Before-and-After Small-Home Exterior Makeovers

Lifeless and gray, this front porch served as merely a pass-through to the front door. Though the porch was structurally sound and offered ample space, it needed a few creative touches to turn heads.

First impressions are key to traffic-stopping appeal, and nothing says "come on in!" like a gracious front porch. Instead of a traditional rail, the homeowners opted for a geometric design that spoke to the bungalow's architectural style. Replacing the screens with stylish curtain panels boosted the porch's privacy. Low, colorful plantings frame the front of the house with greenery.

A lack of architectural features made this home a real square. Wrapped in dingy yellow siding trimmed in brown, this bungalow was as ho-hum as they come until an extensive addition to the back of the house provided the perfect opportunity to jolt the front out of its doldrums.

The gabled peak of the second-story addition now springs from the existing roofline, and an expanded portico with columns transforms the front door into a welcoming entrance. New steps and a wider walkway made from concrete stamped to resemble cobblestones graciously usher guests to the electric-red door. Enlarging the windows and adding an awning make the cottage look gracious and inviting.

A dated color scheme kept much of the character of this small home obscured until a few simple but thoughtful changes allowed the charming exterior to shine.

A lightened-up exterior brings this small cottage into modern times without sacrificing character. A simple color scheme of gray and white with black accents makes the home appear larger, and custom touches like a new front door and window box boost appeal.

This 1960s ranch just couldn't provide the space or style its family needed.

This former ranch's loving renovation was inspired by the nearby ocean and Cape Cod's vernacular architecture. The redesign included the addition of a widow's walk that offers views of Cape Cod Bay, accessible from a pull-down ladder above the upper-level landing.

A dull paint job and overgrown, unkempt bushes shielded this could-be charmer from second glances, but the dilapidated exterior couldn't hide its potential.

This home steps into view thanks to a color makeover, new front door, and shaped-up hedges.

White paint, a boxy porch, and zero landscaping touches -- this unadorned exterior was builder-boring at best.

The new design adds an upper level with sleeping niches, plus another bathroom and bedroom on the main level, all with a similar square footage as its cinder-block ancestor. A screen porch and dormers fit old island style, but the open-air communal space where the family can cook, eat, and hang is totally modern. Traditional elements trim it out -- plank walls, reclaimed weathered-oak beams, slate tile flooring.

Dull landscaping and discordant colors kept this Cape Cod home from finding its charisma.

A fresh paint job and simple structural changes such as a new portico brought the home into the spotlight, but the second phase of the makeover -- landscaping the sloped front yard -- really helped the home look stunning on its property.