Last Updated on July 7, 2022 by Kimberly Crawford
Exterior house color schemes can show off detail, minimize poor appearances and increase curb appeal. Selecting the right house paint makes all the difference.
There are many factors at play when choosing house paint, and coordinating the exterior house colors schemes. The age and style of the home, personal homeowner preference, the condition of the home and the neighborhood where the house is located can all have a hand in deciding what house colors to choose. Weighing each component separately and together will produce the right pallet.
The Age and Style of the Home
Begin by taking into consideration the type of home to be painted. Historical homes can usually work well by using period colors and styles, but depending on their location, it may be possible to produce startlingly beautiful results by painting an older home in modern colors.
If deciding to follow the home’s natural guidelines, it can be an easy job of narrowing down the paint color choices. Victorian paint colors usually have some black mixed into them, and are more somber. This results in burgundies, grays, forest greens, and even violets. Homes that have a great deal of trim and wood work can make use of two or three coordinating colors that have a similar feature or tone about them.
If the home has a change in cladding, such as horizontal wood siding, to shingles, then it is more than acceptable to paint the home in two or more colors.
Related: Types of house siding
Change the color of the paint with the change in material. This can mean painting one portion of the home a blue green, while sections of trim are white, moldings are red or burgundy and the face of steps are violet. Follow the home’s clues; if there is a band of trim around the center of the home, then the colors need to change there.
Foursquare style homes will often have a contrasting or bright shade of trim. Outline the edges of the house and window sashes in white, while the house it self is yellow. Or try using a blue gray house color, with a creamy trim.
Check Out the Neighborhood
If considering painting the home either in historical or more modern colors, it helps to see what the rest of the neighborhood looks like. While it can certainly be attention grabbing to be the only house on the block with lime green trim, this can be off putting to the neighbors, and even to potential home buyers.
This is not to say that every home on a block needs to have identical colors and detailing, but if a variety of homes on the block are painted in period colors appropriate to the type of building, then it makes sense to continue this theme. Eclectic neighborhoods, with a mix of newer and older homes, may be able to handle a an older home painted in newer colors, but take care to preserve the style of the home, even while using modern colors.
Take the Roof into Consideration
Many older homes had roofs that were anything but gray. Green shingles, lavender slate and even red were not uncommon in many homes. If re-shingling the roof at the same time as the painting is being done, consider using a color on the roof to contrast and highlight the rest of the house colors. A green roof on a yellow home with a bright red door and white trim provides a cheerful cap to the home.
Likewise, a slate roof in tones of lavender and gray will work well with a deep green home with yellow trim and a blue door.
The final, and most important factor to consider when painting the house, is the homeowner’s preference. If bright colors are preferred, but the house is a Victorian style, consider using a brightly colored front door in red or blue, to provide a bright pop of color against the more somber siding.
Likewise, there is nothing wrong with using deep colors on a more modern home. Pay attention to detail and what the house is saying, and the color scheme will be perfect.
52+ Exterior House Paint Ideas and Designs
1. Green and white house
2. Grey paint
3. Grey and white house paint
4. Grey house paint
5. Black paint
6. Blue paint
7. White ultra modern house
8. Traditional grey and white siding designs
9. Mid-centure modern brown exterior
10. Remarkable black house paint
11. Nice house paint
12. Cottage gray
13. Black cottage exterior design
14. Deep cottage green shade
15. Cottage exterior with pink accents
16. Cottage blue house
17. Shade of yellow
18. Mid-century modern sea green facade
19. Mid-century modern with a red exteriror facade
20. Mid-century modern in neon green exterior
21. Ranch property in white facade
22. Ranch traditional property with an exterior gray
23. Mid-century modern featuring a black exterior
24. Mid-century modern with yellow exterior
25. Mid-century modern in blue color
26. Mid-century modern house with orange accents
27. Mid-century modern house in grey
28. Ranch exteriror in deep orange
29. Ranch exteriror in hunter green
30. Traditional ranch house exterior in brown
31. Ranch exterior in blue
32. Ranch exteriror in black
33. Traditional ranch exterior barn red
34. Contemporary house in pink pale color
35. Contemporary exteriror in blue
36. Contemporary house in orange with gray
37. Contemporary house in green and gray
38. Contemporary house in gray color
39. Contemporary house in black color
40. Craftsman exterior brown facade
41. Craftsman exterior brown facade
42. Craftsman exterior white
43. Craftsman exterior in red color and grey
44. Craftsman exterior in white
45. Contemporary house in white
46. Craftsman exterior in gray
47. Modern craftsman house exterior Industrial Expansive
48. Craftsman exterior in yellow
49. Craftsman exterior in yellow
50. Craftsman exterior in black color
51. Craftsman exterior in red brick color
52. Craftsman exterior in blue
