How Do I Make My Exterior Feel Modern?

Are you wanting to create a modern exterior design because your home feels a little dated? A bit lackluster?

The exterior of your home is the first impression you give to the world. A home with a well-designed exterior can boost curb-appeal and increase its value. Plus it just makes it a nice place to live!

But having a Modern exterior isn’t just about keeping up with trends. At least, not entirely. Designing a modern exterior is about creating a home that feels calm, intentional, and connected to the place it lives.

So today, I’m breaking down the elements that bring that modern feel to your exterior design, from clean shapes and natural textures to thoughtful lighting and finishing details.

Header photo by clay banks on Unsplash+

What makes an exterior look modern?

So what even is modern exterior design? Part of that answer is literally whatever is popular at any given time. Trending colors, textures and combos therein. The past few years that’s been white board and batten with black trim – or black siding with cedar wood accents.

But there are two things that mark a modern exterior and are where you should start when creating a home that looks forward, but still belongs to where it stands: Clean Lines & Minimalism, and Natural Elements.

Clean Lines & Minimalism

Start by standing back and taking a hard look at your exterior. (Run across the street and snap a quick pic to avoid looking like a weirdo in your neighbor’s front yard.)

Then ask yourself: Is any part of it fussy? Does the trim stand out? Do you not know where to look first because you don’t have a focal point? Does your exterior have more than 3 colors?

If you said yes to any of these, that’s where you start.

Eliminate or Blend in Trim

Start with cleaning up your trim! Remove extra trim entirely, or simply paint it the same color as the siding. Either is a great first step on the road to modernism.

_{A before and after of a recent client project. All I proposed was paint, some hardware, and a bit of tile.}

Now, don’t go ripping off pieces that finish off a corner, or frame out a window! But look for places where the trim feels extra, or unnecessary. Purely decorative.

Or, maybe this simply means replacing your existing, fussy trim with a cleaner, simpler profile.

Find (or Create) Your Focal Point

A great design guides your eye to the most important element. This is usually the front entrance, but it can be anything or anywhere on your exterior.

Photo by Keenan Shepard on Unsplash

And with modern exteriors, it can be as simple as a pop of color, an added texture, or even a larger scale piece of hardware where you want to draw the eye.

Remember, though – where you put contrast is what becomes a focal point. So if you don’t want someone to notice your weird gutters or awkward soffits, don’t make them a darker or lighter color than their surroundings. If you don’t want anyone to see your old white windows, don’t make your siding or trim a dark color because it’ll make those windows stand out even more.

Remove Extra Design Elements

Another fundamental of modern exterior design is a general minimalism. When done right, it never feels stark or cold. It feels simple, clean, and easy on the eyes. Nothing is too difficult to digest.

So think about where you can simplify and streamline your exterior. Do you need to remove the shutters? Would your windows look better without grids? Are your gable vents standing out because they’re white? Is a simpler style door more clean looking?

And think simple geometric shapes like squares, circles, rectangles – not diamonds, swirls and quirkiness.

Natural Elements

For the past few years, natural elements have been a hugely important part of any modern exterior. It balances all the clean lines and simple surfaces. But what makes sense for your home?

Use Your Local Environment

Photo by rikisvisuals on Unsplash

Look at what your local surroundings are to get a material scheme that feels just right. This could mean using a unique local stone, or even simply looking at the color of the dirt you have to get your undertones right. On the coast? Maybe weathered wood textures make the most sense. In the forest? Think about rustic warm woods or river stone accents. Not every material makes sense for every home, so let yourself be guided by the nature that surrounds you.

Think Accents, Not Main Elements

Photo by Hans on Unsplash

In almost every case, Natural Elements on a modern exterior should be an accent, not the entire main surface of your home. So maybe it just cedar posts & beam, or just shutters, or just a wood rail, or just a dormer, and not an entire wall of siding. Think subtle, but impactful.

How do I make my traditional home feel modern?

This is the perfect question to be asking, because what you do to your exterior DEEPLY depends on what style the underlying architecture of your home is.

So be honest with yourself; do you have a traditional home like a cottage, cabin, bungalow, or ranch home? Or does it already have modern architecture, but maybe has been “updated” in a sloppy or cheap way?

The way you answer is going to inform what you change and how you change it. Because a modern exterior is about balance and juxtaposition. And you want to work with what you already have.

• For traditional architecture, think more about color and shape rather than the siding and roofing finishes and the door and window styles. I love traditional homes color-drenched in one color, light or dark, paired with modern lighting & accents.
• For modern architecture, it’s more about finishes and creating contrast. I love modern homes with multiple textures in the same color family and natural accents like cedar wood. And then, pairing that with interesting round shapes in the lighting and other accents to contrast the lines and angles of most modern architecture.

What Materials will give my exterior a more Modern Style?

Materials are only part of the equation when creating an exterior with modern style, So while no one material will automatically make your house feel modern, there are absolutely surfaces that when you use them in combo with color and the other things we’ve already discussed, will immediately help your exterior design feel modern.

Photo by Véronique Trudel on Unsplash

Mixing Textures

A well done modern exterior will never feel flat, plain or lackluster. The best designs mix textures – and smooth is a texture! You want the overall effect to have some visual interest.

So if your siding is smooth stucco with a matte finish, think about how you can add in some contrast. This could be with glossy or shiny finishes, or rough textures like a metal tile roof or modern louvered shutters.

