Top 5 Exterior Home Trends for 2018 Revealed

Tony Gambino Feature Image 5 Exterior Home Trends 2018

If you own your own home and have been there for several years, you might start to think about how you could possibly change its appearance and might even be tempted to move to a new house. Whether you decide to transform your existing home’s exterior or you’re on the lookout for your family’s next dream home, there are several exciting design trends to consider.

Last fall, we dove into a few emerging exterior home trends and now that spring is well underway here in Phoenix, AZ, we thought it would be a good time to tell you about 5 exterior home design trends to inspire your search for the perfect curb appeal.

1. Painted Doors

Back September, we reported on seeing homes emerging with surprising trim colors. While not everyone seems to have embraced that trend, we are happy to report that painted front doors seems to be an aspect that people have adapted from the design shows and magazines and it’s an easy one for you to try if you’re looking to change a few accents on the outside of your home.

Plus you can still keep your home secure by having a security screen door that uses steel mesh instead of bars. Don’t worry, while the Pantone color of 2018 is Ultraviolet, a deep purple worthy of Jimi Hendrix, the color trends for your front door are decidedly less garish. Besides varying aqua shades and rust red, we also saw doors in neutral tones of browns, grays, and taupes which are all perfectly compatible with the Phoenix desert surroundings.

2. Textures

Here in Phoenix, most newer home exteriors have used increased textures for several years now. You might say that we’ve been ahead of the curve or maybe the trendsetters as far as the texture story goes. From our block homes to stucco and homes that combine a combination of siding styles, new homes in our own Valley of the Sun will only continue to use contrasting siding textures to enhance exteriors but expect those textures to blend more into the rest of your home’s outside elements. Think stone that looks like brick and other subtle adaptations of typically bold textures.

3. Barn Doors

Barn doors as interior doors have been the rage in interior design for a few years now. Some people are ready for them to go, but other designers and homeowners love them. We don’t think they’re going anywhere, but outside as there seems to have been an explosion of rustic, barn and carriage style garage doors appearing on homes throughout the US, including here in Phoenix and the surrounding areas. Security screen doors or gates can further enhance your home’s western look when you add a cowboy, desert animal, or cacti to the door or gate design.

4. Landscape

Once more of an afterthought, we’re now seeing a trend into landscaping that’s incorporated into the overall exterior design of homes as well as a continuing trend towards more native and low water plants. To embrace this trend, consider plants, gates and other exterior accessories that blend into the rest of your home’s exterior and enhance the overall look of your home rather than stand out from it.

5. Naturals & Neutrals

While in the fall it seemed that color trends were taking a bold turn towards surprisingly bright trim, besides a painted door, the color palette for your home’s exterior is continuing to trend towards more natural and neutral tones instead. The idea is to have the design of your home’s exterior fit into the surrounding area instead of stick out from it. Colors like off-white, cream, taupe, beige and shades of gray continue to be popular, but in a wider variety of materials.

Conclusion

2018 is turning out to be an exciting year in exterior home design. In some ways there’s been a shift towards greater attention to detail, but by altering textures, tone and colors that have been going strong for a decade or more here in Arizona. Whether you’re looking to have a home that incorporates all 5 of this year’s exterior design trends, or you just plan to upgrade your landscaping or add a new western-themed screen door and a barn style garage door, you’re sure to find a trend to inspire your design dreams.

Do you have a design trend prediction?

Let us know your favorite design trends and predictions by leaving them in the comments below.