When it’s time for a fresh coat of exterior paint on your home, you can transform your home’s look and enhance its curb appeal through a new and refreshed color palette. If you’ve been considering a change, it can feel daunting to choose colors you’ll have to live with for the next several years. But with a little guidance and strategy, you can select a palette that you’ll enjoy seeing and showing off each day.
Here are our three pro tips for choosing the perfect palette for your exterior painting project:
- Become a student of the homes you’re drawn to. What is it about that home you always admire every time you drive past it? While it sometimes is the architecture or the paint colors, often it’s how the two go together that makes a home stand out from the rest. Take note of homes with similar architecture to yours with color palettes you like as a starting point.
- Take the whole picture into account. Your home’s landscaping, foundation brickwork, and neighborhood all play a role in how your home fits into its habitat. While this shouldn’t dictate a color palette entirely, it can inform your exterior painting choices so that your palette accentuates your home in its environment rather than leaving it looking out of place.
- Stick to the rule of three. In exterior painting, the rule is usually to stick to three colors in your palette. For instance, you might use a dominant color on the siding or a primary element, while using an accent color for doors and shutters. Finally, you could choose a third color for your trim, casings, and edgings. This rule promotes palette cohesion while providing the right amount of interest and variation to make a home look its best.