What Decade Is Your Home Stuck In?

Does your home need a makeover? Keeping up with trends can be costly, but experts can tell what year your home was styled in just by looking at it's exterior. If you are looking to sell your home, being stuck in 1910 certainly isn't going to give you the highest return. Up your curb appeal before you sell! Here are example of houses by decade. What year is your exterior style from?

1910: White trim:

As homes started to migrate from the pioneer look, one feature they did keep was the white trim. Contrasting white trim around windows and doors pop against the darker-hued clapboard siding that was popular in regions like new England in the early 20th Century. However, some feel it’s timeless and still looks great today. For the best curb appeal though, try going to opposite route with a black bean colored trim from Milgard, and a lighter shade siding from Diamond-Kote. The two pair perfectly.

Craftsman Style:

Craftsman style is represented in the triangular shapes, thick columns, gabled roofs, muted colors and wide porches. Pairing horizontal siding with board-and-batten triangular additions gave the illusion that the home was taller than it really is. Let’s keep this one in 1910 and instead pair board-and-batten with stone and dark trim.

1920s: Mixed Materials:

An exterior mix of cottage stone and clapboard was started in the 1920s. If you like the old fashioned character of your cottage style home, keep it! If not, try upgrading from solid stone to stone veneer or manufactured stone.

1930s: Farmhouse

Vertical cladding in classic “barn red” and a white Dutch door is certainly authentic, but it’s not going to up your curb appeal to sell in 2019. Even the newer home shown here isn’t up to par on curb appeal. When is the last time you saw a bright red Colorado Ranch home on the market to sell? Ranch homes in towns like Golden, or Littleton look modern and sleek today. However, you can keep your farmhouse style while offering curb appeal. Go for white or off white vertical cladding, and a dark colored (dark red is even good!) modern door. Simply switching the colors and a new door style can please both your inner farmer and the onlookers. Having bright red siding is keeping your home stuck in the 30s.

1940s: Subtle Details

Classic Cape Cod style homes and cozy porch-less cottages are a thing of the 40s. Reflecting the economy and the World War II era, exterior details were slim to none. Home were flat in the front or had a very small set of steps to the front door. Homes were simple, and the detailing was in the shrubbery or shutters. This one here most likely has an addition to its small and square original build. A traditional cape cod home has two windows on each side of the front door, where this one looks like the left side windows were updated to match the windows on the addition.

1950s:

Kitschy Colors

Fine lines, large windows and a “happy” color palette was common in this decade. Flat and rectangular stone was introduced as a modern look to accent the flat and peppy exterior.This home also appears to be a cape cod original with some upgrades in the roofing structure and windows.

1960s: All-American and Colonial

Americana and Colonial trends of the 60s were often reflected in home exteriors, switching from modern to historic. Classic shutters, white siding, and cupolas are a good indicator of the All-American 60s. Cupolas are the small domes on top. Some cupolas are used solely for ventilation and light, but this one is big enough to be used as a lookout. Cupolas were brought back into architecture in the 60’s to give homes a more historic look, as they originated in the Renaissance of Roman culture. In Latin, cupola simply means dome. Unlike this home, many in the 60's were still quite square from being built in the 40s.

1970s:

Earthy Tones:

Kitschy colors didn't last long. Let’s try earthy tones all over instead. Brick had also seriously caught on by this time and was paired mainly with the earthy tones- mostly browns. Many apartment buildings were constructed during this time, and still have this 70s style today.

1980s: Contemporary Details:

Disco Dies and home exteriors become a thing of importance again. Houses started getting bigger and more contemporary. New builds used a neutral stucco instead of siding, and uniquely shaped windows. This era brought on the arched and hexagon shaped windows. We now call these radius windows. Today, these still have potential to add uniqueness, beauty, and character to your home, when chosen properly. Click here to see the style we like from Milgard.

1990s:

Streamlined Columns

Going back to a more secluded style than the boldness of the 80’s, columns were added to exteriors to hide away the home. Unlike in the past however, the columns slimmed out and don’t take away from the authenticity and beauty of the home. Today, this is most commonly seen on beach homes, where outdoor shade is a necessity, not just a seemingly pointless fad.

2000s:

Bold Accents:

Let’s not get kitschy, but we are over the brick, let’s try neutral with a bold accent? Soft hues of gray, beige, and light browns were common, but needed some excitement to help them stand out. This is when adding colored doors and trim became a no-brainer. Bold doors became a popularly striking element against neutral siding colors that added curb appeal at this time.

2010s:

Shingles and Siding Materials:

This is where things really set in for a while. Timelessness was brought in by traditional materials like cedar, and siding that appears to look like a material it isn’t. Vinyl was popular to be designed with staggered edges to look like wood, but without the upkeep. Cool-hued shingles were trendy, but the fashionable detail is one that has yet to disappear, is “invisible” separators . This can be done in several ways, many people had big sliding doors that nearly disappeared after being open, glass walls and retractable doors.

2019: To see the hottest trends of 2019 check out our blog here.

No matter what era you like best, Z Double B can give you free advice to up your curb appeal while also finding something you like. Give us a call today for a free consultation or quote at 303-997-8168 or visit our show room at 12860 W. Cedar Drive unit 110, Lakewood, Colorado.