• Home
  • About
  • Archives
  • Buttons
  • Contact

KnockOffDecor.com

DIY Home Decor and Project Ideas

Search

  • Pottery Barn
    • Pottery Barn Kids
    • Pottery Barn Teen
  • Ballard Designs
  • Anthropologie
  • West Elm
  • Restoration Hardware
    • RH Baby & Child
  • Blog
  • DIY
  • Subscribe

Going Through the Rainbow: How to Choose the Right Exterior Paint Colors for Your Home

August 8, 2019 By Julia Carlisle

Is your house in need of a fresh coat of paint? This is one of the quickest and cheapest ways to breathe new life into a house.

Painting your home will not only make it look great, but it will also make it more sellable.

The key is to understand the different types of paint that should be used for every part of the house.

In this article, we take a look at exterior paint colors in order to help you choose the color that will work best for you. Keep reading!

Elements to Consider

Before you begin exploring the color you want for your exterior paint, you need to spend time looking at all the exterior elements of your home.

This includes your shingles, stonework, driveway and pathways, and even your exterior doors.

After all, you’ll need to choose a color that will integrate well with these elements so that the entire palette looks great together.

We recommend having a conversation with your house painters so that they can help you to better understand what will look best on your home.

Architecture

Another aspect of color choice will be to integrate your home’s architecture.

This includes the architectural style, as well as the era in which the house was built.

After all, not every color will work well with every era of architectural design, such as Federal style, Queen Anne Victorian, a Craftsman bungalow, or a midcentury modern ranch.

The exterior color you select should feel appropriate to the specific style of the home.

Fortunately, many paint manufacturers offer historically accurate colors, which can help you in choosing the appropriate palette.

This can be especially important when adhering to strict historical guidelines and codes for the neighborhood where you live.

We encourage you to work with an experienced designer or architect in choosing the appropriate paint color for your home.

Choosing a Color

concepting your house color

Choosing the best color for your home is fun. And yet it’s not always easy.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular traditional exterior paint colors to see what might be best suited for your home.

White

It should come as no surprise that white is perhaps the most popular exterior paint color.

There’s a reason it’s such a classic. After all, it’s the perfect fit for nearly every style of home imaginable.

The truth is, it’s just hard to go wrong with white.

White is a fresh color. It looks clean. There is also a simplicity to it that is refreshing.

And it looks great when accented with almost any other colors of trim or brick, with exterior door colors and any type of shingles you choose to use.

White is very basic and yet has a timeless quality that allows you to apply it to nearly any kind of architecture.

Black

black house

Black is actually an interesting option for exterior paint.

It’s a bold choice. Surprisingly, it’s not commonly used for exteriors beyond the trim.

This is because black is an edgier look.

Yes, it definitely catches the eye and can look great on specific homes, but it probably won’t work for everyone.

Red

Red is another bold choice that looks great on the right house.

This is a color to use when you really want your home to stand out among the other houses in your neighborhood.

One of the advantages of red is the wide variety of shades available to choose from.

Red is a traditional color for barns because of the low cost, and yet there are plenty of vibrant and subtle hues that you can use that really pack a punch.

Many people prefer to use small doses of red for details such as trim.

Yet you should never be afraid to make a bold statement with your choice of exterior paint color.

After all, this is your chance to have fun and create a look that is exciting.

Yellow

yellow painted outdoor wall

Yellow exterior paint is a way to create a look that is light and sunny.

This is another color option with plenty of shades to choose from.

Lighter shades of yellow create a feel of sophistication, while brighter shades can provide more of a look that is like something straight out of a fairy tale.

Brown

Many people shy away from brown as an exterior paint choice because it sounds boring. And yet it doesn’t have to be.

There are some great hues you can use to create a rich chocolatey look that is luxurious or a reddish cedar that will blend well into the natural environment.

Gray

grey house

Gray remains a very popular exterior paint color.

This is mostly due to the wide range of shades you can choose from.

From deep dark to nearly neutral that is easy to match with brighter colors for trim and exterior doors.

Multicolored

multi-colored palettes

Multicolored homes aren’t as popular as in the past, yet this is still an option you might want to consider.

Bright, multicolored exterior palettes were especially popular at the turn of the 19th century.

Multicolored homes actually give you a chance to be more fanciful and express yourself with a wide range of fun and exciting accents.

Consider More Than One Shade

Keep in mind when choosing an exterior paint color for your home that you should explore a wide variety of shades.

Experiment with your exterior doors, taking the opportunity to make a bold statement.

Once you’ve settled on a color, whether white or yellow or red, you might be pleasantly surprised how much difference it makes going several shades lighter or darker in order to have maximum impact.

Choosing the Right Exterior Paint Colors for Your Home

Changing the color of the exterior of your house can be fun and exciting.

The key is to experiment with different exterior paint colors to find the one that is perfect for you.

We recommend taking your time, and not being afraid to be bold.

Be sure to check out our website for more great advice on choosing the right paint to make your home beautiful.

Filed Under: Blog

Wire Word Wall Art It’s Time for an Upgrade! 7 Inexpensive Ways to Do a Room Redo

About Knock off Decor

KnockOffDecor brings you home decor ideas, design tips and guides to care for your home. We feature tons of inspiring ideas and creative project tutorials from talented DIY bloggers. Come stay awhile, be inspired and create the  home you love!

Categories

Anthropologie Houzz Pottery Barn Teen
Ballard Designs Inspiration Restoration Hardware
Before & After Kate Spade RH Baby & Child
Crate & Barrel Land of Nod Serena & Lily
CB2 Magnolia Market Urban Outfitters
Decorate Makeovers West Elm
DIY Organization williams-sonoma
Entradas es Español Other Wisteria
Grandin Road Pier 1 World Market
Hacks Pottery Barn Z Gallerie
Horchow Pottery Barn Kids

Copyright © 2021 · Powered by Knock Off Decor

Privacy Policy & Disclosure
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.