A contemporary house exterior, tried on your own house.

What makes a contemporary house exterior

• Mixed materials. Wood cladding beside painted siding, stone or stucco, each in a clear block.
• A restrained palette. Charcoal, warm grey, white or black with natural wood. One accent at most.
• Simple trim. Slim, plain trim and fascia in place of decorative brackets and moldings.
• Considered lighting. Wall lights by the door and low lights along the path and steps.
• Structured planting. Grasses and shrubs in groups, with straight paving in large slabs.

What to check on your own house

A photo of someone else’s house exterior can’t tell you how the style sits with your light, your proportions and the things you are keeping. These are the points to look at once it is on your photo:

• What stays. The roof, masonry and window positions usually stay. See whether the new materials sit well with them.
• Wood upkeep. Natural wood cladding needs regular sealing or it turns grey. Ask about wood-look alternatives if you like the design.
• Paving and planting. A design often redraws the front path and beds. Treat that as a separate project with its own cost.

Before

After

Before and after comparison. Drag or use arrow keys to reveal more of either image.

Where it works, and where it doesn’t

It suits most house shapes, because it works through materials and color and not through added features. It is a practical way to update a house from the 1970s to the 2000s.

On a house with strong period character, such as a Victorian or a detailed craftsman, stripping the trim back can remove what makes it attractive. There, keep the details and borrow the contemporary palette only.

How to see it on your own house

1. Photograph the front of the house. Stand across the street or at the end of the drive on an overcast day or with the sun behind you, and get the whole front and the roofline in frame.
2. Choose the room and the style. In Remodel, pick House exterior as the room and Contemporary as the style. Remodel is designed to keep the shape of the space and its windows and to change the finishes around them.
3. Run a second style on the same photo. Try Farmhouse next and drag the slider on each. A style is easier to judge beside another one than on its own.
4. Refine the one you keep. On a paid plan, Edit changes one thing you describe and Brush changes only the area you paint over. Designs are saved in your Library beside the original photo.

Styles to compare it with

• Farmhouse. Paler, more rustic and more traditional in shape. This one is included with a free account.
• Modern. Plainer and more geometric, with less wood.
• Mid-Century Modern. Warm wood and low horizontal lines, with a period feel. This one is included with a free account.

What a design can’t tell you

An exterior design is a concept, not construction drawings. It can’t tell you what siding, paint or planting costs, what your climate or a homeowners’ association allows, or whether a porch or window change is structurally possible. A design can also add things that aren’t there, such as paving or planting. Treat those as ideas to price, not as a plan.

What it costs

On the web, house exteriors come with every paid plan, starting with Basic at $13 a month, or $91 a year. A free account covers living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, dining rooms and offices, so you can try a room first. Every paid plan adds Edit and Brush and unlocks all the styles and room types. The pricing page lists what each plan includes.

Common questions

What makes a house exterior look contemporary?

A simple palette, two or three materials used in clear blocks, plain trim, dark or slim window frames, and modern lighting and planting.

What colors suit a contemporary exterior?

Charcoal, black, warm grey and white, usually with natural wood. Many houses use one dark and one light tone, plus wood.

Can I see a new siding color on my own house?

Yes. Try exterior styles on a photo of the house, or on a paid plan paint over the siding with Brush and name the color you want to see.

Is the Contemporary style free to try on a house exterior?

Not this one. On the web, house exteriors come with every paid plan, starting with Basic at $13 a month, or $91 a year. A free account, with starter credits and no card, covers living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, dining rooms and offices. The pricing page lists what each plan includes.