They say you can't judge a book by its cover, and the same goes for homes. The exterior of a house can hint at what's on inside or offer a contrasting surprise–whether it's a castle-inspired exterior with a fairy-tale interior or a historic outside with a contemporary inside. We've rounded up some of the most stunning home exteriors that'll have you wanting to move in—and may even inspire you to up your own home's curb appeal.
This fairy-tale escape by Lisa Tharp and TMS Architects features a gray exterior with white and red accents. The wood and stone add to its nature-inspired charm.
Previously destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, this New Jersey home got a helping hand from Joe Lucas. The shingled house, complete with a screened porch, looks out on the bay and the client's 28-foot yacht.
Andrew Howard made sure this Florida home still felt like a vacation, regardless of how many kids were running around. The clean and crisp exterior is reflected in the family-friendly interior design.
The classic shingle-style exterior gives no hint at the contemporary interior of this Long Island beach house decorated by Rob Southern. Banks of windows and a second-floor balcony off the master suite have sweeping views of the bay.
In Ellen Niven's Long Island, New York house, classic French elegance was translated to Long Island's Gold Coast by architect Moon Bros. and landscape architect Perry Guillot.
Analisse Taft-Gersten, founder of the home goods store ALT for Living, has a Connecticut home that appears nestled into its landscape.
Located in Twin Cities, this 1920's colonial is packed with artwork and creative flair, crafted by designer Janet Gridley. The exterior features dark green shutters, an American flag, and perfectly-placed white seating.
In 2020's Kips Bay Decorator Show House Palm Beach, designer Jobe Lopez opted for a mix of low shrubbery and tall trees that frame the house's facade and draw the eye up.
Justina Blakeney's 1926 Spanish-style home in Los Angeles is modestly sized but packs a major punch. Burnt orange trim makes a statement from the street.
Architect Nina Edwards Anker merged the ideas of a sustainable building and the color theory of painter William Turner when designing her vacation home. It's nothing like the classic, New England shingle-style Hamptons homes that surround it.
Situated on a 60-foot setback, Anne Hepfer's L-shaped cottage features large windows, intricate stonework, and muted colors. The cottage feels like a giant tree house.
To refresh this historic home, designer Juan Carretero added quintessential notes of English culture and tradition including cast-concrete ewes out front.
To update and clarify a 1961 house in Houston, Ray Booth balanced the original aesthetic with a contemporary point of view. Booth tweaked the white brick facade with new vertical shutters and added a steel-gated front door and custom lantern.
The entrance to this South Carolina "kitchen house"—now a guesthouse—opens onto a bluestone courtyard. An ivy-covered gate seals off the secluded space.
Designer Michelle Prentice's house in Beaufort, South Carolina seamlessly blends into its neighborhood of historic homes. The exterior features a beautiful, second story veranda.
Near Seaside, Florida, a two-story beach-front cottage designed by Birmingham, Alabama-based architect James F. Carter has an old-fashioned tin roof and traditional stacked screened porches. Although the home echoes an older time, it features solar panels and eco-conscious materials.
This stately 1860 London townhouse is a commanding presence in the fashionable South Kensington area of London. The clean-cut outside contrasts the bold reds and pinks that grace some of the walls inside.
Pittsburgh Paints's Citadel Blue brightens the exterior of this Lake Michigan house designed by Alexander Bogaerts. It almost blends in with the clouds and sky, offering an airy and welcoming presence.
Towering cypresses are reminiscent of a Tuscan landscape in this house decorated by Barbara Barry. It's located in Corona del Mar, California, and the surrounding plants give it an inviting presence.
Designers John Knott and John Fondas's Maine summer house features a restrained shingle-style exterior. At the entrance (on the left), Knott used salvaged columns from upstate New York.
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