The first thing to decide when painting the exterior of your house is what
shade of a color you want: a white or light shade, a mid-tone or medium shade,
or a darker color. Factoring in the color of your roof is helpful when choosing a
shade because it prevents color clashing. If your roof is black or gray you can
pick a shade of almost any color and it won’t clash. If you have a brown or
reddish roof, a neutral main body color will help avoid clashing. If your roof has
shingles with green or blue undertones, picking either a neutral color or a paint
color with a hint of your shingle color in it will blend well and not clash.
The most important thing to know when you are painting the exterior of
your home is that sunlight drastically turns paint cool or blue. To prevent this from
happening, choose a paint color at least 2-3 times warmer than the color you
would like your house to be. If you want a white exterior, pick a warm white,
otherwise your house will have a blue cast.
After you have picked a color, you’ll need to paint samples on your home.
Look at the samples in the morning, at mid-day, and in the evening to see how
light and shade affect how the color looks. Sunlight can reveal strange-looking
undertones that you didn’t see on the paint card.
When you know what exterior color you want, you can decide on exterior
trim and accent colors. More than 2-3 colors on your exterior is usually too much
and can cause your house to look too busy. If your home has a lot of details,
such as shutters or changes in roof angles, painting your house less than 2-3
colors helps make those details stand out. If your house is a light color, painting
your trim, shutters, and/or door a darker color will help contrast and stand out. If
you want your main body color to be dark, white trim or doors balance out the
dark colors. If your home is mid-toned, base accent colors on the design of your
house. Dark trim, windows, and accents work well on modern homes, while
traditional style houses look better with white accents.
To ensure you’re happy with your new exterior colors, follow these steps:
consider your roof color and fixed elements of your house to pick a great shade, choose a warmer color to avoid a cool/blue tinge, and sample your paint colors to.
With Shack Shapers making the selection is easy. We provide 3D visualizations for each of our quotes so selecting colors and styles is easy right from the start. Want to see what trending colors or styles could look great on your home?
Select Online Quote and get started on your next project today!
