Best color for porch floor
The 10 Best Porch Paint Colors for the Front of Your Home
Caroline Biggs, Freelance Writer portrait
By Caroline Biggs Updated February 25, 2021
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Credit: Courtesy of Benjamin Moore
Score some serious curb appeal by using one of these designer-approved shades on your porch.
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home front porch blue chairs
Credit: Courtesy of Benjamin Moore
Your front porch sets the tone for how you and any visitors view the rest of your home. That's why a fresh coat of paint can work wonders for the area as a whole. "Your front porch is where your home makes its first impression," says Hannah Yeo, color marketing and development manager at Benjamin Moore. "With the right color, you can transform an ordinary entryway into a welcoming and inviting greeting area."
Of course, there are several factors to take into consideration when choosing a paint color for your front porch—that process should start with your landscaping. "Consider the botanicals in your garden and play off those colors," says interior designer Crystal Sinclair. "Look for colors that complement the surrounding grass and trees." Don't forget about the parts of the porch that won't be getting a fresh coat of paint. "Be sure to consider the architectural elements that you won't be painting, such as brick, stonework, and the roof," says Erika Woelfel, color expert at Behr Paint. The colors you select should complement these pre-existing features."
You'll also want to think about the amount of light your porch receives since light direction can impact the appearance of paint color. "A south-facing porch will struggle with darker colors, so it's best to use lighter shades," says Patrick O'Donnell, brand ambassador at Farrow & Ball, adding, "whereas northern light tends to bring out the cooler tones in a hue." Ready to revamp your front porch with a crisp coat of paint? These expert-approved paint colors are a great place to start.
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Muted Greens
Muted Green paint swatch
Credit: Courtesy of Behr
When in doubt, draw from the colors in your surrounding landscape.
"Green is a great shade for front porches because it ties in the [greenery] around the house to create a beautiful and cohesive look," says interior designer Ariel Okin. Consider a meadow-inspired green, like Behr's Back to Nature. It will warm up your front porch without stealing any focus from your gorgeous lawn.
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Deep Blues
Pale Blue Paint Swatch
Credit: Courtesy of Benjamin Moore
Go with a chic and eye-catching shade of deep blue, like Benjamin Moore's Evening Dove, to create a stylish front porch scene that you can see from the street. "Blue makes a bold statement," Sinclair says.
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Warm Blues
oval room blue paint color
Credit: Courtesy of Farrow & Ball
If your front yard landscaping is already wow-worthy, try offsetting it with an elegant shade of blue. "Blues that echo the skies of the warmer seasons, such as Oval Room Blue, are ideal to use in a space overlooking a garden," O'Donnell says.
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Off-Whites
Off white color swatch
Credit: Courtesy of Behr
You can always count on a creamy coat of off-white paint, like Behr's Swiss Coffee, to upgrade the ambience of your front porch. Our experts also say it plays nicely with the exterior of just about any home. "Since front porches often take up a decent amount of surface area, you want a warm but neutral hue that blends nicely with the overall exterior scheme of the house," says Woelfel.
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Pale Blues
Pale Blue Paint Swatch
Credit: Courtesy of Benjamin Moore
Not ready to commit to painting your entire porch? Highlight the accents with pale blue paint instead. "Front doors, ceilings, and shutters are a great place to add color," Yeo says. "Blue porch ceilings have been a long-standing tradition in many parts of the country for centuries. Whether used to keep bugs away or to help visually extend daylight by matching the color of the sky, colors like Clear Skies 2054-70 and Arctic Blue 2050-60 are popular choices.
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Moody Greens
Moody Green Paint color
Credit: Courtesy of Farrow & Ball
Cool and comforting, our experts say grayish-green shades, like Farrow & Ball's Lichen, will create a calming vibe for your front porch. "Moody greens work great for front porches because they offer an inviting sense of calm when you first enter a space," says interior designer Becky Shea.
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Silvery Grays
Silvery Gray color swatch
Credit: Courtesy of Behr
Looking for a sophisticated paint color that will enhance your porch's architectural details? Woelfel says to go for a sleek shade of silvery gray. "A composed gray-white, like Silver Mine, will elegantly play up interesting architectural elements on your porch and works wells with almost any color," she says.
