6 min readCurb appeal is more than having a pretty house.
“It's not just about how a home looks, but how it lives,” says Danielle Faustini, landscape designer and owner of Helix Green Designs. Homeowners and designers alike are stepping up their game when it comes to creating an appealing facade—in some cases, the shift is quite literal, as stairs are becoming an “it” feature.
The latest U.S. Houzz Outdoor Trends study is seeing a shift toward natural elements like wood cladding, beige exteriors, and native plants.
"Professionals on Houzz have shared that homeowners are looking for exteriors that feel grounded and connected to their surroundings," says Annie Thornton, Houzz outdoor trends expert. “Warm beiges and wood siding blend naturally with stone, native plantings and other organic landscape materials, and they suit a wide range of architectural styles. Our studies show that people are moving away from the stark white and cool gray palettes of recent years toward something that feels more timeless, a look that adds a sense of history without tipping into nostalgia.”
Simple upgrades, like a fresh coat of paint on the front door, are also pivoting into colorways anchored in the past. Designer Alexis Warren is seeing a shift toward darker, moodier front doors in shades of green, deep purple, and near-black, like Farrow & Ball’s Paean Black.
Here are 10 curb-appeal-boosting design trends for the year ahead to make your house the envy of the neighborhood.
Sculptural Details That Stand Out
Introducing a sculptural element—like an outdoor artwork or creatively placed flora—sends a message that your house has a point of view.
“It elevates the sense of arrival and separates your home from other homes in the vicinity,” says designer Lisa Erdmann. To ensure your home truly stands out, look for one-of-a-kind pieces.
For the home pictured above, Robert J. Bell, founder of landscape architecture firm Bell Design, commissioned artisans to create a copper light inspired by a feather. “More than the end of minimalism, the new focus on sculptural shapes brings back a sense of craft, and the expressive and sensory nature that a simple black metal and glass fixture cannot possess,” he says.
To contrast against the patina, Bell chose purple bougainvillea and a sunny yellow paint on the door.
Exteriors With Warmth and Texture
It’s all about adding warmth and texture, and that’s one of the reasons that beige exterior colors have more than doubled in popularity in the last two years, jumping from 10 to 24 percent, according to Houzz.
Think of a palette that extends into the landscape—warm neutrals such as tan, soft cream, khaki, sand, and greige, says Thornton, who also notes that natural wood and wood-look cladding, sandy stucco, and stone are a welcome change.
Adding paneling can mimic the warmth of wood without worrying about upkeep, points out Francisca Alonso, cofounder and CEO of AV Architects + Builders. This trick also helps soften the front elevation. “We like to combine minimalistic modern details with warm tones to make it more inviting and less commercial-looking,” Alonso adds.
The Return of Wooden Fences
A picket fence may be just what your house needs, but that doesn’t mean you have to resort to the predictable white paint.
“Adding a low-profile picket fence is one of the best ways to gently delineate a property line without in any way compromising sightlines of the home,” says Joelle Nesen, principal designer at Maison Inc. “The picket fence has the kind of classical lines that work well with an historic home like this Craftsman in Portland. By not defaulting to the expected white and leaving the fence a natural wood, the picket fence, with its carefully spaced slats that are almost see-through, allows it to blend in with the landscaping and trees that surround the home.”
Understated Yet Artful Gravel
When you choose gravel over grass or pavers, it’s all about an understated but classy look.
“Gravel and other permeable aggregates like crushed shells are some of my favorite materials for creating more informal outdoor living spaces,” says Faustini. “It is a beautifully tactile and sensory material. Who doesn't love the soft crunch underfoot? And it really softens a space, helping blur the line between outdoor living areas and the surrounding landscape.”
The look works especially well with decking and patinated light fixtures.
The Proliferation of Native Plantings
Adding native plants around your house feels cohesive, relaxed, and rooted in place, Thornton says.
Rachael Grochowski, founder and principal of RHG Architecture + Design, adds that she expects to see an increase in native landscapes, meadow-type gardens, as well as an integration of clover into lawns.
“The trend to embrace natural landscapes is not only about supporting environment regeneration, but it also supports our wellbeing by instigating wonder, beauty, and randomness,” she says.
Statement-Making Front Walkways
Curb appeal is all about first impressions, and homeowners are not taking this feature lightly. Houzz reports that searches for “front walkway” have more than quadrupled (up 357 percent) in the first three quarters of 2026, compared with the same period last year.
Step design, in particular, is one feature that is growing in popularity.
When Sarah Crawford, associate designer with Courtney B. Smith Design, renovated her home, she added steps to her 1920s bungalow to literally and figuratively elevate the experience. The home initially had just one step from the sidewalk to the front door. By adding a series of stairs to gently guide the way to the door, she added a quiet sense of elegance in keeping with the wood-shingled exterior. Key to the transformation was selecting materials that reflect the character and style of the original home, in this case reclaimed granite. Scale and balance were essential to adding a series of stairs to gently guide visitors to the door.
“Steps should never be narrower than the doorway,” Crawford says. “In fact, the wider the steps, the more inviting the approach.”
Dramatically Oversized Pavers
For a different approach to the front entrance, consider stone pathways, especially those with a casual look, like grass pavers.
Interior designer Darci Hether likes large-format bluestone pavers, which offer a clean, timeless look. “The generous scale of the stones creates a sense of openness, while the greenery between them softens the overall appearance and adds a beautiful, natural element,” she explains.
An Unexpected Front Door Color
Erdmann encourages her clients to forgo safe neutrals and treat the front entry door as a place for personality.
“Whether it is hot pink, lipstick red, cobalt blue, or Benjamin Moore’s color of the year, Webster Green—make a statement!” she says. “Don’t match the door to the shutters and choose something fun. A front door is the easiest, lowest-risk place to experiment since it takes one afternoon and a quart of paint.”
Case in point, Elizabeth Cross-Beard, interior designer behind Palm Henri, took to a vibrant peacock blue to accentuate the lines of the above 1925 French manor house. “When paired with natural materials and muted tones, [the paint] brings just enough color to intrigue the eye without disrupting the overall sense of classic grandeur. Unlike other blue tones which can call too much attention to them, this rich color is the front-door sweet spot,” Cross-Beard explains.
Statement Planters
Go beyond ho-hum pots that stand sentry at your door. Look for large pieces with personality to anchor the entrance.
“Aged terracotta, weathered stone, or antique urns bring patina and character, helping even a newly built home feel established,” says MK Smith Boykin of Smith Interiors. “With that kind of presence, the planting itself can be quite simple.” The details are especially important when your home has architectural symmetry, like columns.
“Using matching plants only increases the allure of perfect visual balance,” Nesen adds. “The key is that the scale of the planters needs to match the proportions of the door and porch: Selecting pots or containers that are too small will immediately drain the drama and beauty of the front door statement.”
