by 29 people |
A house is a reflection of those that call it home so it is no wonder that most people want their home to look great. Painting your home in the prefect combination of colors will go a long way to making it a place you can be proud to call your own.
I created this lens to guide you in selecting the perfect paint color for your home's exterior.
LOOK OUT....WET PAINT!
I created this lens to guide you in selecting the perfect paint color for your home's exterior.
LOOK OUT....WET PAINT!
I am currently in the process of updating this lens to provide you with more specific information on choosing colors
PLEASE EXCUSE THE MESS WHILE THE RENOVATION IS BEING COMPLETED
Color For Your Home has additional information about color.
Biggest challenge to selecting a color for your home's exterior
Choosing and matching colors can be nerve-wracking for any number of reasons.
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Steps to finding the perfect paint color
1. Identify the looks and colors you like
2. Look around your neighborhood
3. Note the color of your home's fixed features.
4. Narrow down your color choices
5. Plan the placement of color
6. Prep, paint, stand back and admire your beautiful home!
2. Look around your neighborhood
3. Note the color of your home's fixed features.
4. Narrow down your color choices
5. Plan the placement of color
6. Prep, paint, stand back and admire your beautiful home!
Blend in, stand out but never clash
Finding the perfect exterior paint colors: Step 2
Unless you live on a large piece of land or deep on a wooded lot you need to consider the colors of the homes that surround your home.
You will want to select an exterior color that is different but works well with the other homes in the neighborhood. You can pick a color that blends in or one that stands out but not one that clashes with neighboring homes.
Walk around your neighborhood and make note of homes that you find appealing. What is it about the color or color combination that appeals to you? Do you find that you are drawn to the homes that have contrasting shutters and front door or do you prefer a scheme of closely related colors?
If you aren't sure use a digital camera or cell phone camera to snap pictures of the homes you like. I bet when you view the homes as a group you will begin to see similarities that you may not have noticed as you looked at them individually.
Taking pictures is also a good way to have an instant reference library as you begin planning how you will apply colors to your own home.
You will be able to find your perfect exterior color scheme more easily if before you even start thinking about specific colors you figure out the types of schemes that you find most appealing.
You will want to select an exterior color that is different but works well with the other homes in the neighborhood. You can pick a color that blends in or one that stands out but not one that clashes with neighboring homes.
Walk around your neighborhood and make note of homes that you find appealing. What is it about the color or color combination that appeals to you? Do you find that you are drawn to the homes that have contrasting shutters and front door or do you prefer a scheme of closely related colors?
If you aren't sure use a digital camera or cell phone camera to snap pictures of the homes you like. I bet when you view the homes as a group you will begin to see similarities that you may not have noticed as you looked at them individually.
Taking pictures is also a good way to have an instant reference library as you begin planning how you will apply colors to your own home.
You will be able to find your perfect exterior color scheme more easily if before you even start thinking about specific colors you figure out the types of schemes that you find most appealing.
Color cues from your partial brick or stone facade
Finding the perfect exterior paint colors: Step 3
When selecting paint colors for the siding of a home that has a partial brick or stone façades you will need to take their color into consideration.
The good news is that this can help you find the right color not make it more difficult.
Using the 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, the bricks in your home may basically be red but will have a cast of another color such as beige or gold or gray. Your best bet is to find a close color match to the cast color.
If your bricks have a beige cast paint the body of your home in a shade of beige. This guarantees that the siding and garage door colors will harmonize with the fixed feature and give you nice curb appeal.
Go to the 'Color For Your Home' blog for more informiaton on determining the color cast of your fixed elements.
The good news is that this can help you find the right color not make it more difficult.
Using the 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, the bricks in your home may basically be red but will have a cast of another color such as beige or gold or gray. Your best bet is to find a close color match to the cast color.
If your bricks have a beige cast paint the body of your home in a shade of beige. This guarantees that the siding and garage door colors will harmonize with the fixed feature and give you nice curb appeal.
Go to the 'Color For Your Home' blog for more informiaton on determining the color cast of your fixed elements.
