20 small house facades you must see before changing yours

April Kennedy April Kennedy
Casa con estructura de madera JRM, RIBA MASSANELL S.L. RIBA MASSANELL S.L. Mediterranean style house Stone
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The house facade is the first clue to the style and ambience of a home. It needs to be something you're proud to present to the public eye, but firstly, it also needs to meet some fairly fundamental needs. It might be required to amp up the privacy, bring more natural light into the home or even double as a parking space. So how can you consider all this when working with a small building site? Well, there is always lots of inspiration at hand, so today we present 20 small homes with brilliant facades you must see. Enjoy!

1. The simple touches

In a small home the simple things really matter. Even if you have something as small as this, an elongated doorway with a beautiful wooden finish can add a lot of polish. The awnings, mailbox and just a few potted plants can make all the difference. As usual, a simple design will often make a small home seem larger too.

2. Modern and impressive

This home has an extremely private facade and the architects have managed to avoid making it look like a fortress. They have done this by introducing lots of variation. The multiple barriers to the street frontage are broken up into separate, smaller walls with varying colour. The driveway entrance has also been designed with a series of loose wooden slats. This further opens up the look and feel of the entrance. In all, it's a very warm and welcoming facade.

3. A discrete entrance

It can be tricky to design a facade with a parking space right in front. But here, the architects have shied away from segregating the two areas. Instead we have one broad and attractive covered area and a simple wooden door. There aren't any front facing windows, but the play of colours and shapes gives this facade just enough variation that it doesn't matter.

4. A modern garage division

This modern home has an interesting barrier wall separating the parking space from the entrance. It also serves to add solidity to the overall visual aesthetic of the design. Note the large collection of small square windows on the left. They add a perfectly contemporary flair to this home.

5. Finishes that add warmth

Earthy, textured materials such as stone and wood can be a really good way to add warmth to a modern facade. They are also really good for dressing up large areas of concrete wall that can easily look cold and unfriendly. Mix and match them for a modern tropical look like this.

6. A strong personality

This facade is almost completely dominated by the front gates. But with this cool and open design it adds real verve to the home. It's important to note that the bold red colour only covers a small amount of area. The gates also give us glimpses into the interior and this makes the home feel that bit more interesting and welcoming too.

7. Adapting to the terrain

It is always crucial to adapt to the quirks and oddities of your small space. For inspiration, check out this tiny Japanese home! The minuscule landscaping even warrants a glimpse.

8. Open to the front garden

If you have the luxury of a front garden, floor-to-ceiling glass windows might be the best thing. There isn't much privacy, but all you need are some good floor to ceiling curtains to solve that issue.

11. Rustic elegance

The limited earthy colour scheme of this home just exudes rustic warmth. This makes the home welcoming despite the rather solid and closed off facade. 

10. Simply symmetrical

The window frames, awnings and roof line all work together to create a perfect sense of symmetry in this minimalist home. The brick panels add the perfect amount of variety too.

11. Windowless facade

The elegant white volumes on the upper level of this home are perfectly counterbalanced by the grid of the black fence. The interplay is so interesting it's easy to overlook the fact that the facade is entirely windowless!

12. Purely functional

The beauty of this facade is that the home is composed of two volumes set at an angle from each other. This creates this great little embrace that makes for the perfect entrance and driveway.

13. An inset entrance

Small houses are often wedged between neighbours on either side and it may seem like there's not much to work with. But a good colour scheme and a minimalist approach can go a long way. Our favourite part here is the inset wooden entrance bathed in golden light.

13. Creative details

The architects have made a real statement with this geometric facade. The best part is that the cost would have been minimal. 

15. Private panel windows

Narrow long panel windows are really popular at the moment. They provide lots of privacy without sacrificing light. They work particularly well when positioned very high or low on the wall.

16. Colourful and vibrant

Every design needs to revolve around one central point. In this home, it's obviously the rustic covered wall. We love this design because it shows that sometimes all you need is the perfect colour.

17. Modest volumes

Natural materials can be used to add accents to the facade. In this modest home, they add just the right amount of variety and warmth.

18. Floating facade

The floating facade gives this home a very contemporary look. The overhang also provides a perfectly minimalist space that could be used as a carport or just a covered entrance like this.

19. Solid bricks

Red bricks almost always make for a friendly and warm facade. They are increasingly paired with very large glazed windows these days.

20. Modern concrete

A big concrete facade might sound like a dream or a nightmare to some. But with the right windows, lighting and fencing, it can totally work. Just check out this concrete facade for inspiration.

We have lots more design inspiration. Have a look at this…  These 10 amazing staircases will leave you awestruck.

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