Did you know that some types of exterior house paint can last as long as 15 years? With paint that lasts that long, you’ll want to make sure that you pick the right colors, otherwise, your house won’t look its best. But what should you consider when you choose an exterior house color?
What many people don’t realize is that certain house colors can make your house look larger or smaller than it really is. More than that, certain exterior house colors might complement certain architectural styles better than others. Keep reading and learn more about choosing the perfect colors for your house.
Plan Your House Color Around Its Surrounding Elements
There are certain things about your house and your property as a whole that you might not be able to change or might not want to change. For example, say you have a beautiful terracotta roof.
It has an orange-brown hue and that hue can only go with a certain number of colors. If you try to paint your home something strange like green or blue, it certainly won’t go along with your terracotta roof.
On the other hand, if your roof has a more neutral color, you may be able to get away with painting your home blue or green. The color of your roof isn’t the only thing you should consider either when choosing an exterior paint color. Your home is likely surrounded by colorful structures that you might have not paid attention to before, but these structures take on a whole new sense of importance when it’s time to change the color of your whole house.
For example, consider the color of your driveway. What kind of driveway is it? Is it paved with sandy brown stones, gray bricks, or is it standard concrete?
The Details
If your driveway is something unique and elegant, it might not match every color in the rainbow. Instead, you will have to opt for some external paint colors that are more neutral so they match the rest of your home’s surroundings. Does your house have stonework on the front?
You might have to match the paint colors with the stonework as well. As you can imagine, there are many things you will need to consider before you even put a single stroke of paint on your house. However, all this consideration is very important because, without it, you will likely end up regretting whatever house color you ended up choosing.
And since painting a whole house can be quite expensive, that is the last thing you want to do.
Don’t Settle for One Shade of Paint
If you paint your house all one color, you will find that it will make your house quite dull in appearance. For example, if you paint your house entirely white, there will be nothing about it that stands out from the other houses in the neighborhood. In fact, it might end up being one of the blandest houses in your neighborhood.
Instead of only using one paint color, you should experiment a bit. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should paint your house every color in the rainbow. After all, there is such a thing as using too many colors.
Too many colors on one house can end up looking sloppy and mismatched. Instead, you will want to stick with two or three colors. While two or three colors may not sound like a lot, you would be surprised to see how the addition of a few extra colors could really make your house pop.
The Field Color
A field color is a color that dominates most of the house. Since this color will be the most prominent, you will want to consider this color with special care. Once you choose the field color, you can choose one or two extra colors to complement the first one.
For example, suppose that you chose blue as your house’s field color. There are many colors you could choose that would complement the blue shade as well as colors that would clash. Neutral colors such as white and tan tend to go with everything, so you can’t go wrong with them.
Darker accents may not do well if the rest of your house is relatively light. They may end up making your house look smaller than it really is. On the other hand, lighter accents tend to make houses look larger and more spacious.
Consider the Architectural Style of Your House
If your house is constructed in a certain architectural style, certain colors may look better on it than others. For example, if you live in a historical Victorian house, historical colors will look better on it than certain modern colors. If you paint such a house in a strange, modern color, the house’s appearance will suffer as a result.
Of course, you don’t have to be limited to historical colors if you don’t want to be, but you will find that historical shades will look best on older houses. If your house doesn’t have a particular architectural style, you won’t have to worry so much about the color. You will have more freedom to paint your house in whatever shade you think is best.
Choosing the Perfect Exterior House Color
Choosing the perfect exterior house color can be difficult if you don’t know what to look for. If you don’t consider your house’s surroundings and a variety of other things, there is a chance that your house’s new paint job could look horrible. But with enough thought and visualization, you shouldn’t have any problem finding a good color scheme.
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