Modernizing the 1990's Mediterranean Exterior

Florida is still chock full of Mediterranean-influenced homes built between the late 1990's and the early 2000's. And though most have good bones, they're undeniably outdated. So here are 10 steps you can take to modernize your millenial Mediterranean home.

credit: True Fine Lighting

1. Update your color scheme by swapping mustard, tan and terracotta house colors for more neutral notes like taupe, beige, or creamy white.

2. Update your silhouettes by changing broken arches to rounded arches or squared off openings. Also strip away those unnecessary medallions and flat stucco bands that put a millenial timestamp on your home.

3. Update your undersized builder-grade light fixtures with lights that are on trend and at least 24" high. You can't go wrong with a matte black finish in stylized versions of classic designs with cleaner lines.

4. Modernize your garage doors by ditching the faux-finished wood look raised panel doors and opt instead for flush panel, carriage style, or glass panel doors instead.

5. Update your landscaping from the overgrown version of what the builder installed to thoughtful plantings that offer tapering heights, complimentary textures, and don't forget flowers for color.

6.  Modernize your house numbers with modern large scale house numbers in black, bronze, or even brushed brass. This is the least expensive yet highly impactful updates you can make to take 25 years off the face of your home.

7.  Modernize your window without replacing them. Simply paint your white or beige window frames a dark bronze, dark charcoal or black color. Even if you have white or beige mullions, from the outside what you'll notice is the dark window frames. Just be sure to use the appropriate type of paint.

8.  Update your rectangular builder-grade gutters & downspouts with European style rounded gutters & downspouts. For the most authentic feeling results choose a black, bronze, or copper finish.

9.  Update your painted builder-grade fiberglass door with raised panels or decorative glass door by switching to a more authentic stained wood door or sophisticated iron door with glass panels for your front entry. This is an update that truly elevates your home.

10. Modernize your Mediterranean style home by either removing the builder-grade multi-colored stone veneer or replacing it with larger scale neutral colored stone or large format smooth cut ivory limestone.

These 10 simple but effective steps will help make the exterior of your millenial Mediterranean home look renewed & refreshed.