10 Favorite Home Exterior Design Trends from the Pros at brick&batten

We tapped the exterior design team at brick&batten to get their thoughts on what’s currently on-trend for home exteriors. Brick&batten is a virtual exterior design company that uses a photo (or blueprint!) 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.

This roundup of our favorite home exterior trends includes both massive design elements and small changes you could tackle in a weekend. Read on and let us know what you agree with!

#1 // Portico Updates

Whether our designers are adding them to a home or giving a facelift to an existing one, porticos are getting the attention they deserve this year. Porticos offer shelter from the elements and visual interest. On the homes above, the portico serves as the main focal point, accenting an otherwise flat facade.

#2 // Increased interest in commercial property exterior designs

We've seen commercial exterior design being requested more frequently! After all, homes aren’t the only properties that can use a curb appeal boost! We’ve worked with clients who own multi-residential properties (like the above), barns they’re converting into law offices or spas, leasing offices, office buildings, language centers, assisted living facilities, and more.

#3 // Stone-and-pavers walkways

Walkways serve two purposes: the obvious is to provide you and your guests a path to your front door. The other purpose is visual, and is just as important in our work as exterior designers. Walkways guide the eye to a home’s front entry. We’re loving stone-and-pavers walkways for their informal, organic aesthetic.

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#4 // Freestanding lanterns in front yard

Never underestimate the importance of exterior lighting. It can have a huge impact on your curb appeal! Freestanding lanterns may have you thinking about your grandma’s house, but they’re making a comeback, and for good reason. The light they give off is closer to eye level than that of path lights, making them useful additions to long walkways (like the one above).

#5 // Multipurpose retaining walls

Retaining walls have so many uses, and our designers love to get creative with them. They offer an interesting place for house numbers. Next, they can double as built-in planters. Plus, retaining walls are able to provide partial or total privacy for front yard patios.

Example of Light Stone Accents / Courtesy of brick&batten

#6 // Light-colored stone accents

Stone siding is one of our favorite materials to use. It comes in all sorts of shapes and colors. We’re predicting that we’ll be leaning more strongly on light-colored stone accents. Perhaps it’s a balance to our dark exterior color of the year. But also, light stone siding looks sleek and modern without feeling stuffy.

Example of Wood Window Trim / Courtesy of brick&batten

#7 // Wood window trim/headers

Custom wood trim pieces can be added to porches, doors, windows, and more. Our designers use this design element to provide extra interest and layers to flat façades or monochrome designs.

#8 // Designed concrete siding

Hand-cast concrete is a stunning custom option for contemporary and modern home exteriors. The design above speaks for itself.

#9 // Low-maintenance and sustainable materials

Many of the building materials we use most in our designs are low-maintenance and sustainable. When you invest in your home or property, you want to know that the materials you use will last. And sustainable sourcing is becoming an increasingly important factor in choosing the vendors that we recommend.

Example of Homes with Blue & Green Undertones / Courtesy of brick&batten

#10 // Paint colors with blue and green undertones

We’re ramping up our use of blues and greens, though less often as paint colors you’d call ‘blue’ or ‘green’ and more often as an undertone in a complex neutral. Examples above include Raccoon Fur by Benjamin Moore (left) and Anonymous by Sherwin Williams (right).

Our Favorite Trends...

From sweeping exterior upgrades like paint colors and siding materials to small, tasteful touches like freestanding lanterns, we hope you’ve been inspired by our favorite home trends. Now it’s time to make things happen.

Ready to update your home’s exterior?

You know who to call for landscape design and then the expert designers at brick&batten are ready and waiting to provide you with on-trend design recommendations that are the best solutions for your home or commercial property exterior. They’ve offered Tilly blog readers $150 off a brick&batten design service. Just use the code TILLY150 at checkout. Get started today.

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