Get your curb appeal on point with an exterior color scheme that shines.
We all know how painting a room can completely transform the way it looks, so it's a no-brainer that the right exterior color scheme can do the same. However, unlike choosing interior colors, exterior hue selections must factor in the neighborhood and surrounding homes, landscaping, hardscaping, roofing, and more. Follow these tips to choose a color scheme that reflects your style and satisfies your home's surroundings for maximum curb appeal.
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Plan around existing conditions: Some elements of your exterior, like the architectural style, driveways, stonework, and surfaces such as roof shingles will remain in place unless you're planning a complete renovation. Consider paint colors that will tie these fixed elements together harmoniously. Look for warm (khaki, brown, rust) or cool (gray, blue, black) undertones in your fixed elements to guide your pallet. Consider your home's architectural style and reference the already curated paint collections from manufacturers. Below, a scheme from the Sherwin-Williams America's Heritage Pallet (top) pays homage to historical hues throughout American history while a scheme from the Sherwin-Williams Suburban Modern Pallet (bottom) honors and updates this post-WWII bungalow.
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What visual effect do you want? Considering your home's size, the placement in regard to the street, and the landscaping that surrounds it, think about the visual effect you want. If your home is small compared to others in the neighborhood, painting it a lighter color can make it appear larger. Or, if your garage door faces the street and is the first feature of your home you notice, painting it a darker color or matching it to your siding color can make it recede as in the image below. Additionally, pay attention to current design trends. In a recent blog post The Color of Money, we revealed the exterior paint color that brought the highest sale price in 2017 according to a Zillow report.
- Choose three or more colors and test before you commit. An exterior scheme has three parts: field color, for siding; accent color, for doors, shutters, and accents; and trim color, for window and door casings, roof edging, and other trimwork. Ideally, the trim and field colors should be contrasting while the accent color can be bold. Here again, referencing already curated collections from paint manufacturers can take the guesswork out of coordinating your exterior color scheme. Once you've selected colors, apply the selected scheme on an inconspicuous area of your home. Rather than relying on a small paint chip to dictate a large financial undertaking, it's important to try before you buy. Look at the applied paint at various times of day and under different weather conditions to insure a winning pallet.
Take a look at this video by Ace Hardware for inspiration:
If you're still stuck, get color recommendations specific to the home you're selling from us. Get Started today with a staging service that will give you a paint color pallet and curb appeal plan unique to your home.