Consider Your Neighborhood’s Style
Pick colors that complement neighboring facades, but don’t replicate them. “When selecting colors for your exterior, I always recommend starting by looking at which colors your neighbors have chosen and avoid using those same shades,” Wadden says. “Instead, choose a color that complements itthis curb appeal trick benefits you and your neighbor!”
Soft Lime + Powder Blue + White
Set a whimsical tone from the street with exterior paint colors in pretty pastel hues. This bungalow features a muted lime-green color that blends gently into the surrounding landscaping. Powder blue paint on the front steps and door playfully sets off the siding and beckons guests inside. To avoid a candy-coated effect, choose less saturated shades of the bright colors, and balance them with plenty of white trim.
Siding Colors Depend On The Homes Style And Materials
Your siding choice will largely depend on two factors:
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Your homeâs style
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The siding materials
As a general rule, traditional siding materials like wood look best with traditional colors, like white, blue, red, and so on.
More modern siding materials, such as concrete, metal, and vinyl, often pair best with modern tones, like light grays and tans â but you can get even edgier with darker colors like black and gunmetal gray .
Looking for inspiration? Head online to check out other listings in your area that are the same style as your home. This will provide some inspiration and be a good indicator for whatâs trending in your area right now.
What color is your roof?
Donât forget to factor in your roof when choosing your exterior color scheme!
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Experts recommend matching a black or charcoal roof with cool siding colors like, light grey, pale blue, and white.
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Brown or tan roofs, on the other hand, are best with warm colors like beige, taupe, and cream.
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// Warm Creamy Whites
You heard it here first. Off-white is one of the on-trend exterior paint colors now, and it is still here to stay in 2021. However, to really nail this trend, opt for a warm, creamy white. We especially love Swiss Coffee and Seapearl by Benjamin Moore. Both of these colors are warm off-whites, but Swiss Coffee is slightly brighter than Seapearl. We typically never suggest a stark, true white for our virtual design clients, so to see these warm whites paired with wood accents is a definite trend to follow.
Cottage House Style Color

Cottage style can be wide-ranging, but its always casual and never stuffy. Often, where your home is located can drive the specific cottage vibe, such as a suburban neighborhood compared to a beachside cottage. Regardless, the appeal of these homes is rooted in the eclectic range of looks and the ability to customize the color and style to your own taste.
Related: How to Achieve a Cottage Style
Cottages are the best houses because they can infuse different styles. As long as its small, it qualifies as a cottage. In this case, the buttery yellow and white trim provides a cozy setting.
For the cottage that overlooks a lake, you must consider painting the exterior a shade of blue, but dont forget the white trim. It can be dark or even pastel, but to get that perfect lakeside cottage look, it must be blue.
Cottages pride themselves in full flowerbeds, ornate landscaping, and white trim. Choosing a gray exterior will help make your flowers and trees and bushes the stars of the show, as they should be.
A pink cottage with white trim? It sounds like something out of a storybook. Except it exists and it looks like the most summery cottage ever. So while you probably wouldnt paint your cold weather cottage in this rosy shade, you certainly should think about it for your hot weather house.
Pastel green and white trim a cottage favorite. Paired with wood accents and the greenery of your landscape, you will feel like you live in a traditional British cottage.
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Things Nobody Tells You About Painting The Exterior Of Your House
The other day, I came across on Instagram a friends amazing before/after of her freshly painted house. The exterior had formerly been a greenish putty color, a not unattractive shade, but as soon as it was painted over with a dark charcoal gray , the house morphed into a beauty.
This, of course, set me on a path of envy that led to planning a paint makeover for my own house. Here are 10 surprising things I learned about painting your house.
Exterior Trends 202: Best Exterior Color Combination Ideas
These days houses painted with one color already look pretty amazing, but, if you want to further enhance the exterior of your building and make it more exclusive, then you can always paint it with multiple colors.
The key to stylish color combinations is to pick either harmonizing tones among neutrals or go for stylishly contrasting shades such as black and white, blue, and white, etc.
In fact, if you want to create an ultra-modern color scheme, then you should undoubtedly go for the shades of gray as they look absolutely stunning, and are considered to be one of the best trends among exterior paint colors 2023.
On the other hand, you can also set up a color palette from the list of top exterior paint trends 2023.
Just pick one or two fashionably harmonizing colors such as black and white, gray and white, brown, blue & taupe, or any other color scheme of your preference and paint your exterior.
