Growing up, Lee Crowder says she never had a chance to be anything other than a designer, using any unsupervised moment to completely rearrange and redecorate her and her brothers’ rooms. 

Ever since, through constant study and the persistent knowledge that her path through the design world wouldn’t quite fit into any predetermined mold, Taylor Morrison’s National Director of Design and Model Experience has made a name for herself for her creativity and problem-solving. We asked Lee to share her story, her perspective, and her predictions for the future of new residential architectural design. Here’s what she had to say.

Lee Crowder: I started out in the retail furniture industry creating room displays, which allowed me to be very creative but also juggle many projects at the same time and become a successful problem solver, two elements of the design process that are not often talked about.  

I started in homebuilding as an Architectural Colorist in 2004. I felt confident with color and design but did not have a background in exterior design at all. I spent a lot of time learning from our trades. I would walk through stone yards to understand the nature and characteristics of the natural stone or tour brick plants to understand how the face design of the brick is created. Everything that I put into practice today from an exterior design perspective I learned from vendors—from brick reps to our gutter company. It taught me so much about how the products adapted and changed in the environment. 

Now, 19 years later, I am the National Director of Design and Model Experience for Taylor Morrison. I am grateful every day for the incredible job I have been asked to do. My team and role ranges from our design studio operations to Canvas, our curated design collections, to helping procure our product lineups (with great partners like Sherwin-Williams) and our model home program.

S: When it comes to designing for new residential environments, what special considerations do you make?

LC: We focus on three elements: design aesthetic, homebuyer lifestyle, and budget. If we can get these three right and have a great experience while doing it, then that is the key to design success. Exterior design is a little bit more complicated, because some choices may already be decided by a municipality, a developer, or even what is available in that city. Ultimately, if you have a smile on your face when you pull into your driveway or feel a sense of pride when you are driving around your community—that is winning exterior design!

Your home’s exterior really does affect your neighbor and your community, so having a professional team create a streetscape design ensures that the appropriate architectural decisions are being made that will enhance the community as a whole.

Another reason to have an expert help is because exterior design mistakes can be costly—and sometimes impossible to change. Changing out an outdated backsplash is much easier than changing a brick or stone that does not work for your design vision.

S: Tell us about “soft transitional” styles for new res exteriors. What specific elements do you see playing well together for today’s exteriors?

LC: Bodies of the home are trending toward a more monochromatic base, often very dark compared to the white that has been trending. These “soft transitional” styles take historic themes and update them with modern siding patterns, mixing with stained wood accents and brightly colored entry doors. I think what has really elevated the style is taking the more traditional color palettes and using them on modern elevations by mixing the metal and wood materials in unique ways.

S: What insights do you have on the differences in exterior trends across the country? 

LC: Architectural design is such a unique place in the design world. You have to design around the shifting daily forecast, how the sunlight, shade, or sunset changes the appearance of the exterior, how the surrounding landscape affects the colors, and what materials are available to use based on the home’s location.

The same things that make the landscape of the United States so beautiful and unique also impact the regional styles. But at the same time, you’ll also see a combination of architectural styles across the country due to people being more mobile, the design world being smaller and easier to access, and also due to more use of paint. So many more elements are being painted or stained than ever before, and that allows homeowners to manipulate materials to their design aesthetic.

S: What are some of your favorite colors for exteriors? 

LC: One of my favorite colors even before it became the [2021] Color of the Year was Urbane Bronze SW 7048 (245-C7). That is one of the most versatile colors when it comes to an exterior selection. We see it often in Mediterranean or stucco-style homes as a fascia color. It is one of my favorite colors to use on a garage door and works with almost any style for a shutter or a front door.

The farmhouse style is very popular and the combination of Tricorn Black SW 6258 (251-C1) and Pure White SW 7005 (255-C1) is so classic.

If I was going to pick my very favorite front door color it would have to be Mount Etna SW 7625 (279-C2) or Dark Night SW 6237 (222-C7) (okay, I can’t even pick between them because they are my go-tos)! They provide that rich look people want for an entry door with their own uniqueness that makes them feel special.

My own personal hope is that we start seeing soft blues and greens for accents on the exteriors (shutters and entry doors) like Dew Drop SW 9641, Evergreen Fog SW 9130 (215-C4), and Sea Spray SW 9561. I think that would be a really beautiful trend that would not be too trendy. Gossamer Veil SW 9165 (138-C1) and Drift of Mist SW 9166 (238-C2) are two other soft colors that are beautiful on almost any style of home.

Discover the trending colors currently transforming new residential construction within our 2023 New Residential palette and explore all six carefully curated palettes in our complete Colormix^® Commercial Forecast.

All photos courtesy of Taylor Morrison.