Beyond the Interior: How Hardt Studio Designs Your Home’s Exterior
When you think about interior design, you probably think about paint colors, furniture, lighting, tile, and finishes inside your home.
But what about everything you see before you even walk through the front door?
At Hardt Studio, we believe the exterior deserves just as much thought as the interior. Your home's exterior is the first impression, and thoughtful exterior selections can completely transform the way a home or business looks and feels.
That’s why we offer exterior finish selections and exterior elevation drawings to help our clients create a cohesive, intentional design from the outside in.
What Can We Select for the Exterior?
There are countless details that contribute to the overall look of a building. Depending on the project, Hardt Studio can help select and coordinate elements such as:
Exterior Finishes
- Brick
- Stone
- Siding
- Stucco
- Exterior paint colors
- Wood accents
- Board and batten
- Shingles
- Metal siding
- Mixed exterior materials
- Trim colors
- Shutters
Roofing
- Roof material
- Shingle color and style
- Gutters
- Downspouts
Windows & Doors
- Window styles
- Window colors
- Window trim
- Exterior door styles
- Front door color
- Garage doors
- Garage door styles
- Door hardware
- Shutters
Exterior Lighting
- Wall sconces
- Lanterns
- Garage lighting
- Entry lighting
- Landscape lighting
- Uplighting
- Path lighting
- Address lighting
- Lighting finishes
Architectural Details
- Columns
- Posts
- Beams
- Brackets
- Corbels
- Railings
- Balconies
- Porches
- Exterior fireplaces
Landscaping & Outdoor Spaces
Depending on the scope of the project, we can also help coordinate the visual design of outdoor spaces, including:
- Planters
- Outdoor furniture
- Patio finishes
- Walkways
- Driveway materials
- Pool finishes
- Outdoor kitchens
- Fire features
- Fencing
- Gates
- Landscape elements
And, of course, all of these selections need to work together.
A beautiful stone doesn't necessarily work with every brick. A gorgeous front door can feel disconnected if the surrounding trim and lighting aren't considered. Even something as simple as changing the exterior paint color can completely change the character of a home.
That's where the design process comes in.
What Are Exterior Elevations?
An exterior elevation is a drawing that shows one side of a building straight-on.
Rather than looking at a floor plan from above, an elevation allows you to see the vertical face of the building and understand how the architectural and finish elements come together.
For exterior design, elevations can be incredibly helpful because they allow us to visualize selections in context.
Instead of looking at a brick sample, paint swatch, roof sample, and light fixture separately, we can put those decisions onto an elevation and see how they interact.
Why Are Exterior Elevations Helpful?
See the Whole Picture
Individual samples only tell you so much.
An elevation allows you to see the relationship between the roof, siding, brick, windows, doors, lighting, trim, and architectural details all at once.
It becomes much easier to understand what the finished exterior will actually look like.
Compare Options
Not sure whether you want a dark or light exterior?
Trying to decide between two garage doors?
Wondering whether black windows or white windows fit the design better?
We can create and compare different options before you make the final decision.
Catch Design Issues Early
Exterior elements are highly visible and often expensive to change once installed.
Elevations give us an opportunity to notice things that might feel unbalanced, disconnected, or simply different than what you imagined before construction begins.
It is much easier to change a finish on a drawing than it is to replace it after installation.
Coordinate All the Details
A successful exterior isn't usually about one individual selection. It's about how everything works together.
Exterior elevations help us coordinate the many layers of the design so that the final result feels intentional rather than like a collection of individual decisions.
Communicate With Your Builder
Exterior elevations can also be incredibly useful during the construction process.
They provide a visual reference that can help communicate the design intent to builders and contractors, especially when there are multiple materials, colors, architectural details, or installation considerations involved.
Designing From the Outside In
We don't believe interior design should stop at the front door.
The exterior of your home or business sets the tone for everything that comes after it. It can reflect the character of the architecture, complement the surrounding landscape, and create a sense of continuity between the exterior and interior.
Whether you're building a new home, renovating an existing one, updating a commercial property, or simply looking for a fresh exterior direction, Hardt Studio can help you make those decisions with intention.
Because a thoughtfully designed space doesn't have to stop at the walls.
Let's design the whole picture.
