masterworks Window Fashions & Design, LLC

Contemporary Residence & Pool House

Marc Newman Architect

View of house from the rear patio with new modern flat roof, red cedar siding, large windows and sliding doors.

Greater Avenues Mid-Century Modern

Kyle Aiken

Utah Mid-Century Modern Sunset Facade Photo - https://www.kaikenphotography.com/

Modern Spanish Revival

SDG Architects

Photo by Maria Zichil

MCM Renovation Mt Pleasant

Genesis Architecture, LLC.

Ken Dahlin

Midcentury Exterior

Iron Grey HardiePanel w/ Fry Reglet Aluminum Trim

BURR ROOFING-SIDING-WINDOWS

Removed vertical cedar and installed Hardie Panel with Stainless Steel color matched screws and color matched fry reglet aluminum channels. Creating a rainscreen application. Photo by: Woody Priest

Private House in Surbiton

Francesco Pierazzi Architects

This detached Victorian house was extended to accommodate the needs of a young family with three small children. The programme was organized into two distinctive structures: the larger and higher volume is placed at the back of the house to face the garden and make the best use of the south orientation and to accommodate a large Family Room open to the new Kitchen. A longer and thinner volume, only 1.15m wide, stands to the western side of the house and accommodates a Toilet, a Utility and a dining booth facing the Family Room. All the functions that are housed in the secondary volume have direct access either from the original house or the rear extension, thus generating a hierarchy of served and servant volumes, a relationship that is homogeneous to that between the house and the extension. The timber structures, while distinctive in their proportions, are connected by a shallow volume that doubles as a bench to create an architectural continuum and to emphasize the effect of a secondary volume wrapped around a primary one. While the extension makes use of a modern idiom, so that it is clearly distinguished from the original house and so that the history of its development becomes immediately apparent, the size of the red cedar cladding boards, left untreated to allow a natural silvering process, matches that of the Victorian brickwork to bind house and extension together. As the budget did not make possible the use a bespoke profile, an off-the-shelf board was selected and further grooved at mid point to recreate the brick pattern of the façade. A tall and slender pivoting door, positioned at the boundary between the original house and the new intervention, allows a direct view of the garden from the front of the house and facilitates an innovative relationship with the outside. Photo: Gianluca Maver

This modern entry has an exotic, organic feel thanks to custom water features, a lush and verdant green wall, and a custom front door featuring an antique hand-carved Chinese screen. Photography by Jonathan Padilla

Overbrook Residence Exterior

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Atlanta modern home designed by Dencity LLC and built by Cablik Enterprises. Photo by AWH Photo & Design.

Exterior Design Ideas with a Flat Roof

The front exterior of your home – the driveway, front yard, verandah and entrance – is a fantastic place to start making that all-important first impression on house guests. Even mailboxes and house numbers can have a wonderful way of grabbing people’s attention. The architectural design should reflect the overall style of your house and the family that live there; while your choice of materials will help your house blend in with its surrounds. Browse the photos on Houzz for ideas and inspiration for the exterior of your house, and strike up a conversation with the architects and designers of your favourite picks. You’ll find house designs for contemporary, eclectic, modern, traditional styles and more.

How do I decide on the exterior style of my home?

Your location, overall sense of style, budget and current home layout will dictate the style of your exterior. If you’re renovating a period home, the materials and features you use should reflect the date in which it was built, while a unique colour scheme could add contemporary flair. New homes may prefer to look to modern or contemporary designs with structural simplicity, whereas, if you live by the ocean, a beach-style design may better suit your locale. That’s not to say you can’t build a new home that has period influences. If you’re a traditionalist, you can borrow architectural details from the Art Deco period, for instance, or use finishes that reflect more of a Scandinavian style, too.

What exterior house colours and materials should I use?

Traditional homes typically use brick and timber building materials, while stone, board-formed concrete and metal cladding are popular contemporary options. Again, the materials you use will depend on your location and the statement you want to make. Your budget will also affect your choice. Vinyl siding is affordable and easy to install, while stone is more expensive but durable and low maintenance. If you’re not ready to renovate but want to update the exterior of your home, you can still paint it. Look to your neighbours when choosing exterior house colours. Consider the streetscape and what type of colours are already in use, firstly, so you don’t replicate next door’s shade; and secondly, so you don’t stand out like a sore thumb. If you’re renovating a period home, you could paint features or intricate details in a bold, standout hue. Front doors, garage doors and window trims also look great in eye-catching colours, even if the rest of the house’s facade is neutral.

How can I maximise my home’s street appeal?

To spice up your home’s architectural design, landscape the surrounding area with plants and pathways that accent the style of your home. If you just need a quick revamp, look at your cement and pavers – these can split and crack over time; and repairing or replacing them can do wonders for your street appeal, especially if it’s a large area like your driveway. Plants, garden paths or low walls can can also add structure to your front yard. Light up your home with sufficient outdoor lighting to make walking up to the front door easy at night. You could use bollard lights along your entry path, or replace tiny wall sconces with statement pendant lighting at the entrance or on your verandah. Decorative elements such as house numbers, mailboxes and doormats will also add character. And if you're looking to sell your house, it may be worth hiring a stylist to help make the most of your property.