When giving your home a facelift, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the endless renovation style options available. So how do you narrow them down to ensure they suit your home?
Start With Your Roofline – Your roofline holds the secret to unlocking your home’s potential. This structural feature sets the boundaries of what renovation styles will naturally fit your home and what might feel out of place.
While you might be drawn to the clean lines of a contemporary style or the charm of a country cottage, not every house will suit every style.
👇👇Designed by Hotspace👇👇
For this 👆👆 recent project I designed in Brisbane, I could have steered toward French Country, Georgian, or even Tudor Revival. Instead, I went with a modern Cape Cod look, drawing directly from my client’s inspiration board, which was filled with images of Hamptons, Cottage, and Cape Cod styles.
Creating Harmony With Your Home’s Story – When you’re planning a renovation, remember that unity is key. You want all parts of your property to feel like they belong to the same family. This means that even if you have multiple buildings on-site, your design choices should reflect a common style and colour scheme to avoid a mismatched appearance.
Choosing Cape Cod for this featured project was more than just picking a style out of a hat—it was about creating a harmonious look across the property. The Cape Cod style’s clean lines and coastal charm aligned seamlessly with my client’s vision, creating a balanced blend of old and new. We rendered and repainted the main house and added a new front entrance portico, which added depth and structure. The barn on the property also received a makeover, so both buildings now share a cohesive look, avoiding that “add-on” feel where one structure feels like an afterthought.
Working With (and Sometimes Against) Your Roofline – In most cases, working with your existing roof shape will save time, money, and sanity. Minor adjustments, like a new gable, a portico addition, or even subtle tweaks to roof height, can make a dramatic difference without requiring a complete overhaul. But if you’re open to more extensive changes, adjusting the roofline can completely transform the feel of your home, allowing you to achieve styles previously out of reach.
When Inspiration Meets Practicality – If your heart is set on a specific style, don’t hesitate to consult with an expert. Exterior design professionals (like Hotspace) can help you navigate your vision within the structural confines of your existing home. While Pinterest, AI and inspiration boards are great for forming initial ideas, not every feature or style will work for every home, especially without significant changes.
Adding Personality With Minor Touches – Don’t underestimate the power of small details. Simple elements, such as rendering, repainting, and updating the entrance, can shift the overall feel of your home. Look to the features that stand out in your favorite styles—and bring those into your design strategically.
Ultimately, when choosing a renovation style, aim to enhance what’s already there while introducing elements that resonate with your personal taste. By drawing from your home’s original character and making thoughtful style choices, you can create a stunning transformation that feels both fresh and authentic.