How to Virtually Style the Exterior Paint Colors for a Colonial Home

Take digital pictures of your house. Concentrate on the front view, which gives you the first impression of the house as you approach it. Although photos are not necessary with every virtual paint program offered by various company websites and some may not allow you to upload your own photo, just having the pictures to look at while you try on colors helps you imagine them on your home.

Download your digital pictures to your computer as you normally would given your camera and software. Save the pictures to the desktop, in a jpeg format, to provide easy access during your virtual exterior house color session. Print a copy of the picture if you want an unpainted copy to glance at while the program is open.

Choose a website-based virtual house paint program. Some leading paint manufacturers such as Sherwin-William, Benjamin Moore, Behr and Valspar offer this service at no cost, as well as other leading home improvement names such as Bob Villa. Although software available for purchase also exists, for the average homeowner the free programs are sufficient.

Register and create a free account at the website offering the virtual paint service, if required. Behr, for instance, instructs users to register for a free subscription while Sherwin-Williams does not. Check the website involved to determine any special restrictions or requirements.

Select either the option to upload a photo, if offered, or to use the program's stock images; this may appear as a choice to "choose color" or "choose a scene" or as a similarly worded choice.

Pick out the color palette that appeals to you among the choices presented. Scroll through the colors to find the one you want. Apply the color generally by clicking the color and touching your mouse indicator to the area of the house where you wish to see it. Paint the field mauve, for instance, and try a pale gray-violet on the shutters and door with a deep burgundy on the trim.

"Undo" or "Clear" your colors as you experiment with the choices available to you. Change pictures if you wish to get a different view of your house on programs that allow you to upload and paint photos of your own home exterior.

Save the virtually painted pictures, reflecting the colors you like, to your computer or the program, as directed, when you are finished. Digital pictures and the stock pictures offered generally allow you to keep the images you desire. Use them in the future when you are ready to purchase new exterior paint.