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Light Gray
Light Gray Paint Swatch
Credit: Courtesy of Benjamin Moore
If you painted the exterior of your home in a commanding color, use a soft and versatile shade of gray on your front porch to tone things down.
"Light grays like Classic Gray OC-23 and Stonington Gray HC-170 work well with a variety of different hues," Yeo says.
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Light Gray-Blues
Light Gray Blue color swatch
Credit: Courtesy of Behr
For a soft pop of color on your front porch, Woelfel suggests painting the ceiling in a simple shade of light gray-blue, such as Gentle Sea or Light Drizzle. "A serene grayish-blue provides a cooling note overhead on the ceiling," she explains, "making it a perfect place to enjoy a morning cup of coffee."
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Navy Blues
Navy Blue Paint
Credit: Courtesy of Farrow & Ball
When all else fails, our experts say you can always depend on a classic shade of navy blue paint, like Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue, to modernize your front porch. "Navy blue works anywhere in my opinion, but especially the front porch," Okin says.
"It's a contemporary neutral that will still make your porch stand out."
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Porch paint ideas: 10 colors and designs to boost curb appeal
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The porch paint ideas you choose will have a big impact on your home's overall appearance and curb appeal. If you have a front porch, it's likely one of the first thing guests and passers-by will notice about your home, so if it is looking worse for the wear, a paint job will be a big upgrade. The back porch, on the other hand, is often the site of warm-weather entertaining, parties, and events.
Because there's so much riding on the look of your front porch ideas (no pressure!), we went to the pros for advice on creating an inviting, beautiful, and functional porch, all with the help of a little paint. The paint ideas, below, run the gamut from practical advice and insider insight, to color theory and more.
Porch paint ideas
These porch paint ideas are an effective and cost-efficient way to give your home exterior a facelift, whether they are for front or back porch ideas. Use the expert advice to get this element of the paint colors for the exterior of a house just right.
1. Highlight an architectural element with paint
(Image credit: Swan Architecture)
How you decorate a front porch should highlight its positive attributes. If you're lucky enough to have a front porch with an exciting architectural feature, like the curved entry ceiling, above, paint is the perfect way to give it the attention it deserves. A contrasting color, like a deep, warm gray on a white porch, will set special features apart.
The porch above is from a home by Swan Architecture.
2. Skip the porch floor paint
(Image credit: Benjamin Moore)
If your front porch flooring is looking worse for the wear, it's tempting to just cover it with a coat of paint.
Don't do it, says Matt Mosher, co-founder and CEO of Dzinly , a home improvement platform focused on exterior design that helps people visualize what upgrades will look like through online renderings.
'Installing flooring materials that require any type of painting should be avoided. Even the best paints have a difficult time handling ongoing foot traffic,' he explains. 'Furthermore, flat surfaces are more susceptible to water absorption. As the material absorbs water, it oftentimes causes the paint to peel.'
3. Embrace Southern tradition
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Have you ever noticed that so many porch ceilings are painted a pale shade of blue? It's not a coincidence, it actually started as a tradition in the southern U.S. There are a few theories about where it originated, including as a way to help repel bugs, to keep bad spirits away, and draw the eye to the sky.
'The quaint blue porch ceiling helps to visually extend daylight,' says Arianna Cesa, color marketing and development specialist at Benjamin Moore .
'To achieve this iconic look, check out Palladian Blue HC-144, Yarmouth Blue HC-150, and Clear Skies 2054-70. These colors often pair best with more neutral hues to let the ceiling be the focal point in the palette.'
4. Choose a contrasting porch paint color
(Image credit: Dzinly rendering)
When painting a porch, why not highlight it with a color that will help it stand out? Similar to calling attention to an architectural element, painting your entire front porch a different shade than your siding will make it the defining feature of your home's façade.
5. Camouflage ledges and windowsills
(Image credit: Getty Images)
When considering porch paint ideas, it's important to think functionally, too.
'Regarding porch design, avoid creating any type of ledges in your trim work. Even the smallest ledges are a bird's paradise,' says Mosher. Instead, paint them the same color as surrounding walls or pillars to help them blend into the background.
