5 Exterior Design Trends for Perfect Curb Appeal in 2019

---

If you’re considering building a new home or renovating your existing one, these five design trends are a great place to start brainstorming for the exterior design of your home! Everything from philosophy to color, this post is sure to get your gears turning towards the exterior design that is right for you and your home.

1. Simplicity & Transparency

Call me crazy, but I believe this design trend is here to stay for some time. Why? Simply put, this upcoming homeowning generation values transparency in all facets of life. Some say this generation felt burned by the big banks on Wall Street or their misgivings in politics— whatever the case may be, simplicity and transparency is something that has found its way into home design.

What does this mean? Well, it means that homeowners aren't trying to hide or make their homes something it's not. They want to update their homes but they aren't trying to force a style or completely change their home with false additions or excessive things that won't add to the quality of their lives (Thanks Marie Kondo!).

It also means that homeowners don't want unnecessary ornament. They aren't looking to over decorate their homes like those of the recent past. They are finding creative ways to expose and celebrate the beauty in their existing homes in creative and modern ways.

2. Dark Exterior Colors | Modern Farmhouse

The modern farmhouse is a trend that has shown no signs of slowing down. It has revitalized board and batten siding, steep pitched gables and large expansive porches. If modern farmhouse design is something you're after here are the major design elements that make up the ever popular style.

While the farmhouse style is pushing full steam into 2019, what is different about the exterior design style of these homes is their deviation from stark white. What you will see more of in 2019 are darker and bolder exterior house colors for this style of home. Black hues, Charcoal Hues, and even Hues of Navy will become more prevalent with the progression of 2019.

And this design trend won't be exclusive to the Modern Farmhouse style— the bolder exterior colors will continue to find traction across all styles in 2019.

Usable Outdoor Living Spaces

2019 will be a year you see more and more creative outdoor living spaces. Homeowners are moving away from homes with expansive living spaces for ones with exterior ones.

You'll notice modest patios, covered porches, fire pits and screened porches! People aren't seeking refuge in homes with many rooms but in homes with outdoor ones instead.

They are turning away from the McMansions of the past with expansive indoor spaces and instead investing in homes with expansive outdoor spaces. They want homes that create the ability for them to live a life outside of the home, even if that means a flat in the city near a local coffee shop and city park.

Natural Materials

2019 will see a continuation of natural materials, especially on the exterior. Homeowners want accents of natural wood tones.

Shutters, doors, furniture, porch columns, planter boxes, siding, there's something really attractive when natural hues are brought into a home's curb appeal.

Here we have a mixture of all types of natural and wood tones incorporated into the entrance of this home, drawing the eye and creating a welcoming warmth!

Black Windows | Dark Trim

Nothing says modern update quite like black window frames. 2019 will see a continued rise in sale of black windows. We will also see a continued use of dark hues used for home trim.

No matter what project you are tackling in 2019 Visioneering Homes is here to help! From helping you decide the right exterior paint color, to designing your complete home exterior remodel, our services are geared to help you discover the curb appeal that best fits your style and your home. You send us photos - we help you design. It's simple, easy, and a ton fun! Don't spend another day designing your home without checking out our website. You'll be glad you did!

See an example of our work below. Use the slider to see the before and after!

---

About the Author: Brad is the CEO & Founder of Visioneering Homes. He is passionate about all things architecture, residential design, and providing easy access for homeowners to professional design services. Him and his wife have 3 kids and enjoy an adventurous life in the mountains of the American west. When he is not helping you make design decisions for your home, he's camping, hiking, playing basketball, visiting museums, national parks, and doing house projects with his family.

Online Residential Exterior Design

You will learn about online exterior design services and how Visioneering Homes is pioneering a new way to design your home completely online! We help homeowners like you find the right design solutions for your home's curb appeal that match your design style. And we deliver your exterior design right to your inbox!

---

The World of Online Design

Online design services have been on the rise in the recent past. Companies like Modsy, Havenly, Homepolish and more have been pioneering an affordable online interior design movement as homeowners like you are looking for better access to professional home design.

Affordable Exterior Design Service

If you've ever wondered if there was a place online where you can seek the advice of a design expert for your home exterior design, then you need to see what Visioneering Homes is doing together with homeowners like you.

Exterior Design Help Directly to your Inbox

Visioneering Homes is an online exterior design company that helps you find design solutions that are appropriate for your home and fit your design style. We give you a roadmap to help you achieve the exterior design you're dreaming of.

Curb Appeal You Can Control

Your home needs to be beautiful, to you. We understand the importance of collaboration when designing the perfect curb appeal for your home. We are experts in our craft but in the end we want to make sure that you are most satisfied with your home design. Which is why our process is a dialogue that helps us target the best curb appeal that is right for you and your home. We want it to look good and for you to love it!

A Licensed Team Ready to Assist You

Your home needs to look good, but it also needs to be structurally sound! Lead by a licensed architect, Visioneering Homes understands certain aspects of design most designers don't. We understand the construction process, the structural impacts of design changes, and we would never design something for your home that we weren't certain would work.

We help you design everything from color palettes, exterior siding materials, roofing materials, entry doors, garage doors, light fixtures, landscape design, walkways, driveways, pergolas, architectural accents and more for your home exterior design!

Services Established to Help You Succeed

Every home design is different and has different needs! So we have 3 different levels of services focusing on everything from simple color palette design to a complete home curb appeal overhaul. We tailor our services to your exterior design needs.

