It’s kind of unfair, honestly. The inside can be beautiful. Like, styled, warm, personal, everything working together. But then you pull up to the house, and from the street it’s giving, well, it’s just way too plain. How are you supposed to give an amazing first impression to people who see your house if it’s just dull? Okay, sure, it’s not like it’s ugly or anything.

And no, it’s not even remotely close to being some sort of disaster, but it’s just flat. Like the exterior is one solid sheet of “fine,” and it doesn’t match how nice the interior actually is. It’s honestly fairly common for this to happen, but it’s more about knowing what to do, rather than just throwing money at the problem and hoping for a quick fix.

Flat Usually Means Everything is the Same Tone

Well, not literally speaking, like voice wise of voice. But in the sense that everything blends together. The siding, trim, roof, front door, and even the landscaping, it all sit in the same colour family with the same intensity. And yeah, neutral can be beautiful, but if it’s all the same neutral, the eye has nothing to latch onto. Just keep in mind here that yes, the outside of a house still needs some kind of structure.

Like, the trim that actually shows up, where it’s actually noticeable. It’s going to help to have a front door that has a point of view (and a lot of people make it the focal point by adding a fun color). Actually, even a roofline that doesn’t disappear into the siding colour. Even black window frames or darker gutters can add definition in a way that feels subtle but still intentional. Do you get the idea here? These things just stand out. Go look at Pinterest, which can give you a solid idea.

It helps to have contrast; it doesn’t need to be wild like a white house with a bright red door, honestly, going subtle is fine. But just avoid anything monochromatic, ot anything that just looks too much the same. It’s just way too boring.

The Exterior Might be Missing Depth

Sometimes people think the issue is style, like the house doesn’t look modern enough, or it doesn’t fit their taste. But a lot of the time it’s not style, it’s depth. The outside of the home doesn’t have enough layers. But what does this even mean, though? Well, depth can come from really practical things.

Like, it could help to look into the thicket trim, for example. If you have columns, do they look cheap and flimsy like hollow plastic? Even a better mailbox setup and nicer house numbers can add that “someone thought about this” feeling. At least with the mail box and numbers, that’s actually really affordable, so you could look into that.

Yes, the Materials Matter a Lot

So, just right above it was mentioned about using cheap plastic when it came to pillars, something that’s surprisingly common for a lot of houses (because it’s cheap). But of course, this looks cheap too. But that’s not the only thing here when it comes to materials making a visual impact, though. But even the same siding everywhere, no texture shift, no change in scale, nothing to break it up.

This is super common in builder-grade homes, because it’s efficient and affordable, but visually it can read as boring. You could easily hire an exterior remodeling contractor to help you out; they’ll be able to tell you the type of siding and even the color that would look best. Sometimes they even give 3D renderings to give you an idea of what your house could potentially look like, too.

Windows are a Huge Part of the Problem

Windows are one of the biggest reasons a house reads as flat, and it’s not because the windows are ugly. It’s because the windows aren’t framed in a way that creates contrast. Which again, needs to be emphasized here! Basically, if the trim is too thin, too close in color, or just not defined, the windows visually disappear. But when windows have definition, the house automatically looks more custom. Darker trim. Wider trim. Oh, and decorative trim details are used sparingly.

But seriously, even just choosing a slightly different tone for the trim than the siding can make the windows look like they belong in the design, instead of looking like they were punched out of the wall. Now, with that part said, don’t go overboard. Some people do, and then the house is well off. Basically, it starts to look busy pretty fast, and yes, even with windows, there can be a cluttered look.