6. Complement the landscape
(Image credit: Benjamin Moore)
If you're having a hard time choosing a color for your front porch, take a hint from your front yard landscaping ideas, and the other materials on your exterior, says Cesa.
'Are there pavers or some sort of stonework? Do you have colorful landscaping? What color is your exterior, trim and any other accents such as outdoor furniture? Be sure to look at the whole picture and all of the colors in your exterior’s palette to ensure color cohesion,' she says.
7. Test colors to find the right shade
(Image credit: Benjamin Moore)
Just like if you were painting a room in your home, you'll want to test out your top paint color contenders before making a commitment. Even if you have a go-to paint color or your mind is set on a certain hue, the lighting your porch gets during the day will affect how it look. This is of particular importance for small front porches or cottage porch ideas, where the right colors can enhance the feeling of space.
'Your porch is the ultimate “outside room,”' says Cesa. 'Before you start looking for the perfect patio paint color to extend your outdoor spaces, consider how much sun it gets, since light and time of day affect how a paint color casts. The best way to choose a porch paint color is to sample your options and view them throughout the day to choose a color with confidence.'
8. Match the door and ceiling
(Image credit: Jean Stoffer Design / Stoffer Photography Interiors)
For porch ceiling ideas, take a cue from designer Jean Stoffer , and paint the ceiling of your front porch to match your door. In this case, the Michigan-based designer chose a true black to contrast her home's brick façade and white trim.
9. Go for a monochrome porch scheme with a pop of color
(Image credit: Swan Architecture)
If you tend to prefer neutrals or live in an area where most homes are painted a subdued color palette, there's no need to get overly creative with your front porch paint scheme (especially if you're considering a bold paint color as one of your front door ideas).
Instead, continue the color palette of your siding and trim work onto your front porch, and go bold with your front door color.
The porch of this home, by Swan Architecture, matches the white siding for a seamless look, while letting the red front door shine.
10. Layer creams on whites on greys
(Image credit: Future)
'For someone who loves color, I am a major fan of porch paint ideas that use different tones of white and cream alongside grey and black – there's something incredibly soothing about the combination, and it's so easy to accessorize with accent colors when you want to switch up the scheme from spring to summer to fall to winter,' says Lucy Searle, Homes & Gardens' Editor in Chief.
What color is best for a porch?
The color you choose for your porch should complement the color and style of your home. The hue doesn't need to match your house, but it should be in along the same spectrum (i.e. don't choose a warm white porch for a cool gray house, or a bright blue porch for a sage green home).
The style of your home will also clue you in about the best paint color for your porch. Traditional Victorian or Queen Anne-style homes lend themselves to experimentation with color, while farmhouses can be suited to colors like pale green, butter yellow, and brick red, or simple neutrals like white and gray. Colonial homes are contenders for warm white, blue, and gray, while contemporary homes look best with steely black, bright white, or a small pop of a bold accent color. For a small front porch, try a shade that contrasts the rest of your home to help it stand out.
Remember, too, the warmth cast by your front porch lighting ideas – this will affect how your porch paint colors look at night.
Looking for a few colors to start with? Arianna Cesa offers these front porch color suggestions from Benjamin Moore.
'For warmer color palettes, some favorite neutral colors to consider for the porch are Opaline OC-33, Simply White OC-117, and Hazy Skies OC-48. If your preference is for cooler hues, check out White Wisp OC-54, Metropolitan AF-690, and Silver Gray 2131-60.
To make a statement on your porch floor, opt for more saturated hues like Georgian Brick HC-50, Kennebunkport Green HC-123, Normandy 2129-40 and Iron Mountain 2134-30,' she says.
What kind of paint do you use for a porch?
'Generally a flat sheen presents best on the outside of a home because it helps reduce reflection,' says Matt Mosher, co-founder and CEO of Dzinly, a home improvement platform focused on exterior design that helps people visualize what upgrades will look like through online renderings. 'On a front porch though, it is important to consider the wear and tear it will be subject to from use. Therefore, a less absorbent sheen such as satin or eggshell should be considered for items such as pillars and walls around a porch that may be subject to heavy traffic.'
