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Colors for exterior


70 Exterior Paint Colors For a Better Looking Home

Upgrade your curb appeal with paint color ideas that range from neutral to bold

The Spruce / Almar Creative

Deciding what color to paint your house is a big decision that will have daily consequences for years to come. Choosing a light neutral exterior paint color such as white, beige or gray is a safe bet that won't upset the neighbors and will ensure that your house remains buyer-ready if you don't plan to live in it forever. Darker neutrals such as charcoal or black are a popular choice with a bit more edge but require more elbow grease to repaint if you or your real estate agent decides it's time to brighten the mood.

Timeless, crowd-pleasing colors like blue, yellow, red, or green are go-to exterior paint colors that add a hint of personality without stealing the show. And if you love bold color, live in a place where you are allowed to paint your house any color that you want, and are looking to make a statement, there is a world of vibrant hues to choose from that will give your home some stand-out personality and unforgettable curb appeal.

Here are some wide ranging exterior paint color ideas on a variety of houses in a range of styles and settings that will give you some inspiration for choosing a paint color for your home. Remember that paint colors look different in online image galleries and on paint store swatches than they do in real life, where everything from the time of day to the orientation of your home and the light quality where you live will have an effect on the overall look.

To save yourself from disappointment and unnecessary expense, architect Jimmy Crisp of Millbrook, NY-based Crisp Architects offers this wise piece of advice: "Always paint samples on the exterior before ordering the paint."

Here are 70 exterior paint colors to inspire you.

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What to Consider When Picking a Paint Color for Your House

There are several factors to consider when choosing an exterior paint color, from the history and architectural style of your home to the construction materials used on the facade, to the natural setting and surrounding landscape. It's up to you to decide whether you want an exterior paint color that blends in or provides a vivid contrast, whether you live in a beachfront cottage, a suburban new build, a cabin in the woods, or a historic country farmhouse. While painting the house red can give it a whole new lease on life, keep in mind that you can also create a new mood with something as simple as changing the door color.

FAQ

Best Exterior Home Color Combinations: 15 Top Picks

Photo: istockphoto.com

Selecting a single color for your home’s exterior can be difficult enough, but trying to find two or more hues that work well together in a whole house color scheme makes the decision even more challenging. Whether your aim is to highlight architectural details or simply to find a complementary shade for shutters and trim, the choice is an important one.

“Color can make a big impact on the look of a house,” confirms architect Jim Rill, principal of Rill Architects, in Bethesda, Maryland. For inspiration, consider your home’s style and scale as well as architectural styles typical of your neighborhood and region. “The best exterior colors are contextual to their environment,” Rill observes. Here, 15 color scheme combinations that hit the mark.

1. Two-Tone Olive

Photo: rillarchitects.com

Deep natural colors that recede into the landscape are typical of Craftsman-style houses. For this renovation, Rill Architects chose a duo of Benjamin Moore olive greens: Gloucester Sage (HC-100) and Dakota Woods Green (2139-20). A yellow-orange stain on the front door adds a lighthearted dash of color. “Front doors should always have character and draw subtle attention to themselves,” Jim Rill points out.

RELATED: The Best Accent Colors for Your Home Exterior

2. Straw and Sage

Photo: kerriekelly.com

“A balanced look always provides plenty of curb appeal,” says interior designer Kerrie Kelly, principal of Kerrie Kelly Design Lab, in Sacramento, California. “Starting with a neutral shade in straw yellow sets a welcoming palette, while accents in sage green give a lively look to traditional architecture. This combination is an approachable classic year-round.”

3. Putty and Gray

Photo: highmark-builders.com

Older neighborhood dwellings guided the color choice for this Midwest home. “We chose a soft neutral for the body of the house that would allow it to stand out and yet still complement the other homes around it,” reports Kristen Schammel, interior designer for Highmark Builders, in Burnsville, Minnesota. “This exterior is simple, traditional, and admired!”

