How to Pick the Right Colors for Your Home’s Exterior

If you’re thinking about painting your home, it’s important that you give ample time to picking the colors. They need to match, but also coordinate in a way that brings your house the right kind of attention. You don’t want passersby staring because your home’s exterior makes it an eyesore. Although it’s imperative that you make the best possible choice, the following guide should make it a lot easier.

Broad Guidelines to Follow

To start, let’s go over the four main elements that add to the style of your home. They are:

• The materials used for the exterior of your home. This would be things like vinyl siding, stucco, stone, brick and pressed wood siding. Some combination of them is also fairly common.
• What kinds of windows you have and their major features.
• What kinds of doors you have on the outside of your home.
• Any decorative elements you’ve chosen like cornices, railings, soffits, shutters and other architectural components.

There are more options today for home colors than ever before, so though it will take time, it’s definitely possible to find the perfect combination for your personal taste. Just be sure you consider the above four elements before proceeding. If you plan on adding decorative elements or introducing a new material (if you’re building your home or renovating), be sure to consider how much time it will take to handle proper maintenance.

Consider Your Architectural Style and That of the Neighborhood

Obviously, the architectural style of your home is going to be a big factor affecting which colors will work best. If it’s Victorian, for example, it’s not going to look right if you try painting it with vibrant colors. On the other hand, if your home has more of a country style, muted hues are going to look out of place. It’s a good idea to do a Google search of homes in the same style to see what works and what doesn’t.

Also, don’t forget about the landscaping surrounding your home. That, too, should influence your choice. In short, the colors and quantity of your trees, shrubs and flowers will work better with some colors than others.

Even the sun needs to be factored in. Think about the path the sun takes relative to your home so you don’t pick a combination that only looks good at certain times.

Check with local ordinances regarding which materials you can use. Otherwise, you’ll have an expensive process ahead of you to undo the choices you made.

Putting It All Together

The goal should be to think about all of the above so you can come up with an harmonious color combination. Part of this will mean looking at the rest of your neighborhood too. For example, usually combining two or three bright options won’t really work, but if the rest of your neighborhood has similar exteriors, it might actually be for the best.

Also, stick to just two or three colors. Pick one main color for the majority of the home and then one or two others that will complement it. If you want to play it safe, it’s hard to go wrong with natural and organic colors for the exterior of your home. Their subdued features tend to work well with a house’s preexisting features.

Another suggestion we have for making a good decision is to check the websites of paint companies because they’ll often have helpful pages and even tools for choosing the right home color.

Remember to Factor in the Doors

Finally, don’t forget about your home’s exterior doors because these are major design features that will also need to be painted. The color of your front door should contrast with the main one you chose for your home. Think about using decorative elements for the door too.

You want to approach your garage door with a similar idea, but remember that it’s a much more prominent feature so you have to think about where it’s featured on your home. If you go too deep and it’s toward the middle of your home, the effect will be to really highlight the garage door – this isn’t usually what a homeowner wants.

The above should help you get started on choosing the right colors for the exterior of your home. A great way of visualizing this is by using our Design Centre and get a free quote.

However, if you’d like professional help with this important decision, you can always contact us.