How to Improve a Colonial Facade

Paint and Trim

• One of the easiest and least expensive ways to improve a colonial home's facade is with paint and new trim. Colonial homes often feature wooden or vinyl shutters, which can show wear from the elements and give the home a weathered look. If your colonial home uses traditional white siding, consider dark shutters and wood trim to contrast the lightness of exterior walls. If you have a brick colonial, use white or a light color for the trim and paint you add.

Resurfacing

• Two of the most common facade elements in colonial homes are white siding and brick walls. If your home has wood siding, as some authentic colonials do, consider replacing it with horizontal, white vinyl siding. This will make it more durable and also give an authentic period look without the maintenance needs of wood. Brick colonial homes are even more durable but still require resurfacing on occasion. Sealing brick exterior walls prevents moisture from entering your home, and from damaging the brick surface even further. Sealing also keeps bricks from fading.

Stairs

• Colonial homes typically feature central, pronounced entryways. To give your home a more dramatic, formal appearance, you can install a new stairway. Brick stairs that match a brick exterior will represent a visual upgrade over wood or poured cement. Painted banisters made of wood or wrought iron can also enhance the focal point of the home, greeting visitors with details that call out the style of your home.

Landscaping

• Landscaping is a way to improve the look of any type of home facade without actually changing the facade itself. For a colonial house, this can mean adding stone or brick pathways that imitate the home's exterior walls. Trees native to the American northeast, such as maple, sycamore and oak, complement the historical context of colonial homes. Local shrubs and flowers can also help a colonial home blend into its natural surroundings, giving it a sense of belonging even if there are few other colonial homes nearby.