The Architectural Philosophy of the 1970s
From Brick to Wood Panels: The Defining Elements of 1970s Home Exteriors – The design ethos of the 1970s was heavily influenced by the burgeoning environmental movement. The first Earth Day in 1970 signaled a collective shift in consciousness, fostering a desire for sustainability and a “back-to-the-land” mentality. This philosophy translated directly into residential architecture, where the goal was often to make a home feel like a natural extension of its landscape.
This movement rejected the perceived coldness of earlier international and minimalist styles. Instead, it championed warmth, texture, and a sense of rugged honesty in materials. The ideal 70s home exterior was not meant to stand in stark contrast to its environment but to blend in seamlessly with it.
Architects and builders began to favor materials that showcased their natural state. Unpainted wood, rough-hewn stone, and oversized bricks became staples of the era. This focus on organic texture was a deliberate move to create homes that felt sheltered, comfortable, and intrinsically connected to the earth.
This philosophical underpinning is crucial to understanding why the 70s home exterior looks the way it does. The asymmetrical rooflines, clerestory windows, and integrated courtyards were all design strategies to maximize natural light and views of the outdoors. The era was defined by an inward-looking, contemplative mood that sought refuge and tranquility within the home.
The concept of “bringing the outside in” was a guiding principle for every aspect of design. Large sliding glass doors, expansive picture windows, andatriums became common features. These elements blurred the lines between interior and exterior spaces, reinforcing the home’s connection to its natural setting.
Ultimately, the architectural philosophy of the 1970s prioritized human experience and ecological awareness over rigid formalism. It was a time of experimentation, where personal expression and a connection with nature were the ultimate design goals. This spirit of freedom and environmentalism is etched into every defining element of the classic 70s home exterior.
The Palette: Materials and Colors of the Decade
The visual identity of the 1970s is inextricably linked to its distinctive palette of materials and colors. This was not a time for subtlety or muted tones; it was an era of bold, earthy expression. The materials chosen were tactile and substantial, while the colors were warm and deeply saturated, creating a cohesive and unforgettable look that defines the 70s home exterior
.The Dominance of Earth Tones and Natural Textures
The color scheme of the 1970s was a direct reflection of the era’s back-to-nature ethos. Designers abandoned the pastels and primary colors of previous decades in favor of a palette drawn from a forest in autumn. These colors were meant to be grounding, comforting, and organic.
Harvest Gold, Avocado Green, and Burnt Orange were the undeniable stars of this palette. These rich, warm hues appeared everywhere, from kitchen appliances to shag carpets, and they heavily influenced exterior paint and trim choices. A well-preserved 70s home exterior often showcases these signature colors in its details.
Complementing these standout colors were deep, earthy browns. Chocolate brown, redwood, and cedar tones were used extensively for siding, roof shingles, and garage doors. This created a foundational layer of warmth that allowed the brighter accent colors to pop without overwhelming the senses.
The emphasis was always on a harmonious, nature-inspired scheme. A typical 70s home exterior might feature dark brown wood siding, accented with avocado green trim around the windows and a burnt orange front door. This combination was designed to feel cozy and integrated with a wooded or landscaped lot.
Texture was just as important as color in achieving the desired effect. Materials were chosen for their tactile qualities, adding depth and visual interest to the facade. The roughness of split-face brick, the grain of wood paneling, and the unevenness of stone were all celebrated elements. This focus on sensory details is a crucial part of the authentic 70s home exterior.
This deliberate color and material strategy was about creating a mood. The goal was to build a sanctuary—a home that felt safe, warm, and deeply connected to the earth. The rich, natural palette was the primary tool for achieving this distinctively seventies atmosphere.
Wood Siding and Paneling: Bringing Nature Home
If one material could define the 70s home exterior, it would be wood. Its use was widespread and varied, serving as the primary cladding for countless homes built during the decade. Wood was valued for its natural beauty, warmth, and versatility.
Vertical tongue-and-groove siding was an incredibly popular choice. This style created strong vertical lines that could make a home feel taller and more dramatic, especially on designs with steep, angular rooflines. The wood was rarely painted, instead being treated with a dark stain that highlighted its natural grain.
Diagonal wood siding was another hallmark of the era, adding a dynamic and slightly unconventional feel to the facade. Often used on gables or as an accent on a specific section of the house, diagonal paneling broke up monotonous surfaces and created a sense of movement. This application is a tell-tale sign of a classic 70s home exterior.
Wood shingles and shakes were also widely used, particularly on Shed Style and A-frame homes. Left to weather naturally to a silvery gray or stained a deep brown or redwood color, they added immense texture and rustic charm. The overlapping layers created a rich, patterned surface that enhanced the home’s organic feel.
