The interior of your home can say a lot, but it’s the exterior of your home that makes a good or poor impression first. So what you decide to do in terms of color choices, sprucing up your garden, and improving your overall curb appeal can change how people perceive your home (and hint at the level of maintenance your home gets).
Now, when you decide to invest in updating your home’s exterior appearance, you might find yourself at odds. Should you opt for the trendiest, most modern features, or pick time-tested additions that will continue to be attractive over time?
Luckily, most of the popular home designs for 2021 are rather ageless, so whichever you go for will continue to be appealing years from now. Let’s go over some of your top choices together.
Muted and moody color schemes
There’s nothing that will make a lawn look greener or a door look brighter and more welcoming than muted tones used to paint the rest of the home’s exterior.
Beige, soft tan, and gray shades are all extremely popular this year (and likely will be for years to come). These soothing and calm tones bring a sense of sophistication and taste that’s hard to find in the garishly bright colors some used for their homes in the past.
In modern homes that are new construction, you can achieve this by using adobe in some areas or natural wood siding in others. Although both of these siding styles seem old-fashioned, their muted colors and earthy aesthetics are both in high demand right now.
This can extend beyond wall colors, with a muted automatic canopy pergola providing shade and visual attractiveness. Consider stretching these colors into other parts of the exterior of your home.
Finding our green thumbs
Gardening is hitting a fever pitch this year! After a year of so many people being stuck at home, lawn care is becoming a source of pride and envy. You can make your yard more interesting by adding raised flower beds, interesting patterns of shrubberies and other plants, and looking for variance.
Remember the rule of threes when it comes to height. One large or tall plant to every two medium plants and three or more small plants. Too many significant green focal points can make a yard seem cluttered, while not enough will make your home seem smaller.
It’s a good idea to find a happy middle ground: and maintain it well. If you have a large yard full of plants, it’s going to be considered ugly if it’s not well maintained. Mowing when it needs it, getting rid of weeds, and cleaning up the edges will help improve any property.
Water plants that need it, as long as there’s no watering ban, choose greenery that thrives in whatever weather your area usually has. Although a cactus may be beautiful to have in your yard: if you live in Michigan, it’s never going to last the year.
Natural wood is making a comeback
Every few years, natural wood comes back in style, and that time is here once again. Trendy home designers build properties with wood siding, natural wood design, and accents that leave the home feeling more organically built into the Earth.
Homes that look like they were constructed creatively — rather than manufactured — are making a big splash. You can achieve this look on a home that already exists by changing out your door, your trim, adding composite wood shutters, and whatever porch furniture you have for more natural wood colors.
Getting creative when using outdoor lighting
We’ve all seen homes that have fairy lights on the back porch or mushroom-shaped UV lights that lead a path to the front door: but that’s not where it has to stop! A new popular lighting trick homeowners have been doing is lighting their homes bright colors at night.
These lights can make a plain colored home suddenly look purple, teal, or even red: and the colors are completely customizable.
The best way to achieve this is through landscaping LED floodlights that have color options. Although this was started as a Christmas decor idea, it’s quickly spreading into other seasons. Lighting is a fun and creative way to make your home feel like it’s constantly changing without having to commit to painting color or a remodel.
Use statement doors (both for the house and the garage)
The attractiveness of your home is more than just the siding and flowers. Consider your doors and how people may enter your home. A memorable door — either nicely decorated, or painted in a bright, striking color — is bound to make your home stand out in the best way.
You can also double down by painting your garage door the same color, and have a cohesive, beautiful look. You can also look into insulated garage doors, that can add a layer of security while also giving your home a custom and beautiful look.
Exterior design says a lot about you and your home
How you approach dressing up the exterior of your home does show a lot of your personality and what you find fun and interesting. If what you find pretty isn’t the same thing as what’s trendy: you should still go for it!
Allow people to see your personality shine through, and give them the chance to get to know you before they even walk through the door.
Credit for images: lead image – Photo by todd kent on Unsplash; house with gorgeous lawn and flower beds – Photo by Ksenia Balandina on Unsplash; house with many wooden elements – Photo by I Do Nothing But Love on Unsplash
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