How to Decide on Colors to Paint a House

Selecting exterior paint for a home is an art.

The home reflects the homeowner. Just as you wear certain outfits and colors to certain occasions, the colors you choose for your house's exterior should reflect yourself, your community and your house's history. Picking out a color scheme that satisfies you and your neighbors can become overwhelming, and picking the wrong color scheme will decrease your house's value and might affect your friendship with the neighbors. Learning how to pick colors based on your house's individual needs can help you navigate the options and leave you with a beautiful home to withstand the tests of time.

Things You'll Need

• Color palette
• Exterior paint
• Color wheel

Instructions

1. Pick a paint brand offering colors that not only fit your taste but that are marketed as a "surface-coat" no-primer paint with water repellent and preservatives. These three qualities will ensure that the paint will stick to your exterior and protect your exterior from water damage and that the paint will not crack or chip.

2. Consult your homeowner association bylaws or examine what colors your neighbors have used. If you live in an urban neighborhood, you might see mostly bright colors as compared with suburban colors that tend toward conservative blues, browns or greens. Homeowner associations as well as some historical neighborhoods tend to restrict their color schemes.

3. Determine what style of house you live in because that can dictate the most common paint patterns. For example, Victorian homes traditionally use bright colors, whereas a Colonial home will have a "quieter" or "cooler" color palette consisting of light, almost pastel colors.

4. Determine how much sunlight your house gets during the day. If your house receives full sun, you may want to choose neutral, subdued colors. Full sun exposure tends to amplify bright colors.

5. Choose a base color that will serve as the primary (most prominent) color of your home. This will vary depending on the style of your home. Almost all homes will look great in white or off-white tones.

6. Consult the color wheel to decide on trim and accent colors. Choose colors positioned on opposite sides of the color wheel, as opposing colors tend to bring out the best in one another.

References

• This Old House: Choose Paint Colors With a Color Wheel
• Behr: Simple Ways to Refresh Your Home's Exterior
• This Old House: A Pro Confides His Best Tips for Painting Exteriors