Exterior Design Ideas That Will Make Your Home Look Stunning

Table of Contents

1. Exterior Design Ideas[+]
   1. Build a Deck
   2. Install Outdoor Lighting
   3. Dress Up Your Front Door
   4. Lay Flagstone Paths

A beautiful house is a dream of many — that’s why we like to browse furniture catalogs or scroll through Pinterest, looking at all the room ideas.

Our fascination is usually aimed at the interiors, where we spend most of our time. Yet, we somehow forget that the exterior is equally essential in making our property look appealing.

Just imagine you’re leaving your gorgeous-looking house only to be faced with its mediocre outside appearance. That would certainly kill your vibe. Your guests’ first impression also heavily relies on your exterior because it is the first thing they see when they visit you.

So, with your and your neighborhoods’ reputations at stake, you should do your best to make your property’s exteriors look splendid. Fortunately, there is much that you can do to achieve this goal — from building a deck and installing outdoor lighting to refinishing the front door and laying flagstone paths. Read on to find inspiration for your exterior design!

Exterior Design Ideas

Build a Deck

A deck is a fabulous way to make the outdoor space more inviting. Depending on your finances and preferences, you can build a simple wooden deck or a fancy one covered by an electric awning.

Either way, you get a whole new space for entertaining and lounging outside or a quiet spot for reading and refreshing your mind.

For the best visual impact, it’s best to combine the deck with the overall design of your house. For example, your home might be in a modern or industrial style. In that case, instead of going for a classic wooden deck, you could use a more contemporary material that suits the style better.

Remember to add some outdoor furniture to finish off the whole project. You can choose between traditional pieces made from wood or modern models made from metal or plastic — the choice is yours!

Install Outdoor Lighting

Once you turn on the lights, you can instantly change the atmosphere inside your home. This simple trick works just as well outside, so don’t neglect lighting the outside area.

The exterior lighting can be used for different purposes — highlighting the house’s particular features, illuminating the garden, or lighting up the path for easy access to the front door.

For instance, you could illuminate your deck so that it feels inviting at night while leaving other areas dimmed to create a cozy atmosphere. Accent light fixtures aren’t expensive, and they can instantly improve the beauty of your house. Here are some options to consider:

Path lights — These lights are great for illuminating walkways around your house. Path lights can be placed around trees, on the stairs, and on the borders of your lawn.

Solar lights — These are very affordable and easy to install. Solar lights are perfect for decks, patios, steps, and walkways. They come in many shapes and styles, so you can get ones that would match your other outdoor decor elements. The best part is that they are low maintenance and environmentally friendly.

Moreover, when installing new outdoor illumination sources, always remember to either choose LED-based fixtures or individual light bulbs using that technology.

Such solutions are much more energy-efficient and long-lasting without any compromise in terms of their brightness. That means your electricity bills should be much lower when compared to using traditional, incandescent lamps.

To make it even better, many such LED devices can have the emitted color hue adjusted, sometimes even in the entire RGB spectrum.

Dress Up Your Front Door

You can’t neglect the front door because it takes center stage when you leave and enter your house. You should pay attention to it because the right door can contribute to your overall property style, while the wrong one might ruin everything.

Opt for a sturdy door to protect your home against intruders and make sure it’s made of quality material — choose hardwood if you want a traditional look, or consider steel doors if you want more security.

If you don’t want to replace your front door with another model, you can makeover your current one. You can take some time out and clean it up to remove any signs of wear and tear and paint it in a different color that matches well with your exterior.

Alternatively, if your front door is already in good condition but isn’t impressive enough by itself, you can add some details like a couple of flowers or an oversized doormat.

Such decorative elements cost little to nothing and are trivially simple to install and arrange, but can easily flesh out the dominant theme of your exterior and make your neighbors gasp with jealousy.

Lay Flagstone Paths

If you want to make your backyard more welcoming, one of the best things you can do is to get rid of your old concrete paths and replace them with natural flagstone ones.

Flagstones are easy to clean and maintain, plus they look great in any type of landscape. Their neutral color will make them easily blend with your home’s exterior.

You can choose between different sizes, shapes, and textures to make the path unique and fit well with your house. For example, you may opt for large stones if you want a modern look or use smaller ones to achieve a more rustic style.

When choosing flagstone for your new paths, remember to stop using rock salt to melt the ice during the winter, as it can damage the surface and even make it flake off. It is much better to de-ice flagstone with calcium magnesium acetate (CMA), a more expensive, but significantly less corrosive solution.

Conclusion

An exterior is a significant part of any property. After all, people notice first how your house looks from the outside. So, if you want to put your best foot forward, start with your exterior design.

You can choose a small project that costs little money and takes little time to complete or go all out and build a deck or lay a few charming flagstone paths in your garden.

With these ideas, you can improve your home’s appearance by simply adding some finishing touches — whether you want to improve the curb appeal or simply want to make your house look more welcoming and inviting.

Thank you for reading!