Ever look at your house and feel like something’s just… off, but you can’t put your finger on it? Same here. I’ll catch myself staring at the exterior wondering what a new paint color or a different window style would do. That’s when it hit me, the exterior sets the mood, makes the first impression, and totally changes how you (and everyone else) feel about the place.
Credits: Babajengis
Follow along with these exterior makeovers, and by the time you’re done, you might just have the spark you need to figure out what’s been “off” with your own place, and how to make it feel just right.
What struck me about u/Bugbear259’s makeover is how risky choices turned into such a cohesive cottage vibe. The brick—painted in Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray, could’ve easily gone wrong, but paired with cedar trim, rain chains, and a softer roofline, it actually highlights the textures instead of burying them. I liked that the house feels warmer and more inviting than the previous version.
The updates to the house itself are sharp, with the darker trim, new garage door, and that fresh entryway giving it a more modern edge. But trading the layered garden for a broad lawn stripped away so much of its warmth. It’s clean and low-maintenance now, sure, yet I can’t shake the feeling that the soul of the home lived in that garden, leaving the exterior looking a little too polished and impersonal.
u/pameliaA’s bungalow glow-up honestly feels like the kind of remodel everyone secretly hopes for when they buy an older house. Instead of slapping on white paint and calling it a day, they stained the brick with a mix of colors, which gave it that rich, natural stone vibe while still letting it breathe. Pair that with the Essex Green siding, cedar trim, and a few Tudor-inspired details, and suddenly this 1940s place looks like it belongs in a storybook.
I get the charm of that old triangle deck, it really leaned into the 70s quirkiness of the house. But the way u/halfendless rebuilt it with a curved composite design changes the whole vibe. The softer lines feel more organic, almost like the house is stretching into the landscape instead of jutting out from it. Paired with the earthy siding and stone, the update makes the place feel less like a relic and more like it naturally belongs among the trees. It’s a big shift, but it works because it respects both the architecture and the environment.
My jaw dropped when I saw whatmopedgirl did with this 1927 Detroit Tudor. The brick and trim were carefully refreshed, and instead of playing it safe, they went with a metal roof. Instead of slate, which would have been historically accurate for a Tudor, they explained that the structure of the house simply couldn’t handle the weight.
The choice of a metal roof came down to two things: long-term durability and planning ahead for solar panels.
When you’re remodeling, don’t get stuck on “what’s traditional” if it doesn’t make sense for your house. Think about structure, longevity, and how you’ll use the home in the future.
Many people see exposed brick as sacred, but u/hashtagfan took a chance with a lime slurry finish, and it works beautifully, softening the facade while keeping that textured depth. Pairing it with cedar shakes and copper gutters makes the whole exterior feel cohesive and ready to age gracefully into a patina. The roof is what really impressed me though, standing seam metal can sometimes look too harsh, but the addition of snow guards and heat tape turns a practical necessity into a thoughtful design element. It’s the kind of smart choice you make when your winters bring 20+ feet of snow.
I have to hand it to u/Unique_Cauliflower62, painting a whole house in such a bold shade was a risk, but it completely paid off. They call it teal, though in some lights it swings blue and in others it leans green, which honestly makes it more fun.
Honestly, both the before and after had their charm, but this version feels way more polished. And it cracked me up that someone even tried to steal the photos and pretend it was their own place, when a reno looks that good, I guess it’s bound to happen.
poemofo’s renovation of his late father’s home is one of those projects that feels bigger than just a makeover. The “before and afters” show how much the place was transformed, from dark and dated to something with real curb appeal and warmth.
The new paint really pulls everything together and makes the house feel warmer and more inviting. Instead of that tired look, the fresh color gives the exterior a softer glow that works beautifully with the natural wood.
The light blue is on the porch ceiling and the grey is on some concrete areas at the back of the house that had been painted previously. Rookwood Sash Green looks way different in person than online and the color changes a lot depending on the sun/time of day.
The previous owner painted everything in red, literally everything, in one color. Walls, doors, deck, etc… It flattened out all the character and left the place looking tired instead of charming.
With the new paint, you finally see the architectural lines and details breathe again, and it’s wild how just breaking up the colors can make the whole house feel brighter, sharper, and way more welcoming. It costs about 2800 for all the paint, and it’s quite budget friendly. Credits: TehFuriousOne
I love this kind of “column lottery” story. u/ToughLittleTomato and her boyfriend pulled off the scrap pine boards and found the original round porch columns still in decent shape, what a win. It took stripping years of paint, loads of wood fill, and a ton of patience, but now the porch has its balance back.
I’m honestly amazed at how something as simple as uncovering a column can completely change the vibe of a house. It opened up the porch and made it looks more inviting.
I’ve got to say, I love both versions of this house. The enclosed porch had its own kind of charm, but opening it up completely changed the vibe, you finally see the columns, the stained glass, and those new replica steps that make the entry feel grand again. The fresh paint palette of deep maroon shakes, green and brass trim, and warm beige siding ties it all together, and the carriage red porch floor is such a bold touch.
I get way too excited over soft lighting, thrifted finds, and rearranging furniture at 2am. I’m here for the cozy chaos, the little corners that feel just right, and making a home that feels like you. Not fancy. Just real.