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Three decorating styles for your house exterior

By Chatelaine | Chatelaine – Wed, 29 Jun, 2011 12:00 AM EDT

Go for subtle contrast by mixing traditional and contemporary details to give your home a casually elegant feel. Add texture and warmth to a brick facade with wood panelling painted a soft grey-green. In this home, black window frames add visual strength and definition, while the glossy black door and a slate-grey roof lend a sense of formality. Modern accents like stainless-steel planters make a traditional stone bench and flagstone walkway feel fresh. Keep plantings simple by choosing boxwood, hostas, forget-me-nots and white impatiens.

Get the details right to capture an aura of historical authenticity. Choose suitable accents: for Victorian style homes, look for busy, ornate accessories. The tall and skinny proportions of this home are telltale Victorian, a style now reflected in the painted grillwork above the bay window and the delicate number plaque and light. A curved path, combined with feminine hydrangea and a flowering dogwood tree, gives the home a pretty, decorative look that's well suited to its age.

Contemporary design is all about keeping it simple, and playing up horizontal and vertical lines. To give an uninspired home a slick update, start with a natural texture like stone, add dark wood trim, and replace a worn-out garage door with a brushed aluminum one. Emphasize the clean lines by using large, wrap-around windows and wood detailing around the door. Choose simple planters, and introduce a little softness with a Japanese maple and fluffy hydrangea.

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