How to Choose Exterior Paint Colors
Paint color choice is one of the top things homeowners struggle with during an exterior painting project. Many resources for exterior paint colors simply list off current color trends or restate the same tired colors that have been around for a long time. Our approach to choosing exterior paint colors is a bit different.
We believe that teaching homeowners how to choose exterior paint colors will be of more benefit in the long run. There are outside factors to look at that can contribute to your paint color choice, as well as what you personally like. We hope this guide is a tool for all homeowners that can be used for years to come.
Factors that Will Affect Paint Color Choice
Your Home’s Surroundings
What surrounds your home will affect how your home looks. Usually what is near our homes is unchanging or costs a lot to change, such as landscaping, walkways, driveways, and roofing. For example, if you have a lot of nature around your house, there will already be a lot of natural green near your home. This can affect how much (if any) green you want to use in the paint colors of your home.
These surrounding features will have an overall warm or cool feel. You can create contrast by going against the temperature of these or create harmony by choosing colors that are the same temperature as these features.
Your Home’s Features and Accents
Does your exterior have a unique feature, such as a very tall front door or curved windows? You may want to choose a specific color to highlight these that will contrast against the siding color. You can also highlight your home’s accents by painting them in all the same color (ie all your windows and trim are the same color). This will also bring unity to your paint color palette. If there isn’t one specific stand-out feature, you may choose to go more tonal or monochrome with your exterior paint colors.
Your Personality
Ultimately, you need to choose colors that YOU like! If red isn’t your taste, don’t go with a bright red front door. It may look cool or bring out that feature, but in the long run, you’ll wish you had gone with something else.
Also consider the effects different paint colors can have. Darker colors will bring a sense of drama to your exterior, while lighter colors will feel refreshing and airy. Looking for balance? Painting your trim white or a light color, while using a darker or more saturated color for the siding, will make the overall look of your home feel balanced.
Pro tip: Don’t let the trends control you! Trends come and go so don’t get too caught up in the latest and greatest. Instead, focus on what styles and colors resonate with you. After all, you’re the one who will be looking at your home day in and day out.
Our Top Paint Colors for Exteriors
At Ace Hardware Painting Services, we feature Benjamin Moore paint and stain because we want to provide our customers with the highest quality paint possible. Benjamin Moore has over 3,500 unmatchable colors that deliver beautiful, lasting results. Below are some of our top Benjamin Moore paint color recommendations for your siding, front door, and accents.
Siding Colors
Neutrals
- Dragon’s Breath 547
- Cloud Cover OC-25
- Revere Pewter HC-172
Colors
- Nicolson Green CW-500
- Blue Spruce 1637
- Jet Stream 814
- Toasted Chestnut 2174-10
Front Door Colors
Neutrals
- Black Satin 2131-10
- Wolf Gray 2127-40
- Chantilly Lace OC-65
Colors
- Cape Blue 1642
- Heritage Red HC-181
- Hawthorne Yellow HC-4
Accent Colors
Neutrals
- Gray Owl OC-52
- Brilliant White OC-150
- White Dove OC-17
How to Build an Exterior Color Palette
Start with the number of colors you’ll use.
We recommend using 2-4 colors for your home’s exterior. Too many can give a scattered look and won’t be cohesive. Too few will give no depth or dimension to your home.
Narrow down your color options.
- Go with an overall temperature of warm or cool. Warmer colors tend to be reds, oranges, yellows, and browns. Cooler colors tend to be greens, blues, purples, and grays. Black and white can fall under either depending on their undertones. This option may not work for everyone but can help narrow down some options.
- Decide if you like neutrals or want color. Some people like the look of just neutrals, while others want bright colors. If you know that you fall into one of those groups, use that to narrow down your colors.
- Weed out colors you know you don’t like. Not a fan of a color? Don’t use it! Don’t even bother with it because if you don’t like it now, chances are that it won’t grow on you as time goes on.
Choose 2-3 specific paint swatches to test for each color.
If you’re wanting 3 colors in total (one for the siding, one for the front door, and one for the accents), choose 2-3 paint color swatches for each of these to test on your home. This will be the toughest and longest part of the process. It’s helpful to use color visualizers to get a good idea of how a specific paint will look on your home.
Test your choices on your home.
Whether you use a paint visualizer like the Ace Paint Studio, or go to your local Ace Hardware store to pick up paint samples, it’s crucial to test your colors before you use them. Why should you test colors before choosing them? Colors will look different than on a screen or even on paint strips. You should also see colors in different lighting to ensure you like them at all times of day.
When in doubt, talk to a professional. It’ll be worth it to not change your colors every couple of years until you get it right. At Ace Hardware Painting Services, we offer a paint color consultation (a $250 value offered for FREE with any full exterior or interior painting project) to give our customers confidence that they’re getting the most out of their painting project.
Our paint color consultation includes:
- 1-hour in-person consultation
- Color swatches and decks
- Three Benjamin Moore paint color samples
- Interior and exterior expert
- HOA compliance
If you’re having your exterior repainted or want a paint color consultation for your exterior, contact us! Book an estimate online or call 855-PAINT80!
