This brick exterior home transformation in South Australia proves that even the most dated red brick homes can be brought into 2024 with the right design choices. My clients were eager to move away from the exposed brick look and create a modern, cohesive facade that felt connected and welcoming.
The Challenge
With a lot of red brick dominating the exterior and the front door placed awkwardly upstairs, the house felt disconnected and unbalanced. It lacked a focal point and the flow needed to make the design feel intentional and inviting.
👇👇Designed by Hotspace👇👇
The Solution
To achieve a stunning brick exterior home transformation, I introduced key design elements that modernised the facade:
- Render and Cladding:
The dated brick exterior was replaced with modern render, timber-look cladding, and stone cladding. These materials add texture, warmth, and visual depth, instantly lifting the home’s style.
- Vertical Elements to Guide the Eye:
The vertical lines created by the timber-look and stone cladding work to draw the eye upward toward the entry level. This simple design trick reconnects the lower and upper sections of the home, making it feel cohesive and purposeful.
- Balcony Planter Box & Wall Lights:
Once your eye reaches the upper level, the planter box on the balcony and strategically placed wall lights add softness and detail, enhancing the home’s appeal without overwhelming it.
- Strategic Colour Choices:
Thoughtfully chosen colours make all the difference. The lighter tones upstairs naturally hold your attention, while the darker tones below anchor the home, creating a modern and balanced look.
The Takeaway
This brick exterior home transformation is a great example of how modern materials, textures, and strategic design choices can completely reimagine a dated facade. It’s not just about hiding the brick – it’s about creating a design that draws attention to the right features, balances the home’s proportions, and feels timeless.
Whether you’re working with brick or another material, ask yourself: How can you guide the eye to the front entrance and create a cohesive look that enhances your home’s style?
Need help? Get in touch with me via the link below.
Jane – https://hotspaceconsultants.com/preliminary-enquiry/
If your home feels plain or uninspired, a French Provincial design approach might be the perfect solution to add character, charm, and timeless elegance. Known for its blend of refined sophistication and rustic appeal, French Provincial design can transform a basic facade into a standout masterpiece. Here’s how you can embrace this style and create a home with lasting personality.
Start with a Strong Focal Point
The hallmark of a French Provincial home is a well-defined entryway that serves as the focal point. To achieve this:
– Consider a New Portico: A beautifully curved entrance creates an inviting and graceful aesthetic.
– Add a Juliet Balcony: Positioned above the entry, this small balcony adds a touch of romantic charm and draws the eye upward.
– Enhance the Front Door: Choose a classic timber or wrought iron door, perhaps with intricate detailing or glass inserts, to make a strong design statement.
👇👇Designed by Hotspace👇👇
Play with Textures and Materials
French Provincial homes often feature a mix of materials that add depth and interest to the facade:
– Introduce Stone Cladding: Natural or faux stone accents on pillars, walls, or around windows exude timeless sophistication and balance rustic textures with polished finishes.
– Use Rendered Surfaces: Light, neutral-coloured render creates a clean canvas that highlights architectural details.
– Consider Timber Elements: Wooden shutters or decorative beams can provide warmth and complement the natural tones of the design.
Emphasize Symmetry and Proportion
French Provincial design thrives on balance and order. To create a harmonious look:
– Reframe Windows with Trims: Adding window mouldings and trims in symmetrical arrangements gives a polished and structured appearance.
– Incorporate Matching Lantern-Style Lights: Place these on either side of the entry door or along the facade to maintain a cohesive and symmetrical look.
– Align Landscaping with Architecture: Frame your home with evenly spaced plants or hedges that reflect the symmetry of the facade.
Refine with Decorative Details
The charm of French Provincial homes lies in their delicate, thoughtful details:
– Add Ornate Mouldings: Incorporate decorative cornices or pediments above windows and doors to add flair without overwhelming the facade.
– Opt for Wrought Iron Features: Railings, gates, and window grilles in wrought iron bring an elegant, European touch.
– Install Timber Shutters: Functional or purely decorative, shutters can instantly evoke a French countryside aesthetic.
Focus on the Colour Palette
French Provincial homes are known for their soft, neutral colour palettes that exude warmth and sophistication:
– Stick to Light Colours: Creams, whites, soft greys, and beiges work beautifully to achieve a classic look.
– Add Depth with Accents: Use darker colours, such as charcoal or black, for window frames, shutters, and railings to provide contrast.
– Natural Tones for Complements: Stone and timber finishes bring balance and a grounded feel to the overall design.
Frame the Home with Landscaping
The right landscaping ties the facade together and creates a welcoming impression:
– Create a Formal Garden: Neatly trimmed hedges, topiaries, and lavender beds evoke the elegance of French estates.
– Add Paved Pathways: A stone or cobblestone pathway leading to the entrance enhances the rustic yet refined look.
