Love the 70s? Here’s How to Recreate That Classic Home Exterior Style
If you’ve found yourself scrolling through vintage photos and feeling a pull towards sunken living rooms and shag carpets, you’re not alone. The 1970s are back in a big way, influencing everything from fashion to interior design. But why stop inside? The real soul of the decade was often expressed before you even stepped through the front door.
That unique architectural vibe, a blend of earthy rebellion and futuristic optimism, is making a serious comeback. Recreating a classic 70s home exterior is more than just a paint job; it’s about capturing a feeling of freedom, nature, and bold individuality. So, grab your bell-bottoms, and let’s dive into how you can bring that groovy 70s magic to the outside of your home.
Understanding the Vibe: The Soul of the 70s Home Exterior
Before we get into the nuts and bolts, it’s crucial to understand the philosophy behind the 70s home exterior. This wasn’t just about aesthetics; it was a cultural statement. The decade was a reaction against the conformity of the 50s and 60s, with a newfound appreciation for the environment and personal expression.
This translated into architecture that aimed to blend with its natural surroundings rather than dominate them. Homes were designed to feel like an extension of the landscape, using organic materials and colors pulled directly from the earth. The overall goal was to create a space that felt honest, grounded, and uniquely personal, a key principle for any modern 70s home exterior project.
Architectural styles like the Shed, A-Frame, and updated versions of the Split-Level and Ranch reigned supreme. These styles broke free from simple, boxy silhouettes and embraced dynamic angles and interesting forms. This era was all about creating visual interest and rejecting the cookie-cutter look of previous generations.
The Foundation: Key Architectural Elements of the 70s
To truly capture the look, you need to focus on the core architectural features that defined the decade. These elements are the building blocks of any authentic-looking 70s home exterior. From funky rooflines to massive windows, these features were all about making a statement.
Asymmetrical Silhouettes and Dynamic Rooflines
Forget perfect symmetry; the 70s were all about a more free-flowing, asymmetrical design. Homes often featured multiple rooflines at varying heights and angles, creating a complex and visually engaging silhouette. This was most prominent in the “Shed Style,” where angular, single-pitched roofs seemed to cascade down the structure.
This approach gave homes a sense of movement and energy, as if the house was organically growing out of the ground. Split-level designs became more complex, with wings jutting out at interesting angles. Even the classic A-frame, with its dramatic, singular roofline, was a testament to this love for bold geometric forms.
If you’re building new or planning a major renovation, incorporating these kinds of dynamic rooflines is a powerful way to commit to the aesthetic. For existing homes, you can create a similar feeling by adding an angular awning over a porch or window. The key is to break up flat, uninspired surfaces and introduce a sense of unpredictability, a hallmark of the 70s home exterior.
Embracing Natural and Textural Materials
The “back to the earth” movement was a driving force in the 70s, and this was clearly reflected in the materials used on home exteriors. Smooth, sterile surfaces were out, and rich, a a a a a a a TTTT-RR-TTTT-T-RRRRR-T-R-T-R-RRRRRtextural materials were in. The goal was to create a home that felt as good to touch as it did to look at.
Wood was the undisputed king, and not just in simple horizontal planks. Vertical or diagonal wood siding, often in warm cedar or redwood tones, was incredibly popular as it added both warmth and visual direction to the facade. Board-and-batten siding also had a major moment, providing a rustic, handcrafted feel that was central to the 70s home exterior style.
Alongside wood, you’d find an abundance of natural stone and brick. This wasn’t the clean, perfect brick of earlier decades; it was often rough, irregular, and “clinker” brick with a more rugged appearance. Stone was used for accent walls, massive chimneys, or entire front facades, grounding the structure and tying it directly to the landscape.
Windows and Doors: The Eyes to the Soul
The 70s brought about a new way of thinking about the connection between indoors and outdoors. Large, expansive windows were used to blur this line, flooding homes with natural light and framing views of the garden. Picture windows, often without grilles, became a standard feature in living areas.
This era also loved to play with window shapes. You’d frequently see arched, circular, or even octagonal windows used as unique architectural accents. Clerestory windows—narrow bands of windows placed high up on a wall just below the roofline—were another popular feature that brought in light while maintaining privacy, a signature of the high-end 70s home exterior.
Front doors were no longer just a functional entryway; they were a canvas for personal expression. Heavy, carved wooden double doors were a mark of a distinguished home. Even single doors were often painted in a bold accent color and flanked by textured or colored glass sidelights, making the entrance a major focal point.
The Color Palette: Groovy Hues for Your Home
You can’t talk about the 70s without talking about color. The palette was distinctive, memorable, and deeply connected to the natural world. Choosing the right colors is perhaps the single most impactful way to create an authentic 70s home exterior.
Earth Tones Rule the Roost
The dominant color story of the decade was undeniably earthy. Think of the colors of a forest floor in autumn, and you’re on the right track. This palette was warm, inviting, and a direct reflection of the era’s love for all things natural.
