Many are the clients whose biggest challenge is selecting paint colors for their wooden houses when they are “stuck” with partial brick or stone façades. In my experience, this can actually be a plus.

You see, replacing stone or brick is expensive. However, using these fixed features as your color inspiration, or seeing them as part of your overall color scheme, can help narrow down your color choices.

For example, if the majority of your house is shingle and/or clapboard and the entry area is brick, start by identifying the color cast of the brick element. If the brick is essentially red, but has a golden yellow or beige cast to it, find a close color match to that golden yellow or beige for the house body. Voila! You’ve got your house color. The brick or stone element that you felt stood out like a sore thumb now fades into the overall house color.

Next, think about using a complementary color for trim. If your brick is essentially red and the grout is gray think about looking directly across the color wheel to red’s complement green then draw on the gray tone from the grout and choose a gray/green for the trim around the windows and doors. Using this dual approach (using a color similar to the grout, while complementing the brick) makes the brick appear less dominant and overpowering.

Offset your house body and trim colors with an interesting and “weighty” color for the entry doors, shutters and garage doors. Once again, this serves a dual purpose. It “grounds” the house while drawing attention to these elements as accents. To really make your house stand out from your neighbors, use a high-shine finish on these accent elements. This will highlight the details.

I hope that with inspiration from these design ideas, you too will create an eye-catching look for your homes exterior.

When it comes to picking paint colors for rooms, we look for inspiration in many places: existing furniture, accessories, artwork, colors from our travels or our favorite seasons.

Color Palette generated from photo at Pic2Color.com

So where does one gather inspiration for their home’s exterior paint colors? We start by locating colors that are deemed suitable to the style or period of the house, or by trying to replicate someone else’s excellent house paint colors.

These methods work, but why not attempt to make a more personal statement just like you do on the inside? If the answer is “fear of making a mistake”, it is time to conquer your fear! You can do it. And the great news is that, with the right color choices, the exterior and interior of your house will become cohesive and represent your personality and design tastes.

Raspberry Truffle, Lemon Chiffon, Bella Blue**

One of my clients LOVED her deep red dining room, painted Ben Moore’s Raspberry Truffle. When she moved into her small, newly renovated Greek revival she decided to paint the outside her favorite interior color. Wow, what a stunner! The trim is Lemon Chiffon and the doors are Bella Blue. This is one of the happiest looking, most elegant homes I’ve ever seen!

So, be careful to test your colors, but don’t be sheepish. Adventurously chosen exterior colors can transform a so-so home to a thing of beauty.

**Please note: Due to individual computer monitor limitations, colors seen here may not accurately reflect Benjamin Moore paint colors.

Homeowners with historic-style homes are often in a quandary as to whether or not to paint the house using a historic palette. If you choose to select colors based on the homes’ architecture, you have lots to work with.

Sherwin-Williams is the first place I turn when looking for historic colors because they have already done all the research into historically appropriate colors. Other manufacturers have historic or preservation palettes which are also very helpful.

Classical / Colonial historic color schemes from Sherwin-Williams

My favorite exterior colors are from the California Paints Historic line. They include incredibly rich greens and blues as well as interesting neutrals in shades of tobacco and caramel. I like all of their reds. The paint colors were developed along with the Society of Preservation for National Antiquities.

Stephen J. Albro House, Newport, RI painted with California Paint Historic Colors

Those of you who don’t live in a historic home can still enjoy using historic colors in pleasing combinations. When I select exterior colors for my clients, I almost always start with the historic paint palettes whether the house is historic or not.

When selected appropriately, they can reliably add elegance to any homes exterior. Most all dwellings can be improved with an eye-catching historic exterior paint scheme.

For more information:

California Paints Historic Colors of America…

Sherwin-Williams Historic Colors… 

Are you tired of those cookie-cutter exterior paint color schemes you see in the paint brochures at the store? Not very exciting, are they?

Don’t settle for the mundane. Do what you do inside. Identify a favorite color. Let’s say it’s violet. (I know what you are thinking, “I can’t paint my house violet.” Sure you can). Even an atypical color choice can look amazing as long as you choose the right shade with appropriate accompanying colors.

The good news is that today’s exterior palettes include every hue on the color wheel. One of my favorite violet house body colors is California Historic Paints of America’s “Muted Mulberry”. It looks wonderful paired with a yellow/white trim, such as Benjamin Moore’s Navajo White, which compliments the violet both in hue and in warmth.

Play around with the door color. For something dramatic, try burgundy red. For a classic elegance, use a deep forest black/green. This works nicely on shutters too. If your preferred paint color is an interior color, ask your paint dealer to mix it up for you using an exterior paint. Be sure that it is toned down.

No more feeling humdrum about your homes’ curb appeal. Now you are truly making a personal statement about your home!