Whether you are designing a new house or wanting to spruce up a home, you have lived in for years, the exterior design can have a major impact on the overall aesthetic of the home. There are numerous ways that you can make it more appealing and many styles you can take ideas from in order to make your house look the best it possibly can.
While a new paint job and some décor items may be all you want to do, if you have some bigger ambitions, this list of 15 aesthetic house exteriors can help provide some inspiration.
1. Cottage
Cottage-style homes can be found anywhere, not only in the country. They are typically small in size and very cozy. There are a number of things that distinguish a house as a cottage, and many of these distinguishing features can be applied to other homes in order to produce the same aesthetic on the exterior.
Hallmarks of this cottage-style include screen doors, porch plants and comfy seating, shutters and window boxes, and even climbing plants along the exterior walls.
2. Farmhouse
Farmhouses are some of the simplest homes in terms of design and décor. Traditionally, they are composed of simple white clapboard siding for the entire exterior. The windows are framed only with a basic trim, and they may have some shutters for extra detail.
There will generally be some darker elements, such as on the roof or front door, to add some contrast, but the name of the game for this exterior style is simplicity. These homes are not designed to make a statement.
3. Americana
Two words that describe the Americana exterior decorating style are appealing and casual. These homes won’t have any fancy design elements or obnoxious décor, but they will still be incredibly inviting and appealing to the eye. Their dominant theme can be patriotic, primitive, or country farmhouse, but they often combine all three.
Typical elements of an Americana exterior include easy to care for materials, banners or flags, a furnished front porch, light trim that compliments a darker base color, hanging flowers, and classic light fixtures.
4. Mid-Century Modern
Mid-century modern homes are characterized most predominantly by porches, angular structures, and unique combinations of siding materials. These houses will have atypical garage door styles, overhangs, seasonal plants, and often columns. Rather than one base material for siding, these houses will be dominated by combinations of fieldstone, brick, concrete, wood, and stucco.
In general, the exterior should exemplify a minimalist lifestyle without being monotone. Painted lawns, privacy screens, and accent colors are not uncommon features for this exterior style as well.
5. Bohemian
Since the general theme for bohemian style homes is no rule, there isn’t a lot of ‘should haves’ if you are trying to emulate this exterior style with your own home. Bohemian houses tend to be bungalows, but they don’t have to be, so you can adopt this style no matter what type of base home you are starting with.
Bohemian homes are free-spirited, artistic, and unique to each person who designs them. They tend to incorporate lots of colors and pull together ideas from many different ways of life.
6. Victorian
Victorian homes are perhaps one of the most recognizable architectural and design styles. They have many defining characteristics that aren’t typically seen in any other exterior styles. Victorian homes are primarily composed of wood, but this doesn’t mean they are boring or simplistic.
Common features for the Victorian style include pitched and shingled roofs, lots of angles, double-hung windows, colorful (or multi-colored) siding, decorative eaves and gables, tall and narrow windows with shutters, and large porches. Victorian homes are also generally multi-storied.
7. Art Deco
Art deco homes are incredibly unique in a myriad of ways. They are characterized by dominant geometric patterns, sharp edges, and a linear appearance. Structurally, these homes employ many right angles and straight lines. Often, these straight lines may be broken up by occasional curved ornamental elements.
Usually, these homes will make use of solid colors on the exterior, often white with some darker accents for variety. Large and/or plentiful windows and bright exterior lighting also characterize this design style.
8. Cape Cod
Cape cod homes are incredibly popular and have four main distinguishing characteristics. Steep roofs are one of the first things you’ll notice, likely followed by their shingled exterior. Large chimneys and symmetrical designs are the other two foundational elements of all cape cod homes.
Their windows will typically have shutters with tall arched doors and accent colors to provide some interest against the neutral siding. Most cape cod homes are single stories, but they can have multiple floors as well. They are generally small, rectangular, and free from excessive décor.
9. Country French
Timeless elegance is the defining quality for French country homes. To achieve this kind of aesthetic on a home, the house should feature a stone, brick, or stucco exterior. Neutral, earthy colors such as gray, brown, beige, white, and brick red are the most common exterior colors, and the color scheme will generally be uniform over the entire house, including the roof and any window trim.
Generally, the only accent will be the front door. These houses will have very minimalistic décor and green foliage around the front.
10. Colonial
Colonial style homes will have a brick or wood exterior. Generally, they will be quite grand homes with many windows and a solid color scheme. The siding will generally be light in color, with a darker roof and window shutters. Colonial homes will also be quite rectangular in shape and frequently have large porches or overhangs above the front door with supportive columns.
Décor will be minimalist with this design style, but flower beds are shrubbery are almost expected. White, gray, and brick red/brown are common exterior colors.
11. Tudor
Tudor style homes are quite distinctive for a number of reasons. First of all, they are one of the only home styles that feature half-tinder framing. Half-tinder framing means placing widely spaced wooden boards along the exterior with stucco or stone in between. This design element is typically an accent for predominantly brick façade.
Some other defining characteristics of Tudor homes include a steeply pitched roof, multiple front-facing gables that overlap, tall windows, and off center front door with an arch, and at least one chimney.
12. Craftsman
Craftsman homes are the embodiment of harmony with nature. Some of the most common features include overhanging eaves, exposed beams and rafters, and low-pitched gable roofs. It is also quite typical to see craftsman homes with heavy, tapered columns, a covered front porch, and patterned windowpanes.
The color scheme is generally quite inoffensive, with siding materials that are white, grey, brown, beige, or light shades of olive green. Horizontal lines are emphasized with this architectural/design style, and there are no elements included that are blatantly eye-catching.
13. Traditional Ranch
Nearly all traditional ranch style homes will be single story houses. They typically feature an area with outdoor seating, and it will almost always be covered by an overhang supported by thick pillars/columns. There will be large windows placed along the front of the house, and they will feature a long, low-pitch roofline.
The shape of a traditional ranch house can vary, but they generally use a neutral color scheme for the exterior, such as grey, white, or beige materials, and they are quite elegant and simplistic.
14. Mediterranean
Mediterranean homes are influenced by a number of different architectural styles, so their characteristics can vary depending on where the emphasis is placed. A few features that are common to all types of Mediterranean homes include arched windows and doors, clay roof tiles and stucco walls, and various detailing/artistic elements made of wrought-iron.
Generally, earthy tones will become predominant in the design, as well as natural materials. Large outdoor seating areas are also fairly commonplace for Mediterranean home exteriors. Overhangs and exposed beams may also be featured.
15. Modern
Modern homes have a number of unique design elements that distinguish them from other architectural styles. Since these homes prioritize curb appeal even into the night, they feature extensive outdoor lighting and yard landscaping.
For a great, long lasting aesthetic, these homes feature colorful metal or shingled roofs, large windows and roomy porches, dormers on roof, and front hardware and gutters. Neutral color palettes and atypical shaping dominate this design style, with unique elements making it impossible to mistake this exterior style for any other.