You know those houses that just stop you in your tracks? The ones that make you forget your manners and straight-up stare? Maybe there’s wisteria climbing the trellis on the front walkway, or there’s a white picket fence overtaken by azaleas. Or maybe the house has a nostalgic red tin roof, or pretty pairs of periwinkle shutters. Better yet, maybe the house is framed by oaks, or boasts a front porch a mile wide. Whatever that X-factor is, we’re total suckers for a house with curb appeal, and Southern homes – big or small, old or new – have that stop-you-in-your-tracks charm by the bucket-load.
From sunny beach cottages in Key West to the historic grand dames of New Orleans, Southern homes have really put their best faces forward in 2017. Here, we’ve rounded up 20 of our favorite pieces of exterior eye candy (from the magazine and our Instagram feed) that taught us a thing or two about curb appeal this year. Take a scroll down memory lane, and try to choose a favorite!
Stop and Stare In: Nashville, Tennessee
Curb Appeal Crushes: Simple wood siding + the cedar shake roof
Stop and Stare In: Beaufort, South Carolina
Curb Appeal Crushes: Double porch swings + the painted metal roof
Stop and Stare In: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Curb Appeal Crushes: Picture-perfect symmetry + the greenery arch over the front door
Stop and Stare In: Charleston, South Carolina
Curb Appeal Crushes: Freshly painted circa-1890 gingerbread detailing + the soulfully restored front door
Stop and Stare In: Houston, Texas
Curb Appeal Crushes: A grand white door + the unexpected New England saltbox-style façade
Stop and Stare In: Birmingham, Alabama
Curb Appeal Crushes: The 19-foot wide front steps + the pecky cypress French doors
Stop and Stare In: New Orleans, Louisiana
Curb Appeal Crushes: Locally forged iron porch railings + the cherry red front door
Stop and Stare In: Key West, Florida
Curb Appeal Crushes: Turquoise Bahamas-style shutters + a pink flower-wrapped trellis
Stop and Stare In: Atlanta, Georgia
Curb Appeal Crushes: Hydrangeas + the front door’s stone surround
Stop and Stare In: New Orleans, Louisiana
Curb Appeal Crushes: Carriage doors on the garage + a white picket fence
Stop and Stare In: Birmingham, Alabama
Curb Appeal Crushes: A well-manicured lawn + the rooftop pineapple (+ the pup)
Stop and Stare In: Charleston, South Carolina
Curb Appeal Crushes: The periwinkle front door + adventure-ready beach cruisers
Stop and Stare In: St. Simons Island, Georgia
Curb Appeal Crushes: Gray wooden shingles + the portico’s decorative railings
Stop and Stare In: Hinesville, Georgia
Curb Appeal Crushes: Emerald green shutters + hanging planters
Stop and Stare In: Brunswick, Georgia
Curb Appeal Crushes: The Second Empire-style architecture + the dusty aqua exterior