Plywood siding, such as T1-11, became a cost-effective and popular option. This engineered wood panel featured vertical grooves that mimicked the look of individual boards. It was often stained a dark, uniform color and used in combination with brick or stone for a classic mixed-material 70s home exterior.
The overarching theme was a celebration of wood in its most honest form. The finish was almost always a semi-transparent or solid stain rather than an opaque paint. This allowed the texture and character of the wood to remain the central focus, reinforcing the architectural philosophy of the decade.
Brick and Stone: A Grounded, Enduring Presence
Alongside wood, brick and stone were foundational materials that provided a sense of permanence and stability to the 70s home exterior. These heavy, earth-based materials were used to anchor homes to their sites. They were often paired with wood siding to create a visually interesting and texturally rich combination.
The brick used in the 1970s was often distinct from that of earlier periods. Rather than smooth, uniform red bricks, builders favored rougher, more character-filled options. Slump brick, with its irregular, slightly melted appearance, and clinker bricks, which were intentionally over-fired for a dark and distorted look, were popular choices.
The colors of the brick also aligned with the decade’s earthy palette. Shades of brown, deep red, orange, and even purplish tones were common. The mortar joints were often made thick and visible, further emphasizing the rugged, handcrafted quality of the masonry on a 70s home exterior.
Stone was used more selectively, often as a dramatic accent to highlight a specific architectural feature. Fireplace chimneys clad in prominent fieldstone or lava rock that extended from the interior to the exterior were a signature look. This created a powerful visual anchor and reinforced the connection between inside and out.
The combination of materials was a defining characteristic of the era. A typical 70s home exterior might feature a lower level clad in textured brick with an upper level finished in dark-stained vertical wood siding. This interplay between the heavy, grounded masonry and the lighter wood paneling created a balanced yet dynamic facade.
This mixed-material approach was not just an aesthetic choice; it was a way to break down the scale of the home and add layers of visual interest. It prevented large exterior walls from appearing flat or monolithic. The thoughtful pairing of brick, stone, and wood is central to the identity of the 70s home exterior.
Signature Architectural Styles of the Era
While materials and colors set the tone, it was the architectural forms themselves that gave 1970s homes their unique character. The decade saw the evolution of existing styles and the popularization of new ones, all of which embraced asymmetry, dramatic angles, and a complex relationship between interior levels. These styles perfectly encapsulated the era’s spirit of individuality and its focus on a more organic way of living.
The Split-Level and Ranch Revival
The Ranch and Split-Level home styles, which gained immense popularity in the post-war suburbs, were not abandoned in the 1970s. Instead, they were reinterpreted and updated with the decade’s signature materials and design sensibilities. This evolution resulted in a distinct look that separates a 70s home exterior from its predecessors.
The 70s Ranch home often shed the simplicity of its 1950s ancestors. It maintained its low-slung, single-story profile but incorporated more complex rooflines and asymmetrical facades. Features like a recessed entryway, a prominent attached garage, and a mix of vertical wood siding and brick on the front elevation were common updates.
Large picture windows, often grouped together or paired with smaller windows at different heights, became a key feature. This was a departure from the more uniform window placement of earlier Ranches. The 70s home exterior of a Ranch sought to create more visual drama and a stronger connection to the landscape.
The Split-Level, with its multiple short flights of stairs and staggered floor levels, was perfectly suited to the 70s ethos. This layout allowed for a clear separation of living, quiet, and utility zones within the home. The exterior often visually expressed these interior divisions.
A classic 70s home exterior on a Split-Level would use different materials to delineate the different levels. For instance, the lower level might be brick, the main living level could be horizontal siding, and the upper bedroom level might feature vertical or diagonal wood paneling. This material-blocking technique added immense character and visual complexity, making the Split-Level a true icon of the decade.
The cantilevered floor, where an upper level extends out over the lower one, was another popular feature that added to the style’s dynamic quality. Combined with low-pitched roofs and deep eaves, these reimagined styles became quintessential examples of 70s suburban architecture. The careful application of 70s design principles made these familiar forms feel new and exciting.
The Rise of the Shed Style and A-Frame
While Ranches and Split-Levels were being updated, two other styles rose to prominence that perfectly captured the architectural experimentation of the 1970s. The Shed Style and the A-Frame were bold, geometric, and unapologetically modern. They are perhaps the most potent visual symbols of the decade’s innovative approach to the 70s home exterior.
Shed Style: Angularity and Asymmetry
The Shed Style is arguably the most uniquely 1970s architectural form. It is characterized by a collage of single-pitched shed roofs facing in different directions. This created a complex, multi-faceted silhouette that was dynamic and highly asymmetrical.
