The First Thing Southern Designers Notice About Your Home's Exterior

Some people prioritize dining in new restaurants or shopping at local boutiques when they travel. My first order of business in a new place? Suss out the most charming neighborhood in the area, and then wander its streets until I’ve had my fill of curb appeal—or I’ve scoured Zillow for every last detail of the house I’ve decided will one day be mine. Based on the content of my camera roll after any of these exterior-ogling excursions, it’s become clear I have a type when it comes to home exteriors. I tend to brake for classical symmetry, flower-swamped trellises, and Dutch doors—bonus points if they’re the just-right shade of green. We know Southern designers have those curb appeal elements that they’ll brake for too, so we asked them: What’s the first thing you notice about a home’s exterior? Here’s what they had to say—and their answers may not be what you’re expecting. 

Not the House

Surprise, surprise! It may not be the actual house that a designer takes note of first. “I always notice and love a pea gravel driveway,” says Atlanta decorator Allison Allen. “It’s so charming in the right setting! Also, I always notice mature landscaping. Some things can't be rushed.” Anna Still and Marguerite Johnson of Birmingham, Alabama’s Still Johnson Interiors agree: “There is such a personal connection with nature; it is so welcoming to approach a home with a lush yard. It brings your home to life. The house is just a structure without landscaping—landscaping gives soul to that structure.”

Balance and Scale 

“Proportions can make or break a home,” notes Johnson. “So often windows, doors, and even the slope of the roof are out of proportion, which ruins a home’s exterior. You might not necessarily know what is off, but [you will] recognize something is not quite right. If the exterior proportions are right, it is a good sign that the interior architecture is pleasing as well.”

The Color Palette

“The first thing I notice about a home's exterior is when they have too many paint colors,” says Houston designer Lila Malone. “A good rule of thumb is to stick to no more than 3 colors when painting the house—shutters, front door, gutters, window trim, etc. It's best to streamline and repeat a trim color on several areas to keep a sophisticated and tailored look.” Birmingham, Alabama, designer Fran Keenan agrees: "The first thing I notice about a home’s exterior is tied for paint & lighting. Those two elements together can communicate so much about a home’s aesthetic." 

Thoughtful Features 

“Details that give character, like shutters, a leaded glass window, or classic architectural elements tend to jump out at me,” says Dallas designer Andrea Marino Taylor. “This can also be as simple as a bold front door, well-manicured yard, or a gracious front porch.”

Exterior Materials

“We tend to notice immediately the exterior materials and their quality,” says Johnson. “When designing the interior of a home, we look to the exterior materials to inform the materials on the interior so we have been trained to scrutinize those aspects. The materials of a well-constructed home will only get better over time through patina and age, which is something we try to do on the inside too. We love studying different exterior materials (brick, stucco, siding, stone) and the ways they successfully interact with accessory components such as windows and doors.”