Exterior Colors That Last
Finding the perfect exterior paint colors: Step 4a
Your color selection has a strong influence on paint performance because the amount of ultraviolet (UV) light absorbed or reflected by the color affects how long a paint job will last.Dark colors absorb heat and suffer more moisture problems than lighter shades. That's why lighter colors last longer and fade less than dark colors. And because dark colors fade faster, they are more difficult to touch up.
When you are considering the color scheme for your home keep the following in mind:
*Check the manufacture information for color limitations
*Consider the exposure of the surface to be painted since southern exposure will fade more quickly that one facing north.
*Organic colors tend to fade more quickly than inorganic colors
*Always use high-quality paints for superior color retention
Read more on Choosing Exterior Paint Colors That Last
Choosing color for painting garage doors
Finding the perfect exterior paint colors: Step 5
A great color scheme can make elements of a home standout or blend in. Garage doors usually look better if they blend in rather than stand out.
Here are a few general DO's and DON'Ts for painting garage doors:
* DO paint the garage doors in the same color as the house itself and not the trim color or white (unless white is your house color). Painting the garage doors the same colors as the body of the house will make your home appear larger.
* DO paint the trim around the doors either to match the door or to match the trim on the rest of your home.
* DON'T paint the garage doors in the same accent color they chose for their front door or shutters. This draws too much attention to the doors and chops up the facade of the home.
* DON'T highlight the details of a standard garage door by painting the door in more than one color. There are historic or special doors where this may be appropriate but for the majority of garage doors this would not be the way to go.
Here are a few general DO's and DON'Ts for painting garage doors:
* DO paint the garage doors in the same color as the house itself and not the trim color or white (unless white is your house color). Painting the garage doors the same colors as the body of the house will make your home appear larger.
* DO paint the trim around the doors either to match the door or to match the trim on the rest of your home.
* DON'T paint the garage doors in the same accent color they chose for their front door or shutters. This draws too much attention to the doors and chops up the facade of the home.
* DON'T highlight the details of a standard garage door by painting the door in more than one color. There are historic or special doors where this may be appropriate but for the majority of garage doors this would not be the way to go.
Specialty Exterior Paints
- Farrow & Ball, Traditional Paint & Wallpaper
- Farrow & Ball are manufacturers of traditional wallpapers and paints. We manufacture 100% of the paint and wallpaper we sell, using only the finest ingredients, by traditional methods, to original formulations. Our edited palette of unrivalled colours has been created to ensure you succeed, whatever
- Exterior Paints and Stains from Van Sickle
- Top quality exterior latex and oil-base paints, primers and stains.
- Fine Paints of Europe
- The Pinnacle of the Dutch art of paint making. Formulated with great care using only the finest ingredients, our paints produce complex living colors that enhance any environment.
Popular Paint Brands
Exterior solutions from recognized brands
- Martin Senour Home Exterior Palette Match
- Color combinations for their Exterior Collections, Williamsburg Collection or Great Outdoors Stains
- Behr Paint
- The Behr line is available at Home Depot
- Benjamin Moore
- Transform the look of your home
- Dunn-Edwards
- Paint and application tips for every type of exterior
- Dutch Boy Exterior Paints
- Dutch Boy helps you select the type of paint to use.
- Pratt & Lambert® Paints
- Never compromise
- Sherwin-Williams: Industrial and Residential Paint, Coatings and Color Expertise
- Sherwin-Williams: Paint, Coatings and Color Experts for Residential Exteriors.
- Valspar Interior and Exterior Paints
- Valspar formulates and manufactures an extensive line of exterior house paints and primers. Be a decorator and use color inside and outside your home!
- Duron Paints
- Retailer and manufacturer of paint for architectural and industrial coatings.
- California Paints
- The Colors of America
- True Value Paint
- Color Made Simple! Colors, like people, have distinct personalities so choose a color that matches your very own.
- PARA Paints
- Whether you're a Do-it-Yourselfer, a Paint Specifier, or a Professional Painter, there's enough information on this site to answer most of your painting questions.
