Your home’s exterior says a lot about the rest of your home. It sets the stage for your home’s curb appeal, which in turn dictates a lot of its value. A well-kept, stylish exterior can set off a lot of issues on the interior, as well as make your home stand out within your neighborhood. And while once upon a time, many homes within one area may all have had the same type of siding, roofing, and trim, many homeowners are now choosing to set their homes apart a bit more. Instead of simply sticking to horizontal Dutch lap siding and an asphalt roof, today’s homeowners are branching out to find exterior home designs that complement their home’s architecture and their living area. It will be easy to improve your home’s curb appeal if you take some steps suggested in this comprehensive guide on how to add curb appeal to your home which would be crucial in increasing the home’s value.
Siding Styles
No matter what type of architectural style your home has, there are generally several different house siding styles to choose from. In general, nearly all home designs have been turning toward a more natural and organic appearance of late. In other words, lots of natural stone, texture, and wood stains are gaining in popularity in all styles from Craftsman to Colonial.
To achieve this kind of effect on your own home, consider trying one of the following siding styles:
- Irregular shingles, which can add a lot of texture, movement and depth to your home
- Board-and-batten siding, which breaks up the traditional horizontal lines and creates a more rustic-looking appearance on the home
- Ship lap siding in a natural-looking wood stain, which creates a smoother appearance for the home, which in turn emphasizes the wood
- Using fieldstone on the lower half of the house exterior, or on one or two sides of the home to get more color variation, mixing the fieldstone with a wood-look siding or shingle for contrast, depth, and texture
Siding Colors
Just like the natural texture and style is popular, so are colors that can typically be found in nature. Colors that imitate the look of fieldstone, natural wood stains such as maple or cherry, deep forest greens, and rich sand-colored tans are all extremely popular right now. In addition, nearly all shades of blue or blue gray are also popular across the country, particularly when paired with white trim to make the color pop.
Natural tones are popular nearly everywhere; just take care to tailor the look to your region for the best results. For example, darker siding colors are more popular in the south, while neutral tones are most popular in the mid-west. Beach tones are most commonly found on both coasts, while earthier shades can be found more often in the southwest.
Roofing Styles
The style of roofing you choose can really make or break the rest of your home’s exterior design. It’s become increasingly popular for many rural homes to make due to standing seam roofs, but this style is distinctly at odds with many of the more textured and natural looks being favored for the rest of the home.
The idea is to create a cohesive design for the exterior, so that the roof complements the color and texture of the rest of the home – not matching, but flowing seamlessly between the two. On this infographic below, Severe Weather Roofing shows what homeowners should know about their roof.
Architectural shingles are one way to get the depth and texture that’s necessary to complement looks like irregular shakes or board-and-batten siding. Unlike traditional asphalt shingles, architectural shingles have a layered, thicker, and more substantial appearance. At the same time, they have enough variation in color from shingle to shingle that it keeps the roof from looking flat.
Roofing Colors
Just like the texture and depth of the roof that has to complement the siding of the home, so does its color. There’s a lot of emphasis these days on lighter-colored roofs, which can potentially save money on cooling your home. From a style standpoint, however, it’s still the natural tones that are the most popular nearly everywhere.
Deep, slate grays, and sand tones rank among the most popular roofing colors regardless of the style of house they’re on. The key is not to go too dark, however, as black roofs or super-saturated colored roofs like green or red are falling behind in popularity in favor of lighter, more natural colors nearly everywhere.
When pairing your roof and siding colors together, try to look for complementary tones to create a more dramatic look, such as using a light gray roof on a red-toned natural wood siding. For a more subtle appearance, consider looking for a roof color that sits beside or near your siding color on the color wheel, for example using a light brown or tan roof with a cream-colored home.
Update Your Home’s Exterior
Unlike trends of years passed, today’s most popular interiors and exteriors are focused on longevity and finding a look that will work on your home for many years to come. Look for depth, texture, interest, and above all a natural slant for your house exterior to create a look that you’ll love for a long time coming.