– Use Decorative Pots: Terracotta or ceramic pots filled with greenery or flowers add softness and charm.
Timeless, Elegant, and Inviting
French Provincial design allows you to layer sophistication and warmth into your home, creating a facade that feels both timeless and inviting. By focusing on symmetry, incorporating decorative details, and blending natural textures with light colours, you can achieve a look that balances beauty and practicality.
Jane – https://hotspaceconsultants.com/preliminary-enquiry/
When your home feels like it’s “all roof,” choosing the right roof colours can be a game-changer in creating a balanced and visually appealing facade.
Large, low-slung rooflines often dominate the view, leaving the rest of the home overshadowed. But while roof colours are a crucial element in addressing this, they’re only one part of the equation when transforming a home with a visually heavy roof.
👇👇Designed by Hotspace👇👇
Roof Colours: An Important Starting Point – The colour of your roof can significantly impact how your home looks and feels. A well-chosen roof colour can help balance the proportions of your home and shift focus toward other design elements. For homes with a lot of visible roof area, neutral or muted colours are often the best choice to reduce the visual weight and avoid an overpowering appearance.
Here are a few tips for selecting roof colours:
– Find the Right Contrast: A darker roof can provide a striking contrast to lighter-coloured walls, while a lighter roof can soften the look of darker exteriors. For a home with a large roofline, neutral greys, charcoals, or soft earthy tones can be an effective choice.
– Consider the Architectural Style: The roof colour should complement the overall style of your home. Modern homes often look great with cooler tones like grey, while traditional homes may suit warmer colours.
– Blend with the Environment: Think about how your roof fits into the surrounding landscape. Natural tones that harmonise with greenery or other outdoor elements can make your home feel grounded and well-integrated into its setting.
– Energy Efficiency Matters: In hot climates, lighter roof colours can reflect sunlight and keep your home cooler, reducing energy costs over time.
Beyond Roof Colours: The Full Picture – While roof colour plays an essential role, there’s much more you can do to transform a house where the roof feels too dominant. Other strategies include:
– Creating a Strong Entrance: Adding or upgrading a front portico or entranceway can draw attention away from the roof and toward the main focal point of the home. Consider larger columns, striking front doors, or inviting landscaping to enhance the entry.
– Using Materials and Textures: Introducing new cladding, stone, or timber elements can break up the facade and add depth. Mixing materials and textures not only reduces the focus on the roof but also creates a more dynamic and visually interesting exterior.
– Strategic Landscaping: Thoughtfully designed landscaping can soften the look of a large roof. For instance, layering greenery in front of the facade can guide the eye and create balance between the roof and the lower half of the home.
– Adding Windows or Features: Larger windows or additional architectural details such as gables (as in the example image above) or decorative trims can help redistribute attention and add charm to the overall design.
Roof Colours Are Just One Piece of the Puzzle – Addressing the issue of a visually dominant roof requires more than just picking the perfect roof colour—it’s about seeing the home as a whole and considering how each element works together. While choosing a roof colour is an important starting point, pairing that choice with thoughtful updates to materials, landscaping, and architectural features will truly transform your home.
So, if you find yourself staring at a house that feels “all roof,” don’t worry—there are plenty of ways to balance the look, improve the proportions, and create a facade that’s as beautiful as it is functional. Roof colour is just the beginning of what’s possible.
Jane –Â https://hotspaceconsultants.com/preliminary-enquiry/
There comes a pivotal moment in the process of building a home when your drafty, builder, or even your architect asks the big question about your new home exterior colour scheme: “What colours do you want to use?”…
For many homeowners, the immediate reaction is to dive into their Pinterest board, piece together a few ideas, and hope for the best. You might cobble together a colour scheme, perhaps throw in a few thoughts about the yard or the fence. But here’s the problem—you don’t really know how it’s all going to look until it’s finished. And by then, it might be too late.
👇👇Designed by Hotspace👇👇
Your new home’s exterior isn’t just the first thing people see—it’s the key to creating a cohesive, welcoming look that reflects your style. A poorly thought-out colour scheme can leave you feeling disappointed or stuck with costly mistakes that are hard to fix.
I hear from dozens of homeowners every year who regret their initial choices. They reach out to me for help to fix up their house exteriors, often wishing they’d taken the time to plan their new home exterior colour scheme properly from the start.
If you’re planning your dream home, you deserve to feel confident in your choices. While many builders and architects may not offer a custom design and colour illustration, that’s where I come in.
A custom design and colour illustration allows you to see exactly how your selections will look before a single brushstroke or material is applied. It eliminates guesswork and ensures your finished home will match your vision.
I incorporate everything you’ve already chosen or planned for your home during your process so far. And I work with your favourite colours and materials to create a cohesive look. I design a scheme that’s both timeless and tailored to your style.