Historic Colors
- Old House Journal: Choosing Historic Colors
- Colorful Issues in Choosing Exterior Paint
- American Tradition National Trust Colors
- The American Tradition® National Trust colors replicate historic American times and sites while evoking memories of bygone eras. Today, there are over 250 authenticated National Trust colors to adorn and decorate contemporary homes with a timeless beauty.
- Heritage Village Colors | Oil & Latex Paints
- 26 colors made in the time honored traditon of the old fashioned paint-making craftsman.
For Those That Need Stain Rather Than Paint
- Staining is Different Than Painting
- Stains come in different product types (deck, deck and siding), opacities (transparencies), and colors.
Articles on Painting Home Exteriors
from the Paint Quality Institute
- DIY Exterior Tips
- The exterior section will guide you though step-by-step painting techniques. Get the right tips on what works and what doesn't!
- Exterior Painting: Getting Started
- Painting the siding, trim and other exterior parts of your house is a big job, but the rewards are big too. You'll extend the life of your siding, increase the value and curb appeal of your home, and -- if you do it yourself -- save thousands of dollars. You'll first learn how to select the
Curb Appeal
by HGTV, Paula Marshall (Editor)
An essential reference for every homeowner-Curb Appeal shows readers how to add maximum appeal and value to their property with a minimum investment of time and money.Backed by the trusted HGTV brand and packed with dozens of unique ideas and cost-saving projects for adding character to the front of any property.
Helpful how-to instructions equip readers with the tools and knowledge to transform any exterior into a vibrant, intriguing reflection of personal style.
Fabulous real-life exterior, entryway, and landscaping before-and-after photos inspire homeowners to approach their own home with a fresh eye, and teaches them how to transform it from good to great.
Great architectural styles include bungalow, split level and Victorian styles, featured in both urban and suburb homes.
See "HGTV Curb Appeal" at Amazon.com
The Art of Exterior Painting: A Step-By-Step Guide to Choosing Colors and Painting Your Home
by Leslie Harrington, Benjamin Moore Paints, James Martin, Benjamin Moore & Co
Two pros show you how to make your exterior painting project a rewarding experience while creating a beautiful exterior for your home.With more than 80 photos to guide and inspire you, you'll learn how to:Make the most of your house's architecture.
-Use colors to highlight your home's features.
-Hire a professional to paint your home or help you choose colors.
-Assess technical information on paints, stains, application tools, and surfaces.
-Use the best application techniques for expert results.
See "The Art of Exterior Painting" at Amazon.com
Preparing to Paint
Good results start with proper preparation
- Behr's Exterior Paint Project Tips
- How to deal with common (and not-so-common) exterior conditions, including cleaning surfaces, sanding loose or peeling paint, repairing cracks and even large holes.
- Problem Solver for Exteriors
- Read advice on using paints and tips for interior and exterior painting and decorating techniques, from the Paint Quality Institute. This website from Rohm and Haas includes a guide to interior painting and decorating to help get the best results, plus for exterior decorating jobs, there is a detail
- Why It's Important to Use Top Quality Paint
- When doing exterior painting, an important decision is the quality of paint to be used. Top quality paints are designed to produce the best-looking and longest-lasting results and even though quality paints may cost a little
Perfectly Painted House: A Foolproof Guide for Choosing Exterior Colors for Your Home
by Bonnie Rosser Krims
Painting the exterior of a home is a large and costly project-yet homeowners have long been forced to decide on a color scheme based on only a tiny swatch or a paint brochure.Now, nationally recognized color consultant Bonnie Rosser Krims shares a foolproof method for selecting and combining exterior paint colors. This unique guidebook presents more than twenty-five distinct color schemes- complete with color reference numbers from the major paint manufacturers-along with beautiful, full-color photographs, and ideas and inspiration for painting trim, accent colors, and more. Specific information about working with roof color, plantings, and features such as walkways and porches is also included.
See "Perfectly Painted House" at Amazon.com
Kate give advice and answers readers questions on "Color For Your Home"
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Kate Smith, founder and contributing editor of Sensational Color is a recognized color expert, strategist and engaging speaker.
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