3 Exterior Paint Dilemmas, 7 Palette Solutions
by Jennifer Ott · 10 photos · 2 comments
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.
joaniek.jpg
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.
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.
by Jennifer Ott
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.
by Jennifer Ott
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.
by Jennifer Ott
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.
bml1996.jpg
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.
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.
by Jennifer Ott
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.
by Jennifer Ott
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.
KarynT.jpg
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.
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.
by Jennifer Ott
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?
by Jennifer Ott
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
·
10
10
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
·
1
1Latest Ideabooks
View over a million photos:
basements · bedrooms · dining rooms · entries · family rooms · garage and sheds · halls · home offices · landscapes · laundry rooms · powder rooms · wine cellars and more.
Find Local Pros by Category:
Architects & Designers · Interior Designers & Decorators · General Contractors · Home Media Design & Installation · Landscape Architects & Designers · Kitchen & Bath Designers · Design-build Firms · Closet & Home Storage Designers · Carpet and Flooring · Fireplaces · Tile, Stone & Countertops · Specialty Contractors · Landscape Contractors
Find Local Pros by Metro Area:
Atlanta · Austin · Baltimore · Boston · Chicago · Dallas · Dc Metro · Denver · Detroit · Hawaii · Houston · Las Vegas · Los Angeles · Miami · Minneapolis · Nashville · New Orleans · New York · Philadelphia · Phoenix · Portland · Salt Lake City · San Diego · San Francisco · Seattle · St Louis




