How to Choose Exterior Paint Colors for Your House

Last Updated on November 6, 2024 by Vannessa Rhoades, Three Bears Home Staging

When it’s time to choose exterior paint colors for your home, you have to be patient and lay a little groundwork. Several factors can affect the outcome of your color choices. Sometimes the colors you love and what will work on your home are two separate things. Choosing a great exterior paint color palette is a combination of listening to what your home is trying to tell you and, if possible, infusing some of your personal preferences along the way.

Step-By-Step Tips for How to Choose Paint Colors for Your Home Exterior

1. Assess the fixed elements of the home.

Whether you’re trying to figure out how to choose exterior paint colors to go with brick, stone, wood, or any other material, your house likely has certain fixed elements you’re going to have to incorporate. This refers to the features that won’t be changing anytime soon. For most homes, this includes brick or stone accents, grout, roofing shingles, event walkways, or sidewalks around the home. This can be a great starting point for color selection since there are a variety of hues within the building materials.

Focus on the main neutrals and identify which undertones they have (and don’t have). For example, a stone pattern may have flecks of tan or blue-gray that you can find on a paint color strip and work into the color scheme.

2. Look at your paint samples outside.

Look at your color samples outside, next to the house, at varying times of the day. Do not buy a bunch of paint based solely on what you saw online or a chip you only looked at inside the store. You can purchase small quantities of sample paint and apply them to wooden planks or poster boards. Or, skip the mess and guesswork by checking out our ready-made paint color palettes. When you purchase and download one of our guides, we’ll ship full-size paint color swatches straight to your door, making it easy to test colors in real-life conditions.

3. Consider your exposure.

When exposed to natural light, paint tends to look a lot lighter than it does on a little chip. This is especially true on a large surface. Your exterior paint can look dramatically different from one side of the house to the other depending on the light.

Think about which side of your home faces the road, which side most people will see, and which side is most important to you. For most folks, it’s the front of the house (but not all — some people have elaborate backyards or homes that don’t face the road). Exposure refers to the orientation of the most important side of your house in relation to the sun.

Generally speaking, if you live in the Northern Hemisphere…

• Southern exposure: Mid-morning or mid-afternoon is the best time to evaluate your paint colors on the south-facing side of a house. Paint tends to look lighter on southern exposures. Make sure your color isn’t too light which could make the paint look washed out.
• Northern exposure: Paint colors tend to look more true to the sample on north-facing sides. Avoid selecting a color that is too dark.
• Western exposure: Colors will look brighter and warmer in the afternoons with an almost golden-orange light. Colors will look rather flat in the morning hours. Select a paint color bright enough to withstand the drabness of mornings but that won’t look washed out in the bright afternoon light.
• Eastern exposure: Colors will look much brighter in the morning. By afternoon, colors will have a more overall gray cast created from lack of light (similar to a Northern exposure side). Choose colors that won’t look too washed out in the morning, but are not too heavy for the afternoon.

4. Understand how shadows and texture affect exterior paint color.

Paint will look a bit darker in places where heavy landscaping or trees block direct sunlight. It can also look darker on portions of your home shaded by overhanging architectural features. For homes that have a heavily stippled, stucco finish, expect the color to appear a bit darker than painting the exact same shade on a piece of smooth siding.

5. Understand how sheen affects exterior paint color.

When it comes to sheen or finish, there’s a bit of a trade-off between washability and texture enhancement. Shinier paint is easier to clean. However, using it on a really textured surface can be a bit garish. Generally speaking, more heavily textured areas should get a lower sheen paint (but not necessarily flat or matte, which is difficult to clean). Save shiner finishes for smoother surfaces. A higher sheen will also feel brighter (more saturated) than a flatter finish (which is what is typically on paint chips).

These recommendations are based on how paint typically acts on these surfaces. Your results may vary depending on what part of the country you live in (high heat or humidity, for example). When choosing exterior paint colors, check with the experts at your local paint store. They’ll know what sheens work best in your environment.

• Cement, stone, or brick: Eggshell or low-lustre finish (anything shinier will likely be too intense with all the texture of masonry). Either of these finishes will be easier to clean/hose down than flat or matte paint.
• HardiePlank, wood, or vinyl siding: Eggshell or low-lustre finish. If the surface is super smooth you could go with a satin finish. Just make sure it’s a good quality paint.
• Doors, trim, shutters: Satin.

Most Common Mistakes When Choosing Exterior Paint Color

• Overlooking the color schemes of surrounding homes. Choosing a color palette that doesn’t go with neighboring homes is just bad news for everyone. Select a palette that harmonizes with nearby houses or sets itself off in a sophisticated, yet understated way.
• Not taking into account the landscaping. Flowering bushes and gardens and color-changing trees should complement your selection. Homes with an abundance of trees and shrubbery may appear darker from all the shade.
• Not considering the elements of your particular environment. For example, my clients who live in Texas experience a tremendous amount of heat and sun exposure. This tends to fade bright colors (particularly reds) more quickly. Clients who live in coastal neighborhoods tend to use brighter, more playful palettes for their homes. Homeowners in HOA-monitored neighborhoods in the suburbs often have tighter restrictions on the color schemes residents are allowed to use.

Need Help Choosing Paint Colors for Your Home Exterior? Find Your Perfect Shade with Expert Guidance and Curated Color Palettes

If you’re struggling to find the perfect paint color, we’re here to help! Our ready-made paint color palettes for home interiors and exteriors are expertly designed to help you create a cohesive, stunning look without the guesswork. Plus, each guide includes real-life 8″ x 10″ paint swatches, so you can see exactly how the colors will look in your space before committing.

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