r/ExteriorDesign

Currently under contract on this 1940s colonial in New England and have been playing around with some ideas to give the exterior more character.

I like craftsman and arts & crafts style homes which is some of the inspiration. I’m considering a covered portico with decorative woodwork, new window trim, lighting, wood front door, cornice/wave detailing, shutters, cedar fence and possibly some landscaping upgrades (the goal would be to do this in phases).

I’m curious what everyone thinks of my overall design. First is the current exterior and second is an ai generated rendering. I’m open to feedback that would give the house more character.

Last thing, I’m not entirely sure how to go about getting something like this done. I obviously need to hire professionals but would I need an architect or could a contractor handle it? Also is it appropriate to share an AI rendering with a professional as a starting point or is that frowned upon? If anyone has ever done something similar, especially in New England, I’d love to hear you experience and any info you’re willing to share.

Appreciate any thought or suggestions!

We've been at an impasse for days and need to make a decision asap. We narrowed down our tile selection to two very different tiles for our entryway stair risers and they both give a different vibe . The house is going to be painted a cream white with brown accents with a big iron door (see the renderings but the tiles look a bit different in person than they do in the rendering). The other photos are taken in the backyard with white wall in the background and I added the white/cream tile we're going to be using on the stairs so you can see the combination better.

First tile: Feels more elegant and maybe more timeless, better quality and also very glossy which adds an interesting element when the sun shines on it.

Second tile: Feels more "fun", warmer and more welcoming? More colorful too

Thank you!

Would like to overhaul the front of my house. I have someone who can do parging, jewelstone etc and I can paint the house and or trim myself just not sure what to do. Im definitely replacing the railings and support posts as well as resurfacing the steps and porch

Hi all,

My wife and I are contemplating buying this house as we may be able to get a great deal on it. We absolutely love the interior but really do not like the exterior. What changes would you suggest to make this house look less contemporary and more traditional or farmhouse looking? We don't want to spend a ton of money but are open to all ideas! The front of the house is south-facing.

We need help deciding on trim colors for our house. We want it to be classic and timeless with some modern elements. For trim, I’d like to stick to Hardie statement colors, the garage door can be English Oak wood grain or any standard color.

For Hardie trim I’m leaning towards Timber Bark, but also considering Rich Espresso and Aged Pewter. Goal is to have the right amount of contrast.

For garage door, it’s a toss up between English Oak (will cost like $1200 more) or Espresso to introduce some contrast.

I also not sure what color to do the metal roof.

Bought a house less than a year ago. Interior is beautiful, but the outside needs so much help. This house was likely built late 1800s or very early 1900s.

How can we modernize this? The front door is in such an awkward spot, and we want it to actually look like a front door even though that isn’t the main entrance people will use (main entrance due to driveway as seen in last photo). How can we increase the curb appeal?

Well… we’ve obviously got a lot work to do. Open to major and minor fixes. Curious to see any ideas!

I'm trying to decide whether I want to go the safe, potentially bland route or if I want to go for something more unique but potentially too bold (or something in between). I don't feel strongly that I will live here forever, but not expecting to move anytime soon, so resale is a low to medium priority.

I am very curious which window configuration would you choose from the 3 above.

Some context:

All windows are to open to the inside. They would be regular tilt and turn uPVC windows.

So ground floor, at that window is the kitchen counter with a kitchen mixer on the right side, therefore the opening side downstairs is constrained to be on the left to allow opening.

First floor it's the master bedroom. Here we are also constrained to having the opening side on the right (opposite side than the ground floor) since having the opening side on the left would have the window in the middle of the room and make getting around difficult.

Therefore the main constraints here are ground floor window must have the opening side on the left while the 1st floor window must open on the right.

Bare in mind it would be very convenient to have an opening window downstairs for quick ventilation.

On the opposite façade (garden side) there's a large sliding door on the ground floor.

A: ground floor full width fixed + full width ventilation, first floor half fixed left - half opening right with ventilation

B: ground floor opening left - fixed right with ventilation, first floor half fixed left half opening right with ventilation

C: ground floor half opening left with ventilation - half fixed right, first floor left fixed, right opening with middle frame aligned to ground floor middle frame. ventilation on opening.

Sorry for the poor renders, I had to use Al. This is the best I could prompt it to do.

Appreciate if you add a short argument for your choice

I'm painting the front door and gargage, should I paint it white or black?

We are in escrow on this house and hoping it will close soon. The roof needs to be replaced, and we are hoping to paint the exterior before we move in. With all the green trees and the serene wooded neighborhood, I feel like the tan is OK but does anyone have suggestions for different exterior colors. And would you go with a tan roof? I can also do brown or green and obviously versions of black or gray.

I have a love seat, two chairs with foot rests, a rocking chair and coffee table. This is my favorite spot! I just got the rocking chair - where I will sit most of the time. Please help with the layout!

I know this isn’t exactly exterior design but I thought I would try this sub.

This is a lower entrance at an elementary school where at least half the school walls 1-2 times a day. We’re trying to beautify it but a big part of that is hiding the trash cabs. I bought some black garden dividers to test out but not sure they work.

Advice wanted!

We're looking for some exterior design advice for this space between our house and attached garage. We're considering renovating it into a 3-season room, but we're having trouble envisioning the best way to approach the existing awnings/roof structure.

Current issues:

• The gutter leaks where the awning meets the house roof.
• We don't love the overall appearance/style of the existing awnings.
• The awnings are quite low, so people have to duck when walking in/out of the space.

What we'd ideally like to accomplish:

• Replace/rework the existing awnings with something that looks more intentional and attractive with the house and garage.
• Raise the roof/awning height enough that people can comfortably walk in/out without ducking.
• Enclose the space as a 3-season room with walls and screened windows.
• Use large windows and/or doors so the room still feels open and connected to the outdoors rather than like an enclosed addition.
• Ideally, we'd like the finished space to feel like a natural extension of the house rather than an afterthought.
• We would prefer not to have to tear down the existing roof over this area.

Important information:

We are proficient DIYers with access to most tools. We anticipate doing most of the work ourselves in order to save on expenses.

We're open to different design approaches and aren't necessarily committed to keeping the existing awning configuration.

I've included photos from several angles.

What would you do with this space? We'd especially appreciate suggestions for the roof/awning design, window/door configuration, and overall style.

If there are structural or practical considerations we're overlooking, we'd love to hear those as well!