As a house façade renovation designer, many of the homes my company re-designs, were built as recently as 2000 – 2010. These houses look modern at first glance, but are lacking the finesse and interest of the contemporary ‘architecturally designed’ homes we’re seeing now in 2020.
They’re often built cheaply, clad with just one primary material (typically rendered) and usually with some sort of feature wall or material at the front entrance. Windows and doors are powder-coated and roof/guttering is often coated steel (think Colorbond etc). They look very ‘flat’ and uninspiring – even if the shape of the house itself is creative and modern.
Compare this effect to the latest in contemporary home exteriors and you’ll see that the difference between the two often comes down to the number of materials, textures and colours that have been used in the designs.
An interesting looking, well designed façade doesn’t have to be multi-coloured, however, though it should have a variety of different materials and textures going on. My designs almost always incorporate a neutral colour scheme, a splash of contrast (dark vs light) and an accent of timber to introduce some warmth; and this is a good rule of thumb to follow for a contemporary, but not too-stark an effect.
You can usually take your 2000 -2010 facade from zero to hero without making too many drastic changes if you follow some important (but typically under-estimated) concepts.
Start by looking at what you have to work with and consider how you can incorporate elements that will play off these, to add depth and interest.
Some ways depth can be attained is by incorporating texture through cladding materials, landscaping, or creating or altering pathways. Although many houses have these near the entrance (and that’s a good place to start), you can also include these in other areas across your facade too.
The interest factor of your home’s façade will naturally improve once you add depth as described above. However, more punchy elements such as minor colour contrasts and the introduction of timber accents (for example) could be what elevates the look of your home from flat and uninteresting, to the talk of your street.
Colour is another important factor when modernising your façade and helps to achieve depth and interest. For longevity’s sake, keep your colour scheme neutral and work in with existing powder-coated materials (windows, doors, garage door, guttering, roof etc) where possible. Powder-coated areas can be painted but it is always my preference to work with what you have – particularly when these surfaces are still so new.
There are design ‘rules’ you can follow to incorporate less desirable trim colours of windows, guttering etc into the new look of your home’s exterior. For example, if you’re stuck with cream windows, then your main house colour should link to this somehow. That’s not to say your whole house needs to be painted cream, but the colour you do chose should have more of a warm base than, say, a cool base.
However you choose to add depth, interest and colour to your facade, ensure there is visual balance from left to right. This doesn’t mean that everything has to be symmetrical, but it does have to be balanced on each side. For example, if you have something eye-catching on one side, balance it with something else on the other side to counteract the effect. It could be that you use the same material but apply it differently, or it could be a colour that is repeated on the other side or at the entrance.
Lastly, when updating your façade, don’t forget to link your fence back to the house in some way. You might have a plain rendered fence that matches the house but is otherwise a bit boring, so look at ways you can add interest. You could replace the letterbox, add a timber slat feature, change the gate or do some landscaping.
For the best result, ensuring your existing and new exterior textures, colours, materials and shapes all work together to create a cohesive picture, is key.
Join my Facebook Group ‘Home Renovators Network Australia’ (https://www.facebook.com/groups/HomeRenovatorsNetworkAustralia/) for feedback & ideas from other renovators as you update your own home’s façade.
Jane Eyles-Bennett is one of Australia’s top exterior designers and owner of design firm Hotspace Consultants. Join Jane in her Facebook group Home Renovators Network Australia for design and renovation inspiration and insider tips for your home improvement projects.