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  1. House Exterior
  2. exterior lighting

Luxury House Exterior Ideas and Designs

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Gordon Drive clean transitional home with Gulf views
Gordon Drive clean transitional home with Gulf views
Linda Sonders DesignLinda Sonders Design
Photo: Blaine Jonathan
Inspiration for an expansive and white traditional two floor render detached house in Miami with a metal roof and a hip roof.
Weber House-West Lake Blvd.
Weber House-West Lake Blvd.
Crestwood Construction Inc.Crestwood Construction Inc.
On the West Shore of Lake Tahoe this home boasts not only impeccable location but impeccable craftsmanship. Distressed beams; custom railing pickets and grip rail; Savant Home Automation; and, Lutron Homeworks lighting control are just a few of the features that complement this 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath lakefront home.
Redmond House
Redmond House
FINNE ArchitectsFINNE Architects
The Redmond Residence is located on a wooded hillside property about 20 miles east of Seattle. The 3.5-acre site has a quiet beauty, with large stands of fir and cedar. The house is a delicate structure of wood, steel, and glass perched on a stone plinth of Montana ledgestone. The stone plinth varies in height from 2-ft. on the uphill side to 15-ft. on the downhill side. The major elements of the house are a living pavilion and a long bedroom wing, separated by a glass entry space. The living pavilion is a dramatic space framed in steel with a “wood quilt” roof structure. A series of large north-facing clerestory windows create a soaring, 20-ft. high space, filled with natural light. The interior of the house is highly crafted with many custom-designed fabrications, including complex, laser-cut steel railings, hand-blown glass lighting, bronze sink stand, miniature cherry shingle walls, textured mahogany/glass front door, and a number of custom-designed furniture pieces such as the cherry bed in the master bedroom. The dining area features an 8-ft. long custom bentwood mahogany table with a blackened steel base. The house has many sustainable design features, such as the use of extensive clerestory windows to achieve natural lighting and cross ventilation, low VOC paints, linoleum flooring, 2x8 framing to achieve 42% higher insulation than conventional walls, cellulose insulation in lieu of fiberglass batts, radiant heating throughout the house, and natural stone exterior cladding.
Forest View
Forest View
Clear ArchitectsClear Architects
This complex rear extension, with a ground-floor ‘garden room’ and 2 new bedroom suites; inclusive of the enlarged master bedroom, is highly innovative while appearing simple and chic. Rear elevation at night. Copyright Clear Architects
Fairy Tale Lake Cottage
Fairy Tale Lake Cottage
Maraya Interior DesignMaraya Interior Design
Old World European, Country Cottage. Three separate cottages make up this secluded village over looking a private lake in an old German, English, and French stone villa style. Hand scraped arched trusses, wide width random walnut plank flooring, distressed dark stained raised panel cabinetry, and hand carved moldings make these traditional farmhouse cottage buildings look like they have been here for 100s of years. Newly built of old materials, and old traditional building methods, including arched planked doors, leathered stone counter tops, stone entry, wrought iron straps, and metal beam straps. The Lake House is the first, a Tudor style cottage with a slate roof, 2 bedrooms, view filled living room open to the dining area, all overlooking the lake. The Carriage Home fills in when the kids come home to visit, and holds the garage for the whole idyllic village. This cottage features 2 bedrooms with on suite baths, a large open kitchen, and an warm, comfortable and inviting great room. All overlooking the lake. The third structure is the Wheel House, running a real wonderful old water wheel, and features a private suite upstairs, and a work space downstairs. All homes are slightly different in materials and color, including a few with old terra cotta roofing. Project Location: Ojai, California. Project designed by Maraya Interior Design. From their beautiful resort town of Ojai, they serve clients in Montecito, Hope Ranch, Malibu and Calabasas, across the tri-county area of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles, south to Hidden Hills. Patrick Price Photo
Estate8
Estate8
John David RulonJohn David Rulon
A large residence with eight bedrooms ensuite for the owner and guests. The residence has a Great Room that includes kitchen and rear prep kitchen, dining area and living area with two smaller rooms facing the front for more casual gatherings. The Great Room has large four panel bi-parting pocketed doors and screens that open to deep front and rear covered porches for entertaining. The tower off the front entrance contains a wine room at its base,. A square stair wrapping around the wine room leads up to a middle level with large circular windows. A spiral stair leads up to the top level with an inner glass enclosure and exterior covered deck with two balconies for wine tasting. Two story bedroom wings flank a pool in the center, Each of the bedrooms have their own bathroom and exterior garden spaces. The rear central courtyard also includes outdoor dining covered with trellis with woven willow.
Chauncey Knoll Residence
Chauncey Knoll Residence
Carlton EdwardsCarlton Edwards
Inspiration for a large and brown victorian two floor detached house in Charlotte with mixed cladding, a pitched roof and a shingle roof.
Hillsborough Modern
Hillsborough Modern
Scheinholtz AssociatesScheinholtz Associates
Design ideas for a large and multi-coloured contemporary two floor detached house in San Francisco with mixed cladding and a flat roof.
Woodside Residence
Woodside Residence
Charlie Barnett AssociatesCharlie Barnett Associates
Matthew Millman
Design ideas for a classic house exterior in San Francisco with wood cladding, a pitched roof and a metal roof.
Chanin Residence
Chanin Residence
KGA Studio Architects, PCKGA Studio Architects, PC
Photo of a large and beige contemporary two floor detached house in Denver with mixed cladding and a lean-to roof.
Royal
Royal
L. Lumpkins Architect, Inc.L. Lumpkins Architect, Inc.
A modern take on an Italian renaissance home
This is an example of an expansive and beige contemporary two floor detached house in Dallas with stone cladding, a hip roof and a shingle roof.
House of Light: Chevy Chase, Maryland Home inspired by Hugh Newell Jacobsen
House of Light: Chevy Chase, Maryland Home inspired by Hugh Newell Jacobsen
Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc.Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc.
Featured in Home & Design Magazine, this Chevy Chase home was inspired by Hugh Newell Jacobsen and built/designed by Anthony Wilder's team of architects and designers.
Sharp Residence
Sharp Residence
Valdez Architecture - InteriorsValdez Architecture - Interiors
This is an example of a medium sized and brown modern detached house in Phoenix with wood cladding, three floors and a flat roof.
Contemporary House Exterior
Contemporary House Exterior
Contemporary rear extension in London.
The Preserve Residence
The Preserve Residence
Nanke Signature GroupNanke Signature Group
Photo of a large and brown rustic bungalow detached house in Phoenix with stone cladding, a hip roof and a metal roof.
Old Cypress Pointe - Lot 4
Old Cypress Pointe - Lot 4
PB BuiltPB Built
Ron Rosenzweig
This is an example of a beige and large traditional two floor detached house in Miami with mixed cladding, a hip roof and a metal roof.
Robin Road
Robin Road
Dennis Mayer - PhotographerDennis Mayer - Photographer
Dennis Mayer Photography
Inspiration for a large and brown contemporary two floor house exterior in San Francisco with mixed cladding and a flat roof.
VILLA TORSBY
VILLA TORSBY
Fredric Boukari PhotographyFredric Boukari Photography
Inspiration for an expansive and black scandi two floor house exterior in Stockholm with wood cladding and a flat roof.
Exterior
Exterior
Peace DesignPeace Design
Photography by Chris Little
Large traditional two floor house exterior in Atlanta.

