Updating your home’s exterior painting is a way to add curb appeal and express your own personality. However, there are factors to consider before you paint to ensure it doesn’t clash. If you’re not sure how to choose, here are a few tips to follow to guide your palette.

5 Tips for Choosing the Colors for Exterior Painting 

1. Look at the Architecture or Style

Is your house a historic colonial or a modern condo? The style of the home suggests color choices that will look pleasing and natural. For example, neutral hues enhance the clean lines of a modern home, while traditional or reproduction colors strike a pleasing note with historic structures.

2. Consider Other Structural Elements

Rooflines, landscaping, stonework, and other structures will be impacted by the choice of paint color. Think about the tones present in the stonework or shingles. Are they warm tones such as red brick or tile, or cool tones such as black or gray? Also, consider how these elements might showcase or offset color. For example, Victorian architecture, with its complex rooflines and elaborate gingerbread trims, takes bold color combinations well, where the same choices might look garish on a simple modern house.

3. Contrast & Accent

Exterior painting typically relies on two to three colors—the main shade, a contrasting trim, and a color used on doors, window shutters, and small accent areas. Again, the style of the home comes into play; monochromatic color schemes look best on modern homes, and historic houses offer accent areas and more window trim to show off different shades. Accent colors can be bright, such as a red door, and trim pops when it contrasts with the main hue.

4. Test the Color

Don’t rely on paint chips to accurately portray how a color will look. Once you’ve decided on possible shades for the main paint and trim, buy a small can and test on a less visible side of the house. See how you like the colors together in sunlight and shade, and observe how it detracts or enhances the plantings and other structures.

5. Follow the HOA Regulations

The tone and colors of the neighboring houses are important considerations. If you belong to a homeowners association (HOA), check what the rules are for exterior painting. It’s best to balance creative expression with harmony. Choose shades that play well with what’s around your home, using an accent color to channel a little creative freedom.

Exterior painting makes a visual impact, so choose the colors wisely. T.K. Painting & Decorating, LLC in Dakota County, MN, offers expert commercial and residential painting services. They also provide wallpaper installation and removal, siding, drywall repairs, and pressure washing. Call (952) 210-5963 for a free estimate, or visit their website to learn more about their services.