Home Exterior Refreshed for Major Curb Appeal by Dover Home Remodelers

Refreshing a home’s exterior sometimes requires a significant redesign, demo and construction. In other cases, a beautiful, updated home facade doesn’t require stripping everything away. Instead, it involves a creative vision and the flexibility to repurpose what’s already there while adding new features to enhance the existing exterior. This remodel was the latter.

The homeowners loved their Westlake home but weren’t crazy about the builder’s original front elevation, which had grown tired over the years. They partnered with our team at Dover Home Remodelers to remodel the home’s front exterior, giving it a facelift to better reflect its warm, inviting interior vibe. This blog takes a behind-the-scenes look at where we started and how we created a modern, updated home exterior.

The Home Exterior: Before & After

The existing home elevation looked the same as many others in the neighborhood: a front-load garage and a standard-sized front door with a half-moon window above. The new exterior design adds texture and dimension with a handsome portico and organic wood details.

Before: Exterior Modernization — Before – View Project

New Exterior Facelift — After – View Project

The Home Exterior: Before

The homeowners felt their existing front elevation looked a bit flat, with a generic elevation and an entryway that needed more panache. Plus, the front door had no porch or roofline above, leaving visitors in the cold—and the wind, rain, snow, etc. The one element they did like (and chose to keep) was the stacked stone detail along the front of the home. The stone added texture and color, yet it lacked a cohesive feel with the rest of the home.

front entry before remodel — Before – View Project

before remodel - front porch and door — Before – View Project

stacked stone front of home — Stacked stone stays

The Home Exterior: After

For the new design, we were able to reuse some of the home’s existing features and materials, including the stacked stone and the original cream-colored siding and roof. Reframing these elements brought them back to life: We started by removing the front door, side windows and the half-moon window above. Then, we installed a fabulous double front door (Therma Tru, Classic Craft Mahogany Grain Fiberglass Double Door) as the new focal point. Next, we built a handsome portico above with support columns wrapped in rich cedar. We replaced and trimmed the second-story foyer window (Pella 250 Series) and managed interior trim repairs.

For a seamless flow, we wrapped the existing front pillars along the porch in cedar, installed cedar shutters (Timbercraft Three Boards Joined Board and Batten Shutters In Rough Sawn Cedar), and a new fully-insulated steel garage door in an easy-care faux woodgrain (C.H.I. Overhead Door, Model #4283, 4-Piece Arch Stockton Accent Woodtone Finish In Dark Oak). To complete the front porch update, we installed a new porch ceiling using vinyl beadboard to elevate the space. Finally, we painted the trim and installed a new light fixture under the portico with matching coach lights on either side of the garage doors.

This exterior remodel is an example of how small changes can significantly impact design. We were able to use some of the existing elements that saved the homeowners money, yet they still got the payoff with a dramatic transformation.