How to Achieve a Modern Split Level Exterior Remodel
Split-level homes offer unique opportunities for dramatic modern makeovers that can increase curb appeal and property value.
Strategic updates to key elements—siding materials, roof lines, window configurations, and entry features—create maximum visual impact without complete reconstruction.
Imagine your home with sleek horizontal siding, expanded windows, architectural accents, and a reimagined entryway that turns heads and makes neighbors jealous.
Start by consulting a design professional who specializes in split-level renovations. Create a cohesive plan focusing on proportions, materials, and lighting before selecting contractors who understand your modern vision.
Key Features of a Modern Split-Level Exterior
- Clean lines and minimalist design: Remove ornate details and unnecessary decorative elements in favor of simple, geometric forms that create a sleek silhouette.
- Neutral and natural color palettes: Embrace sophisticated combinations of whites, grays, blacks, and earth tones that complement the surrounding landscape while creating a timeless aesthetic.
- Mixed materials like wood, stone, and metal: Layer contrasting textures to add visual interest and dimension—consider cedar accents with dark metal trim or smooth stucco juxtaposed with textured stone veneer.
- Large windows and open sightlines: Replace outdated small windows with expansive glass features that flood interiors with natural light and create a stronger indoor-outdoor connection.
7 Stunning Ideas for Split-Level Exterior Remodels
1. Updating the Exterior Materials
1. Best Siding Options: Fiber cement siding looks like wood but needs less care. It lasts many years. Metal panels give homes clean lines. They work well and need little upkeep. Wood siding adds warmth. Cedar and cypress can age or keep their color with proper care.
2. Stone or Brick Accents: Use stone or brick to make key spots stand out. Good for the base, posts, or front door area. Modern styles use clean-cut stones and thin brick. They make homes look more valued.
3. Stucco for Modern Touch: Smooth stucco creates clean surfaces. It works well with other items on modern homes. It holds up well to weather. For a strong look, pair white stucco with dark trim.
2. Modernizing the Roofline and Overhangs
1. Updating the Roof for a Contemporary Look: Update your home’s shape with a modern roof that shows clean lines. For a quick update, try standing seam metal roofing in dark gray or black. For a softer look, use flat shingles in one color family. Changing the roof slope can update your home without total removal.
2. Extending Overhangs for Added Dimension: Bigger roof edges create nice shadows that add depth while helping your home. Longer edges keep windows safe from rain and sun and make your home look more modern. Make them 24-36 inches wide. Use warm wood underneath to mix with cooler wall items.
Adding Soffit Lighting for a Polished Effect: Good lights change how your home looks at night. They show off your home’s best parts. Small LED lights under roof edges shine on walls and light paths below. This makes your home look deeper, keeps it safer, and shows off your modern changes at night.
3. Enhancing the Entryway for a Bold Statement
1. Upgrading the Front Door with Modern Materials and Bold Colors: Your front door can be the main focus of your home’s front view. Try big doors (8 feet or taller) made of frosted glass with metal frames, solid wood with side-to-side grain, or smooth fiberglass with a shiny finish. Dark grays, blue-greens, or wood tones stand out against plain walls and show a fresh style.
2. Incorporating a Covered Porch or Entry Overhang: A good entry design makes the walk to your home better and keeps rain away. Replace old covers with new ones that have straight lines and mixed items. Hanging covers with few supports look like they float. Glass and metal let light pass to the steps below.
3. Updating Railings and Staircases with Sleek Metal or Glass: Switch old wood rails and posts with simple new ones that stress up-down or side-to-side lines. Wire rails give almost clear views while meeting safety rules. Flat steel bars with few joins look clean. For the most fresh entries, try glass sheets with small metal parts that keep views open but make steps safe.
4. Transforming Windows and Doors
1. Choosing Larger, Energy-Efficient Windows for a Modern Look: Make window spaces bigger to reach from floor to ceiling. This brings in more light and looks new. Try side-swing or top-swing styles with thin frames to get more glass area. Get windows with special coatings that save power and stop sun damage inside. For homes with good views, fixed glass panels give a clear sight to the outside world.
2. Sliding or Bi-Fold Doors to Connect Indoor and Outdoor Spaces: Switch old swing doors with wide sliding or folding types that change how your home joins to yards. New door systems with thin frames and big glass link rooms to patios. They also let in more light. For best results, try doors that move up and slide away. These open whole walls to the outside when the weather is nice.
