How to Select Exterior House Paint Colors

Drive around your neighborhood. You may find the perfect house color on the next street over. Drive back by in the early morning and late evening to see how the color changes during the day. If you still love the color, stop and ask the homeowner what color he used. Most homeowners are happy to share. If no one is home or you are too shy to ask, take a picture of the house.

Look at books, brochures and online. There are many resources available if you are looking for a historically accurate paint color. In addition, many paint manufacturers provide brochures with a variety of historic color combinations.

Go to your local hardware or home improvement store and collect a variety of paint chips. If you love yellow, but your homeowners association does not allow yellow, look for different shades of yellow, like cream, butterscotch or apricot. Take the paint chips home and tape them next to your front door, next to the trim. If you are changing the trim color, collect a selection of trim colors too. Look at them for a few days.

Purchase quart-sized cans of your favorite few colors at the hardware or home improvement store. If you are not sure of a color, have the clerk mix the paint a shade lighter. Take the paint home and paint a large square of each color next to the trim color. Live with the large patches of color for at least a week.

Purchase a gallon or two of your favorite color and paint the front of the house. Again, look at it for several days. You may realize that it is too bright or too dark, or that you hate it. If you have an active homeowners association, ask the president and board members if the color fits the guidelines.

Paint the rest of the house once you have made your final decision is made. If you need to make a fast decision because of your homeowners insurance or to sell the house, choose a lighter shade in the color family you like. It is easier to repaint later if the paint is a lighter shade of your favorite color.