How to choose the best exterior paint color for your home

Choosing your home’s exterior paint color

There are a number of factors to consider when selecting the right colour scheme for your home. There’s the architecture style, other materials like the driveway and roof and the streetscape. If you’re struggling to settle on the best exterior paint color for your home, take a look at these tips.

1. Get to know the regulations

Before you shift through paint swatches, get to know your neighborhood’s regulations and guidelines. They may influence which direction you take with your color scheme.

2. Consider hard-to-change design features

It’s worth taking into consideration design features that you’re unable to change such as the roof finish, a stone driveway or pathways. Unless you’re doing a complete renovation and updating these elements, it’s best to choose complimentary color tones to maintain visual balance.

You may pick up warm or cool undertones, or opt for a neutral exterior paint color palette that will marry well with the existing finishes.

3. Complimenting or modernising the home’s architecture

A great way to start selecting a color palette for your home is to begin with the architecture. Determine whether you want to compliment or modernise the facade of your home. Choosing an exterior paint color that feels appropriate to your home’s style is often a safe bet.

However, unless your neighborhood requires you to adhere to strict color guidelines, straying away from the traditional color palette can provide the desired aesthetic. This is particularly relevant for those who own an older home and want a more modern look without extensive renovations.

4. Choose several paint shades

When selecting a color for your exterior, remember to choose a few different shades (up to three) to highlight the architectural details and create dimension rather than a flat, plain building. In addition to the main exterior paint color, you may want to select an accent color for design elements such as the doors, and a trim color for areas such as the window edging and railings.

Never rely solely on paint chips when choosing the best exterior paint color for your home. Buy some sample pots to paint test patches on an inconspicuous area of the house. Make sure you analyse the color at different times of the day to see what it really looks like.

5. Select the best quality paint

Choosing the best quality exterior paint you can afford will be worthwhile in the long run. Opt for a formulation that has UV protection technology to help prevent the paint from cracking or blistering. Find a paint that is easy to clean and maintain over time, and select the right type for the application. Water-based acrylic paints, for example, are suitable for most external applications, whereas oil-based paints tend to work better on metals.

6. Reserve fashionable colors for smaller areas

If you’ve fallen in love with the color of the year, consider painting a smaller element of the home rather than the entire house in the trendy tone. A door is a perfect place to have some fun with brights as it is easy and inexpensive to repaint if you fall out of love with the color the next season.

7. Enrich your exterior with other materials

Incorporating other materials into your palette can be a great way to revive your exterior. It also helps add interest, texture and dimension to a façade.

For example, choose an area to clad in a natural material such as linear stone walling or timber to enrich the appearance of your home and highlight architectural details. You could choose to box out columns with stone or change up the flooring on your entrance, stairs or pathways. This could be a great way to enhance your property’s curb appeal.