Green Traditional House Exterior Ideas and Designs

Narrow on the Lake

Chapman Design Group, Inc.

Mark Hoyle

Woodland Residence

Moore Architects, PC

The renovation of the Woodland Residence centered around two basic ideas. The first was to open the house to light and views of the surrounding woods. The second, due to a limited budget, was to minimize the amount of new footprint while retaining as much of the existing structure as possible. The existing house was in dire need of updating. It was a warren of small rooms with long hallways connecting them. This resulted in dark spaces that had little relationship to the exterior. Most of the non bearing walls were demolished in order to allow for a more open concept while dividing the house into clearly defined private and public areas. The new plan is organized around a soaring new cathedral space that cuts through the center of the house, containing the living and family room spaces. A new screened porch extends the family room through a large folding door - completely blurring the line between inside and outside. The other public functions (dining and kitchen) are located adjacently. A massive, off center pivoting door opens to a dramatic entry with views through a new open staircase to the trees beyond. The new floor plan allows for views to the exterior from virtually any position in the house, which reinforces the connection to the outside. The open concept was continued into the kitchen where the decision was made to eliminate all wall cabinets. This allows for oversized windows, unusual in most kitchens, to wrap the corner dissolving the sense of containment. A large, double-loaded island, capped with a single slab of stone, provides the required storage. A bar and beverage center back up to the family room, allowing for graceful gathering around the kitchen. Windows fill as much wall space as possible; the effect is a comfortable, completely light-filled room that feels like it is nestled among the trees. It has proven to be the center of family activity and the heart of the residence. Hoachlander Davis Photography

Custom Home - Door County, WI

Van's Lumber & Custom Builders, Inc.

This home exterior has Cedar Shake siding in Sherwin Williams 2851 Sage Green Light stain color with cedar trim and natural stone accents. The windows are Coconut Cream colored Marvin Windows, accented by simulated divided light grills. The door is Benjamin Moore Country Redwood. The shingles are CertainTeed Landmark Weatherwood .

Oak Hill Craftsman

Marilyn Hill Interiors

James Hardie Homes

Erdmann Exterior Designs

Exterior

Snap ADU

Stucco exterior.

Gracious front porch

Bennett Frank McCarthy Architects, Inc.

Winning Homearama design

Carini Engineering Designs

2340 square foot residence in craftsman style with private master suite, coffered ceilings and 3-car garage.

Triple Crown Outdoor Living

12/12 Architects & Planners

This Arts and Crafts gem was built in 1907 and remains primarily intact, both interior and exterior, to the original design. The owners, however, wanted to maximize their lush lot and ample views with distinct outdoor living spaces. We achieved this by adding a new front deck with partially covered shade trellis and arbor, a new open-air covered front porch at the front door, and a new screened porch off the existing Kitchen. Coupled with the renovated patio and fire-pit areas, there are a wide variety of outdoor living for entertaining and enjoying their beautiful yard.

DSElmhurstingAtTheSeams

Amy Storm & Company

The Lillehammer - Front Porch

PAUL FICK HOMES INC

Photo Credit: Tim Hanson Photography

Torch Lake (Rapid City) Timber Design

Edgewater Design Group

Our clients already had a cottage on Torch Lake that they loved to visit. It was a 1960s ranch that worked just fine for their needs. However, the lower level walkout became entirely unusable due to water issues. After purchasing the lot next door, they hired us to design a new cottage. Our first task was to situate the home in the center of the two parcels to maximize the view of the lake while also accommodating a yard area. Our second task was to take particular care to divert any future water issues. We took necessary precautions with design specifications to water proof properly, establish foundation and landscape drain tiles / stones, set the proper elevation of the home per ground water height and direct the water flow around the home from natural grade / drive. Our final task was to make appealing, comfortable, living spaces with future planning at the forefront. An example of this planning is placing a master suite on both the main level and the upper level. The ultimate goal of this home is for it to one day be at least a 3/4 of the year home and designed to be a multi-generational heirloom. - Jacqueline Southby Photography

The Double-barreled Shotgun

Carl Mattison Design

The front exterior after

Wheaton, IL, Siding James Hardie Siding

Siding & Windows Group Ltd

James Hardie Siding, Wheaton, IL remodeled home. Siding & Windows Group installed James HardiePlank Select Cedarmill Siding in ColorPlus Color Mountain Sage and HardieTrim Smooth Boards in Arctic White. Also replaced Windows with Simonton Windows and Front Entry Door with ProVia Signet Front Entry Door Full Wood Frame with Sidelights.

Laurel St, New Orleans, LA - Historic Renovation

MLM INCORPORATED

Full home renovation, conversion from 1800's historic double to spectacular single family dwelling. Property features all modern amenities yet have period correct touches and salvaged materials. Home went through full reconstruction: retrofitting frame, wall finishes etc. For free estimate call or click 504-322-7050 or www.mlm-inc.com

Craftsman 4 bedroom 2-Story Plan

Integrity Home Builders

Forest

Oakley Home Builders

Walloon Lake Cottage

Ken Richmond, Architect

Guest House with Garage-Shop and Greenhouse

Dominic Paul Mercadante Architecture

The first floor houses a generous two car garage with work bench, small mechanical room and a greenhouse. The second floor houses a one bedroom guest quarters. Brian Vanden Brink Photographer

Cottage in the Woods

KohlMark Architects and Builders

Greg Hadley Photography

Green Traditional 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.

Ireland

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