70s House Exterior Makeover: See Paint Updates on Your 1970s House

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Most of what makes a 1970s house look dated is on the surface: brown siding, orange stone, dark trim and a loud door. Upload a photo of your house below to try a paint update on it, then see what makeover stories and guides say and two before and after examples.

Ranch house exterior makeover

Before and after examples

Example images are AI-generated: both the sample houses and their redesigns. Results change from render to render, so treat them as concepts, not exact product matches.

AI-drawn generic stand-in of a 1970s one-story ranch house with dark brown wood siding, brown trim, orange-tan stone pillars beside the front door and a brown shingle roof — Example 1 (prompt 1 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): the dark brown siding, the trim and the front gable are now a moody deep green, and the orange-tan stone pillars are a light beige stone. The front door, the roof, the windows and the shrubs stayed in place. We saw no unrequested changes.

The same ranch with deep green siding and trim and light beige stone pillars; door and roof kept — Example 1 (prompt 1 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): the dark brown siding, the trim and the front gable are now a moody deep green, and the orange-tan stone pillars are a light beige stone. The front door, the roof, the windows and the shrubs stayed in place. We saw no unrequested changes.

AI-drawn generic stand-in of a 1970s two-story house with brown vertical wood siding, brown window trim, a mustard yellow front door and a brown shingle roof — Example 2 (prompt 2 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): the brown siding on both floors is now white, the window trim is black and the mustard door is now a natural wood brown. The brown roof, the lower roof band, the windows and the shrubs stayed in place. We saw no unrequested changes.

The same house with white siding, black window trim and a natural wood door; roof kept — Example 2 (prompt 2 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): the brown siding on both floors is now white, the window trim is black and the mustard door is now a natural wood brown. The brown roof, the lower roof band, the windows and the shrubs stayed in place. We saw no unrequested changes.

What the AI can and cannot do

It can repaint the siding, the trim, the stone and the door and keep the shape of the house and the roof, so you can compare updates on your own house.

It cannot change the structure, fix rot or show new windows that fit. Treat each result as a direction, then check the house itself before you paint.

What makeover stories and guides say about a 70s exterior

These points come from Average Inspired (a 1970s house exterior makeover), Block Renovation (1960s and 70s ranch remodels), Architecture & Design in Australia (on renovating a 70s exterior) and a Houzz story on a 1970s house. The table below is our own summary. They are opinions and stories, not rules.

Part of the scheme	Summary
Surface	Original siding, brick, doors and trim are usually what has aged, and none of that is structural.
Orange stone	One owner first painted a bright orange rock column a neutral beige to calm the 70s look.
Paint	The same house went to a moody green with limewashed stone and wood accents.
Bigger changes	Other makeovers add new windows, render, roof tiles or a deck.
Check first	Look for structural and weathertightness problems and damaged cladding before you paint.
Samples	Paint looked different on the house than online, so test on the facade.

Where this page sits among the color pages

This page is about houses built in the 1970s. For a ranch house of any age, see ranch house exterior makeover, for a split-level, see split-level exterior remodel, and for ideas on any house, see update house exterior.

Two 70s makeover ideas to try

The examples were run directly on an image model, not through the tool above, so your results will look different.

Moody green with calmer stone. Example 1 turns a brown 70s ranch deep green and paints the orange stone pillars light beige.
White with black windows. Example 2 turns a brown 70s two-story house white with black window trim and a wood door.

How to try it on your house

Photograph the front in daylight, straight on, from far enough back that the whole house, the roof and the trim fit in the frame.
Upload it in the tool at the top of this page, or open the exterior designer, and name the colors you want and the parts they go on.
Say what stays. List the parts you are keeping, such as the trim, the roof and the windows, as the prompts below do.
Check the whole image. Look at the trim, the door and the roof edges, since the model sometimes repaints a part you did not name, and run it again if something is off.

The exact prompts behind the examples

These are the edit prompts used for the two examples, word for word. Change the colors and the list of what stays to suit your house.

Prompt 1: brown ranch to moody green with beige stone

Repaint the wood siding and trim a moody deep green and paint the stone column a light beige. Keep the roof. Keep everything else unchanged: the roof, every window position, the shrubs, the lawn, the sky and the camera angle.

Prompt 2: brown two-story to white with black window trim

Repaint the siding white, the window trim black and the front door natural wood brown. Keep the roof. Keep everything else unchanged: the roof, every window position, the shrubs, the lawn, the sky and the camera angle.

Before you paint

Check the cladding first. Look for rot, gaps and damage before you paint; paint will not fix them.
Ask before painting stone. Painting or limewashing stone is hard to undo, so try it on a photo first.
Test real samples on the siding, since colors look different on the house than on a screen.

Who this is for

Owners of 1970s houses with brown siding, orange stone or dark trim who want to see a paint update before they start.

More exterior color ideas

See ranch house exterior makeover, split-level exterior remodel, update house exterior, mid century modern exterior colors, and the exterior paint visualizer.

Frequently asked questions

How do I update a 70s house exterior?

Most makeovers we read started with paint: new siding and trim colors, a calmer color on orange stone, and a new door. Bigger jobs add windows, render or a new roof.

Can I paint orange stone?

One owner painted a bright orange rock column a neutral beige. Painting stone is hard to undo, so try it on a photo first.

Can the AI show a makeover on my house?

Yes. Upload a photo of the front, name the new siding, trim, stone and door colors and say what must stay. The result is a picture of the idea, not a paint match.

Is this tool free?

Signing up is free and gives you 5 credits, which is enough for 2 renders in most countries. Free renders carry an AiExterior watermark. If you want more renders or clean images, paid plans are available on the pricing page.

Do I need an account?

Yes. You need to sign in before a render starts, with an email code or your Google account.

Try it on your own house

Upload your house photo

Free sign-up with email or Google. You get 2 free renders in most countries; free renders are watermarked.