If You Need Exterior Design Help, Then You Need to Contact Visioneering Homes

No matter what project you are tackling Visioneering Homes is here to help! From helping you decide the right exterior paint color, to designing your complete home exterior remodel, our services are geared to help you discover the curb appeal that best fits your personal style and your home. You send us photos - we help you design. It's simple, easy, and a ton fun! Don't spend another day designing your home without checking out our website. You'll be glad you did!

See an example of our work below. Use the slider to see the before and after!

---

About the Author: Brad is the CEO & Founder of Visioneering Homes. He is passionate about all things architecture, residential design, and providing easy access for homeowners to professional design services. Him and his wife have 3 kids and enjoy an adventurous life in the mountains of the American west.

How To Design: American Craftsman

This post will outline key design framework for achieving beautiful American Craftsman design. Readers will walk away having a detailed understanding of what it takes to create a home in the Craftsman style.

A Brief History of the American Craftsman Style

It's the turn of the 20th century and near the precipice of both the Arts & Crafts style of England and the Prairie Style of the American Midwest. A time at the height of American industry as Henry Ford is crafting the automobile and Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir are working to protect America's beauty. Born from the coastal regions of California grew a new American Style of architecture– the American Craftsman. Prominent architecture brothers Greene & Greene pioneered the movement characterized by low sloped gables, large overhangs, deep porches and a celebration of hand-crafted wood structures.

At its core, the American Craftsman style (similar to that of the Arts and Crafts) is an outcry of a new age of designers that were seeing a loss of personality and warmth in their industry. The rise of machines and mass produced elements were stripping unique qualities from everyday design and the pioneers of this new style were opposed to a world full of design banality. So in order to combat this troubling problem, these designers developed a new style of architecture. Enter Scene - American Craftsman.

Now that we understand the history and upbringing of the American Craftsman style, let's take a closer look at what components characterize this unique style.

Revealed Structural Elements

A great amount of detail in these American Craftsman homes comes from the exposed structural elements. The craftsman style celebrates structure in the form of exposed rafter ends, roof bracketing, outriggers, columns, and decorative stone bases. These details go a long way to adding the charm and character we've come to love about the American Craftsman home. 

Decorative Muntins

In the early days of the American Craftsman style, windows were adorned with stained glass, beautiful wood, and of course, decorative muntins. If you don't know what a muntin is, do a quick google search or you can read details about it on our How To Design: Farmhouse Modern post Here.

The decorative muntins of the American Craftsman style were used in ways to compliment the interior designs– adding style without sacrificing natural light and ventilation. It also added the opportunity for a learned craftsman to add further detail to the style in a much more delicate way. Today there are a few solid craftsman window styles, arrangements and finishes that can make your craftsman home resemble those of the early 20th century.

Masonry Bases

Many craftsman homes incorporate the skilled touch of a master mason. Some of the early American Craftsman works use entire walls of stone or masonry which provides a dramatic contrast to the lightness of the wood structures while maintaining the similar hand-built aesthetic. In the style today, you'll often see these craftsman homes elevated on a stone or brick base with decorative stairs up to the front porch.

Decorative Banding

The American Craftsman home also uses banding to separate larger vertical portions of exterior material. This is most commonly found at the gables or with a change between two materials. When strategically implemented, this banding often helps make a home feel shorter in stature and more integrated into its surroundings. It also poses the opportunity to add a different color, material, or orientation of exterior materials. Often times scallop siding, vertical board and batten, or accent paint color will be applied above these bands as a form of ornamentation.

Natural Materials

The American Craftsman style is often illuminated by its use of natural materials that (as mentioned above) are easily crafted by hand. Wood scalloped siding, cedar shingled or slate roofs, stone bases, and wood columns. An often mixture of differing natural materials or the same material used in different forms (i.e. wood scallops vs wood lapped siding) is also important to the overall scheme of the craftsman home.

Earthy Hued Color

The color palettes most associated with the American Craftsman style are those of earthy tones like greens, browns, beiges, whites, and soft blue hues. Often times American Craftsman homes also implement a complimentary color scheme where two or three earthy tones make up a rich field of color and a heavy-hued color pop at the accents create a rich, playful color palette. They also often rely on the beautiful colors found in the use of natural materials, especially on the inside.

Conclusion

The American Craftsman has come a long way since the original cold shoulder it gave to the industrial revolution but it still has a strong foundation in American Architecture today. If you're looking to build or remodel an American Craftsman home, follow these key characteristics (Revealed Structural Elements, Decorative Muntins, Masonry Bases, Decorative Banding, the use of Natural Materials, and Earthy hued color palettes) and you'll be certain your home will be reminiscent of the American Craftsman style of the past.

---

If you're looking for additional direction to help you achieve the perfect American Craftsman style, our experts can help you get there! Visioneering Homes is an innovative and brand new online exterior design service that helps people just like you visualize your home's exterior design! We help you make design decisions on everything from color to landscaping to give you a roadmap for achieving the design of your dreams. And the best part of all, is you get to see what your home will look like before you lift a paintbrush!

Be sure to visit our website and join our mailing list to receive helpful design tips that aim to help you make informed design decisions that are right for your home! As always, we love hearing about your projects and helping you make those design decisions! So, don't be shy, reach out to us! We're available on instagram, facebook, and by email!

---

About the Author:

Brad is the CEO & Founder of Visioneering Homes. He is passionate about all things architecture, residential design, and providing easy access for homeowners to professional design services. Him and his wife have 3 kids and enjoy an adventurous life in the mountains of the American west.