Home Exterior: What’s Your Favorite Style or Color?
When you drive or walk around neighborhoods, do you find yourself drawn to one particular style of home exterior? Or maybe you’re drawn to a specific color of houses. Today I’ve got a collection of home exterior styles to share with you. I’d love to hear what style you prefer most!
Photo by JB Architecture Group, Inc.
Craftsman Style Home Exterior
Craftsman style is distinctly American. The houses typically have low pitched roofs and porches often feature tapered columns. Earthy colors and multi-paned windows are other tell-tale features.
Photo by MainStreet Design Build
This house reminds me of farmhouse-meets-craftsman. I love the two-toned siding and white corbels!
Photo by James Hardie Building Products
Here’s a prime example of the classic Craftsman home. You see the low-slung roof, ample porch, tapered columns, and mullioned windows. The first home I owned was a Sears craftsman, looking at these photos make me want to live in a bungalow again.
It’s not often you see a craftsman home exterior in red, but I love the hue on this house.
Photo by Feature Projects
Victorian Home Exterior
The Victorian “style” is actually a period of time in our history from 1837-1901 when Queen Victoria was reigning. There are several types of Victorian architecture and all are quite distinctive. Most of us think envision turrets, gingerbread trim, stained glass windows, and expansive porches when we think of Victorian houses.
My own little farmhouse, built around 1875, wears touches of Victorian influence.
Most Victorian homes are painted in bold or bright colors, but this Victorian-style house looks elegant and under-stated in neutral tones.
Photo by Carpenter & MacNeille
This beautiful Victorian home is just a couple blocks down the street from me. It’s currently for sale and if they have an Open House, I’m going to go see the interior. You can view it online if you want to take the tour. The wood trim inside is amazing!!
We have a lot of Victorian home exteriors in our area. This house is found in Sycamore, Illinois which is about 12 miles west from where I live.
Stone Cottage Home Exterior
Stone cottages always whisk me away to England or Ireland. Visions of pastures filled with sheep, kept safe inside with matching stone fences come to mind. I think of the little cottage from the movie, “Holiday” starring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz.
Photo by Alan Mascord Design Associates Inc
I would love to live in a little stone cottage. Would you? I would feel like I’m living in a fairy tale.
Photo by Durham Designs & Consulting, LLC
Admit it. This charming stone cottage looks like a hobbit house, straight out of a Lord of the Rings movie.
Well, we only covered 3 types of home exteriors today, but we’ll revisit more in the future. We still need to talk about Cape Cods, Mid-Century Modern, Farmhouses and more. Do you have a favorite type of home exterior based on the ones listed here today?
See More Home Exterior Styles:
13 Blue Houses with Charming Curb Appeal
for me , the second house
Lots of gorgeous homes…someone has put tons of work into these houses. You find the best stuff!
Love this blog post, Jennifer! Yes, I’ve always wanted to live in a “hobbit house” or one of those fairy houses in a tree. I love the craftsmen style house too.
All of them, please!
I like many types of architechture, and the more embellished (of whatever style) the better.
Craftsman is my favorite style! Maybe because I am fortunate enough to live in one!
Well, they are all beauties, but if I could choose it would be the very first one. I have been smitten with that house since I first saw it on pinterest. I love everything about it ! I also love the stone cottages. The Victorian that is for sale is almost a twin to one in my town that just recently sold. I almost thought it was that, and you had moved to WI, lol.
I like 4 or 8 whatever style they were, i want a nice front porch to relax on. My front poch in screened in and i love to watch the neighborhood activity. Thanks these were all great houses.
I love the stone cottages! Your right they remind you of fairy tales!
As much as I love a classic craftsman, and stone cottages call to me, option 1 is my favorite. I love a farmhouse feel. I think if I won the lottery, I would build a one story farmhouse with some stone exterior. I’d let the grandkids pkay hobbit in the last one.!
They are all beautiful but I gravitate towards the ones built with any type of stone. When you are doing other blogs about exterior styles don’t forget about log homes and Tudors (esp. brick Tudors). Those two styles are really my favorites.
