How To Modernize Your Homes Exterior
- Sep 13, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 20
How To Modernize Your Home Exterior: Inspiring Exterior Facelift Ideas for Your Home
You likely think about the exterior of your house as a peek or preview into your personal style. But the aesthetics and trends that we bring to our living spaces change and evolve.
So whether your home's exterior has started to show signs of wear, you're looking for a fresh take, or you just want to go for a whole new style, a modern home exterior could be the answer.
In this article, we’ll explore how to modernize the exterior of your home, from subtle tweaks that can breathe new life into classic architecture to total transformations that may reinvent the exterior of your home.
Read on for 10+ ways to give your home a more modern curb appeal and where to begin.
Table of Contents
How To Know if Your Home Is in Need of an Exterior Upgrade
13 Ways To Modernize Your Home Exterior
Lifetime Remodeling Systems: Modernizing Home Exteriors in Portland, OR, Since 1997
How To Know if Your Home Is in Need of an Exterior Upgrade
Homeowners often overlook signs that their home's exterior may need an upgrade. Here are key indicators that suggest your home could benefit from a refresh:
Visible wear and tear: Peeling paint, faded siding, cracked stucco, or rotted wood can diminish curb appeal.
Outdated aesthetics: If the exterior feels outdated or doesn't reflect your style, consider modernizing.
Lack of maintenance: Regular cleaning and maintenance can extend the life of your home’s exterior.
Energy efficiency: Upgrading to energy-efficient windows, doors, and insulation can improve appearance and reduce bills.
Frequent repairs: Constant repairs may indicate the need for a comprehensive upgrade to address underlying issues.
Inadequate functionality: Upgrades can enhance outdoor space, storage, and access points.
Neighborhood transformation: If nearby homes are being renovated, your home might appear dated in comparison.
Personalization: An upgrade offers the chance to personalize your home's appearance.
Resale value: A modern, well-maintained exterior can significantly boost resale value, as curb appeal is crucial for potential buyers.
13 Ways To Modernize Your Home Exterior
#1: Install James Hardie Siding
Fiber cement siding is a popular choice for modernizing your home's exterior due to its versatility and benefits, enhancing both appearance and functionality.
Available in various finishes, textures, and colors, it offers a sleek, contemporary look aligned with modern design trends.
Benefits of fiber cement siding like Hardieplank include:
Versatility
Durability
Weather resistance
Low maintenance
Energy efficiency
Design flexibility
Hardieplank is more affordable than other premium sidings like cedar but offers a similar appearance.
For a modern look, choose a smooth surface with a smaller reveal, such as the 6-inch smooth Hardieplank, ideal for modern siding options.
Lifetime Remodeling Systems has over 25 years of experience in exterior home remodeling, including numerous Hardieplank siding installations.
As a James Hardie Elite Preferred Contractor, we are the top exterior remodeler and siding contractor in Portland, OR.
#2: Add an Accent Wall
Can your home accommodate an accent wall? If so, that wall will draw guests in toward the entry door.
Stain-grade cedar or hardwood is great for entry areas as it can really warm the space up, but also produce an impactful effect when combined with the modern siding look.
The combination will really pop, especially on ranch homes.
#3: Update Your Paint Color
Paint color is a simple, yet powerful, factor that can help modernize your home’s exterior.
The right choice of paint color can instantly transform the look of your home, making it feel fresh, contemporary, and aligned with current design trends.
Gray shades, along with gray-blues, blacks, and whites, are more modern options, especially when paired with a stained accent wall or a porch ceiling.
Paint is a personal, low-cost, and immediate way to modernize home exteriors.
#4: Square Off Any Arches
Removing arches and squaring off any windows, garages, brick arches, etc. can quickly work to modernize a home.
Modern architecture often embraces clean lines, simplicity, and minimalism. The intricate curves and details of arches can sometimes clash with the minimalist aesthetic, and work against a modern facade.
#5: Darken and Enlarge the Windows
Replacing your windows with the addition of dark-colored windows is a great way to modernize a home.
This upgrade can work to transform the overall look of your home while enhancing its:
Natural light
Spatial dynamics; and
Aesthetic curb appeal
#6: Reduce Your Trim Size
Modern exteriors are all about sleek silhouettes. A 3-inch trim size gives a smaller, cleaner look compared to a standard 4-inch or a 6-inch often seen on a craftsman home.
The color scheme is important here as well, and a monochromatic look — where the window trim and corners are the same color as the siding — will help achieve a modern aesthetic and help dark windows have more of a pop.
#7: Replace Your Garage Doors
Garage doors are often a last thought and many homeowners resort to traditional or dated options. This detail may be the “weakest link” when it comes to your home’s exterior.
By replacing your garage doors with more modern options, you can up your curb appeal and your home’s value.
Consider:
Wood garage doors
Flush panel garage doors
Glass garage doors
Bi-fold garage doors
#8: Update Your Fixtures
Fixtures, i.e. porch or garage lights, house numbers, door hardware, mailboxes, and walkway lights, can all be updated in an attempt to modernize your home.
Be mindful of font styles, color, and shape to really give the finishing touch and complete your modern theme.
When selecting modern fixtures for your home's exterior, opt for simplicity and functionality. Choosing a cohesive design and a consistent selection of fixtures can enhance your home's curb appeal and convey a contemporary aesthetic.
#9: Focus on Clean Lines
Sleek and clean lines are hallmark characteristics of homes with a modern style. This type of design focuses on simplicity, minimalism, and a sense of open space.
When looking at the exterior of your home, you may focus on adding clean lines:
Along the roofline
In your landscaping
To your built-in features
In your hardware
All of these seemingly small details can have a big impact when you take a step back.
#10: Redesign Your Landscaping
Landscaping is a powerful element when you look at how to modernize your home’s exterior.
You could consider adding some strategic shrubs or plants up against your home or creating those telltale clean lines with flower beds or walkways leading up to the home.
Just be sure to avoid blocking any windows or added lighting features and keep the layout as clean as possible.
#11: Update Your Roof
Luckily, there are many ways to modernize your home by updating your roof with more modern materials and colors.
Opt for roofing materials that align with modern aesthetics, including:
Standing seam metal
Dark shingles
Synthetic slate; or
Concrete tiles
Materials with sleek and clean lines will add to the modern look you're after, while neutral shades like gray, black, white, or muted, earthy tones can give your home a fresh and contemporary curb appeal.
#12: Build an Attractive Entryway
For many homes, the entryway is the architectural focal point of the home.
Enlarging the entry and adding a porch or enclosure that accents the rest of the home can be very impactful, and is a great option for modernizing a home that’s not symmetrical or has an entryway that otherwise goes unnoticed.
#13: Replace Your Driveway and Walkways
Dated asphalt or gravel can drag down the appearance of a home.
Modernize your home by replacing any pathways to the home with:
Concrete
Interlocking brick
Flagstone
Exposed aggregate
Pavers; or
Tiles
Organizing your driveway and/or walkways in straight lines, grids, or simple repeating designs can help you achieve a more modern look.
Lifetime Remodeling Systems: Modernizing Home Exteriors in Portland For 25 Years
From meeting to providing estimates to designing, building, and closing out a project, Lifetime Remodeling Systems ensures you’re completely satisfied with the entire experience, which is why our work and our products are backed by our Lifetime Warranty.
We strive to be your contractor for life, and our team is dedicated to providing professional estimates and unbeatable customer service while delivering the modernized exterior you’re dreaming of.
