topic Choosing Exterior House Colors in Home

Choosing Exterior House Colors

Carolina925 — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 11:03:11 GMT

I've just spent several hours trying to find an online source to choose an exterior house color to repaint my house. I know y'all are so knowledgeable about sites and apps so thought I'd ask here. Anyone know of a site/app where I can put a picture of my home and get suggestions for colors of house & trim? The homes I've seen on the sites I've visited are all for big mega-mansions. My house is a 70s style plain ranch so I thought seeing the colors on a home that's closer to my own would help me decide. I have time to search, can't even think of having anyone do any outside work for me in our current 100 degree temps. Any help would really be appreciated.

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

AnjalenaQVC — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 11:08:49 GMT

This post has been removed by QVC because it contains a link

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

on the bay — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 11:34:15 GMT

@Carolina925,

Sherwin Williams' website lets you see a color in any room including exterior-very neat!

I bet other paint companies do too.

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

Travone — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 11:45:04 GMT

When I had a small bungalow I couldn't choose what color to paint the siding. The company I used gave me addresses of homes they painted so I could drive by and see the colors in person. It really helped.

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

Carolina925 — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 11:56:18 GMT

@on the bay , thanks! We actually have a S-W store here and is where I'll be purchasing the paint so will check them.

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

Carolina925 — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 11:57:44 GMT

@Travone , that's a great idea. Thank you! I drove around town yesterday looking but there was so much traffic that I couldn't look at much.

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

Jersey Born — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 12:09:48 GMT

@Carolina925 - I would recommend contacting a few local real estate agents to ask them if there are particular exterior colors on a home that make a home sell better than other colors.

In my area, a new home (center hall colonial) was built, and it's exterior was what I would consider a lovely shade of deep blue with a hint of gray, with white shutters and trim. It was not selling. Months passed. Then, the house was either painted, or its siding was changed out to white siding, and it was given black shutters, and it sold almost immediately after that color change. I found that interesting, and notable.

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

Travone — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 12:16:50 GMT

@Jersey Born

That's a really good idea to contact a realtor....I never would have thought to do that.

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

Carolina925 — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 12:37:04 GMT

@Jersey Born , I can see that. I've got lots of neighbors painting their homes dark colors. With our heat and abundant sunshine, I can see them fading out very quickly. My backdoor neighbor painted their backdoor a rich vibrant shade of red in June; it is currently a very vibrant shade of hot pink! The color I'm leaning to now is either a warm white or light beige with white trim and dark green shutters. I'm still worried that I may not be making the right choice. I don't plan on repainting in my lifetime. Thanks for your suggestions.

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

Flopsy — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 12:49:45 GMT

I did a 30 minute free consultation with SW (free) for my interior paint which really helped me. You have to book a slot, only two rooms per consultation. I'm sure they would do exterior. They then sent me photo swatches based on our discussion. You could also get swatches from your local store and stick them on the exterior and/or do a tester pot. Good luck.

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

Sooner — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 12:58:28 GMT

@Carolina925 I would never paint my house a color that makes it stick out like a sore thumb. Like black or navy or red in a neighborhood of neutral colors. I have seen that and it makes me think "why?"

One of the best I've seen was painted a soft "off-white" creamy color and they did the trim and shutters in a very neutral taupe color that went with the white perfectly. It all blends in together and the house looks great.

Good luck and have fun!

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

wagirl — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 13:39:51 GMT

I'm sure this has already ben suggested--I went to the hardware store and got a bunch of paint chips---taped them together--the same color--- into a bigger chip and nailed that to my house in different areas for a few days to watch what the different light would do to them. Was easy ---my brother- let his SO pick out a paint color for their house--she got one that ended up looking the a ripe avocado --I mean the inside of the avo---OMG---it was horrendous!! In fact she had a sweater that exact color and one day she stood in front of the house with that sweater on ---and just to be funny--I told her she needed to wave at us so we could pick her out! Not very funny--to her---that paint lasted just a few years and then brother re-painted a medium grey.

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

Carmie — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 13:53:52 GMT

Unless you have a flat roof and it doesn't show, you must take the color of your roof into consideration when you choose colors for for exterior house.

Normally, the roof color is 1/3 of your color scheme.

In real estate houses that are white, cream, taupe or gray sell easily. Even if a new buyer doesn't like the colors of the trim, shutters or door, they can always repaint these small areas to their tastes.

Unless you know a Realtor personally or plan to sell your house in the near future, I would not contact one to ask questions about house colors. They are professionals and only work on commission.

Would you call a random doctor you don't know ask what sunscreen they recommend?

It would best to ask someone at a paint store their best sellers. Places like SW sell paint to professionals and they would know what colors work for the area of the country you live in.

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

Still Raining — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 14:14:42 GMT

I second the recommendation to consider your roof color first and foremost. The side and roof color should work as a unit. Unless the roof is on the way out too.

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

Carolina925 — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 14:46:37 GMT

Thank you all so much. I'm much more excited to start this now! My roof is metal, a light tan to reflect our wicked sunshine, so that will definitely be taken into consideration. It's a very steep pitch, tall enough to stand up in the attic, so it's visible. Wish I had kept a sample when they installed it, that would make a big difference. Even whites/beiges have big differences. I appreciate you all very much.

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

ciao_bella — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 14:55:10 GMT

@Carolina925 I just want to add one more thing you might consider when deciding on an exterior color. Many colors being shown now are 'trendy' colors, much like the colors of appliances. You all remember those Harvest Golds and Avacado Green colors?

When picking out an exterior color you want to make sure it's not a trendy color that will look 'dated' in a few years. It's best to stick to colors that 'never' go out of style and keep their appeal.

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

Puppy Lips — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 18:51:36 GMT

Try Sherwin-Williams.com. I used that when I was doing some interior painting.

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

hkrgrl — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 18:58:32 GMT

benjamin moore has apps etc to suggest paint colors.

most have it.

if u take a pic of your house, then upload, a color will be suggested.

when i think of a 70's rancher, i think of dark green.

what is your house made of? do u have a mix of stone, brick, siding?

what material are u painting?

our house has a mix of stone, brick and asbestos siding. we have painted the siding twice.

so difficult finding a color to blend red brick and pennsylvania blue stone. ugh! we went with BM revere pewter.

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

Loveofallflowers — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 21:46:11 GMT

Please consider using Maria Killam. She is a color expert and for a reasonable fee she will offer color combinations for the exterior. She actually has a package designed to select colors just for the exterior of your home. Her fee seems reasonable to avoid a costly mistake. Good luck

Re: Choosing Exterior House Colors

ECBG — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 22:01:02 GMT

@Carolina925

Is your ranch all wood or wood with half stone or brick?