RELATED: 7 No-Fail Exterior Paint Colors

4. Red and Black

Photo: grossmuellers.com

“Red is a classic color,” says interior designer Cindy McClure, owner of Grossmueller’s Design Consultants, in Washington, D.C. “I love using it on smaller homes because they handle the color so well. Black accents like the front door and shutters look great when set off by white trim. ”

5. Gray and Blue

Photo: sherwin-williams.com

“Gray is a great neutral that can match just about any style of home and is a beautiful complement to brick,” says Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing for Sherwin-Williams. “The slightly more saturated shutters and door provide a sophisticated accent and bring in the tones of sky and sea.” Seen here are Sherwin-Williams’s Comfort Gray (SW 6205) and Rain (SW 6219).

RELATED: How to Paint Vinyl Siding and Make Your Home Look New Again

6. Green, Cream, and Burgundy

Photo: behr.com

“The combination of green, cream, and burgundy is a favorite for Victorian-style homes,” reports Erika Woelfel, director of color marketing for Behr Paints. “The bold color scheme gives this home a dramatic yet warm appearance.” The trio of Behr colors used here are Ivy Wreath (QE-46), Terra Sol (QE-20), and Country Lane Red (QE-07).

7. Charcoal and Lime

Photo: awarchitect. com

A wonderful way to make a bold color statement on modern houses—even the smallest ones—is to start with a strong neutral and add a bright pop of color on the front door. This home, designed by Ana Williamson Architect, in Menlo Park, California, combines two Benjamin Moore hues: Gunmetal (1602) for the siding and Tequila Lime (2028-30) on the door.

RELATED: Buyer’s Guide: The 12 Best Paint Brands of the Year

8. Greige and Teal

Photo: Zillow Digs home in Edmonds, WA

You can still achieve a modern look without using shocking hues if those colors just aren’t for you. Here, greige—that’s gray and beige—with a teal door and natural wood and stone accents puts a modern spin on the traditional neighborhood home. This combination still looks warm and welcoming without feeling dated.

9. Blue, Red, and Tan

Photo: ashleyavila.com

Blue is a popular exterior color for homes in waterside settings like this one. Adding red and tan to highlight trim and architectural features was a eye-catching choice by designers at New Urban Home Builders, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The trio of hues also gives the lakefront compound a Scandinavian feel.

RELATED: How Much Does it Cost to Paint a House?

10. Black and White

Photo: Zillow Digs home in Laguna Beach, CA

Black and white never goes out of style. Whether you have an old home or a new build, this classic combo looks fresh forever—plus it really pops against a green lawn.

11. Black and Taupe

Photo: Zillow Digs home in Rancho Santa Fe, CA

A twist on the traditional black and white color scheme. If crisp white and classic black looks classy, swapping in taupe warms up the look and brings a touch of warmth and coziness to your home exterior.

RELATED: Buyer’s Guide: The Best Exterior Paints

12. Yellow and Blue

Photo: Zillow Digs home in Coronado, CA

Some might think that a double dose of primary colors is too bold for a house, but when executed with finesse, it’s a real charmer. Here, aqua blue and mellow yellow keeps play off each other for a quaint effect.

13. Brown and Sand

Photo: neimantaber.com

Nearby houses inspired the color scheme of this charming home. “The sandy color on top resembles the muted tones common on neighboring houses,” says architect David Neiman, of Neiman Taber Architects, in Seattle, Washington. “The brown is a darker complement that provides a strong visual base. Red window frames add an extra punch of color.”

RELATED: 12 Exterior Paint Colors That’ll Help Sell Your House

14. Turquoise and White

Photo: Triton Builders; Uneek Images

Turquoise is a fun choice for those who live in warmer climates; it evokes sunny skies and the sea. If you’re nervous that it’s too bold of a color for your neighborhood, cool it down with white accents. When used in combination, the palette is bright and cheerful.

15. Taupe, Red, and White

Photo: istockphoto. com

Honor the history of your home with a simple palette. The white columns maintain the old house charm, but the soft taupe and red give it a 21st-century twist.

Get HGTV by Sherwin-Williams paint at Lowe’s

Get Benjamin Moore paint at Ace Hardware

Get Behr paint at The Home Depot

A version of this article appeared first on BobVila.com on June 11, 2018.

