When to Paint Your Home Red
Bring on the energy — with red on its exterior, your home can stir up excitement in any setting
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. I am licensed to practice architecture in Illinois, Florida, New Jersey & Wisconsin and I am a certificate holder from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Since 1996 I have worked from my home office and provide full architectural services exclusively to the single family residential market. My passion is to transform my clients' houses into their homes. I strive to have the "new" home accommodate my clients' lives without fighting them at every junction. I look to add curb appeal to encourage a beautiful streetscape. And I design any addition to look and feel like it has always been there.
Our projects have won numerous design awards as well as having...
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located... More »
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Energetic, lively and the color of good luck, red can excite and enliven a home's exterior. Whether it's traditional red brick, a more earthen tone — like Frank Lloyd Wright's favorite Cherokee Red — or a more electric hue, red makes a home jump out and announce its presence.
Historically, red was the color of choice for many Swedish country barns and farmhouses. The pigment originated at Swedish copper mines and was found to be an excellent wood preservative. It's likely that the color became popular for barns and farmhouses in the U.S. due to an influx of Swedish immigrants and the color's popularity in 19th-century Sweden.
Historically, red was the color of choice for many Swedish country barns and farmhouses. The pigment originated at Swedish copper mines and was found to be an excellent wood preservative. It's likely that the color became popular for barns and farmhouses in the U.S. due to an influx of Swedish immigrants and the color's popularity in 19th-century Sweden.
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| By the big red barn In the great green field ... Margaret Wise Brown put it best in her book Big Red Barn. Simple, bold and bright, the iconic big red barn seen across the U.S. landscape evokes memories of rural history and a simpler time. |
by Pawel Fiett
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Even if the house isn't a repurposed old barn but a new structure, making the exterior red can evoke those memories and emotions. A simple gable form with large wall expanses provides an ideal canvas for a red home.
Consider using a different color for the base, especially if the house is tall. This will give the overall house a more intimate scale and make that simple gable shape stand out.
Consider using a different color for the base, especially if the house is tall. This will give the overall house a more intimate scale and make that simple gable shape stand out.
| What color do you paint a home that's sided with horizontal clapboards and that has an attached barn-like structure with board and batten siding? While a lighter color would accentuate the siding differences, a darker and toned-down red really does the trick of tying everything together. Consider keeping all of the trim elements (window surrounds, eaves and so on) red to unify the whole while using a contrasting color, such as a cool gray, at the main entry to make it stand out. |
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| Red isn't limited to only board and batten or horizontal siding schemes. Wood shakes stained a muted red work well with a simple form that has a lot of wall area. Give the look a bit of punch by teaming the red body with darker eave and window frame accents. Simple, thin, dark gray "pencil lines" can emphasize the simple shapes and accentuate the openings. |
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by TEA2 Architects
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| If you choose a red body color and you have a lot of windows and other architectural features, keep the trim color soft and creamy, especially with a muted red body color. While a stark white might be the obvious color, it could be too jarring. This is especially the case if you want to achieve an older and more lived-in look. Pairing a darker slate-like gray shingle roof with a muted red body and cream-colored trim will give the home a casual and lived-in quality. |
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Feel free to experiment with trim and accent colors. While green window frames with a red body color might not be the most obvious choice, this look can certainly enliven an exterior. Also consider a lighter gray or beige for trim and accents. This is especially nice where there's a lot of window area; the contrasting or alternating color doesn't get lost in all of that vibrant red.
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| Red, of course, makes a great accent color. So if there's an architectural feature that you really want to have stand out, color it red. The feature will certainly pop against a dark background. |
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And let's not forget that old and traditional material, red brick, when thinking of a red house. This material, which can be bright or subdued or both at once, imparts liveliness and a sense of craftsmanship to a home's exterior. Pair the red brick with some cut stone and a red door to create a strong focal point and impart a sense of welcome.
More ways with red
More ways with red
Ideabook updated on Nov. 29, 2012.
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Particia Beharry - It's probably better to have a Pergola or beefy trellis structure for heavy vines like Wisteria. You'll get a similar softening effect and it won't compromise the house, gutters ect. and you can define a really cool outdoor room.
Our house was stained red by the last owners. We had problems with the siding so we replaced with Hardie boards- cement siding. In the process everyone in town kept asking if we were going to keep it red. I told my husband if we didn't there would be an uproar in the town! The house is still known as "the red house on the hill"
Interesting how if you make something shiny (bricks on the floor) they become visually much lighter and more pleasant.