Creating the right façade is one of the most important steps in creating the character that distinguishes a home, and it is the first and only part of the home most people walking past will ever see. The façade is of course all about street appeal, and when done right, it is an investment that will add considerably to the value of your home.
The elements and principles of design are like the ingredients and recipes of Interior Design and affect façades as well. Think of Colours, Shapes, Pattern, Contrast, and Scale just to name a few. The art of combining design elements and principles helps you create a façade to suit your home’s style and achieve the street appeal that makes your home attractive to you and others. Here are just a few relevant points taken from the extensive Module on Exteriors from Practical Design Online Course.
MATERIALS
To achieve an attractive façade, always consider how the combination of different materials adds visual interest. For example, bricks or render, or a mix of both? Think about how the look and materials you wish to use for windows, front door and garage door, will affect the character that you wish for your home. Learn about different materials from other facades that you like and look at duplicating their combination of materials, if you wish.
TIP – Consider maintenance. Bricks require very little upkeep, but render gives you the chance to update the colours of your home when it’s time to repaint it. Timber cladding will need regular re-staining, but timber-look products won’t require the same high maintenance…
COLOUR
Selecting colours is one of the most dramatic, quick, and cost-effective ways to establish the character of a home. In general, external colour schemes will feature 3 colours, and we suggest to follow the 60-30-10 rule (a percentage proportion for the allocation of colours) to create a visually pleasing façade. Choose the main colour, whichever the finish, that will establish the character of your home, then a complementary colour to feature against but support the first one, and then a colour to define the house’s features.
TIP – Because colours will always appear at least two shades lighter outside, you may want to paint some swatches on the walls, stand back and judge, to make sure you are happy with your selections.
ACCESSORIES
The lighting, landscaping, the path to the front door, fencing, gates, driveways, the street number, the letterbox… Think of the façades’ finishing touches as of the icing on your cake, or the earrings to your outfit. Whichever its style, Modern, Period or Coastal for example, every house needs some or all of these practical features, because they make your home enjoyable to you and your visiting guests.
TIP – Make sure all these features are cohesive in style or colours & finishes with the overall theme of the home.
The Practical Design Course has an extensive Module dedicated to façades and exteriors, sharing James Treble’s award-winning professional experience, and detailed case studies to guide you step by step in the creation of successful façades, with hundreds of practical tips you can apply right away.
James Treble is an ambassador for Planet Ark and firmly believes in sensible purchasing, recycling and creative re-purposing. James has three decades of accumulated experience in the Building Industry, Real Estate and Interior Design and regularly shares his knowledge and experience in adding value to properties through effective design & styling. Watch his free videos on YouTube, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram for more free information. More of James' knowledge is now accessible via Practical Design Online Course.