House paint colours exterior combinations


House Color Schemes - 15 Paint Colors for Your House

Find the Perfect Pairing for Exterior Paint Colors

1/17

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.

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1. Two-Tone Olive

2/17

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: Welcome Home: 11 Fresh Ways to Spruce Up Your Front Door

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2. Straw and Sage

3/17

"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."

Related: 9 Ways to Crank Up Curb Appeal with Nothing But Paint

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3.

Putty and Gray

4/17

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

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4. Red and Black

5/17

"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."

Related: Before and After: DIY Facelifts for 8 Home Exteriors

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5. Gray and Blue

6/17

"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: The Most Popular Paint Colors in America

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6. Green, Cream, and Burgundy

7/17

"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).

Related: 18 Victorian Homes We Love

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7. Charcoal and Lime

8/17

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: 9 Bold Rooms That Will Make You Rethink Black Paint

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8. Greige and Teal

9/17

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.

Related: America’s 50 Favorite Streets

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9. Blue, Red, and Tan

10/17

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: 11 Paint Colors Designers Pick for Their Own Homes

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10. Black and White

11/17

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.

Related: The Most Popular House Styles in America Right Now

Zillow Digs home in Laguna Beach, CA

11. Black and Taupe

12/17

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: 12 Outdoor Upgrades That Make Your Home More Valuable

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12.

Yellow and Blue

13/17

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.

Related: 9 Paint Color Rules Worth Breaking

Zillow Digs home in Coronado, CA

13. Brown and Sand

14/17

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: 19 Rooms That Prove Beige Isn’t Boring

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14. Turquoise and White

15/17

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.

Related: 15 Tiny Beach Bungalows for Your Next Vacation

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15. Taupe, Red, and White

16/17

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. 

Related: 13 Homes from the Original Colonies that Still Stand Today 

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A Perfect Match

17/17

There's a color combo perfectly suited for every kind of design preference and home style. 

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20 Top Exterior House Color Trends

From traditional to modern, these color schemes can upgrade your curb appeal

By

Lee Wallender

Lee Wallender

Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 13 years.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 10/01/22

The Spruce / Almar Creative

From clean whites and pleasing neutrals to cool blues and vibrant reds, exterior paint colors are your home's calling card to the world. Bold exterior house colors give your home a fresh take and instant curb appeal. However, the best color for an exterior of a house is versatile; neutrals are often the way to go.

Colors that add value to a home are timeless exterior house colors like calming white, smooth gray, and shades of blue. Colors that scare people away and are hardest to sell are black, pink, purple, or citrus colors. If selling your house, a light exterior makes the house look larger and more attractive to buyers. A dark exterior shows discoloration and chipping easily and is harder to paint over if you want to make it a light-colored house.

Calibrate the color right, and you'll have a popular house exterior color that welcomes visitors when they roll up to your home. More importantly, a timeless exterior house color scheme will give you joy every time you return home for years to come. Here are modern exterior house paint colors, including a photo gallery with ideas for you to consider.

Watch Now: Exterior Paint Colors and Design Ideas for Your House

These 20 gorgeous exterior house color scheme ideas might spark your vision for your home.

FAQ

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Most designers believe that there are certain rules for combining colors in the interior, without imposing their point of view (and the point of view of designers), we present you these rules:

Option 1.

Complementary combination

Complementary (or additional), contrasting, are colors that are located on opposite sides of the Itten color wheel. Their combination looks very lively and energetic, especially at maximum color saturation.

Scheme No. 1. Complimentary combination of wallpaper and paint

Scheme No. 2. Triad - a combination of 3 colors

A combination of 3 colors lying at the same distance from each other from friend. Provides high contrast while maintaining harmony. Such a composition looks quite lively even when using pale and desaturated colors.

Triad - combination of 3 colors

Scheme No. 3. Similar combination

Combination of 2 to 5 colors side by side with each other on the color wheel (ideally - 2-3 colors). Impression: calm, relaxing. Combination example similar muted colors: yellow-orange, yellow, yellow-green, green, blue-green.

Scheme No. 4. Separate-complimentary combination

A variant of a complementary color combination, only instead of of the opposite color, the colors adjacent to it are used. Combination primary color and two additional. This diagram looks almost just as contrasting, but not so tense. If a you are not sure that you can use it correctly complimentary combinations - use separate-complementary.

Scheme No. 5. Tetrad - a combination of 4 colors

Color scheme, where one color is the main color, two are complementary, and another highlights accents. Example: blue-green, blue-violet, red-orange, yellow-orange.

Combination of 4 colors equidistant from each other. Colors here are dissimilar in tone, but also complimentary. At the expense this image will be dynamic, playful and bright. Example: purple, red-orange, yellow, blue-green.