The most popular exterior colors - Fund-2


Changing the color palette of your home is one of the quickest ways to remodel your home, whether you're preparing it for a sale or just want to freshen up the look. You will be surprised at the number of external elements in action that you will need to consider and study before you choose a color palette.


Items such as the shade of your brick chimney (Are the bricks more orange or brown?), the color your neighbor has chosen for his house, and how your geographic location may affect the color scheme. Plus, you'll probably need to match at least three colors for the base color, trim, and accents. And it's a big investment, so it's not a very easy thing to do, if you don't like the end result, you should be smarter and not go the hard way.


We spoke to paint companies to get information about their best-selling exterior paints, then consulted with experts on what to consider when planning your own home's color palette.

1. Roof


If you have a brown roof, consider warm colors such as Sherwin-Williams Avenue Tan. If you have a gray or black roof, you can choose a cool shade - Maine's Olympic Coast is a popular choice. Take a step back and look at the other no-paint items that make up the big picture of your home. These are elements such as: awnings, brickwork of a chimney, as well as downpipes.

2. Look at your neighbors' houses


If one house next to yours is dark blue and the other is white, you should not veer towards warm colors or paint your house dark blue or white (no one likes imitators). Instead, match the color intensity of their homes. Something like Benjamin Moore's Wedgewood Gray would work well: it stays cool and doesn't duplicate your neighbors' houses. This color is also suitable if you want to keep individuality, but not stand out too much in your choice.

3. Don't ignore hints.


In addition to the colors in the block, do some research (you can just drive around your city) to make sure your color scheme is appropriate. “Imagine the colors you see on homes in Key West,” says Amy Crane, architectural color consultant. “Pink-turquoise looks good in the tropical region, but such shades would be completely out of place in the Midwest.”

4. Remember scale and depth


The color of your home can deceive the eye. For example, painting your home a light color such as Benjamin Moore's November Rain can make it appear larger than it actually is, and also visually bring the house forward towards the street. And on the other hand, dark colors can make a home look smaller but more substantial on which the eye lingers - Benjamin Moore's Boston Brick has this effect.

5. Always check first.


Always paint a test patch first and then observe it at different times of the day to see how sunlight affects the paint. Keep in mind that all colors will always be lighter on your home than on a paint chip in the store. “Natural light makes everything appear lighter and brighter,” says paint specialist Christy Barnet. “Always go for darker shades than you would like.”

Top 9 finish colors0015


The color of a home's finish is easy to miss if it blends in with the rest of the home, but impossible to ignore if the color stands out even slightly. Finishing is something that should be exactly matched to the main color, for example, a dark color of the finish makes the house flat, especially around windows, a dark color can make them look small or oddly designed.

1. Choose colors from one company


The safest bet is to choose a finish color two tones lighter or darker than the base color, or simply pair it with a fresh white or cream shade. Sherwin-Williams "Panda" white and PPG' "O" paints are a popular choice for warm-toned homes; "Frostin" by Benjamin Moore is an option for cold shades at home.

2. Use of trim to harmonize


Keep in mind that less attractive parts of your home, such as gutters, garage doors, or vents, should be painted a color that will blend in with your home. Choosing a finish color can be tricky, and it's an opportunity to talk to the pros. They can be incredibly helpful when choosing a finish for your siding.

Now the fun part: color accent


Once you've chosen the base for your palette - siding and trim - it's time to have some fun playing with elements such as doors, shutters, and other architectural details. Accents of color make it possible to distinguish your house from the houses of your neighbors.

1. Keep them classic


When it comes to front doors, some colors will never go out of style: Behr Black Lacquer, for example, or a red door, like Rusty Red Glidden. Or choose a color that gives a hint of the classics: something like Sherwin-Williams “batik indigo”, it is similar to dark blue, but with a little gray tint, makes the doors more modern and fresh.

2. Look inside


To coordinate your front door with your base color and trim, consider your home's interior when choosing your color, says color consultant Barbara Jacobs. “One of my clients, as soon as you opened the door, they had a beautiful Oriental carpet, a real work of art,” says Jacobs. “We pulled the lilac color from these elements and used it on the front door, and came up with an amazing result.” Colors like "Super Benjamin Moore Nova" and "Breath of Fresh Air" are unexpected hues that can exude this effect.

