Types of House Exteriors, 5 popular exterior styles

Types of House Exteriors: A Style Guide for Every Home

ByAmy Dutton

The exterior of your home sets the tone for what’s inside and can say a lot about how you want your home to feel.

But with so many different types of house exteriors, where do you start? Let’s look at a few of the most popular styles and the details that give each one its personality.

Farmhouse Exteriors

Farmhouse style has stayed popular for a reason. It feels comfortable, familiar, and timeless.

Traditional farm house exteriors often feature simple rooflines, wood siding, large windows, and welcoming porches. A modern farmhouse house exterior might add cleaner lines, larger windows, darker accents, or a more contemporary color palette.

The goal isn’t to include every farmhouse detail. Sometimes, a few simple elements are all you need.

Farm house exterior with wood siding, large windows, and welcoming front porch
Cottage house exterior with charming roofline, shingle siding, and landscaped yard

Cottage Exteriors

Cottage house exteriors are all about charm. Think cozy proportions, interesting rooflines, beautiful landscaping, and materials that feel connected to the setting.

Shingles, clapboard, stone, brick, and painted wood can all work beautifully. The best cottages often feel as though they’ve been there forever, even when they’re brand new.

Beach House Exteriors

Beach houses tend to feel relaxed, casual, and connected to the landscape.

For beach house exteriors, I love simple forms, plenty of windows, natural textures, and colors that work with the surroundings. And when you’re considering colors for beach house exteriors, don’t feel like you have to stick with blue and white. Soft gray, warm taupe, muted green, or natural wood can create a beautiful coastal feeling without feeling too ‘ocean’ themed.

Beach house exterior with large windows, natural textures, and relaxed coastal design
Mid-century modern house exterior with clean lines, large windows, and natural materials

Mid-Century Modern Exteriors

Clean lines, simple forms, and a connection between indoors and out define mid-century modern house exteriors.

You’ll often see low-pitched roofs, large windows, and a mix of natural materials like wood and stone. The architecture does most of the talking, so there’s usually no need for a lot of decorative details.

Contemporary Ranch Exteriors

The ranch house is one of the most adaptable home styles. Its single-story layout works beautifully for modern living, and it can take on many different personalities.

Contemporary ranch house exteriors often combine clean lines, simple rooflines, oversized windows, and natural materials. With the right proportions and details, a ranch can feel fresh, modern, and anything but dated.

Contemporary ranch house exterior with simple roofline, oversized windows, and modern materials

Finding Your Exterior Style

When you’re looking for house exterior ideas, don’t start by asking what’s trending. Start by noticing what you love.


Save the homes that catch your eye and look for the common threads. Do you gravitate toward the simplicity of a farmhouse, the charm of a cottage, the relaxed feeling of a beach house, or the clean lines of a modern home?
And if you’re still not sure, take our Exterior Design Style Quiz. It’s a fun, easy way to explore your preferences and get a better sense of the architectural styles and exterior details you naturally gravitate toward.


You don’t have to choose just one style, either. Some of the most interesting homes borrow details from different styles to create something that feels personal and completely your own.

Find Your Exterior Style

Types of House Exteriors FAQs

Different types of house exteriors include farmhouse, cottage, beach house, mid-century modern, contemporary ranch, colonial, bungalow, Cape Cod, and other architectural styles. Each style is defined by details such as rooflines, siding and other materials, windows, porches, proportions, and decorative elements.

Start by collecting house exterior ideas that catch your eye and look for patterns. Pay attention to the rooflines, materials, windows, colors, porches, and overall proportions you consistently prefer. You can also take our exterior design style quiz to help identify the architectural styles that fit your preferences.

Popular house exterior styles include farmhouse, cottage, beach house, ranch, colonial, bungalow, and modern and contemporary homes. Many homeowners also combine elements from multiple styles to create an exterior that feels personal rather than following one style exactly.

Farmhouse house exteriors typically feature simple rooflines, wood or board-and-batten siding, large windows, and welcoming porches. Modern farmhouse house exteriors may incorporate cleaner lines, larger windows, darker accents, and a more contemporary color palette.

Cottage house exteriors are known for their cozy proportions, distinctive rooflines, inviting details, and connection to the surrounding landscape. Common exterior materials include shingles, clapboard, stone, brick, and painted wood.

Beach house exteriors typically emphasize a relaxed connection to the surrounding landscape through simple forms, generous windows, natural textures, and an understated color palette. Coastal-inspired exteriors do not have to rely exclusively on blue and white; soft gray, warm taupe, muted green, and natural wood can also create a relaxed coastal feel.

Colors for beach house exteriors can range from traditional blue and white to softer neutrals and nature-inspired shades. Soft gray, warm taupe, muted green, white, and natural wood tones can create a coastal feeling without making the home feel overly themed.

Mid-century modern house exteriors are characterized by clean lines, simple forms, low-pitched roofs, large windows, and a strong connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. Natural materials such as wood and stone are often paired with minimal decorative details.

Contemporary ranch house exteriors often combine the traditional single-story ranch layout with clean lines, simple rooflines, oversized windows, and natural materials. Thoughtful proportions and modern exterior details can give a ranch home a fresh, contemporary appearance.

Yes. Combining details from different architectural styles can create a home exterior that feels personal and distinctive. Rather than following every characteristic of one style, you can choose the roofline, materials, windows, colors, and other details you love from several styles and bring them together cohesively.

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