When projects are larger and exteriors are affected in a remodel, sometimes interior designers get involved in those selections and design.
Even though architects have been working on the project and all the city approvals and official drawings are submitted with their stamps, it often falls to the interior designer to help select materials and make aesthetic design decisions in parts of the remodel that are outside of the interior.
I’m happy to step in and help with selections in these situations, as the same elements of design apply to the exterior as they do to the interior. Scale, contrast, texture, form, color, pattern, light……the use and manipulation of these elements apply to all things in design.
Not only that, but I’m usually very familiar with a client’s style and taste and what they are hoping for in an outcome for their home.
Mediterranean Home Exterior - Garage doors and driveway
With this home, a predominantly Mediterranean look with the stucco and tiled roof that, overall, we were cleaning up a bit, the front elevation needed some work.
We needed some contrast primarily, as the exterior was just a little too plain and boring as is.
BEFORE PIC - 3 plain garage doors with narrow openings and a plain concrete slab driveway. This elevation was too boring for this house, in my opinion.
A single double door size for the main garage door would be great for ease of backing in and out, and present a more upgraded look overall. I loved the idea of a wood garage door, although wood doesn’t weather well here in Houston. Fiberglass faux wood doors do, however, and that was a good option for us here.
We also needed more interest in the driveway. A plain concrete slab of exposed aggregate just wasn’t giving this house the high end look it deserved.
I really wanted to flatten those eyebrow arches too, as we had a tall Roman arch at the front door and I’m not fond of combining different arch shapes on a facade.
Here was my initial sketch of the flattened opening and the larger 2-car garage paneled door.
Sketch showing single 2-car door as the main garage door opening, aiding in backing in and out of the garage and making a stronger design on the elevation. I also liked the wood-look fiberglass door, to add contrast and upgrade the look of the house.
The homeowner was looking at stamped concrete for the driveway, but I just couldn’t see doing so much concrete again as this surfacing material. I loved how the pavers looked on my sidewalk and felt they would also be a perfect solution here too. It actually turned out to cost less than the stamped concrete and really has such a great color and look.
I felt like the color of the driveway needed to reflect the roof somewhat, although I didn’t want it to go too orange or red. I love how the pavers have some gray tones too.
It looks amazing!
The driveway pavers are being installed with colors to work with the clay tile roof. New garage doors in faux wood fiberglass add quality to this front elevation of the home’s exterior.
Here’s the driveway completed. The lighting is more harsh here, but I love how it turned out. Now for landscaping!
A new driveway in terracotta colored pavers relate to the tile roof in this home’s exterior design. New garage doors in faux wood fiberglass add quality to this front elevation of the home’s exterior.
Stucco and Stone Home Exterior
In this home’s remodel, I selected the exterior paint color, and have consulted on doors, windows, porch tile, light fixtures, even the chimney cap. Previously, it was a very warm color tone and kind of disappeared into all the greenery.
In the overall remodel/addition, we are giving this house a brighter, fresher look, so the old, muddy color scheme wasn’t working.
We are actually painting the stone too, to get a more solid, light overall effect on this home. The dark gray roof brings a more contemporary feel.
Here’s the house with the old stone and stucco color with the new windows and dark gray roof.
IN PROGRESS - New windows and roof installed for this home’s exterior. The light paint color is still to come to cover the muddy stone color and stucco.
This house is really tucked way back from the street and has lots greenery and foliage in front. Since there is a big front porch with the roof that divides the front elevation, there really isn’t that much of the exterior face that was visible. To divide it up even more with two different materials, a darker stone and then two colors of beige stucco, made the house look smaller and fade into the foliage.
By covering as much of that with one light color and heavily contrasting with the windows and roof, the house is more noticeable and prominent in the landscape. It looks fresh and much more impressive.
The paint color we are using is Sherwin Williams Alabaster. I’m so glad we went as light as we did.
In Progress - The painted exterior looks fresh and new on this home’s stucco and stone materials, in SW Alabaster. Black windows and a dark gray roof complete the look.
I went with dark gray slate for the porches, to echo the roof color and give a sharp contrast to the white exterior. The black doors and windows also stand out here.
Here’s the back patio with an outdoor fireplace. The stone looks great painted in SW Alabaster.
Back patio with painted stone outdoor fireplace, black French doors and gray slate tile.
The stone and stucco painted all one color create a stronger exterior look to this home’s facade.
I love the front doors. Perfect for this style home. With black hardware and an espresso stain, these will make a beautiful entrance
Double French doors at the front entry look current and create a welcoming appearance.
Suburban House Flip Exterior Redo
Remember this house I shared here a few months ago?
This was a house that one of the contractors I work with, bought to remodel and sell. I recommended the paint colors he used for the exterior. That baby poop brown just wasn’t going to cut it!
It turned out pretty awesome, didn’t it? That’s SW Agreeable Gray on the body and SW Grizzle Gray on the garage door and accents. It looks 100% better! The inside does too!
Want to see more? Check out the end result on the inside of this suburban home flip HERE.
Showhouse Exterior Video
Want to be wowed with an amazing virtual exterior rendering?
Take a quick little buzz around the showhouse that I’m so excited to be part of. The launch of Seasonal Living Magazine’s Virtual Designer Showhouse is Dec 3rd, and all the virtual touring is absolutely free! It’s a quick little video, you’ve got to check it out. I can’t imagine what my living room space will look like rendered this way!
Rendered by Annilee Waterman, a rendering artist for the Edesign Tribe, we hope you will all join us on Thursday, Dec. 3rd at 6 pm ET for our complimentary live launch party!