modern home exterior with cantilevered roof entry and sprial staircase

How to Select the Right Exterior Finishes for Your Modern House

When choosing your new home’s exterior finishes, consider location, maintenance and natural aging

Creating a home of lasting value is top of mind for those building a new house. For most of us, our home is our largest investment, so of course we want to see our hard-earned dollars protected. Homeowners building a modern house want an innovative design, but not at the cost of it looking dated in a few years.

Aesthetics and initial cost must be balanced with maintenance. When researching the materials and finishes for your new home, understand the level of maintenance that different materials require, and the time and expense entailed. Choose materials that don’t require more upkeep than you can undertake. Here are examples from new homes and iconic vintage homes that get the exterior finish right.

home exterior with large tree in foreground
The house is climatically smart as well. Whereas the north-facing front facade has limited areas of glass, the rear of the home opens with more glass to take advantage of winter sun.
roof deck of home with exposed beam trellis
The second-floor sun porch makes good use of painted wood for the trellis and the wood privacy wall. The floor decking is left unfinished to age over time.