Designers Predict These Will Be the Biggest Curb Appeal Trends of 2026 By Karla Walsh

Make a glowing first impression with these eye-catching (and often easy) updates.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” the old idiom recommends. But potential home buyers and neighbors almost always do just that, the designers and architects we spoke to agree.

Since the rooms inside your home are the spaces you actually live in, we are never going to discount the importance of decorating decisions that speak to your soul. Still, your home’s exterior makes the first impression, both to others and yourself, adds James B. Laughlin, a Birmingham, Alabama-based architectural designer specializing in classic and edited residences and renovations: “Curb appeal inherently increases the value of a home and should ultimately make you happy each time you approach your house.”

Plus, the exterior is like an introduction to a home, explains Laurin White, interior designer and founder of Cambridge Row in Birmingham, Alabama.

Set the stage for a positive—and potentially more profitable—first impression by taking a cue from these curb appeal trends for 2026.

Pops of Color

Pascal Chevallier

A few coats of red paint on your front door or a pastel planter is an easy and low-risk way “to add panache and style to the curb appeal of a house,” Laughlin adds.

Instead of blindly searching for favorite colors, consider referencing historic hues, which are available in nearly all paint lines (and will be easy to touch up when the time comes to invest in more paint). As you consider your options, keep in mind that these exterior paint colors can make your house look cheap.

Thoughtful Historical Touches

Becky Luigart-Stayner for VERANDA

Speaking of going back in time, Laughlin says that “now more than ever, people are gravitating toward traditional design and making decisions rooted in history.”

Perhaps these details speak to the era in which your home was built. Or maybe they nod to a design era you really dig (say, Art Deco).

“The architecture and the site should inform design decisions so there is not a conflict of styles,” Laughlin explains. An easy way to dip your toe into this trend is by “dressing up an entry and the front door,” he adds. “A new wood door with solid unlacquered brass hardware is impactful and will never go out of style.”

Naturalistic Gardens

Dean Hearne

It takes a lot of time—and water—to maintain a perfectly manicured green grass lawn. No wonder “homeowners are embracing lawns that feel more ‘lived in’ and layered rather than cookie-cutter. It’s not only easier to maintain, but it’s also a way to attract butterflies and bees,” White tells us.

Perfectly imperfect layered lawns with a mix of native plants and rambling, organic vines are colorful, unique to your region, and best of all, “save the bees,” White says.

As you initially plant and establish additions like wildflower seeds, it does take some time, TLC, and weeding. But the environmental payoff of a naturalistic garden is well worth it, White believes, and you can certainly outsource the setup to the pros. Nearly all landscape designers can help coach you through how to create a “quiet, peaceful retreat with plant species that will thrive in all environments, intermixed with water installations that would lend themselves toward that environment,” White notes. They can also leave you with tips about how to maintain your native plant haven.

Features That Speak to You

Annie Schlechter

No two naturalistic gardens are the same, and home exteriors should be personal, too, believes New York-based interior designer Phillip Thomas: “A home should tell a story of the family that lives within. Everything that you chose to decorate your home—inside and out—should act like a snapshot into your life. Don’t be afraid to infuse your own personality into your home.”

Whether you’re investing in front porch furniture, landscaping bricks, or lighting, choose items that you love! These features give a home its soul,” Thomas adds, and may also “help a new family be better able to picture what their story may be there as well.”

Laughlin agrees, urging homeowners not to be afraid to incorporate custom details like traditional house numbers, a copper mailbox on a wood post, an antique lantern, or a state flag flanking the front door.

Community Spaces

Thomas Loof

Although the world has opened back up since the physical isolation era that was the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation continues to be a big challenge. In fact, in 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared loneliness an epidemic. While estimates vary, surveys suggest that more than half of all Americans feel lonely sometimes or all of the time.

So now is the perfect time to introduce community spaces into your yard, White says. Tailored seating zones for different activities—fire pit, dining, lounging—are one of the biggest curb appeal trends coming down the pike, she adds, and are right on time to help remind us to step away from our screens and step inside an area that can foster connections, conversations, and memories.

One of the simplest and most impactful ways to start is by adding some furniture that could allow for cocktails and conviviality, White says: “Al fresco dinner parties are the most charming. What’s better than a night outdoors, in a garden, with friends?”

Going Back to Basics

Max Kim-Bee

As stylish and potentially value-boosting as the curb appeal trends above are, Laughlin predicts that the biggest trend of the year is to take your time—and make design decisions intentional and timeless.

Thomas echoes that sentiment, and always coaches his clients to “go classic and focus on big impact features.”

Sweep away the cobwebs from exterior light fixtures (which act like “jewelry for a home,” Thomas says. Touch up paint and give your exterior a power wash if it’s looking less than fresh. And consider refreshing your planters with seasonal flowers that make you smile.

Above all, don’t be afraid to keep things simple, Laughlin says, confirming that “less is more when it comes to curb appeal. Too many elements can result in sensory overload and appeal to far fewer people.”