Single color combinations



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If you decide to transform your house from the outside or from the inside, then the easiest option is to paint the walls. This process is characterized by simplicity and high speed of work, the only thing that requires special attention is the right combination of colors and colors, because it depends on how the room or facade will be perceived. Any mistakes lead to a deterioration in appearance and the creation of an uncomfortable environment in the room, so deal with this issue thoroughly.

In the photo: a competent selection of paints for walls makes the room stylish

Basic rules of combination

We will deal with two options for carrying out work - external and internal, because they differ from each other quite strongly. It is impossible to consider all possible options within the framework of a small review, this is a topic for a whole book, so we will talk about the most popular options that are most often used by those who do the work with their own hands.

Interior design

If you want to make your house or apartment not only attractive, but also comfortable, then the combination of colors when painting walls should be carefully thought out.

We will look at several concepts that any builder can use and get great results:

The circle allows you to see the compatibility of the main shades with each other.

Important! With a contrasting design, the selection of the color of the furniture is also of great importance, it should be darker than the walls, but lighter than the floor. This is the most harmonious solution that professionals use to create stylish interiors.

Monochrome is in demand by modern designers, they dilute it with bright furniture and get great results

Let's analyze the combination of paint on specific examples, let's take the now fashionable option with a three-color wall decoration:

Blue and its variations create a very stylish interior

This spectrum is versatile.

Red and its derivatives create a special energy in the room

Let's talk about combinations of two shades on the examples of the most popular solutions:

Contrasting combinations should be avoided in the bedroom

  • Violet and green are great as the main background in children's rooms , and these options can be combined with each other, although it is more expedient to dilute them with pastel shades;
  • Gray and pink is one of the favorite combinations of professional designers because by changing the shades and ratio of colors, you can split up a variety of effects. At the same time, the result obtained is very stylish and hints at the delicate taste of the owners;

The brightness of pink is balanced by the calmness of gray

  • Another interesting combination - orange and blue , this solution allows you to make a very stylish and modern solution. Follow a simple ratio of 70% blue to 30% orange and you are guaranteed to get a great result.

The instructions for choosing the optimal ratio are very simple, and for greater clarity, we have presented it in the form of a diagram. Just use the tables from this review and you will get an excellent result, it will save you a lot of money, as the price of professional designers is very high.

This simple algorithm will help you choose the best color combination

Another important thing to note is that the combination of wallpaper and paint on the walls is carried out according to the same rules, so all of the above is also suitable for this type of design.

Exterior painting

If the facades of houses are being painted, color combinations can perform not only a decorative, but also a corrective function, visually correcting certain flaws and shortcomings.

First, let's look at what factors are most important when choosing a particular color scheme:

  • Size of the building - if it is large, then you can use dark shades in order to visually land it. This will avoid cluttering the space, which is especially true for houses in small areas. As for small buildings, in this case it is advisable to use light colors, as they make the building more impressive;

Dark facades are often used by architects in the construction of original buildings, as this allows to emphasize the unusual design

  • The second factor is the style of the building, for classic houses it is better to use light pastel colors and other neutral options. For modern solutions, bright shades are often used: from orange to purple or any other dark tone, it is important that it looks appropriate and emphasizes the dignity of the building;

Combination of light colors and white framing - timeless classics in the design of facades

  • It is important to take into account the color of neighboring buildings if they are located nearby. Your house should not stand out from the general row and be organically combined with neighboring structures, otherwise it will look alien, and all your efforts will go down the drain;

Another important factor is the color of the roof. If the roof is already laid, then you will have to build on it. To get started, check out the table of the combination of the roof and walls of the house, the numbers indicate the following:

This table will help you see in minutes if the colors you have chosen for your home match.

  • The number "5" indicates that the shades are ideally combined with each other, these are the best solutions and they are the best to use;
  • The number "4" means that the colors are combined normally. They do not dissonate with each other and can be used if the shades are not very bright;
  • The number "3" is not the most successful option in terms of compatibility, so this combination of shades should be avoided;
  • Finally, the number "2" tells us that the colors do not match at all, so it is best to refuse such options.

Important! White color goes with everything else, so it can be used in conjunction with all other options.

Window and door frames, as well as cornices and corners of buildings are most often highlighted in white

As for decoration, the combination of colors in painting a house can be different, the main options are as follows:

  • Single-colour front with highlighting of individual elements in white or contrasting color. A classic solution that has not lost its relevance even today and can be used on buildings of various sizes and shapes;
  • Two-tone options look very attractive if you choose the right shades. Moreover, the combination can be implemented in different ways, for example, floors are allocated in two-story houses, you can make vertical stripes or decorate the walls in a more unusual way;

White and blue - a win-win combination for the facade