You know what they say about first impressions, right? The exterior of your home will set the stage for what your visitors will think of your home.
Curb appeal plays a huge part in the overall look and feel of a dwelling. It doesn’t hurt when it comes time to sell either.
One way to spruce up your exterior is to give it a new paint job. But that begs the question, how does one choose the best paint color for their home? Let’s break it down.
Your home has a story to tell. The original architecture will let you in on its history and the style of the time. One of the best ways to inform your paint color choice –and, really, any remodel pursuit– is to study and understand the architectural style of your home.
For instance, a traditional-style home would lend itself to a white or blue body. When you stay true to your home’s roots, you’ll have a handy set of guidelines to draw from when choosing a color. Of course, you can always stray from these rules if you want to go against the grain. For instance, many homeowners will opt for a moody, monochromatic color scheme when painting their traditional home.
This can be a great route to explore too.
As we mentioned, your paint will not only serve as a stylistic element, it also helps protect the structural integrity of your home. When picking out exterior paint, you don’t necessarily want to go with the cheapest option if it means compromising on the quality and durability.
Plan to invest a good amount of cash towards paint that you can rely on.
The last thing you want to do is go for the cheap option just to have to go through the process of painting your home again in a couple of years.
Take a look at the permanent materials of your home. Pay attention to the shades of your brick or stone, foundation patio, and other accent embellishments. Are the hues cool or warm? This will play a huge factor in what color will look best on your exterior.
Now, you might be tempted to paint your exterior stone or brick but this should be an absolute last resort option. It can be very difficult to regain the original charm of a home once you paint these accent features.
When you’re picking out a color for the body of your home, be sure to think about trim color too. You can opt to pick a complementary color. For example, you could do a sage body with white trim or a salmon body and rusty brown trim. Contrast such as this is considered more traditional.
But if you’d like a more modern look, you can choose to go for an edgy, monochromatic feel. One popular color combination is dark gray and smokey gray.
There are a few rules and considerations to keep in mind when picking out a paint color. While you can select just about any color for your interior walls, you’ll need to be a little bit more selective when it comes to exterior paint.
A good rule of thumb is to go with muted, “dusty” colors. They’re not as loud and typically age better.
It’s also important to keep in mind that colors will look brighter outside. So while that paint swatch might look perfect in a dimly lit hardware store, it might be overpowering outside.
Lastly, don’t feel like you need to go with a funky, bright door color. While that is on-trend, you really can’t go wrong with a timeless black or stained wood door.
Painting the exterior of your home is a large undertaking that will have a lasting impact. The color you choose will hopefully last up to 10 years. Don’t be afraid to sit on the decision for a while before you commit to a color.
Try out a few sample colors. Draw inspiration from the internet. You don’t want to rush into a decision about something as prominent as the color of your home’s exterior. So take your time!
At Forge & Bow Dwellings, we design, build, and remodel homes; painting is part of the job. We would love to assist you in finding the right color scheme for your home to match your personal style. If you’re interested in a home remodel, reach out to us and we’ll help you find the perfect colors.