Key players in this family were Harvest Gold, Avocado Green, and Burnt Orange. These weren’t just accent colors; they were often used as the main color for siding. Deeper tones like chocolate brown, russet, and mustard yellow were also incredibly popular, especially for trim, gutters, and garage doors. A perfect 70s home exterior often features a masterful blend of these warm, organic hues.
The idea was to make the house feel like a part of its environment. A brown-hued house would blend seamlessly with surrounding trees, while a golden-toned home would echo the color of the setting sun. This deep connection to nature is what makes the 70s home exterior color scheme so timelessly appealing.
Creating Accents with Bolder Colors
While earth tones were the foundation, the 70s were also about letting your personality shine. This meant using smaller doses of brighter, more optimistic colors as accents. This is where you could really have some fun and inject a bit of joyful energy into your 70s home exterior.
A front door was the perfect place for a pop of vibrant color. Think bright turquoise, sunny yellow, or a bold poppy red to welcome guests with a cheerful statement. These accent colors were also used on window shutters (if the house had them) or even on a single architectural feature you wanted to highlight.
This use of color shows the duality of the decade’s design ethos: grounded in nature but not afraid to be loud and expressive. Pairing a deep brown wood siding with a bright orange door is the perfect encapsulation of the 70s home exterior spirit. It’s a look that’s both confident and completely at ease.
Modern Interpretations of the 70s Palette
If going full-on Avocado Green feels a bit too much for your modern sensibilities, don’t worry. You can still capture the essence of the 70s palette with a more contemporary twist. The key is to use slightly muted or desaturated versions of the classic colors.
Instead of a bright Harvest Gold, consider a more sophisticated ochre or deep marigold. Swap out the classic Avocado for a richer, more complex olive or sage green. A rusty terracotta can stand in for Burnt Orange, giving you that same warmth without feeling like a direct costume. This approach allows your 70s home exterior to pay homage to the era without looking like a dated reproduction.
The Classic Wood and White Combination
For a look that is undeniably 70s but also feels timeless and clean, you can’t go wrong with the combination of dark wood and crisp white. This was a popular choice for more modern or architect-designed homes of the era. It emphasizes the architectural lines and the natural beauty of the materials.
Imagine dark-stained vertical cedar siding paired with bright white trim around the windows and along the dramatic roofline. This high-contrast look is incredibly striking and sophisticated. It provides a perfect canvas for natural landscaping and still feels completely authentic to the design principles of the 70s home exterior.
Finishing Touches: Landscaping and Details That Scream 70s
A house doesn’t exist in a vacuum. To fully commit to the 70s home exterior aesthetic, you need to consider the environment around it, from the plants in the garden to the numbers on the wall. These final details are what pull the entire look together.
The landscaping philosophy of the 70s mirrored the architecture: natural, a bit wild, and low-maintenance. Manicured lawns and perfectly sculpted hedges were replaced with a more free-form, organic approach. Think less “formal garden” and more “cultivated woodland.”
Incorporate lots of native grasses, ferns, and rustic shrubs that provide texture and year-round interest. Rock gardens, featuring large, interesting boulders and hardy succulents, were extremely popular. The goal was to create a yard that looked as if nature had a heavy hand in its design, a perfect complement to any 70s home exterior.
Lighting was another area where the 70s style shone through. Simple, geometric forms were favored. Classic globe lights, either on a post at the end of the driveway or as sconces by the front door, are an iconic choice for a 70s home exterior. Other fixtures might feature smoked glass or metal with a brushed bronze or dark iron finish.
Don’t forget the little details that add a layer of authenticity. Look for house numbers in a classic 70s font, like the bubbly and rounded “Souvenir” or a clean, futuristic typeface. A unique, minimalist mailbox or even a sunken patio or conversation pit can be the final touch that transports your home back in time. It is these details that make a 70s home exterior truly special.
Conclusion: Bringing Your 70s Home Exterior to Life
Recreating the classic 70s home exterior is a rewarding journey into a decade of bold design and earthy soul. It’s an opportunity to create a home that is warm, inviting, and full of personality. Remember the core principles: embrace nature, celebrate texture, and don’t be afraid of color.
The key is to blend the best elements of the era—the dynamic rooflines, the natural materials like wood and stone, and that unforgettable color palette—with your own personal style. A successful 70s home exterior doesn’t have to be a perfect time capsule. It should feel like a modern home that confidently tips its hat to one of the most expressive decades in architectural history.
So, whether you’re painting your front door Burnt Orange, installing vertical cedar siding, or planting a beautifully unruly garden, have fun with it. Let the free-spirited, creative energy of the 70s guide you. The end result will be a home that’s not just stylish, but truly groovy. A well-executed 70s home exterior is a celebration of individuality.
