Tips For Choosing Paint For The Exterior Of Your Home
The exterior of your home says a lot about your personal style. Whether the architecture of your house is modern and minimal or detailed and extravagant, choosing the right paint colors can accentuate key details while at the same time creating a beautiful backdrop for the rest of your outdoor space. Before heading to the paint store, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Check out the following tips for choosing paint colors for the exterior of your home.
Keep it Subtle
With so many beautiful colors of paint available, it can be tempting to opt for a bright, cheery shade. However, in almost all cases, a toned-down hue will give you far better results. Colors that are overly saturated can quickly become overwhelming when applied to the exterior of a home. The royal blue that looked great on the paint chip can easily transform into an obnoxious electric blue that hurts your eyes when you look at it.
This doesn't mean that you can't use interesting colors for the exterior of your home. Just try to choose softer, subtler shades. For instance, instead of canary yellow, opt for a shade closer to the color of creamed corn. Skip the bright lime green in favor of a softer shade like sage green or olive. Also, keep in mind that some colors never really look good on houses no matter how much they are toned down. In general it is a good idea to avoid shades of pink and purple unless you are using them as an accent color.
Coordinate with Existing Design Elements
Do you have brick or stone on the exterior of your house? If so, it is a good idea to coordinate the paint color with the color of the stone. That doesn't mean that you should match the color to the stone. For instance, if you have tan stone and choose a similar tan paint color, your house can look drab and boring. If you do want to use tan, look for a shade that is significantly lighter or darker than the existing stonework.
Another option is to look for a color that compliments the stone, drawing attention to it without clashing. For example, with tan stone, you might want to consider a soft shade of blue.
Work with Your Landscape
If your house is surrounded by trees, you may want to avoid green paint. Otherwise you run the risk of your house visually disappearing into the landscape. Likewise, if you have flowering shrubs that bloom for a large portion of the year, you may want to think about choosing a color that coordinates nicely with the color of the flowers.
Finally, don't forget to consider the color of your neighbors' houses as well. The last thing you want is to clash with the house next door.
These simple tips should have you well on your way toward choosing an acceptable paint color for the exterior of your home. If you have any doubts about your choice, consider asking a specialist at the paint store for help. They are usually more than happy to steer you in the right direction.
