Make Your House Look More Custom Without a Full Renovation

Having a flat house isn’t necessarily a fun idea to live in, right? Sure, you can add some beauty inside, like crown molding, some pretty window treatments, unique art, and so immediately indoors it has some character, but the outside of the house seems a bit more challenging when it comes to adding character to the house, right? Like, a flat out is like the equivalent to unseasoned chicken. Sure, it’s doable, but no one wants something unseasoned. 

And yeah, sure, paint is always the first suggestion, because paint feels like the easy fix. But paint can’t magically create dimension if the house has no shadow lines, no layers, and no details to catch the eye. It’s like painting a plain white sheet a new color and expecting it to become a Victorian gingerbread house. Sure, it’s a cute idea, but it’s not exactly how it works.

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Why Some Houses Look Full of Character 

Well, some do, and others don’t, so what gives here? Some houses just have it. Victorian homes with trim details that look like somebody spent a whole afternoon being extra on purpose. And of course, there’s those gingerbread-style houses where the roofline has personality and flair, the windows look framed properly, and the whole exterior has texture and depth. They look so perfect, like they’re quite literally a piece of art. Honestly, even simpler historic homes usually have proportions and details that make them feel finished.

Honestly, there’s just something about older houses; there was an art to it all. But now? Well, there’s that bulder grade look. And sure, you can’t automatically call it ugly, feel free to if you want. It’s that it can feel like the exterior was designed to offend absolutely nobody. So, there’s thin trim; therefore, it’s one flat siding surface. In a way, it looks like a placeholder, the whole house, right? Basically, old houses have character, new houses don't.

It’s Time to Beef Up the Trim 

Okay, trim isn’t exciting, but it’s one of the biggest differences between “this house looks nice” and “this house looks like it came default.” While interior trim is very noticeable, like crown molding, it’s maybe not as noticeable outside, but it still helps, though. Just keep in mind, though, that the thin trim around windows and doors disappears from the street. It doesn’t frame anything. It doesn’t create shadow lines. It doesn’t give the house that finished, intentional look.

But a wider trim gives the eye something to grab onto. That includes thicker window casings, proper corner boards, a stronger fascia line, and a more substantial door surround, which can add instant depth without changing the whole structure. You could compare it to eyeliner, it’s a bit subtle, but it does help sharpen all the other features.

Consider using Board-and-Batten 

Alright, so board-and-batten is one of the easiest ways to add character because vertical lines create height, and height makes a house look more structured and intentional. It’s especially helpful for homes that feel wide and low from the street, because it changes the proportions visually. Now, you just need to understand here that it doesn’t have to be the entire exterior either. It can be a front accent, a gable treatment, or a feature section around the entry. 

But overall here, it adds depth, creates shadow lines, and makes the exterior look like somebody upgraded it on purpose, not like it came bundled with the neighborhood (and yes, a lot of those houses were probably built at the same time from the same developer). Now, board-and-batten can honestly be a great choice, but don’t instantly deciide that it’s the one for your house because with some houses, it’s just not going to work. Honestly, it helps to work with a house exterior contractor because they’ll be able to tell you what exactly can work for giving that dimensional look you’re after, something that’s permanent that works specifically with your home. 

It’s About Adding Texture in the Right Spots 

Go ahead and look at your house, maybe look at your neighbor's house, and some houses in the area, too. Are you noticing a flatness with all of them? Well, a lot of flat-looking homes have a big, uninterrupted front face. Usually, it’s something like one siding material, one plane, no breaks. That’s when the exterior starts reading like one giant panel.

Well, when it comes to flatness, even inside the house, usually, texture fixes that. For example, you might want to consider shakes in a gable, a board-and-batten accent near the entry, or a different siding style on a bump-out, which can break up the flatness and add dimension in a way paint can’t.  But of course, the trick is keeping it controlled, because texture is like seasoning, too much and it gets messy fast. One or two well-placed texture moments can make the whole house look more high-end. But try not to copy what you see online, your house is yours, so what works on one house might not work on yours. 

This is a contributed post.

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