3 Exterior Paint Dilemmas, 7 Palette Solutions
Houzzers ready to repaint their home exteriors get custom color advice from a design pro
Houzz contributor and designer at the Austin-based architecture and interior design firm, Loop Design (http://www.houzz.com/pro/loopdesign/loop-design).
Loop Design specializes in modern residential new construction and renovations. We are passionate about sustainable building practices and enjoy it when our clients bring those same interests to their project.
Houzz contributor and designer at the Austin-based architecture and interior... More »
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Often overwhelmed by choosing exterior paint colors and by coordinating the siding color with doors, roof and trim, many homeowners fall back on white or shades of tan. There's nothing wrong with those colors — they are classic hues that can work well on any home. But I'm a fan of bold color and like to encourage homeowners of a similar mind to consider vibrant hues for their houses, both inside and out.
These options for three Houzzers' exterior palettes incorporate bold, beautiful color. See if they can inspire your own choices.
These options for three Houzzers' exterior palettes incorporate bold, beautiful color. See if they can inspire your own choices.
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1. What trim and door colors for this existing taupe exterior?
Houzz user Joaniek asked for help improving her home's curb appeal. The house has been newly painted, so she doesn't want to change that now, but she would like some ideas for colors to help the trim and doors stand out.
Houzz user Joaniek asked for help improving her home's curb appeal. The house has been newly painted, so she doesn't want to change that now, but she would like some ideas for colors to help the trim and doors stand out.
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by Jennifer Ott
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| Option 1: Red doors, burgundy trim. Taupe is a terrific neutral to work with. Dress it up with rich orange-red doors and a deep, dark burgundy trim. Clockwise from top left, all from Sherwin-Williams: Roycroft Copper Red SW2839, Polished Mahogany SW2838 and Virtual Taupe SW7039. |
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by Jennifer Ott
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| Option 2: Light green doors, dark trim. Another option is to pick a lighter hue to make the doors stand out. Choose a color that still has some spunk, like the yellowish-green hue here. Clockwise from top left, all from Sherwin-Williams: Rice Paddy SW6414, Jasper SW6216 and Virtual Taupe SW7039. |
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by Jennifer Ott
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| Option 3: Possible future palette. If the owner were to repaint the siding a soft sage, olive green could be brought in for the doors and a dark greenish-navy for the trim. Clockwise from top left, all from Sherwin-Williams: Rural Green SW6418, Dark Night SW6237 and Svelte Sage SW6164. |
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2. Is it OK to bring interior color to the exterior?
Houzz user bml1996 loves the soft green of Behr's Rejuvenate on the interior of this house and wants to know if using it on the exterior would be overkill.
Houzz user bml1996 loves the soft green of Behr's Rejuvenate on the interior of this house and wants to know if using it on the exterior would be overkill.
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by Jennifer Ott
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| Option 1: Use the interior green with a deep red door. I see no problem with incorporating favorite interior colors onto the exterior of a home. This homeowner wants to pair the sage green with a soft off-white trim. I'd add a saturated red door — it would really pop out from the siding, and it would work well with the brick pillar. Clockwise from top left, all from Behr: Red Pepper UL120-22, Ostrich W-F-410 and Rejuvenate 410E-3. |
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by Jennifer Ott
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| Option 2: Contrast the interior green with red siding and a blue-gray door. Another option that would pack a punch is to contrast the sage-green interior with a rich red siding, then add cool steely blues for the door and trim. If the homeowner were to go this route, I'd recommend changing out the red mulch in the landscape for something that would contrast with the siding color. Clockwise from top left, all from Behr: Raging Sea 750F-4, Sled 750F-6 and Red Pines ECC-27-1. |
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3. What green or gray would work for the siding with this roof?
Karyn T is also seeking ideas for exterior paint schemes. She's not a fan of the roof color, but it's in good shape, so she wants to work with it for now. She favors olive green for the siding; her husband is leaning toward gray.
Karyn T is also seeking ideas for exterior paint schemes. She's not a fan of the roof color, but it's in good shape, so she wants to work with it for now. She favors olive green for the siding; her husband is leaning toward gray.
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by Jennifer Ott
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| Option 1: Olive green siding and a red-clay door. A terrific contrast to olive green is pimiento red, tied together with a soft greenish-beige trim. Clockwise from top left, all from Benjamin Moore: Onondaga Clay 1204, Camouflage 2143-40 and Tate Olive HC-112. |
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by Jennifer Ott
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| Option 2: Work with a gray and its undertones. If the owners go with gray, I recommend they find one that has an undertone to it (such as green or blue) and then incorporate accent colors of that hue. This would make for a clean, crisp color palette that would never look dated. Clockwise from top left, all from Benjamin Moore: Normandy 2129-40, Blue Note 2129-30 and Shadow Gray 2125-40. Tell us: What advice would you give these homeowners for improving their curb appeal? |
Comments
spareho It would be nice to see some solutions to the ever so popular red brick home. My home is 1969 red brick with white siding on the large front porch and entry, white windows, and black shutters. I really want to update whether its with stone, different siding, window colors or .....?
6 months ago · Like
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mcbriec I think that the olive green palette works much better with that roof which is quite sympatico with that door color and would mimic it to some extent. IMO the roof should be changed when the budget permits since it is so prominent and really detracts from the otherwise charming appearance of the home. I would really go for a cottagey look with big window boxes and a tree on the left corner of the house to obscure the asymetry and to balance out the bulk of the portico. If the path and porch had stone put on them this place could really shine.
6 months ago · Like
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Ideabook updated on Nov. 28, 2012.
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