Choosing Exterior Design Elements for Your Home
If you are building a new home or renovating an existing one, you may be wondering about how to decide what to design for the exterior. Should you do something traditional? Contemporary? In this blog article we will give you some ideas to think about that may help you to make your decisions.
Restrictions
The first thing we would recommend is to be aware of any restrictions you may have on how the exterior of your house looks. A Home Owner’s Association (HOA) could have some restrictions in place. If your house is a heritage home or in a heritage district, some jurisdictions will have some restrictions on what you can do with the exterior. Definitely be aware of these potential limitations before making any decisions.
Aesthetics
The next characteristic to consider is the “look.” What do you like? While you may be interested in what is trendy, keep in mind that what is trendy now may not be trendy in 10 or 20 years. You are much better off choosing a look that appeals to you whether it is fashionable or not, especially if you plan to stay in your home a long time.
There are no exterior design police who are going to tell you that your roof pitch is ugly or window flower boxes are passé. It’s your home, and you are free to do what you like.
The Interior
What does your interior look like? You may wish to choose an exterior that mirrors the style of the interior. It will look odd if your interior is traditional and rustic while the exterior is sleek and modern. This is one of the basic design principles called Harmony. In general, a project looks better and more cohesive if there is harmony and repetition of elements.
We hope these few suggestions will help you to choose an exterior that you will love. Remember, that after some time has passed, it’s not hard to change or update exterior lighting fixtures, but changing your home exterior from metal siding to stucco is a much more complicated and expensive change. Pick what you like, and consult a design professional if needed.
Abstract Homes and Renovations Inc., is an award-winning custom home builder based in Vancouver, British Columbia. With 30 years of experience, Abstract Homes builds and renovates homes on the Lower Mainland with efficiency, integrity, and quality in mind.
If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about building or renovating your home, please call us at (604) 220-5665.
