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ne of the hardest things that a homeowner faces is picking out colors for their exteriors. This is the reason that many neighborhoods look like “beigeville.” Beige is safe, and being safe is on most people’s minds when they consider putting colors together for everyone to see. They take more chances on interior colors because they are not on public display. Picking out colors is really easy if you follow a few simple rules. Exterior colors cannot be selected in a vacuum; they are very dependent on all of the colors that surround them such as the roof, siding, trim and front door. There are fewer colors to choose from in roofing and siding than in paint, and since those are the long term colors they should be selected first. If the roof and siding colors are already in place then coordinating them with paint is the next step. Pick a roof color that fits the home. There are several styles to pick from but few selections in color. The shape of the shingle should fit the type of home design, such as slate-looking shingles on a Tudor, or cedar shake style on a ranch. The colors are in ranges of grays, browns, tans, greens and a few reds and blues. The most popular colors are called weathered wood and look like weathered cedar. These are a combination of warm and cool colors and therefore ideal for most situations. Once the roof color is selected the next long term color should be selected, the siding color. If you are installing vinyl, aluminum or even brick then there are several choices; but if it is paint there are thousands more. Look around for colors you like on finished homes. Don’t be too shy to approach a homeowner to ask what color their home is – they are usually very flattered that you like the color and give you the color name or allow you to match it. Look for colors that harmonize well with your roof or existing brick. Roof colors from the gray family work better with other cool colors like blues, greens, whites and all colors from the gray family. If the roof is brown, tan or weathered wood then colors from the warm side of the palette work best, such as creams, beiges, yellows and browns. The house trim can follow three paths, a lighter color than the siding, a darker color or a color that is the same. If there are interesting architectural features such as gingerbread, Craftsman corbels, pillars, etc. then a lighter trim color is ideal to make those areas stand out. If the home has many windows or is small then use the same color as the siding. If you want to downplay the trim and windows then use a darker color to make them appear smaller.
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