Exterior Color Selection Tips

Building a new home or simply renovating your existing home involves a score of choices, but one of the most enjoyable and effective is the color on the outside of the building. Savvy homeowners know that a palette of multiple and contrasting hues is the way to create the greatest appeal and a really welcoming atmosphere.

Where to Begin

When choosing colors that define the style and look you want, keep these three issues in mind:

1. The material or type of exterior

   This could be brick, wood, vinyl or another material

   Many homes have a mixture of materials

   The major material is also considered the major surface area and/or primary color

2. The colors of the main entrances and the windows (frames, shutters, etc.)
3. Any decorative elements that include trim, railings and architectural features.

Though these elements may seem to make choosing more confusing, it is not the case. Today, manufacturers offer a huge spectrum of shades and hues, and if you start with a well-chosen base for the primary material, you need only choose contrasting hues to make a good impact.

Keep in mind, though that the type of paint chosen can mean high or low maintenance, and this ties into the style and setting too. Let’s look at that further…

The Style of Your Home and Its Setting

It makes a lot of sense to choose a paint and color that work well with the covering and maintenance needs of a home. Don’t choose a paint that does not do well with stone or wood if your home is a mix of materials. Don’t opt for a range of drab and dark colors if you have a classic Victorian in a neighborhood of similar structures.

Do take into consideration the surroundings such as trees and gardens too. After all, a boldly hued house in a natural woodland is not a good fit. And a neutral colored house in a colorful garden is also not a match.

Look to your neighbors for ideas. Most neighborhoods have similarly styled homes and you may want to choose something in line with neighbors, but still reflective of your style. If renovating, be sure you can use the materials and even colors you would like.

Bringing Everything Together

If you want an harmonious style and a balanced look, you must pull together all of the issues mentioned above. For example, if your neighborhood is full of neutral colored homes with big yards, you don’t want to have a brightly painted house surrounded by brightly colored flowers; that would be jarring and unbalanced.

If you want to somehow improve the appearance of the home without doing a full paint job, you can choose two to three hues to use for elements other than the main surface area. Keep in mind that more organic hues work best here. Rather than bright teal blue, some sky or “robin’s egg” work better, or instead of bold raspberry, a paler hue of delicate coral is easier to integrate and harmonize.

How can you find such hues? Visit paint companies online and look for their exterior paint galleries. Some have visualizing tools to let you upload an image of your home and experiment with available colors. We suggest contrasting to create harmony, and a color wheel is very helpful here.

The Front and Garage Doors

A fast and effective way to update your home’s appearance is to consider two different hues for the front door and the garage door. Working with the style and surroundings in mind, create a very harmonious look by choosing colors that contrast subtly with the home’s main color.

Garage doors need to be the subtler hue of the two as they are so large. While you can opt for a darker hue, you’ll need to have an ability to integrate some brighter shades nearby. This is because a very dark garage door can be overwhelming or unwelcoming. A paler pergola around the door, brighter colored hardware, or even some climbing flowers can balance the look.

You might opt for a new door with windows, and if you can match this look to the front door, you can create a remarkably good looking home. Coordinate them with your front door most effectively using tools like Garaga’s Design Centre , where you can also get a free quote.

With these tips, you can pull together an entirely new look for the front of your home. If you need more details about improvements to a garage door, contact us, and we can help you enjoy a successful update.