3. Add more color


Other architectural details may match the front door, but they offer another opportunity to introduce a new shade. Barnett says it's a good idea to add other complementary colors to the main elements of the home. “If you have an orange brick at the base of your house, you can make a copper-colored shutter,” she says. Or, a shade like "Cinnabark Behr" would go well with a dark brick. “If you have a black roof, you can make black shutters or your front door. Whatever you choose, it should all look like you had such a plan in the first place!”

Most Popular Exterior Colors

Best Color Combinations for House Exterior • 333+ Photos • [ArtFacade]

To achieve a harmonious combination of colors on the facade of a house, it is important to choose the right palette, follow the rules for its application and integrate the building into the environment. The choice and combination of colors in the exterior of the house depends on the architectural style, landscape range, technical characteristics of the building, its size and purpose.

Color combination for house exterior with regard to landscape

For a harmonious color combination in the exterior of the house , it is worth using up to four tones. One of them should be the main one, and the rest - auxiliary and accent.

In this case, the plinth and roof are usually painted in darker colors, adding expressiveness to the house, and the walls get a light transitional shade. It should be combined with both the tone of the roof and the shade of the basement.

If the house is surrounded by low trees, shrubs, lush greenery, a rich natural palette will suit the facade and roof. The combination of brown, green, beige, white tones will give the house expressiveness, but at the same time the colors will be in harmony with the decor.

It is better to paint a house among tall coniferous trees in less flashy and bright colors. A slightly dull, grayish palette will do. And for flat terrain with a minimum number of trees or without them, bright, accent tones are suitable. In the latter case, pastel is also especially relevant.

The mountain landscape loves a dark, contrasting palette with natural tones. Gray, black, graphite, wenge tones look stylish and expressive. Near the sea, on the shore of a lake, a river, a snow-white and delicate water palette will be attractive. Milky, beige and bright colors also harmoniously look here.

House exterior color combination depending on architectural style

The next criterion that is important to consider when choosing house exterior color combination idea is the architectural direction. A palette that is not typical for a particular style can simply spoil the appearance of the building.

Color combinations in the classics

Practically all classical trends do not tolerate sharp transitions, and neutral white, beige shades are used as the basis here. Rough, cold gamma is used less frequently.

Accents are made with the help of decor, stucco. The house is carried out in a single general tone, and the roof and basement, the foundation are painted a few halftones darker than the walls. Accent elements make the lightest - window openings, entrance groups, cornices, corners, bay windows, balconies, terraces.

Trendy minimalist, hi-tech palette

This is a kind of opposite to the classics, as in these areas accents and decor are mainly made with the help of color, surface texture. In minimalism, loft, and hi-tech ideas for color combinations in the exterior of the house imply sharp transitions from light light to deep dark tones.

Neutral, achromatic colors - white, gray, black - are often used as the basis. Brown, graphite tones are also often used, diluting them with metal, chrome elements, greenery, and glass. Barn houses and country stylings love a dark and bright palette, respectively.

Colors in a stylish chalet

The tone of the roof here is considered accent and main at the same time. It is the roof that is the main element of the chalet.

Roofing is mostly made dark in natural brown, grey. The shade of the walls is selected for this tone, but it should be lighter.

Scandinavian, eco style colors

Originally natural palette was laid down here. The advantage is given to brown, white, beige tones, diluting them with greenery. Roof, plinth should be in dark brown shades under natural wood.

In general, surfaces made of natural materials are left with their natural color. It makes sense to use tinted or transparent varnishes.

House exterior color combination ideas

Let's take a look at trendy combinations of tones and primary colors in the exterior of country houses.

Light, white palette

A versatile option that can be combined with most other shades. The house in white color seems larger, but at the same time the shade creates a feeling of lightness, home comfort.

Both a dark accent roof and pastel colors for the roof and foundation work here.

Brown exterior

A popular and widespread color combination in the exterior of the house - light, white or beige walls with an accent brown roof, window frames and a dark plinth.

Another, more modern version is a dark brown facade with even more intense contrasting shades of the roof, foundation and windows.

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