Don’t let your dream home turn into a design disappointment. With a little planning and the right tools, you can create a home exterior that you’ll love for years to come.
If your builder, drafty, or architect doesn’t offer a custom design & colour illustration, and you want one, you know who to call (it’s me, in case you were wondering). Let’s make your new home colour scheme ideas as amazing as they deserve to be.
Contact me today to create a custom design and colour scheme that brings your dream home to life. No regrets, just results you’ll love.
Have questions? Send me an enquiry via the link below.
Jane
https://hotspaceconsultants.com/preliminary-enquiry/
If you’re wondering how to modernise a brick home exterior, you’re not alone. One of my recent projects was a perfect example of how to turn a dated brick facade into a head-turning masterpiece.
This particular home had so much red brick—but with an extension and a new garage in the works, my client decided it was time to say goodbye to the brick altogether. (Yes, I know some of you love red brick, but for this client, it just wasn’t working. And that’s what matters.)
What he wanted instead was a home that felt modern, warm, and practical—and we delivered that by combining thoughtful materials and design choices.
👇👇Designed by Hotspace👇👇
Why Rendering Alone Isn’t Enough – Yes, the house was fully rendered, but let me tell you—rendering isn’t what makes this home stand out. What elevates this design is the thoughtful use of materials and textures, like:
- Timber-look composite cladding: Its vibrancy adds warmth and a striking visual contrast.
- A textured arch at the front entrance: This feature adds depth and interest to the facade.
- Driveway and landscaping: These elements complete the look, blending the house seamlessly with its surroundings.
The Key to Modernise a Brick Home Exterior – When planning to modernise the exterior of your brick home, don’t just stop at rendering. While it can provide a cleaner, more modern base, adding wow factor comes from using a mix of textures, materials, and colours.
For instance, incorporating a section of cladding and pairing it with a contrasting colour scheme can bring your home to life in a way that rendering alone can’t.
Create a Look You’ll Love – If this story sounds familiar—if you’re tired of looking at dated brick and want a facade that feels fresh and modern—I can help. My job is to take your vision and combine it with expert advice to create a look that you’ll love for years to come.
Get in touch today by clicking the link below – I’d love to hear from you!.
Jane
https://hotspaceconsultants.com/preliminary-enquiry/
Timber cladding is a fantastic way to transform your home’s exterior and create a warm, inviting atmosphere. Whether you’re building new or renovating, timber (or timber-look) cladding offers the perfect balance of natural charm and modern appeal. Its versatility allows you to pair it with a range of other materials and colours, making it a popular choice for homeowners seeking to elevate their curb appeal.
👇👇Designed by Hotspace👇👇
One of the key ways to make your home feel inviting is by incorporating warmth into the materials and products you use, and timber cladding delivers on that effortlessly. Its textured and organic look adds depth and character to any design, helping your home stand out while still blending harmoniously with the surrounding environment. For example, timber-look composite cladding can mimic the beauty of natural wood while offering durability and low maintenance, making it an ideal choice for Australian homes.
Lighting is another essential factor in making your home feel inviting, and it pairs beautifully with cladding. Thoughtfully chosen light fixtures not only illuminate your home at night but also add sparkle and interest during the day. When placed strategically, lighting highlights the natural tones and textures of the cladding, creating a stunning visual effect that enhances your home’s overall appeal. Consider fixtures with warm tones to complement the timber and create a cohesive, welcoming vibe.
Landscaping also plays a crucial role in enhancing the effect of timber cladding ideas. A well-maintained front yard with a mixture of structured plants and organic elements provides the perfect backdrop for cladding. Structured plants like hedges or topiaries add a sense of order, while softer, more organic foliage creates a relaxed and approachable look. This balance ensures your home feels inviting and polished at the same time. Paths, garden edging, and greenery all contribute to a cohesive exterior design that ties the entire facade together.
When you combine these elements—timber cladding, lighting, and landscaping—you achieve a stunning and inviting home exterior that reflects your personal style. Timber cladding ideas don’t just enhance your home’s visual appeal; they also create a sense of warmth and character that leaves a lasting impression. Whether you’re going for a contemporary look or something more rustic, timber cladding can be tailored to suit your preferences and needs.
If you’re thinking about incorporating timber cladding ideas into your next project, remember to plan carefully and consider how the cladding will interact with other design elements. Choosing the right materials, colours, and finishes is crucial to achieving a cohesive look. With a thoughtful approach, you can create an exterior that not only looks amazing but also feels inviting and timeless.
By focusing on the details—like materials, lighting, and landscaping—you can bring your vision to life and enjoy a home that feels as good as it looks. For more inspiration and expert advice on timber cladding ideas and other design tips, explore additional resources and examples on my website.
Jane
https://hotspaceconsultants.com/preliminary-enquiry/
