White trim around doorways and windows, against a darker hue on the body of the house was a popular look in New England during the early 1900's. This time also marked the era of the beginning popularity of craftsman style homes. Craftsman style homes often use triangular columns, wide porches, muted porches, and gabled roofs.
By the 1920's, using mixed materials to design the exterior of houses became a popular concept. Lots of texture was provided by creating walkways and stairwells made of different stones or bricks. Metal details and a texture rich home continue the tradition as the eye is drawn up. As the era moved toward the 1930's, sophisticated farm house styles became a trend. Painting homes red with white trim like a barn became popular. Barn doors and other farm stylized accessories added charm. The 40's and 50's were nearly opposite, being separated only by World War II in 1939-1945. During the war, the home building trend was understated details. The homes were neutral colored, usually cape cod or cozy cottage looking, nothing too loud. The most contrasted detail of the homes were white shudders. By 1950, the trend was to paint the exterior kitschy and uplifting colors such as yellow, light blue, and teal.
The 1960's were all-American looking and employed the most classic, colonial elements. White clapboard siding, shudders, and decorative roof domes called cupolas were especially popular. The 1970's were all about earthy and natural colors, both in fashion and in home style. Brown being the go-to choice!
The 1980's ushered in styles unrelated to every other decade in every sense. “Contemporary” style began then and interiors as well as exteriors became more eclectic, but are still embraced widely today. Neutral colored stucco replaced traditional siding options and a variety of different shaped windows became popular. The 1990's tended to trend backward, reverting back to some older styles such as using streamlined columns and the 2000's brought about curated color palettes for the home’s exterior to accentuate its best features. Bold paint colors for front doors became a cool, yet subtle way for your home to stand out and have a personality.
The 2010's to today have trends that aren’t as easily visible, as technology has blown up over the decades. Standing out from the crowd is in the details, maybe the homeowner only knows about. Statement shingles such as staggered patterns and innovative materials are a newer trend, and having entire window walls open up to the outside landscape is a growing favorite.