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Consider Your Region When Choosing Colors
Color will always catch the eye but it is important that it fits in with your region and the colors of your neighbors’ homes. Avoiding clashes is key and one of the easiest ways to do this is to opt for white paint colors for the exterior of a house, but then pair with colored trim.
‘The exterior of any home should always consist of white and one other accent color for doors and trim, depending on your region, climate, flora and fauna, and style. In South Florida, tropical colors can produce a delightfully elegant trim effect: Cantelope, mango, seafoam, pink ground, or orange blossom. In New England, fire engine red, navy blue, or black can be as rustic as they are traditional. In Charleston, South Carolina, Hale navy, Repose gray, caramel, or Dishy Coral ,’ says Baron Christopher Hanson.
But White Will Never Be A Bad Choice
Something to consider if youre thinking about selling: A national survey conducted by Sears Weatherbeater Paints a few years ago found that almost 40 percent of those polled said they would choose white for the exterior of their home.
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Selling Your House Consider A Dark Door
According to Zillows 2018 Paint Color Analysis, which involved examining more than 135,000 photos from sold homes around the country to see how certain paint colors impacted their sale price, a house with a black or charcoal gray front door, on average, sold $6,271 more than expected.
Use Light To Add Size
It’s no wonder that large, grand estates are often painted white. Light colors make a building look larger, and white is the favored color for traditional classical architecture. You can add to your home’s sense of size and dignity by using white or a pale cream color. Use darker colors to emphasize shadows and lighter colors to project surfaces or details into prominence.
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Benjamin Moore Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore’s Saybrook Sage is a gorgeous sage green – and as we know for this year, sage green is on trend!
This green is definitely a warmer, creamy and almost pastel green so it pairs really nicely with a warm or off-white trim.
I think you’ll agree just how quaint and pretty this color is!
Match The Existing Color

You may not need to pick an entirely new color. Using advanced colour-matching technology, your local speciality paint supplier might be able to match the existing color of your house from a simple paint chip. Perhaps a new coat of paint would actually provide the fresh, revived look that your clients are craving? Or, a new coat of the same paint with some lively, thoughtful accents?
If your client wants to add exterior features like brick or stone facades, then simply keeping the same color might be a wise choice as it will allow the new feature to stand out even more. Or, if a new roof is being installed, there might be an opportunity to slightly adjust the current house color so that it matches an accent color in the new shingles, metal roofing, tiles, or any other material being used.
Read also How To Choose Materials for Interior Design?
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Contrasting Exterior Color Scheme
If your home is surrounded by a natural landscape, you can take one of two approaches to exterior paint color ideas. First, you can pick hues that will make the home recede into the background of trees and plants. Or you can choose a standout color that calls attention to the style of your space. This home does the latter its seafoam green exterior wood paint selection stands in contrast to the lush green backdrop of the tree canopy. When it comes to pastel shades, white is a successful accent color that adds contrast without being too jarring.
Materials For Exterior Color
Many people equate contemporary homes with a limited exterior color palette. But modern-style homes offer inspiration for a diverse way to showcase color and pattern, even if the palette is fairly neutral. If you’re building new or remodeling your exterior, consider all the shapes and sizes of brick as a way to create an accent feature, rather than relying solely on paint for adding color. Here, the pattern on the brick section of the front facade is nearly mosaic-like. Functional features, such as drain pipes or front steps, can be a wonderful way to include different colors or materials, too.
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Popular Exterior House Colors For 2022
It is often said you cant judge a book by its cover. But if the cover is ugly, you probably arent going to put it on the shelf for everyone to see and enjoy.
One of the first things you notice when pulling up to your friend, relative, or even work acquaintances home is their homes outside color. Paint color can truly dictate the mood for your residence from the very get go. It also has the potential to raise the value of your home as well as protect it from the natural elements.
As we look forward to 2021 and the many home renovation projects thousands of Americans are undertaking, there are a few popular exterior house colors that will be trending. From pale pink to earthy green, these colors will be seen on houses all over your neighborhood. Check out this list of the 20 most popular exterior paint colors for 2021!
Golden Straw Benjamin Moore
Yellow homes are either adored or utterly despised. Yellow, when done poorly, can make your house stand out in a literally blinding way. But when it is done well, it brings a joyous light to your entire block!
Benjamin Moore delivers the perfect airy yellow that mimics the beauty of a summertime field. It is not overly saturated, so the yellow appears subtle and sophisticated. This is no ordinary color for your home. Golden Straw goes extremely well with deep, rich chestnut brown and tan.
