12 Top Home Exterior Design Trends

Landscaping and home exterior façades go hand-in-hand — they’re the two key elements in giving your home knockout curb appeal. That’s why we love working with brick&batten, the home exterior design experts and have many clients who use both services together to create the ultimate dream home. We tapped brick&batten provide us with this list of the top home exterior design trends for 2021 (and beyond)- check them out below!

brick&batten is a virtual exterior design company that uses a photo of your home to design a fresh new look and create a rendering of your home’s potential curb appeal. They also provide you with a detailed resource list so you don’t find yourself lost in your local home improvement store. Learn more here.

We adore this woman-founded virtual company that’s helped thousands of homeowner’s reimagine their homes. Check out their top 12 home exterior design trends in 2021 below!

And… make sure to get all the way to the bottom for an exclusive offer.

#1 // Two-tone exteriors

There’s nothing like using a two-tone color palette on a home’s exterior to create depth and dimension.

Sometimes our clients come to us with two-tone homes in need of a facelift, as in the brick and siding example above. They already had dimension, but the color palette was dated, so we stuck with the home’s built-in color-by-number outline but recommended new colors.

In other instances, as with the stucco home above, the siding needs to be entirely reimagined. This home already had depth, but it was lost in a sea of tan. The new color palette recommended by our expert designers (Black Panther by Benjamin Moore on the vertical siding and Rockport Gray by Benjamin Moore on the shake and trim) took care of that.

#2 // James Hardie siding all the way

We can’t get enough of James Hardie siding. It’s a building material that’s a rare fusion of beauty and durability, the perfect blend of form and function. Yes, we’re waxing poetic about fiber cement siding. But this stuff is such a beautiful design solution that we can’t help ourselves.

Here’s why:

Engineered for sustainability, James Hardie siding is durable and doesn’t crack or expand in extreme weather. It resists harsh climates and withstands UV rays, snow storms, freezing temperatures, and strong winds. Plus, James Hardie offers Color Plus Technology, which is done at their location and lasts longer than a typical paint job. A machine paints the siding before you receive it, using 50% more paint than an average painter. It resists fading, chipping, and cracking and looks better, longer. Hardie Board siding comes in a rich tapestry of shades, with options for every home’s style and homeowner’s taste.

#3 // Off-white paint

We love off-white paint colors on home exteriors: They’re versatile, timeless, and universal. In fact, we picked an off-white paint color — Seapearl by Benjamin Moore — as our exterior paint color of the year for 2021.

Both of the homes above are rendered in Seapearl. Vastly different settings and home styles, yet this paint color makes them both shine.

#4 // Dark exterior paint colors

On the other side of the paint color spectrum, dark home exteriors have been on-trend for a few years now, and the look is here to stay. Black, charcoal gray, and navy are rich, moody, and expressive. We love when our clients want to go bold and provocative.

#5 // Indoor–outdoor living

Last year’s pandemic-induced shelter-in-place efforts led many families to value their outdoor spaces that much more. The concepts of “sheltering in the backyard” and socially distanced patio gatherings helped us stay sane. We’re seeing this emphasis on indoor-outdoor living lasting thus far into 2021 and well beyond.

Many of our clients ask us to help them reimagine their front porches or create additional living space in their backyards. Outdoor fireplaces, functional furniture, and screened porches are some of this year’s most popular exterior updates. (These investments are particularly beautiful when paired with a freshly landscaped yard, with help from Tilly Design!)

#6 // Modern wood accents

At brick&batten, we are huge fans of the many different ways to incorporate modern wood siding into your home’s exterior design. Our designers use wood siding or cladding on homes in combination with stucco, vinyl siding, brick, and other textures. Cedar shake, wood siding, panels, and wood cladding transcend the boundaries of modern, rustic, and farmhouse-style homes. Wood adds texture and interest. Major win.

#7 // Statement entryways

The front door should always be the focal point of your home’s exterior design. Make it a can’t-miss showstopper with a statement entryway. We love highlighting an entry in creative ways: think two-story columns for your porch awning, or a gabled awning with beautiful lighting beneath and a double front door to welcome you and your guests inside.

#8 // Intentional garage door design

It’s easy to forget about your garage when considering how to update your home’s exterior design. So many of us think of our garages as merely a place to keep our car and/or store stuff. It’s common for homeowners to have a blind spot when it comes to how their garages come across when viewed from the street.

Note: Front-load garages in particular have a major impact on curb appeal. Sometimes, they can cover a good half of the front of your home. There are two ways of dealing with front-load garages: either make it blend in with the rest of your home by painting it the same color, or make it beautiful with gorgeous materials, design elements, and windows. Usually, as with the example above, we focus on the latter.

#9 // Getting creative with house numbers

At brick&batten, we believe that house numbers are more than just a formula or location. Displaying them is an opportunity to make your home’s aesthetic more interesting and appealing. You can be bold with large-scale numbers or try out unique positioning. Consider placing your house numbers on a Corten steel planter, a retaining wall, or spotlighting them with interesting lighting. Have some fun!

#10 // Bright front door

One detail that can make your home stand out amongst others in your neighborhood is painting your front door in a bright color.

Two paint colors we’re loving for front doors right now are Galápagos Turquoise and Wasabi, both by Benjamin Moore. Galápagos can work on homes of any style, while we tend to recommend Wasabi on modern or contemporary homes with darker exteriors.

#11 // Bahama shutters

Bahama shutters differ from your standard side-hinged shutter in that they have top hinges, enabling homeowners to push them out and away from the house. Think of them as a sun visor for your window — and, as you might expect, these types of shutters are most often found in warmer climates. They bring a beachy, relaxed vibe to homes. Plus, they lend architectural interest to flat facades and/or on surfaces where side-hinged shutters wouldn’t fit comfortably.

Note: Keep in mind that your shutters should be the appropriate size to cover your windows, regardless of whether they’re merely decorative or you always keep them open. Too-thin shutters are an exterior design pet peeve of ours!

#12 // Create privacy and interest with a screen wall

Clients often reach out to us looking to add front porches to their homes. We’re all about outdoor living and front porch sitting, but the front porch awning you use has to work with the architectural style of your home. And not every home can handle columns to support that awning. Enter: The screen wall. It supports an awning, creates a bit of privacy, and adds texture and interest.

And sometimes we recommend screen walls simply because they look cool as hell.

We love this design solution for modern and contemporary homes (and can help you figure out the difference between those two styles here).

Ready to Re-Imagine the Look of Your Home?

Save the headache and partner with our friends brick&batten. They’ve offered Tilly blog readers a 10% off code when purchasing a brick&batten design service. Just use the code TILLY10 at checkout. And remember we often work with brick&batten clients so you can submit your b&b renders to us when starting your landscape design project. Happy Home Projects!