There’s nothing like the feeling of pulling into your driveway after a long day. And when the first thing you see is your home’s beautiful exterior, you get a sense of pride and accomplishment.
The first impression your home makes on guests and anyone strolling past your neighbourhood, it’s no wonder the exterior is a top priority for most homeowners. It’s a big choice and a big investment, so choosing materials that fit your unique style and offer maximum performance is key.
Whether you’re building your dream home from scratch or renovating your existing one, draw some inspiration from the best exterior design trends that will stand the test of time:
Versatile stone veneer
Stone veneer is a manmade form of stone. Architects and builders love it because it’s an elegant, cost-effective, and easier-to-work with alternative to natural stone. Stone veneer offers the same luxurious aesthetic and durability as natural stone, but is less expensive to transport, easier to install and better for the environment.
Many homeowners prefer architectural stone because it provides limitless design flexibility to create a custom colours and patterns. With high colour variation, textural diversity, and depth, stone veneer is the perfect opportunity to get creative with your design team.
Sophisticated black and white
Gone are the natural hues that dominated recent years; in their place is the refined look and feel of black and white. Classic yet fashionable, it’s no surprise these versatile colours are enjoying such a resurgence. With more styles of black and white available than ever, designers are combining them with materials like wood and glass for innovative, eye-popping results.
Matching white with any other colour looks great and is sure to look timeless for years to come. Meanwhile, carefully introducing black into any colour palette will create a stunning contrast and transform a nice home into a fabulous one. For an exquisite, finished look, use black or white architectural stone — choose popular colours like Ultra White and Colby — in combination with residential stone in shades like Polar or Pearl White and Norton or Galaxy.
Contemporary clean lines
New builds are increasingly abandoning the traditional application of stone in natural, curved lines for a much more modern and deliberate look. Along with the black and white trend, sleek, minimalist lines are making a major contribution to a new era of architectural design for a modern-day urban aesthetic.
This usually means precise, cubic-linear lines, often achieved with smooth and narrow stone and brick styles. This look is sometimes complemented with contrasting angles and often balanced with wood, glass, and metal.
Simple, unassuming, and functional, homes with clean lines aren’t weighed down by showy features that can quickly go out of fashion. Giving your exterior a timeless quality, clean lines also help trick the eye to make your house feel longer and more expansive.
Need some more ideas? Spark your creativity by browsing through our gallery of homes to see how Shouldice Designer Stone beautifully joins form and function.
