How to Choose Exterior Paint Colors for your House

Choosing an exterior paint color for your home is not always easy. Many homeowners find it difficult to visualize what their house will look like when it is painted, particularly when considering a drastic change in paint color.

In addition, choosing an exterior paint color for your home often involves choosing several coordinating paint colors such as those needed for the doors, shutters and trim.

Here are a few things you can do to help make choose a paint color for your home that you will like.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A Paint Color Deck
• Paint brochures with suggested color combinations.

1. 
    
   White is a popular choice for Exterior Trim Paint Color

   How Many Colors to You Plan to Use?
   
   When you are ready to begin looking for exterior paint colors for your home consider how many paint colors you will be choosing. Modern homes sometimes have metal framed windows that do not require painting. But they will have eaves that may be painted in a contrasting color to the siding. If you do have window trim and shutters to be painted, decide how many colors you want to work with.
   
   Typically, homeowners paint their exterior siding with one color, their exterior trim with a second color and their shutters and exterior doors with a third color. White, or off white is the most often used color for exterior trim. It creates an attractive contrasting look.

2. 
    
   Choose an Exterior Paint Color to Compliment the Brick

   What is the Style & Material of Your Home?
   
   The style of your home and the existing materials, such as brick siding, stone and roof color will have an impact on the exterior paint color that will look best with your home.
   
   Split levels ordinarily have a section that is brick. Choose colors for siding paint and trim paint that blends well with the brick for a classy look. If your home is completely brick, choose a trim paint that blends well with the mortar. See the picture to the left. The exterior trim paint color in this photo is very close to the color of the mortar between the bricks and looks much better than if the trim were white.
   
   Consider the color of the roof as well. Make sure the exterior paint colors you choose blend well with it as well.

3. 
    
   Use Exterior Paint Colors that Work Well Together

   When you begin shopping for paint colors, stop by your local paint store or home improvement center and pick up exterior paint color brochures. Many will include color combination that look well together. See the sample in the picture to the left. They will often be divided between traditional colors and modern paint color options.

4. 
    
   Look at Your Neighboors Houses for Ideas

   Another way to choose exterior paint colors for your home is to drive through your neighborhood and others and look for a home that is a style similar to your own and painted with paint colors you like. Then either ask the home owner what color they painted their house or use a color deck to match the colors.
   
   Most homeowners don't if you admire their color selection and will be happy to share there colors with you if they know what they are.

5. 
    
   Use Design Software to Help you Choose Exterior Paint Colors

   A final tool you can use to help you choose your exterior paint colors is to use a design software program that allow you to download a photo of your home and experiment with color choices. Some of the paint manufacturers have software to purchase or for free that will do this for you. The only drawback with this approach is that the colors may look different on your computer screen than they do in real life.

6. 
    
   Darker Exterior Trim Paint Looks Great on Certain Styles of Houses

   If you are still unsure what exterior paint color you wish to use, buy a sample of the paint and try it out on your house. Paint an area that is big enough to get a good idea of what the paint color will look like. Be sure and let it dry several days as paint shades change slightly once the paint has cured. It may be slightly lighter or darker depending on the color.

7. 
    
   Bright and Unusual Paint Colors are Often Used for Old Homes

   A very popular combination of exterior paint colors usually includes a siding color, black shutters, white trim and either a black from door or a contrasting color for the front door. Then the side and back doors are painted to match the trim.
   
   Older homes are often painted with a darker trim and sometimes the "California" look is popular in certain neighborhoods where bright, unusual colors are used. Lavender, green, blue, yellow, all are popular color choices in certain urban neighborhoods.

Resources

• Sherwin Williams Paint Company
• Benjamin Moore Paint Company
• Lowes Home Improvements
• Home Depot
• Home Design Software
• Pick Paint Colors for Your House
• Exterior Paint Color Trends
• Exterior Color Cues BHG

[missnye]

on 11/25/2009 Thanks for taking the time to write such a wonderful article!*****

[goodselfme]

on 11/19/2009 Good exterior paint selection tips for your house.TX

[jenng]

on 11/15/2009 GREAT ARTICLE ON How to Choose Exterior Paint Colors for your House 5*

[mboone84]

on 11/13/2009 Great article on How to Choose Exterior Paint Colors for your House

[sullysee]

on 10/23/2009 Very helpful, I will be getting my house painted in a year or so. I like steps 5 and 6. I will know when I finally find the right colors, I think the software would help. 5*