The design philosophy behind the Shed Style was to create interior spaces with varied ceiling heights and interesting light qualities. The exteriors were a direct expression of this internal logic. The collision of angular roof planes resulted in a 70s home exterior that looked almost like a piece of geometric sculpture.
Windows were often placed to follow the angles of the rooflines, resulting in trapezoidal or triangular shapes. Small clerestory windows were tucked just below the highest point of a roof, allowing natural light to flood into the spaces below. The emphasis was on form and light rather than traditional ornamentation.
This style was particularly well-suited for wooded or sloped lots. The complex massing and varied roof heights allowed the home to cascade down a hillside or nestle among trees, enhancing its connection to the site. The typical 70s home exterior of a Shed Style home was almost always clad in wood siding or shingles to further this integration with nature.
A-Frame Homes: Vacation Vibe as a Permanent Residence
The A-Frame house, with its dramatic triangular shape and steeply pitched roof that extends nearly to the ground, became a symbol of rustic modernism in the 1970s. Originally popular as a vacation cabin, its simple yet striking form was increasingly adopted for year-round living during this decade. It embodied a desire for a simpler, more relaxed lifestyle.
The defining feature of the A-Frame’s 70s home exterior is its two large gable end walls, which were often filled almost entirely with glass. This wall of windows flooded the interior with light and provided panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. It epitomized the era’s goal of blurring the boundary between indoors and outdoors.
The structure of an A-Frame is incredibly efficient, consisting of rafters that form the walls and the roof simultaneously. This simplicity made it a popular choice for both architect-designed homes and pre-fabricated kit houses. The siding materials were typically wood, either vertical boards or shingles, enhancing its rustic, cabin-like appeal.
The A-Frame’s soaring interior-cathedral ceilings were a major draw, creating a sense of spaciousness and drama in a relatively small footprint. Often, a second-story loft served as a sleeping area, overlooking the main living space below. This unique spatial arrangement and its unmistakable silhouette made the A-Frame a beloved and enduring icon of the 70s home exterior.
The Finishing Touches: Windows, Roofs, and Entryways
Beyond the broad strokes of architectural style and material choice, it was the smaller details that completed the look of the quintessential 70s home exterior. The design of windows, the shape and color of the roof, and the treatment of the entryway were all carefully considered elements that contributed to the overall aesthetic. These finishing touches were not afterthoughts; they were integral components of the design language of the decade.
Windows in the 1970s took on a new importance, moving beyond simple functionality to become key compositional elements. Large, fixed-pane picture windows were used to frame views of the outdoors like a piece of art. Sliding glass doors replaced traditional back doors, providing seamless access to patios and decks and reinforcing the indoor-outdoor connection.
Clerestory windows, which are narrow bands of glass set high up on a wall, were a popular feature, especially in Shed Style and custom homes. They allowed daylight to penetrate deep into the house while maintaining privacy. The unconventional shapes of windows—circles, triangles, and trapezoids—also appeared, adding a touch of playful geometry to the 70s home exterior.
Roofs were typically low-pitched or featured the dramatic, multi-angled slopes of the Shed Style. Asphalt shingles were the most common roofing material, and their colors were carefully chosen to coordinate with the earthy palette of the siding and trim. Shades of dark brown, charcoal gray, and even mossy green were popular choices that helped the home blend into its natural setting.
The front entryway was often designed to feel sheltered and private. Recessed entryways, tucked back under an overhang, were a common feature that created a sense of transition from the public world to the private sanctuary of the home. The front doors themselves were often heavy, solid wood, sometimes with carved details or stained-glass panels, making a bold and welcoming statement that was essential to the character of the 70s home exterior.
Conclusion: The Lasting Legacy of the 70s Home Exterior
The 70s home exterior is a bold and authentic expression of its time. It encapsulates a decade that turned away from the future to look for inspiration in the earth, embracing a philosophy of environmentalism, individuality, and rustic comfort. The signature combination of textured brick, dark-stained wood, and an earthy color palette created a look that is both unmistakable and deeply evocative.
From the angular drama of the Shed Style to the grounded comfort of a revitalized Ranch, the architectural forms of the 1970s prioritized a deep connection with nature. Features like large picture windows, sliding glass doors, and the use of natural materials were all part of a cohesive effort to create homes that felt like organic extensions of their landscape. This design approach left an indelible mark on suburban neighborhoods across the country.
While the style has been subject to criticism and parody over the years, the 70s home exterior is now experiencing a resurgence in appreciation. Designers and homeowners are rediscovering the warmth, texture, and bold character of these homes. The legacy of the 1970s is a reminder that architecture can be a powerful reflection of cultural values, and its call for a more harmonious way of living with nature feels more relevant today than ever before.