Kaitlin Madden Armon is a writer and editor covering all things home. Her work has appeared in Real Homes, Architectural Digest, Martha Stewart Living, Refinery29, Modern Luxury Interiors, Wayfair, The Design Network, and lots more.
She graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in journalism and currently lives in Connecticut with her husband, three kids, and black lab.
The color of the terrace in the country house or in the house
Earthy brown, contemporary black or light are just some of the options when choosing the best color for your wood floor. This checklist will help make your decision easier, especially if you're unsure.
1. What is the current color?
The starting point for finding the right color is the current shade of the coating. Tikkurila Valtti Plus Terrace Oil and Tikkurila Valtti Plus Wood Oil are translucent, so the initial tone will affect the final result. Surfaces in neutral and light tones can be easily repainted into more intense colours.
Pre-chipping is the only way to know for sure what the result will look like. Try applying the oil to an inconspicuous area of the deck before making your final decision.
2.
Underline or hide?
Do you want to make the terrace the central point of the exterior, or rather an area that harmoniously fits into the overall composition? Keep in mind that all light, bright and colorful shades will stand out, while dark and muted tones will blend into the decor. If you're feeling insecure, dark and muted colors are the smartest choice and you won't regret it.
3. What is your home like?
For many, it is important that the terrace matches the appearance of the house, including in terms of color. If you are looking for a harmonious pair of colors for a cottage and an outdoor area, you can safely choose a combination of cool and bright shades or use warm, muted colors with each other. In addition, the appearance of your home also plays an important role in the decision-making process: a traditional wooden house painted in red will look nice and cozy with a warm brown terrace, while a modern villa will look spectacular next to a black or gray terrace.
A good tip is to move 15-20 meters away from the house and try to imagine the result of such a color combination. Often we look at the terrace while standing right on it, but from a distance it looks completely different.
Shade options from top left: 5071 Tatti, 5074 Karhu, 5088 Turve, 5089 Piki, 5143, and 5087 Poro. The product used is Tikkurila Valtti Color azure. The final color result may vary depending on the product used.
4. Take a look at nature around you
Take a look at your surroundings for fresh ideas for your new terrace color. Do you find shades you like among grass, rocks, moss, plants or tiles? The source of inspiration is the colors that already surround you and you like the most.
5. What else is there on the terrace?
If you already have a table and chair set that you love, why not choose a stylish color that goes with it? You can also think about what else will be inside the terrace on the terrace: boxes with seedlings, rugs, pillows, barbecue grill .
.. The number of decor elements affects how much of the space remains visible and, therefore, how effective the chosen color will look .
+1. Do it your way
There are no rules about color combinations or limits on how many shades you can use together - it's all up to you. Add accent hues to a fence, seedling boxes, or stairs. Make your site bohemian or flashy, classic or simple. The main thing is to create an atmosphere that will please you.
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How to choose paint for an open wooden veranda: in the country, floor features
An open veranda is a place of relaxation for family and friends in the warm season.
But in order for the floors made of wood to last for a long time, they need to be additionally protected with special means, usually they resort to painting a wooden terrace. And how you can paint a decking board to get the best result, not everyone knows. More details about the existing paints for the veranda will be discussed later.
Content
- Features of the floor on the verandas
- Classification of materials
- yacht varnishes
- EMAL
Veranda floor features
The veranda is a decoration of the house, and is also often a favorite place for residents to relax. But due to the negative impact of the environment, the outdoor terrace suffers. So the flooring can deteriorate too often, this may be due to incorrect floor laying technology, or to the lack of necessary protection for the wood surface.
Wood cannot withstand exposure to moisture, ultraviolet light and other precipitation for a long time without breaking. Therefore, it is necessary to treat the surface with paint for a wooden terrace, or with special varnishes.
The choice of how to paint the outdoor veranda floor should be based on the type of wood being treated. To understand the best way to cover the flooring of the terrace, you need to understand the variety of types and their properties.
It is necessary to treat the surface with wood terrace paint or special varnishes.
