McLain founded Modern House Numbers with her husband 15 years ago ... house numbers have become almost as loaded with meaning as the white-picket fence.

Solar-powered light-up house numbers Solar panels on this address plaque help keep your address visible at all hours of the day. The modern numbers stand out against the white background day or night.

And of course, house numbers in sans serif font ... adding another floor and giving the exterior the full modern farmhouse treatment, replete with white board and batten siding, black frame ...

“These older neighborhoods are being revamped and redeveloped, and one of the first things that you notice is that these modern house numbers are going up,” said Will Zhang, director of design ...