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

And vice versa – if you already have a super textured surface like shingle or laps siding, think about smooth metal cable railing, or a simple full lite entry door without grids.

Modern is all about the mix.

Innovative Materials

Modern materials are the easiest way to get an exterior that has a more modern style. Because this style can be about more than just looks.

So think about steel siding, or fiber cement that has a natural wood finish. Think about factory finished surfaces that don’t have to be regularly maintained.

It’s not always easy to integrate these modern interpretations of traditional materials on a traditional exterior, because they can feel fake. But with modern style they feel just right.

What color palettes make an exterior look modern?

So now you’ve made your exterior simpler and cleaner, you’ve used your local surroundings to help it feel grounded. Now we talk about color.

Now, no matter if you are dreaming of a crisp white with a pop of color and warmth, or a dark and moody exterior, there are a multitude of palettes that will make sense.

And this changes, right? What will feel modern will change and shift over time. But the great thing about color is that in the large scheme of things, it can be one of the easiest changes to update.

Neutral and Bold

Interesting Darks

If you’re loving a dark exterior, but don’t want it to feel extremely dated right away, think about anything but black. Instead, think dark navy. Evergreen or Dark Olive. Espresso and Warm Dark Grey. Then, mix in black accents like window frames, lighting and rails to get a dark exterior with real depth.

Warm Whites

Alternatively, think about warmer whites. Not yellow, but white tones with a warmer feeling. Creamy, Earthy, Warm. Then, contrast that with pops of bold color or darker accents on hardware and window frames.

And again, if you want to avoid feeling immediately dated, avoid bright white with crisp black trim.

Bold Accents

Modern exteriors can also have bold accents. But the key is to do it in small doses. Think about limiting bold colors to small zones like front doors, or accessories like house numbers, planters and front porch chairs.

Contrast

Adding a pop of contrast is another great way to make your exterior feel modern. This can be as simple as dark metal hardware on a light house, or even bronze or black gutters. Maybe this means darker window frames. And on darker homes, think about using natural materials to contrast the deep and even surfaces.

A lack of contrast can make sense, too. So that could mean color drenching your exterior, and making trim, siding and doors all one color. Or even just making your soffits and fascia the color of the siding to help them blend in. For light exteriors, maybe that means matching the color of your window frames with a white tone to help those windows blend in.

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

But be careful – too much contrast can feel choppy and heavy handed. You want to avoid the black and white farmhouse look at all costs!

How can new exterior lights make my exterior feel more modern?

Lighting is one of the easiest ways to instantly add a modern feeling to your home. But there are some simple guidelines to follow to make modern lighting feel just right. There are two ways to do this: modern style fixtures, and/or modern placements.

Decorative Fixtures to Compliment Your Style.

The easiest way to modernize an exterior is to change the lighting to a simple shape like a cylinder or rectangle. Avoid the swoops and curves and extra ornamentation you find on more traditional fixtures.

But make sure that you’re working with the architectural details that you have on the house. Say you have arched windows; you may want to look at something with a soft arm or rounded shape to compliment them.

You also want to watch the scale. In general, modern architecture tends to want a smaller scale fixture, while traditional architecture wants to have a bit more oversized fixture.

Strategic Placement to Accent the Architecture

Aside from using lighting to make your exterior safe after dark, you should also showcase your architecture with the placement of your lights.

If you have a low roof line, think about using a fixture that has up and down light directions to help draw the eye up and create vertical movement. Use a simple fixture on a textured surface to highlight the differences.

Photo by Frames For Your Heart on Unsplash

Or, use light but not necessarily a fixture! Downlights in the soffits and uplights in your landscaping cast light without adding a visual design element. Solar lights on the walkway make approaching your entrance an experience.

What final touches complete a modern exterior?

Every good exterior design shows the personality of those that live there. So the finishing touch to any modern exterior is to add a bit of what you love to your outdoors.

Sculptures & Modern Art

I love the elegant finishing touch that outdoor sculpture can bring to the front exterior of a home. I especially like when the piece I’m adding is soft, or round, to balance all the linear rectangles and squares of most residential architecture.

Think surprise and delight – kinetic pieces that work with the wind, bold colors and shapes that wow, or large scale objects that simply exist to be beautiful!

Personal Touches

And finally, no matter your architecture, your color palette or the materials you’ve chosen, bring in your own personality with the finishing touches like house numbers, mailboxes and furnishings around your front door.

This is not only a great way to add color, but personality! Match or contrast the accent color you’ve chosen, or use this as an opportunity to bring in a new and interesting shape to the overall scheme.

Numbers, in particular, are an easy and affordable way to add personality and even shift the overall style of your house to be more modern.

How To Make An Old House Feel Modern

And there you go!

A modern exterior is all about:

• Simple shapes, calm colors, and details that feel connected to where your home is.
• Removing the extra stuff, letting clean shapes shine, and choosing one clear spot for the eye to land.
• Natural textures to add warmth, and with thoughtful mixes of smooth and rough surfaces keep things interesting.
• Using color to shift the whole mood, whether you lean into warm whites, deep moody tones, or small bold accents.
• Pulling everything together with lighting and final touches, to help your home glow after dark and feel welcoming up close.

In the end, creating a modern exterior is less about chasing trends and more about shaping a home that feels easy, intentional, and true to its surroundings. By simplifying what you have, choosing materials that feel right, and adding personal touches you love, your exterior will become something that feels not just modern, but uniquely you.

And if you ever need help figuring it all out, I’m here for you!

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