List of best exterior house design ideas is here! Take a look at the world’s most beautiful modern homes and find inspiration in award-winning design.
If you are looking to step up your home’s curb appeal game, then you have come to the right place. While most people often focus more on the interior decor and design, these homes are as beautiful outside as they are inside. Elegant, stylish, and functional, these snazzy exterior house design and facade ideas will simply knock your sock off.
In today’s homes — whether traditional, modern or contemporary — exterior house design plays a critical role. It allows homeowners to not only make a killer first impression but also enhance the beauty of their outdoor spaces and add value to their homes. Besides, curb appeal is perhaps the single most crucial factor when it comes to selling your house.
With that said, there are a ton of great ideas around the world on how to spruce up the exteriors of your home. To get the home you envision, however, you often need to bring together the better of the two world of house facades — beauty and function. The good news is that facades, regardless of the material make, can have functional elements as well as decorative.
Even better, when it comes to exterior house design, you have plenty of options for materials. Wooden facades, for one, have gained increased traction in the past few decades because of their natural appeal. They can come in handy if you’re looking to create large structural “blinds” which can protect your home from direct sun, especially if you live in areas that receive lots of sunlight. Glass, on its side, also comes with lots of decorative and functional benefits. That’s why it’s usually used to give a home a modern look and feel as well as blur the lines between indoors and outdoors. Commercially talking, industrial design architects often use exposed concrete.
Check out these ideas to draw some inspiration for your next exterior house design project.
Modern exterior of a beautiful Mediterranean dream home
Villa CView is luxury dream home built on the cliffs of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat in French Riviera. Besides stunning views and modern interiors, this home offers beautiful modern exterior design as well. Huge glass panels are used to make breathtaking views home’s best feature while general structure of the house is made of simple painted concrete. This residence is specially beautiful at night with decorative facade lighting stealing all the attention. Feel free to check out rest of the house!
2 layer exterior facade
Tresarca house is good example how exterior facades have more than one purpose. When house is built in harsh environment, clever solutions are used to create comfort and security. Architects from assemblageSTUDIO used mesh screen to create protection from the harsh sun for the interior living space and gave this modern house an unique look.
Exterior house design of one of the most beautiful houses in the world
House M designed by monovolume architecture + design is (to me) one of the most beautiful houses I’ve seen so far. Simplicity in combination of large glass panels and white concrete is everything one needs in his modern home. Sometimes less indeed is more. Make sure you check out interiors of this home since they are stunning!
Exterior facade materials
SAOTA is well known for creating architectural masterpieces. This contemporary house is no different. Facade, even though it’s mostly open, showcases combination of many materials “working” together in defining this house. From stone walls on the ground floor, exposed concrete on upper floors, wooden shades to glass terrace railings and sliding panoramic doors, exterior facade materials here are top notch!
Wooden facade for intimacy and coziness
Another beautiful modern home by SAOTA with interesting exterior design. When client initially came to SAOTA, they wanted a relaxing, yet elegant home that would also be comfortable. Solution: glass walls covered with sliding timber panels.
Simple exterior design defined by minimalism
When it comes to minimalism, you either love it or hate it. Same applies to this stunning modern home located on the hills of Valencia. Its simple exterior design and minimalist interior are definitely work of art.
Large sliding glass wall as part of modern facade
This beautiful home is great example of an amazing indoor-outdoor connection. Large panoramic sliding doors can be almost fully opened and connect modern living room and bedroom on the other end with gorgeous swimming pool in the middle. Just imagine what it’s like to experience this level of modern living. And all thanks to innovative modern facade.
Combination of traditional modern facade
House renovations are great opportunities for architects to take on a challenge of connecting modern with traditional. Escobar residence renovation is one of those projects. While from the street this seems to be traditional Tudor house, in the backyard facade extends into beautiful modern addition enclosed with glass curtain wall and skylights.
Modern front facade design combined with modern landscaping
QL House is incredible modern home built in Portugal. The main idea was to connect interior living spaces with exterior and Visioarq architects did it perfectly. Modern front facade, which is impressive already by itself, was visually fulfilled with modern landscaping. Entering this home must be beautiful experience. Here’s how architects described this amazing home: “The QL House project was an exercise in balancing spaces and landscape integration. The articulation of two overlapping and perpendicular spaces generated not only a particular spacial dynamic, but also different visual relations between full and empty, light and dark – caused by the dynamic of shadows – between private areas, semi-private areas and the view of the surrounding landscape.“
Front facade design fulfilled with facade lighting
Modern Double Bay residence designed by SAOTA is one of the best examples how house exterior, especially front facade, can be modern feature for itself with just a little bit of creative lighting. Lights are welcoming visitors already at the main gate and follow them through the pathway all the way to the entrance. Lighting up the trees that surround the house is another great touch which adds to the overall atmosphere.
Simple house design with sliding exterior glass walls
Sliding exterior glass walls are probably the most recognized features of modern homes. Glasshouse designed by Sarah Waller is perfect example of simplicity that is achieved through placing the frameless floor-to-ceiling glass walls all around the house. Not only the house is well lit, but also offers its residents unique opportunity to blend interior living space with their patio and huge backyard.
Home’s exterior design fulfilled with tropic vegetation
Secret Garden house designed by Wallflower Architecture + Design is perfect example how vegetation that surrounds the house, can have big impact on the home’s exterior design. As seen already from the street, greenery welcomes visitors at the “granite cave” entrance on top of which is placed decorative pond. Home’s exterior design also features large glazed walls, adjustable vertical timber louvers and stone panels as part of the facade. Probably the best spot to enjoy all this vegetation that surrounds the mansion is on the roof terrace where owners might feel like they are in the forest instead of in their home.
Modern house exterior defined by the rule “less is more”
CH House designed by Sachar – Rozenfeld Architects is one of those houses that will catch your attention with its simplicity. This modern house exterior appears closed from the street to secure privacy but open in the backyard side where incredible patio with swimming pool is located. Architects kept color scheme minimal, with monochrome base and a few neat details like timber on the roof structure or glass railing on the balconies. Just as the interiors, modern house exterior is great representation of what modern design is.
Exterior house design defined by German elegance
We all know what Germany and German architects mean for modern architecture and design. SU House designed by Alexander Brenner is perfect example of elegance and sophistication. While exterior house design stays self-effacing on the front, the backyard elevation simply shows all its glory. While glass is used to maximize daylight flow, horizontal and vertical concrete areas protect interiors from direct sun. Special atmosphere is created at night when facade gets illuminated, presenting the house and its exterior design as a true masterpiece.
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