How to Create a Timeless Exterior

May 8

When I first started working in exterior design, one of the new developments I was overseeing required that contemporary styled homes include bright and bold exterior cladding materials. At the time, this was unique to Edmonton’s greenfield development industry and it didn’t take long before the other developers and infill builders jumped on board and started replicating the look in their own areas.

Fast forward 2 years and the all white Modern Farmhouse started popping up across the city. Suddenly those bright and bold homes looked incredibly dated. This was a very eye-opening moment for me because it got me thinking about exterior design trends versus what elements help ensure an elevation remains timeless. After all, if any of us have the opportunity to build new or renovate our existing exterior, it’s probably only going to happen once. And as much as embracing new trends is fun, exterior renos can be expensive and the last thing you want is to regret your design decisions 5 years down the road.

So today I thought I would share some of my favorite timeless colour palettes and accent materials. These colours and materials have been used for decades on a variety of homes ranging in style and they continue to look great today. If you’re looking for a ‘safe’ direction to take your reno or new build, I think you’ll find some inspiration here.

Colour Palettes

Blue & White

Light Grey & White

Dark Grey & White

Putty & White

Red Brick & Black

Accents & Materials

White Trims & Accents

Did you notice a trend with those classic colour palettes? Most of them included white for nearly everything except the main siding materials and entry door. Since the white tends to pop against the main siding, it not only highlights the main siding materials, it brings attention to some of the other features of the home (columns, shutters, decorative gable trusses, etc.) that may otherwise be missed. If you’re looking to update your exterior but aren’t sure what to do, incorporating white accents is almost always a safe way to go.

Wood Door

I am a huge fan of wood entry doors. Not only are they stunning in any profile, they are about as classic as it gets and look great on any style of home.

Brick

While both natural stone and brick are timeless materials, stone comes in a variety of profiles (river rock, stacked stone, etc.) and each profile tends to lend itself to a certain style of home. For example, river rock on a super modern home will likely look out of place. Brick on the other hand, is incredibly versatile and looks great on nearly any style of home.