Material classification
Varnishes claimed by the manufacturer to be resistant to wear are not intended to cover an outdoor deck, they are not designed for such harsh conditions. For this type of outdoor treatment, special formulations have been created that can withstand many natural influences.
Special formulations have been created for this type of outdoor treatment that can withstand many environmental influences.
Yacht varnishes
Yacht veranda paint is wear-resistant, well impregnates the wood itself, and is highly resistant to sunlight. Due to the use of an alkyd-urethane mixture, it is suitable for painting products that are constantly outdoors.
The downside is the need to dismantle the boards for their preliminary grinding, only after that they can be painted.
Also, under the influence of low temperatures, the composition loses its elasticity, which is not suitable for covering floors on the terrace, because in cold weather such a disadvantage can significantly affect the boards.
Yacht porch paint is wear-resistant, well impregnated with the wood itself, and is highly resistant to sunlight.
Enamel
Enamel for outdoor terrace, designed for painting wood and metal surfaces. It performs well when changing temperature indicators and under the influence of moisture, suitable for covering the terrace. Of the shortcomings, a short service life stands out; you will have to refresh the coating every year.
Enamel for outdoor terrace, designed for painting surfaces made of wood, metal.
Terrace oil
This product is excellent for painting outdoor terrace floors. Due to the property of vapor permeability, the appearance of the coating will be preserved for a long time. This is an eco-friendly material, resistant to ultraviolet and moisture, bubbles and cracks do not appear on it, it repels dirt and dust. Several variants of terrace oil are on sale, differing in their properties to create a non-slip coating, the inclusion of wax, antibacterial elements, and colors.
Due to the property of vapor permeability, the appearance of the coating will be preserved for a long time.
The choice of composition
What is better to paint the floor on an open veranda, the best solution would be to choose terrace oils. They perform best in such operating conditions. It will be possible to choose from several types of these products, this allows you to choose the most suitable option.
Enamel on the open terrace will serve too little, so you should not choose it for these buildings, it is better suited for indoor spaces.
Yacht lacquers are suitable for those who want to preserve the character of the wood and are best chosen for warm climates, when exposed to low temperatures they will lose their elasticity. Acrylic latex paint is not harmful to human health, has good performance.
All of the types described above cannot be called inexpensive, but their positive properties outweigh their cost.
Terrace oils are the best choice.
Choice of color
The choice of color depends entirely on the preferences of the owners of the house or cottage. Brown shades are usually chosen, because they are closest to the color of the tree, and they are not easily soiled.
Terrace paints can be found in any color, when choosing, it is important to take into account that the floors on the veranda are more likely to get dirty, so it is better if the dirt is not very noticeable on the surface.
You should also choose a shade that matches the color of the building itself, so that together they look appropriate.
Choose a shade that matches the color of the building itself so that they look appropriate together.
Surface preparation
Before painting the terrace, it is necessary to prepare it. Preparatory work will help to get a smooth and beautiful coating. Carry out the following actions:
- Removal of the upper dark layer of wood with an abrasive disc or planer. The action is carried out until a lighter color appears.
- The surface is polished with fine sandpaper.
- The floor is washed so that the surface is completely clean.
- After drying, the floor is impregnated with an antiseptic, work with a brush, the entire surface should be carefully treated.
- Primer application in 2-3 coats.
The application of each new layer should take place only after the previous one has completely dried, the terms can be seen on the packaging of the products.
Preparatory work will help to obtain an even and beautiful coating.
Painting technology
How to paint the veranda correctly, follow the manufacturer's recommendations, written on the packaging of a specific coloring composition. It is better to choose a brush for painting, the first layer should dry for a day. If there is a desire to get a brighter coating, staining is done with a second layer. High-quality paint will serve for 2-5 years, after which it will only be necessary to tint the top layer, without preparatory work.
It is better to choose a brush for painting, the first layer should dry for 24 hours.
Helpful Hints
If you are replacing or laying a new veranda, it is better to choose hardwood planks for it. They will not wear out, their cost is more soft, but durability and wear resistance are better. If there is a desire to get a more pronounced texture of wood, the surface is treated with stain before oil coating.
