How to Modernize a Split-Level Home Exterior: Top Tips and Ideas
One of the most famous house designs of the mid-1900s is the split-level home, which features inconsistencies in floor levels and a distinctive roofline. These homes have character and charm, but sometimes the exterior needs updates to align with today’s tastes. Whether it’s a simple upgrade to enhance the first impression or prepping the home for sale, there are many ways to elevate the exterior of split-level homes. In this blog, we will take a practical look at how to update your split-level home to a chic and modern one. With insights from home builders Marble Falls TX, we’ll explore effective strategies for transforming your home’s curb appeal.
Before starting external upgrades, identify a split-level home. They are typically three or four floors, with a short flight of stairs between each one. They usually have relatively flat roofs; front-facing, two or more car garages; and an odd number of bays. The purpose of remodeling is to maintain the architectural style of the house while also adding beautiful features of current trends.
How to Modernize Your Split-Level Home: 7 Key Renovation Ideas
The unusual architecture and practical layout of split-level homes are reminiscent of the mid-20th century. Fortunately, you can go modern without moving house! Here are some ways to modernize your split-level home:
1. Update the Exterior Color Palette
Your home’s exterior (including faux brick or other types of lower façade) can give away its age. New siding, lower façade materials, and paint are simple split-level home renovations, but they have a huge impact. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a new color palette:
- Opt for Neutral Shades: Light gray, white, beige, and charcoal looks to give a split-level home a more contemporary feel while respecting the structure of the layout. The colors above offer a fresh look that can help enhance the general look of the project.
- Incorporate Bold Accents: You can paint shutters, front doors, or trim in a bold color to highlight character and architectural features. They are best used for distinction and focusing attention on certain areas of your home Like deep blue, forest green, or black.
- Consider a Two-Tone Scheme: Using a two-tone color scheme to modernize the exterior is effective in the case of split-level structures because the structure has different parts. For example, use a shade one number higher on the color spectrum for the lower floor and a shade one number lower on the color spectrum for the upper area.
2. Enhance the Entryway
The design of any home comes first at the entryway and therefore should be done well. For split-level homes, where the front door can sometimes be less prominent, consider these upgrades:
- Install a Modern Front Door: Get a new door that has either colored glass or designs that inspire an eye-catching entrance. The entrance also benefits from a bold color, which can be chosen in addition to the options mentioned above.
- Add a Covered Porch or Overhang: Designing a small porch or adding an overhang is functional as well as decorative. If designed and placed correctly, it can protect its visitors from adverse climatic conditions as well as bring uniqueness to the architectural interest.
- Use Statement Lighting: It is possible to place stylish lamps near doorways or along paths – they will brighten up the space and emphasize the architect’s work. Select shiny metallic accessories without curves and more straight designs for that contemporary look.
3. Update the Siding and Materials
Thus, exterior wall materials determine the house’s appearance. On split-level homes, new siding or materials can update the look:
- Replace Old Siding: We also now have fiber cement engineered wood and natural wood siding for tired siding. By implication, these materials offer a smooth and simple look.
- Add Stone or Brick Accents: The use of stone or brick when adding an accent can add the feeling of texture and class. Utilize these materials on the lower levels, columns, or as part of wall cladding to prevent large areas of siding from overpowering a home.
- Combine Different Textures: Combining wood, metal, and stones can liven up the shape. Add wood shingles to the upper part of the building and stone to the lower part to separate but integrate them.
4. Reimagine the Roof Design
Split-level homes typically have low-pitched or even flat roofs that can appear old-fashioned. Modernizing the roof can have a significant impact on the overall look of the exterior.
- Install a New Roof with Architectural Shingles: It features architectural shingles that help you change the look of your roof to a more modern outlook. Select the right colors for paintwork to match new sidings as much as possible.
- Add Roof Overhangs or Eaves: The use of overhangs or eaves past a room’s roofline will make the house look more modern and stylish. This also has utilitarian value as it protects the siding and window from the effects of exposure to rain and sun damage.
- Consider a Metal Roof Accent: Appending a vertical metal roof detail to a porch, bay window, or another architectural feature will give a house a modern flair and eliminate the need for painting.
5. Improve the Garage Door
Split-level homes can have large and varied garage doors that dominate the exterior; therefore, it is worth improving them. Here are some options for modernizing your garage door:
- Install a New Garage Door: It is common to switch an old design door with a new one including a carriage-style door, frosted glass, and even a metal door. This can greatly boost the outlook of the front of the house, van, or any commercial building.
- Add Windows to the Garage Door: Incorporating windows added to the garage door can help to decrease the industrial look of the door and make it look a bit more like a house’s door, as well as introduce some patterns into the door and let in light.
- Paint the Garage Door to Match the Home’s Exterior: Matching the garage door color to that of the siding or trim paint makes the door extremely discreet while giving it a different color than the exterior colors of the home, drawing attention to it.
6. Upgrade the Landscaping
For a modern landscape around a split-level home, consider designs that offer neat looks while enhancing the home’s exterior. Integrate clean lines, native plants, and contemporary outdoor lighting to create a polished, cohesive aesthetic. Home builder burnet tx expertise can also add valuable insights, especially when incorporating landscape features that harmonize with your home’s structure. This approach not only modernizes the landscape but also adds a balanced, visually appealing curb appeal.
- Incorporate Modern Plantings: There is nothing that is allowed in Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, so select small shrubs that do not have large flowers like roses but more geometric shapes such as grasses, cactus, or even well-trimmed hedges.
- Install Hardscape Features: Incorporate the latest hardscape, such as stone or concrete pathways, an elongated cement surface, or wooden flooring, depending on the type of home. The beauty of using horizontal lines in the design is that it can enhance the architectural design of the home.
- Use Outdoor Lighting to Highlight Landscaping: Light up specific areas of the landscape, walkways, flower beds, and designer buildings. The best way to beautify a yard using light is by using solar lamps or any LED lamps to make the lighting process efficient.
7. Add Modern Windows and Doors
Windows and doors may or may not be organs or limbs in the home exterior design. Replace outdated windows and doors for energy efficiency and aesthetics.
- Install Larger Windows: Floor-length or large windows around apertures add natural light and modern style. They also provide an opportunity for more fresh air to enter during the day, improving the interiors of the area.
- Opt for Black Window Frames: Black frames around windows are often used in contemporary buildings. They complement brightly colored siding and also present an aspect of elegance and modernity.
- Replace Sliding Doors with French or Folding Doors: If there are sliding doors in the home, then there can be replacements for French doors or bi-fold doors. These options give a much better look and provide the best transition of the inside of the house with the exterior features.
Conclusion
The exterior of a split-level home can be updated by changing the color palette, siding, and landscaping. These ideas can give your property a modern appeal while keeping its uniqueness. With the correct strategy, your split-level home may become a modern beauty that shines out in any community.
Looking for more personalized advice on modernizing your home? Contact Christopher Custom Homes for expert guidance and custom renovation services.