Luxury House Exterior Ideas and Designs

With so much attention devoted to interior design, the exterior of a home can often get overlooked, but as the first thing that welcomes both us and our guests, it is worth devoting some time tending to the outside of your house. Furthermore, focusing on the kerb appeal of your home can add significant value if and when it comes time to sell up. Georgian, Edwardian and Victorian homes, with their bay windows and elegant plasterwork, often benefit from built in architecture advantages, but even if your house design is unassuming from the outside, small decorative and structural improvements to the exterior of your home can equal huge impact. Key areas of building design to focus on are the front door, the driveway or approach to your home, the porch area, the windows, the facade and the roof. And just a note of caution... before any significant exterior architecture gets under way, check first whether you need planning permission for your exterior house designs– this applies particularly to listed houses or buildings in a conservation area, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Take a look through the house designs, exterior architecture and images of front doors and driveways on Houzz to inspire your facade or building design, or read on for a few more pointers when it comes to redesigning your exterior.

How do I give my home an exterior facelift?

You may feel like your home’s exterior architecture is unalterable but there are a wide range of options available to improve its external building design, no matter what raw materials you begin with. Begin with the front door and the pathway or driveway that lead up to your home as these are easy to improve without huge budgets. A driveway or pathway must be kept neat and tidy and you can consider replacing tarmac with attractive tiles or gravel. Repainting or replacing the fence, wall or gate that fronts your home can also offer an overnight transformation without breaking the bank. An area to not cut corners however is the front door, where spending a little extra can make a huge difference in quality, and painting it in a colour you love will pay you back every time it welcomes you home! Updating your windows can be a significant building design project but it is one that has benefits both inside and out, as well as potentially saving you money on energy later. If you are lucky enough to have period windows such as bay windows with sash or leaded windows, then maintaining them should be a top priority, but if they are beyond repair then there are plenty of window professionals that will offer modern, double or triple glazed equivalents that could still work in your bay window. Working with uPVC? Not a problem – the best improvement you can make is to ensure your windows are the right size and shape for your home's overall proportions.

How do I update my home’s facade?

When it comes to updating the facade of your home, painting is the quickest and most affordable way to achieve a makeover, and if you opt for a colour other than white it can really make a statement (although sticking within the palette of your road and local area is advisable). A makeover that requires a bit more patience but can add romance and character to the most mundane of homes is to adorn the walls with climbing plants – delicate trailing wisteria is ever a British favourite, whilst roses and jasmine offer fragrance as well as beauty. If you’re looking to make more significant changes to the exterior of your home, whether that is adding timber cladding, hanging tiles, installing a bay window or rendering, then you should first check whether your house designs require planning permission. A New England style wood boarded home is beautiful and bright, but remember that it will need frequent repainting if it is going to stay looking its best, whilst stucco render or Tyrolean render can tidy up a home's exterior but think carefully before covering over original brickwork.

What should I consider if building a home from scratch?

If you’re working with an architect on a brand new build, the options are endless when it comes to deciding on the exterior architecture. But first things first, you will need to check planning permissions, building regulations and local restrictions, such as being in a conservation area, to make sure your plans for your exterior house designs will meet stipulations. If you are building in a street with predominantly Victorian facades, with bay windows and side returns, you might need to ensure your house designs fit in with the rest of the homes on the street, but if you’re building in a more remote area you’ll probably have more freedom for your building design. There are many architectural decisions to make, do you want a flat, gabled, hipped, mansard or perhaps even a curved roof? Do you want bay windows? Crittall windows? Perhaps external shutters? Do you want glass walls? Do you want wood cladding? Do you want a very symmetrical building design or something more contemporary? The decision is all yours but remember to consider the benefits of various materials over others and the effects that some architecture styles will have on everyday life, for example glass walls will look attractive but will give you less privacy. Your architect or builder will be able to guide you through the best exterior architecture choices for your house designs.
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