A Contrasting Front Door Is Just One Way to Nail a Black and White House Exterior

A black and white house exterior—does it get any more classic? We’re firmly in camp “no, it does not,” as you simply cannot go wrong with that color (or lack thereof) combination. No matter your home’s age or architectural style, a black and white facade creates a neutral look that both blends in and seriously pops, especially when set against a yardful of lush greenery. Trust us, exteriors painted black and white are nowhere near boring.

Need proof? Ahead, we’ve rounded up seven homes with black and white exteriors. They vary in size, style, and ways to put black and white to work, but each makes for a classic-as-can-be facade.  

The Half-and-Half One

Not wanting to ruffle too many feathers with her new neighbors, Nusaiba Ally opted against an all-black exterior for her Long Island home. The compromise: white on the front and black on the sides, which creates a softer (yet just as stunning) statement. Gridded windows add to the ultra-modern feel; the oh-so-chic sconce and copper mailbox do, too. Ally is still surprising her neighbors, though, as the black and white house exterior causes you to stare (in the best way) as you round the turn of this corner lot.  

The Tiny One

It’s easy to see why this 600-square-foot home is affectionately referred to as the Soot House. When Julie O’Rourke, founder of fashion brand Rudy Jude, and her partner, Anthony Esteves, built their home from scratch, they blended the best of early New England architecture with a rural feel specific to Maine. That meant an exterior coated in a deep black paint made of soot (yes, really), along with hand-painted pops of white on the trim and door.

The Backyard One

Courtney Adamo’s backyard studio—part workspace, part guest quarters, part bunkhouse for teenage sleepovers—measures only 200 square feet. Still, the black and white house exterior is big on style. The design recipe: black siding paired with crisp white windows and doors, topped with galvanized-steel roofing, all tucked into the lush surroundings of a stately fig tree. The dark exterior makes walking into the airy, floor-to-ceiling white interior all the more satisfying, too.

The Stately One

Sebastian Brauer, Crate & Barrel’s vice president of product design, always dreamed of living in a house with an English countryside feeling. That’s why when Brauer first laid eyes on his Chicago home, he was sold. Its stark black and white exterior leans into its 1929-era charm, blending Old Hollywood glamour with the cozy Cotswolds cottage Brauer always wanted.

The Classic Tudor

Step inside interior designer Sara Johnson’s Dallas Tudor home and you’ll find cheery colors paired with plenty of patterns. The exterior, however, sticks to a simple black and white palette. Its white brick and black shutters lend itself to the home’s traditional architecture, fitting in perfectly with its Highland Park neighborhood. Still, look closely for hints of modernity, like the gridded and arched front door and cabana-stripe pillows adorning the lawn chairs. 

The One With Wood Accents

To warm up a black and white house exterior, add wood accents—whether a little (like a door) or a lot, like full walls of wood cladding. This Bay Area home, designed by Collected Interiors, opted for both. When juxtaposed with crisp white paint and plenty of black elements, from the window trim to the shingles, the wood makes for a forever-in-style facade. 

The Modern Farmhouse One

This isn’t your great-grandma’s bucolic farmhouse. Today barn-shaped homes can be the most modern design on the block. That’s especially the case with a black and cream exterior, like this Seattle home’s. The contrasting colors highlight the architecture’s clean lines, while keeping all the charm of farmhouse features (like the gambrel roof, oversize porch, and floor-to-ceiling windows) intact.