Choosing the Right Exterior Colors for Your Home
House Exterior Colors
If you are building a brand-new home or are planning on completely revamping one that you’ve recently purchased, one of the most important decisions that you’ll have to make concerns the house exterior colors. Since a house’s paint has such a massive impact on its overall appearance, it is critical to make the right decision right off the bat. How do you go about choosing the best colors for the exterior of your home?
When in Doubt, Go Dark
One mistake that people commonly make when it comes to exterior house colors is selecting a color that is too light. When paired with the sunshine of the area, light colors can easily look washed out and unattractive. In the store – and on a paint sample strip – colors often look darker than they really are. You must consider the fact that the paint will be outside day in and day out.
If you find a color that is especially appealing to you, always be as realistic as possible about how light or dark it is. If it seems too light, go for a shade that adds a little gray or brown to the mix. At first glance – especially in the store – the color may look ‘drab’ or dull. When painted onto a house, though, it should look phenomenal. This is one of those tricks that experienced custom home builders are aware of, but the ‘average Joe’ usually isn’t.
Selecting Other Colors
Once you’ve settled on a paint color for the exterior of your house, you’re going to have to choose trim and siding colors as well. The safest route when it comes to selecting complementary colors is sticking with shades that are on the same paint sample strip. These colors are usually tried-and-true combinations; using them together will generally produce visually stunning results. Many times, home improvement stores offer special exterior paint sample strips that feature complementary and coordinating colors in one convenient place. Look these over carefully to gain inspiration and ideas.
Finally, you can always turn to magazines and online publications to get inspiration for the colors of your home’s exterior trim, siding and other features. Sometimes, unusual combinations work surprisingly well together. Remember to look at examples for homes that are from the same general area as your own; otherwise, variant weather conditions and other factors could make your efforts turn out much differently than those in the magazine or on the website. Be practical about what you end up choosing, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box a little. That way, you can achieve a unique – and attractive – look for your home’s exterior.
Tongue & Groove Design+Build has an in-house team of interior designers to help you choose the ideal house exterior colors for your ultimate dream home. For more information, contact them today.