While some owners favour a certain color, some are at a loss as to what  color to choose for the house exterior.

Here are some things to consider when choosing a color scheme that works for your style and for your home’s surrounding.

1. Plan around the elements and colors that can’t be changed .

Take into consideration elements such as roofing shingles, brick slates and stone accents or features.  Even the landscaping plays an important part in choosing your exterior color.

For example if your roof is blue will you paint your walls red???  And unless you want to camouflage your house, will you paint it green ir it is surrounded by towering trees?

2. Think about the visual effect you want.

An exterior scheme has three major parts:

– field color, which dominates;

-accent color, which brings doors, shutters and other smaller areas to life; and

-trim color, used for window and door casings, roof edging, railings and other trimwork.

As you drive along your street, imagine your home in the color you want and how it will stand out.

Do you want to blend in with the neighborhood or be different ?

3. Consider your home’s architectural Style and era.

Whether you have a Queenslander or an ultra modern style, the exterior house color should be appropriate for the style.

Dark or light color exterior ?

A large home on a small lot painted white or a light color – for instance, a tinted neutral – can make the house seem larger and the lot seem smaller. Dark colors can make a home look smaller but more substantial.

A safe and effective approach to color placement is to select two tints or shades from the same color strip a few shades apart. Either the lighter or the darker shade could be used for the body and the opposite for the trim. A contrasting accent color could punctuate the door. Lighter colors on a porch will make a home feel more “approachable” and welcoming.

Height can be scaled down by painting the upper portion of a tall house a deeper tone than the bottom portion (reverse trim color). This is also effective on a small lot or when landscaping is immature. Conversely, a darker color on the lower portion grounds the house to the earth.

Light or white is a good choice for windowsills for reflection of the sun’s heat and light. Light colors advance in space; dark colors recede. If a house is placed far away from the curb, painting it a light color will visually bring it forward.

What is the exterior color of your house ? Share with us why you like that color !

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