What is a house facade?
The façade is the exterior front side of a home, made up of the architectural features, materials and finishes that define the home's character and enhance its curb appeal.
It's made up of all the external parts of the home you can see from the street, creating a distinct look and feel...all those things that make it feel like yours when you drive past.
When you're building a new home, you'll need to select a façade alongside your floorplan and then customise various elements of your façade, such as the finishes, roof materials and colour scheme.
Plantation Homes façades
Plantation Homes offers a wide library of façades designed to offer enduring appeal for both single storey and double-storey designs. So you can find the right façade for your personal taste, most of our floorplans can be paired with multiple facade styles.
For example, the Modena modern floorplan can be paired with a wide variety of façade options including the Ultima, Broadway, Granger or Monroe so you're sure to find one that suits your personal taste.
You can feel confident knowing that our façades combine considered design with lasting performance, helping your home look great and feel comfortable all year round.
What are the elements of a façade design?
A façade covers the architectural details and design elements that together create the exterior appearance of your home.
- The overall shape and footprint
- Front door style and width
- Windows, window trims and shapes
- The rooflines and eaves
- Finishes and associated textures
- Entry area, such as portico or porch
- Garage door
- Exterior lighting
- External colour palette and materials.
Façades for double storey homes may also include:
- Feature materials on the upper level
- Balcony design
- Window placement and proportions
How a façade and floorplan work together
When building a new home, two of the most important decisions you make are the floorplan (or house design) and the façade. While the façade is the thing you might notice first, the floorplan is the footprint and internal layout of your new home.
These should work together to create a cohesive look and feel for your new home build. Once you've selected your floor plan, one of our new home consultants will guide you through the available façades so you can choose one that suits your floor plan, personal preferences and budget.
Things to keep in mind
- A facade often looks different on different floorplans
- Narrow lots may not accommodate some façade types
- Some façades are only suitable for double storey homes featuring 'build-over' garages
- Our individual collections feature their own façade options, with some styles exclusive to each collection.
Pairing Plantation home designs and facades
You'll notice that our home designs pages include examples of façades that can be matched to those designs to help you tie everything together.
For example, if you're considering the Esperance 527-D57 and want to emphasise natural light and street-facing views, the Connell façade with its large windows and double front door may be ideal.
The wide frontage of the Colorado pairs beautifully with the Eastport façade for a Hamptons-inspired look or if contemporary facades are more your style, the clean lines of the Ridge façade make it an excellent choice.
Common façade materials and finishes
It's become a feature of Australian homes to include multiple materials, textures, finishes and tones. Take a stroll down the street of any new estate, and you'll see various examples of cladding paired with exposed brick, or natural stone features combined with render. The options really are endless.
Your choice of façade with its balance of materials and finishes helps to lean into the home's architectural style and your personal creative expression. A seamless blend of mixed materials adds depth, contrast and personality.
Façade materials include:
- Render: Smooth or textured, often a dominant finish for modern homes
- Exposed brick: Making a comeback, with a timeless, earthy appeal
- Natural stone: Delivers a premium look and a natural feel
- Cladding: A customer favourite, suitable for modern and classic designs
- Feature tiles: Small or large and available in a wide range of textures and finishes
- Glass: Oversized glass door panels and feature windows
- Natural materials: Sustainable choices that can help to soften the overall look.
What to consider when choosing a façade
While overall style is important, there are several practical factors to keep in mind:
- Your overall budget
- Compatibility with your floorplan
- Climate and orientation
- Long-term street appeal
- Connecting the style with your chosen front yard design and landscaping, such as native plants or a formal garden
- Compliance with council or estate design guidelines
- Whether the façade is available for your chosen collection and floorplan
Façade guidelines for new estates
Many new developments have estate guidelines that outline requirements for the look and style of homes in the area. These may include certain materials, colours and keeping some design elements consistent with surrounding homes.
Examples of estate guidelines:
- Overall design themes, such as modern, coastal, or traditional
- Proportions of different materials, such as render, cladding, and stone
- Limits on brick coverage
- Specified features or high-level inclusions.
Requirements vary by estate, so it's important to balance these guidelines with your personal style and what's possible for your chosen home design.
Façades for knockdown rebuilds
Knock down rebuilds can offer more flexibility, but heritage and character overlays may apply so it's important to do your research before locking in a selection.
Overlays can affect:
- Maximum roof height (for example, limited to two storeys)
- Roof pitch and style
- Street setbacks
- Material and colour selection.
Façade designs in these areas may need to reflect traditional styles to preserve the area's character.