3. Adding Black or Dark-Framed Windows for Contrast: Dark window frames in gray, black, or brown stand out against light walls. They add a factory-like style to split-level homes. This high-contrast look draws eyes to clean window shapes. It makes a visual beat across the front of homes. For a complete look, use the same dark color on door frames, rain pipes, and edge parts.
5. Updating the Garage and Driveway
1. Modern Garage Door Styles: Switch old bump-out panel doors with smooth designs that match your new home look. Try flat panels with small parts, cloudy glass with metal frames, or wood-look doors with side-to-side boards. When garage doors face the street, they offer a chance to add a design element that helps, not hurts, your home’s front view.
2. Widening or Reconfiguring the Driveway for a Streamlined Look: Make narrow drives wider to work better and create a more open path to your home. Think about swapping straight lines with soft curves that guide eyes to your new entry. Wider turn spots make access easier and give space for guests to park without taking over the front lawn. For homes on hills, step-like drives with short walls can turn tricky slopes into design features.
3. Using Pavers or Stamped Concrete for a Stylish Upgrade: Boost your home’s outside with new paving items that replace old cement slabs or black top. Big cement blocks in shades of gray make neat patterns with few cracks. Or try poured cement with light line marks and color-wash finishes for a solid look that fits modern homes. Look at water-pass-through choices that handle rain well while adding interest through texture changes.
6. Landscaping for a Contemporary Feel
1. Low-Maintenance Landscaping with Native Plants: Frame your updated split-level with shaped plants that focus on form, not fussy flowers. Try tall grasses, shaped desert plants, and local bushes set in simple groups that need little care. Switch thirsty lawns with dry-happy options that cut work while looking good all year through mixed textures and soft color changes.
2. Hardscaping Elements like Concrete Pathways and Raised Planters: Add built items that extend your home’s new style into the yard. Try wood-formed cement plant boxes with clean lines, metal edges that make sharp lines between items, and steps that seem to float. These solid parts give shape all year and act as a smart base for well-picked plants.
3.Outdoor Lighting to Highlight Architectural Features: Light up your home’s best parts with well-placed lights that create mood after dark. Straight LED lights under roof edges wash walls with light, while spot lights show off texture and design details. Path lights with covered bulbs give safety without glare, guiding guests through your yard to your door. Look at smart controls that change light based on time, people, and events.
7. Adding Outdoor Living Spaces
1. Creating a Modern Deck or Patio: Add space outside with new flat areas that match your home’s look. Try mixed decking with no visible screws for clean tops, large tile-like stone for easy care, or poured cement with pretty rocks for simple style. Focus on straight lines with few level changes. Use edges that seem to hang and sunk-in lights to make areas look like they float out from your house.
2. Incorporating Fire Pits, Built-In Seating, or Pergolas: Add key items that work well and look good. Straight fire spots with glass shields make strong focus points and let you stay outside when cool. Built-in seats made of cement or hard wood cut the need for more chairs. New shade frames with metal parts and simple design give some cover while making set spots through up-down parts.
3. Using Modern Furniture and Decor for a Cohesive Look: Finish your outside change with items that show the same style sense. Pick weather-tough pieces with clean lines, plain fabrics, and shapes that match your home’s new look. Think good over many, choosing fewer items with great design instead of filling space with too much stuff. Look at built-in boxes that keep areas neat while holding soft seats and extras during bad weather.
Conclusion
Transforming your split-level exterior requires thoughtful planning and strategic execution. By focusing on clean lines, contemporary materials, and purposeful design choices, you can dramatically elevate your home’s appearance while honoring its fundamental architecture.
Remember that successful renovations balance bold statements with cohesive elements that work harmoniously together.
The most impactful transformations often combine several approaches—expanded windows, mixed materials, simplified rooflines, and integrated outdoor spaces—creating a comprehensive design language rather than isolated updates.
Whether tackling the project in phases or all at once, maintain your vision of simplified elegance and architectural integrity throughout.
With the right design partners and quality materials, your reimagined split-level can become a neighborhood standout that reflects modern sensibilities while maintaining the practical advantages of its original design.
