The Houzz Discussions section is filled with homeowner after homeowner pleading for help choosing exterior paint colors. Help is on the way for three such homeowners, whose homes are featured here along with some suggestions for exterior paint palettes. But first, three general tips for selecting an attractive exterior paint palette.
Becky Harris
3 Tips for Choosing Your House Color
Consider your neighbors. Before you even begin looking at the endless array of paint swatches at your local paint or home improvement store, look around your neighborhood to see if there is a common palette. That's not to say you should paint your house the exact same color as your neighbor. In fact, don't do that! Nothing looks more cookie cutter than row after row of houses painted the same or very similar colors. But if you find that most of the houses on your street are painted very neutral shades of white, gray and brown, you may not want to paint your house, say, lavender. If you live in a "Painted Lady" Victorian in San Francisco or an art deco style–townhouse in Miami, then you can probably get away with a more daring palette.
Conrado - Home Builders
Consider the style of your home. And the era. Some architectural styles — the previously mentioned Victorian being one of them — have intricate details that look fantastic painted in a stand-out hue. Other styles, such as this stuccoed Spanish colonial revival, tend to look best with a more restrained paint palette. Do some research and see what colors a house like yours traditionally has been painted.
Hire a local pro for your exterior painting projectAna Williamson Architect
Consider going bold. Having said all that, you should not feel obligated to paint your house in accordance with everyone else’s in your neighborhood or use colors considered de rigueur for the style of your home. If you are itching to incorporate more unusual, eye-catching colors, I say go for it! But perhaps limit the bold hues to accents — on your front door, the fascia, the
door and window trim, and so on.
3 Homes, 6 Palettes
These three Houzz homeowners needed some help with a new exterior paint palette to dress up their house. Which of the following suggestions do you think fits best?
Homeowner No. 1. Houzz user M E asked for help selecting a paint scheme for a 1964 split-level home. The questions: how to tie in the tan brick and the gray roof, whether to give the columns and the window trim an accent color, and what bold color (orange? turquoise?) to paint the front door.
Jennifer Ott Design
Option 1. Clockwise from top left, this palette features a turquoise color for the front door, a light gray (that has a touch of green in it) for the columns and trim, and a nice, light taupe-gray color for the siding. The homeowner wanted to move away from the current “vanilla” color of the siding, but I would avoid going too dark. There appear to be a good number of trees near the house, casting shadows, and the tan brick at the base of the house is rather dark. This palette is light and bright without being too vanilla.
All colors from Sherwin-Williams. Clockwise from top left: Reflecting Pool SW6486, Nuance SW7049 and Mindful Gray SW7016.
Jennifer Ott Design
Option 2. The siding color (bottom swatch) is similar to what the homeowner currently has, but this hue has more green and less yellow in it. I think it would work well with the tan brick, and it also serves as a terrific backdrop for a dramatic orange front door. The light tan color, at top right, is the column and trim color.
All colors from Sherwin-Williams. Clockwise from top left: Marigold SW6664, Nacre SW6154 and Rice Grain SW6155.
Homeowner No. 2. Amanda Leigh posted a photo of her house and asked for ideas to spruce up the
exterior brick and siding.
Jennifer Ott Design
Option 1. It’s tough see in the photo, but Leigh says the previous homeowners had painted the brick. I’m usually not a fan of painting brick unless it you just can’t work with the original color or (as is the case here) it’s already been painted. I think this brick should be painted a more grounding color, such as the rich taupe brown shade shown in the bottom swatch. I would remove the front screen door (or replace it with a retractable screen door) and then paint the front door a deep red color. The
shuttersget the darkest taupe color, and the siding gets the lightest tan color.
All colors from Benjamin Moore. Clockwise from top left: Cottage Red, Midsummer Night 2134-20, Maritime White 963 and Texas Leather AC-3.
Jennifer Ott Design
Option 2. Here is a cooler take on the palette. Clockwise from top left: The front door gets a beautiful French blue color, the shutters remain dark — with a deep greenish-gray color, the siding stays light with a soft gray and the brick gets painted a medium greenish-gray hue.
Instantly boost your curb appeal with a new front doorAll colors from Benjamin Moore. Clockwise from top left: Province Blue 2135-40, Mohegan Sage 2138-30, Gray Lake 2138-70 and Carolina Gull 2138-40.
Homeowner No. 3. Tamizami wondered if she should paint her house, which is in the streamline moderne (art moderne) style, one color or break up the single hue with accent colors.
Jennifer Ott Design
Option 1. You could really do some interesting things with color on this style of house. I would paint the body of the house the lightest shade in the swatch, then paint the horizontal swaths (the balconies) with the darker shade at the bottom of the swatch. I would then use one of the two darker accent colors for the garage door, and, if feeling particularly daring, use the other accent color to set off the ribbing detail.
All colors from Glidden. Clockwise from top left: Sweet Tea GLO28, Bronzed Ivy GLN23, Elegant Lace and Prairie Sage GLG22.
Jennifer Ott Design
Option 2. Here I would use one of the darker grays as the main house color and use the remaining colors as accents for the garage door, the balcony columns and the ribbing detail.
All colors from Glidden. Clockwise from top left: Dove White GLC37, Deep Garnet GLR29, Pebble Grey GLN50 and Granite Grey GLN59
Keep in mind that you can use color as a tool to either enhance or hide architectural details. If you want something to stand out, paint it a contrasting hue from whatever surrounds it. Conversely, paint any features of your house that you want to hide or deemphasize the same hue as whatever is surrounding them. They will blend right in.
Tell us: What are your tips for picking the right colors for the outside of your house?
More: Great Color Palettes for Bold Front Doors
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