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What Color House Sells The Fastest
In terms of resale value, data via Zillow indicates that greige exteriors can boost the selling price of a home. Remodeling site Fixr also cites white and gray to be the top exterior paint colors in their 2020 Paint & Color Trends Report. Similarly, Beauchamp recommends timeless, neutral colors for a homes exterior.
Exterior Paint Colors For A House
When most people think of redoing their home they tend to picture a dramatically restyled and overhauled house, both inside and out. While this might be true for some, and the best option given their circumstances, other homes might simply need a new coat of paint and some nice exterior features to completely change the look, feel, and curb appeal.
Adding exterior paint is a cost-effective way to redo the exterior of a home, which makes it a preferred option for many homeowners that want a new look without the hefty price tag.
However, even though a new coat of paint can go a long way, it can also be a dramatic change thats hard to comprehend until the entire house is actually painted. Accordingly, its important to carefully consider multiple options before making a final decision and changing the entire exterior of a home.
In this article, well walk through expert guidance for choosing the best paint color for a home exterior, and other pro tips on improving the curb appeal of a home.
In case you didnt know, Foyr is an online interior design tool made for amatuer and professional interior designers. So, while this article is written for interior designers who might be advising clients, its the perfect starting point for anyone whos wondering how to pick the best exterior color of their home.
If youre ready to help a client make a serious, fun, exciting change to their home, then lets dive right in.
Image Credit: Brick & Batten
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Consider Your Roof Color
Before you can go much further in your color decision-making, you will need to consider the color of your roof. If you have a black or neutral gray, you dont have to worry as much about color clashing. Unfortunately, I have a dark brown roof with slight red undertones, so colors like shades of green or blues wouldnt work for me and would clash. For those of you that have a roof with red, tan, green or blue gray undertones in your shingles, you will for sure need to factor in your roof color as you choose your exterior paint color palette.
If youre like me and you have a dark brown roof with shingles that have a red undertone, you will want to stick with a true neutral main body color for your home to play it safe. If you have shingles with green or blue gray undertones, you have a little more leeway and you will prevent color clashing if you choose a color thats either neutral or has a slight hint of your shingle color in it to blend and compliment and not fight. If you have a black roof, you can pretty much do anything.
If you have stone or brick on your home, you will need to also factor in any strong undertones found in your brick or stone. If your home is full brick and you just need to choose a trim color and I will match either the lightest, mid-tone or darkest color found in the stone/brick and use that as a trim color.
Contemporary House Paint Colors

With contemporary style of home, glass is accompanied by white or gray exterior house colors. Sage green is another color to consider. A contemporary home is a canvas for highlighting different textures and showcasing color, and houses with a largely neutral palette are no exception. Design materials like stone or brick can be a great launchpad for creating a look for the entire exterior. Paint colors that accent or highlight those materials and the patterns they create are fabulous options.
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Contemporary homes are look intriguing due to their vast windows, linear style and mix of colors. Black is one of the most common exterior colors for this style of home because the deep shade lends to the modern look that the owner is obviously shooting for. Everything about it just feels new and chic.
Gray is another modern option for contemporary homes. Sherwin Williams house paint come in a variety of hues that will give your style of home an industrial look. If you have rustic metal, youll find that gray will complement it perfectly.
Of course white is also a choice, especially for a contemporary exterior house color. It gives your home a minimalistic look that is often what youll find as soon as you walk through the front door. And if you can be consistent with your indoor and outdoor vibes, by all means be consistent.
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What Is The Best Way To Sample Blue Exterior Paint Colors
Lets take a quick break to talk about sampling paint colors.
Not sampling paint colors is one of the biggest painting mistakes you can make. I see it happen way too often and the color you think you are getting is not the color at all.
This is why I strongly suggest you always sample a paint color.
Now, what is the best way to sample paint colors?
SAMPLIZE PEEL & STICK PAINT SAMPLES of course
Instead of physically going to your nearest paint store to grab your samples, you need to try Samplize Peel & Stick paint samples.
Why should you try Samplize?
- Super affordable
Schooner by Benjamin Moore is from the blue hue family and has an LRV of 18.13.
Benjamin Moore Schooner is such a fun blue. Its not too dark and it has a decent amount of colorfulness to allow it to be a blue paint color. I believe this blue was appropriately named because I see this color and I think of sailing. This stylish blue gives off a nautical vibe that perfectly suits its name.
Doing some painting yourself? Make sure you pick up this essential painting tool!