I think the home style I seem drawn to the most are white farm style homes with a porch. I grew up in rural Iowa & barns, silos, and pastures with black cattle seem to remind me of home. Blessings, Jenny
I love the Colonial style homes you see around the likes of where I am from..Ohio..good ole salt block homes..I have always been drawn to that style.. I do appreciate the rock and stone style homes,cottages..I appreciate all manner of architectural homes.. they are beautiful and I love looking at them and going through the neighborhoods like you looking at the different types!
Lately, I’m partial to the Shingle style adopted in many coastal northeastern U.S. regions ca. late 1800s into the early 1900s. Not into much embellishment, but I do like the gables, dormers and eyebrow windows and lights. Flared roof ends are a nice touch. I love the sturdy mullioned windows which I envision being somewhat more damage-resistant during coastal storms than the vast expanses of glass windows and doors often seen in modern shore-side homes. I also love integrated towers of the kind used in the historic United States Life Saving Service and old U.S. Coast Guard stations around this same period. If I had such a home, I’d incorporate a personal space with a home weather station into the tower.
Hi Don,
Shingle style homes are very appealing! And yes to eyebrow windows and mullioned windows. I wish more architects and builders would return to custom features in houses. I realize they’re more expensive but I’d rather have a smaller house with unique characteristics than a bigger plain house. I like your idea of adding a home weather station.
Jennifer
Really like kind of a blend of Craftsman with a hint of Victorian flavor.
Maintaining this style of exterior can be a real burden, however newer materials like cement based siding and aluminum trim
can be a real help.
And now their are additives that can be added to paint that alleviate problems like mold.
I grew up in a ugly big city (Chicago) which I really hated and now live in a small town in the South.
My 1886 home is completely rebuilt from the studs on out so I have maintained the original look but with all modern materials.
Also, always want to be in a neighborhood with a blend of styles of homes in order to accent individuality.
Nothing is better than a small southern town!
Hi John! I love old southern towns too. One of my faves is Beaufort, South Carolina, which I prefer over Charleston. Although both towns have gorgeous architecture. You’re lucky to live in the south. It has an intoxicating charm about it!
Jennifer
I LOVE THEM ALL!!
Thanks Frances. Glad you enjoyed the post!
Jennifer
I love them all too! This is an interesting question and really got me thinking. I think that of the ones you showed here, I would have to say that I like the Craftsman styles the best. But they are all gorgeous! I can’t wait to see more styles!
Hi Hilary,
It’s hard to choose a favorite, isn’t it? I have to say I love them all too. I’ll do another post with other styles soon.
Jennifer
I love all of the houses in this post. I have always loved taking a long drive just to look at houses. Even here on Staten Island, we have lots of lovely homes. I am particularly fond of the Victorian houses around the island, and my friends Craftsman style house which is also furnished in Craftsman style furniture.
Hi Kathleen,
We must be soul sisters because I love taking drives to look at houses, too. In fact – I’m doing that a little later today. LOL. Sounds like I need to take a trip to Staten Island. I haven’t been to the New York area since I was a little kid.
Jennifer
I guess my very favorite houses have log exteriors. Love log cabins. That said, I’m also drawn to Craftsman style houses. The second one on this post is lovely. The stone cottages too.
Hello Mrs T,
I love log cabins, too. They always feel so warm and cozy. 🙂
Jennifer
Love that top photo and actually have it on my pinterest boards. I like how clean and updated it looks, like the color and it just seems warm and friendly. Like the color of the red on the craftsman style, but would never buy a craftsman home. Ahh…the cute little stone cottages are sweet!
Hi Jillian. Funny you should mention you have that first house pinned because I’ve seen it a lot on Pinterest. LOL.
Love them all but craftsman is my favorite 🤩
Hi Susan! I think it’s my favorite, too.
The stone cottages would be hard to beat, but, of course, I’d take a Victorian as well! The woodwork in that one house near you is totally amazing.
I love the first house! Any way you might know what colour that is painted???
Hi Sarah,
The builder used a stain on that house – it’s Cabot Solid Stain in Pewter Gray.
Jennifer