How to Determine What Color to Paint Your Porch

A darker tone of the green house color adorns this gingerbread style porch.

Deciding on a color to paint your porch is like deciding what color icing to put on a cake. No matter what wonders are beheld inside, the first impression sets the tone for your acceptance. Selection of porch colors is a matter of personal preference, influenced by tradition, architectural style, surrounding environment, and desired visual profile of the porch. The most obvious color choice is to paint the porch the same color as the rest of the house. Other porch color choices, however, may update and brighten the look of the house and make it more welcoming.

Things You'll Need

• Photo of your porch
• Colored pencils
• Reference material on historic home colors
• Color wheel

Instructions

1. 

   Do a paper "mock-up" to try out colors.

   Do a practice run on paper. Take a photo of your porch and make several black and white photocopies, slightly lighter than the original picture. Fill in your porch picture with colored pencils in color combinations you are considering for your porch. This exercise will help to define what colors are most appealing to you.

2. Assess the "personality" of your home. Is it stately and elegant, quiet and unassuming, cute and flirty, natural and serene, or does it jump up and down, begging for your attention? Maybe you like your home's attitude, or maybe it's time for a bit of adjustment. The colors you choose to paint or repaint your porch can enhance the personality of your home, improve it's market value, and make it a more comfortable place to relax and entertain.

3. Select colors for the outside of the porch that match your exterior of your house. If your house is tan with blue trim, paint the porch tan with blue on the trim, such as the door and window mouldings, rails, and steps. The colors of the inside of the porch may be influenced by prominent colors found inside your home, making the porch a transitional area, appealing whether you are entering or exiting the house.

4. Select paint that is the same color, but different in tone than the rest of the house. Lighter tones tend to accentuate architectural details, whereas, darker tones give the illusion of depth. With either choice, the house looks less flat, more three-dimensional. For a calming effect, avoid stark contrasts in color and tone.

5. 

   A mission-style house in traditional colors.

   Select colors (especially for older homes) that were available at the time your house was built, for historically accurate repainting. Many references are available to guide you in making color choices for different architectural styles and periods.

6. 

   Colors opposite each other on the color wheel are complementary.

   Select colors that complement your house color. Use a color wheel to find the color on the opposite side of the color spectrum. Color contrast is interesting and visually appealing. If your house is green, it's complement is red. That doesn't necessarily mean that you should paint your porch "candy apple-red," but used as a trim color, hues in the red family may offer just the right color contrast.

7. 

   Consider your natural surroundings when choosing paint colors.

   Look past your house, at your surroundings. If all of your neighbors have neutrally colored houses, painting your porch chartreuse, magenta, or cerulean may raise a few stares of contempt. Depending on your neighborhood, you may have to choose your house and porch colors from a preselected community palette. Consider also your geography and surrounding vegetation. Porches painted to reflect colors of the sea may look out of place high in the Rockies or in the Sonoran Desert.

8. 

   Draw inspiration from beloved personal items.

   Paint the inside of the porch in colors that make you feel comfortable, as you would interior rooms. Draw inspiration from a favorite art piece, pillow, or article of clothing. Decorating for comfort will entice you and your guests to linger and enjoy your outdoor room.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are not certain of the color of your house, pick up several paint color samples (on cards) from the paint store in colors that look similar to your house color. Using a paper punch, make a hole in the middle of the colors on the cards that most closely match that of your house. Go outside and place the cards, one at a time, against your house until you find the color sample that is closest to the color of your exterior.

References

• Historic House Colors: Historic periods have their own special paint color information sources
• Choosing Historical Paint Colors: Colonial to Present

Resources

• Suite 101: What are Painted Lady Houses?
• Apartment Therapy: Before & After: Painted Porch & Front Door Color
• Front Porch Ideas and More: Decorating Ideas Start