Color Guide to Exterior House Paint

Assess Your Needs and Surroundings

• If you plan on selling your home within the next few years, let curb appeal and sensible color choices guide your decision. Prospective buyers are not likely to be attracted by lime green shutters or eyeball-searing yellow siding. Choose pleasant, neutral earth tones and limit your creativity to a brightly colored front door.
  Houses in hip, urban neighborhoods can be painted hip, bright colors. However, a house in a green country setting could look jarringly out of place painted sky blue--typically, rural homes look best with natural, muted colors. If you live in a suburban subdivision you are more likely to take your neighbors' feelings into consideration by keeping your color scheme to the prevailing palette. Walk or drive around the neighborhood and take note of the color schemes that appeal to you.

Consider your Home's Features

• The architectural style of your home can dictate the colors you choose. (See Resources). A southwestern adobe-styled home can look fantastic in faded pinks and blues, and a classic Colonial home looks best in classic colors like taupe, gray or beige, with white columns and trim and black or red accents for the shutters and front door. An ornate Victorian home can be painted almost any color combination and look good. If your older period home is historically significant, consider finding old photographs and replicating one of the original color schemes.
  Bear in mind fixed features like the roof or brick work. Choose colors that blend with or complement these elements. To accentuate any feature, use a high-contrast or rich color next to and around it. To minimize the feature, choose a color that is similar and doesn't clash.

Be Creative With Details

• Even if your home is understated and classic, you can add whimsy or drama with color accents. A deep red or black door is formal and can add punch to your entry way, especially when paired with brass hardware. For a more cheerful or whimsical look, consider door colors like celery green, sunny yellow or salmon pink. Add a wreath or potted flowers in those same colors for a decorator look.

  Wooden porch railings and columns are most often painted white, while the traditional color of wrought iron accents is black. Depending on your home's style, consider a creamy white instead of pure white, or very deep brown for wrought iron.

Always Test Colors

• Once you've decided on your colors, buy a quart of each so you can see how they look when painted directly onto your home. "Try before you buy" can save a lot of trouble, because custom paint colors cannot be returned to the store.