Traditional Grey House Exterior Ideas and Designs

photography by Rob Karosis
Design ideas for a large classic house exterior in Portland Maine with three floors and wood cladding.

Queen Ann Whole House

Neu Construction, Inc

I’m Gordon Neu – and along with my son Scott Neu, and Ken Ruef, we form the core of Neu Construction. I’ve been remodeling homes in Pierce County and King County for well over forty years. Remodeling is my passion – I enjoy every day now. / Photography: Dane Meyer

Peastone drive

Carolle Huber Landscape Architecture

This circular drive provides ease of access for family and visitors alike, and the pea gravel provides a visually softer feel than macadam. This is Chip and Tar, or Country Stone: Pea stone imbedded on an asphalt base. Gone are the harsh edges of a traditional black asphalt driveway. The Belgian Block edging brings precision and grace.

Classic Transformation

Knight Architects LLC

Exterior of home with bluestone terrace, french doors and floor to ceiling windows lead into skylit dining area and generous family room of this expanded Colonial. Photography by Pete Weigley

Downer's Grove Exterior Transformation

Elevations

Architectural details spruce up a tired facade. New accent stone, new siding, flower boxes under the windows, and new garage doors were all part of the new scheme.

Longwood Gardens

Amy Renea

Allenaim Photography www.allenaim.com
Classic house exterior in Philadelphia.

Stone & Stucco Addition-Towson Area

Jeffrey Lees, Architect

Rear view of Addition- roofline was held beneath existing shed dormer and upper gable roof line, while repeating gable roof configuration of existing house. Rear porch protects patio doors giving access to new patio at grade. J. Brough Schamp

Street View-Traditional Custom Shingled Home

Stewart Associates Architecture & Interiors

Traditional two floor house exterior in San Francisco with wood cladding.

12 South Historic Bungalow

Maker Construction

Original front door
Photo of a green traditional two floor detached house in Nashville with concrete fibreboard cladding, a pitched roof, a black roof and shiplap cladding.

Old Forge Warren, NJ

Distinctive Domain

Design ideas for a traditional house exterior in Other.

Greenwich Georgian Style Home

Cardello Architects

This is an example of a white classic two floor house exterior in New York with a hip roof.

Chicago Remodel James Hardie Siding

Siding & Windows Group Ltd

Chicago, IL Siding by Siding & WIndows Group. We completed this Chicago, IL Home in James HardiePlank Select Cedarmill Lap Siding and HardieShingle Siding in ColorPlus Technology Color Sandstone Beige and HardieTrim Smooth Boards in ColorPlus Technology Color Arctic White. Also remodeled Front Entry Way.

Custom Home

Cook Builders

This is an example of a medium sized and gey classic two floor render detached house in Salt Lake City with a pitched roof and a shingle roof.

Home Exteriors

New Amherst Homes

Photo of a medium sized and beige traditional bungalow detached house in Toronto with stone cladding, a flat roof and a shingle roof.

Grey Slate Hardie Shingle + Board & Batten Siding | Creve Coeur, MO. (63141)

Siding Express (Maintenance Free Siding)

Side door on front porch with Hardie siding and trims
Large and gey classic two floor house exterior in St Louis with concrete fibreboard cladding.

Chinese Chippendale Railing - Prop

Chelsea & Meade Chippendale Railings

D. Johnson
Inspiration for a classic house exterior in Denver.

Devil's Glen Chalet

Village Builders

The large overhang porch protects the front door against natures elements
Medium sized and gey traditional two floor house exterior in Toronto with mixed cladding and a half-hip roof.

Andersen Double-Hung Windows, Monterey Taupe James Hardie Siding, Alside Gutters

Opal Enterprises, Inc.

White Andersen double-hung windows, James Hardie Monterey Taupe plank siding & Alside aluminum gutters. Installed in Glen Ellyn IL by Opal Enterprises.

Other

Allison Companies Inc

Photo of a large and beige traditional two floor house exterior in Nashville with mixed cladding.

Massapequa

Good Guys Contracting

This is James Hardie Evening Blue Cedarmill Siding, Arctic White James Hardie Fascia. Versatex Rake Crown. Custom Made Corners with top double reveal crown and bottom blocks. All windows have a double top crown with custom made keystones, copper drip caps and a bottom sill. Arched crown over windows were bent to size. Beaded Soffit. Gutters are Custom 6" half round with round leaders. Lastly 5" Soffit high-hats.

Traditional Grey 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 traditional 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 traditional 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 traditional 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 traditional 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 traditional exterior architecture choices for your house designs.

United Kingdom

Tailor my experience with cookies

Houzz uses cookies and similar technologies to personalise my experience, serve me relevant content, and improve Houzz products and services. By clicking ‘Accept’ I agree to this, as further described in the Houzz Cookie Policy. I can reject non-essential cookies by clicking ‘Manage Preferences’.