How I Chose the Color to Paint the Exterior of My House
Tips to help you to make the right exterior house paint color choice.
Today is a very exciting day. After moving and living in the lake house for 3 years and 4 months – the exterior wood and trim on the house that is currently a dark teal green is going to be painted!
The teal color of the paint was one thing I didn’t like about the 1970’s era exterior from the day we first looked at the house with the real estate agent, especially on the front of the house.
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I didn’t like the dark color on the downspouts, outlining the windows and doors. I didn’t mind it as much on the lake side of the house since the facade has a more rustic appeal, but the front has a modern brick ranch house vibe and the color never felt right to me.
It has taken me time… I didn’t rush into the updating decisions and considered all options and hoped maybe I would win the lottery and could transform the exterior of the house the way they do on HGTV shows that go for the WOW factor.
Of course that didn’t happen. Instead, we are doing a real-life, one step at a time exterior house makeover on a budget. The house needs a new roof so the cost of replacing that had to be considered in our budget.
I have previously shared a few posts about my ideas and thoughts about what I would like to do to the outside of the house. They ranged from covering the brick with plank siding to painting the brick navy, tan and even white.
While I have been considering all options, we were making small updates from removing a mass of 10 foot high holly bushes along the front of the house, adding shutters to the lake side second floor sliding glass doors to painting all the exterior painted doors to look like wood stain.
Readers have also given me a lot of great ideas to think about and consider.
What Did We Decide to Do?
For our budget – paint was the affordable option. The next thing we had to figure out was what color to use and do we paint the whole house including the brick, wood siding and trim or just paint the wood siding and trim?
After talking to three professional painters, we decided not to paint the brick. Each of the painters said pretty much the same thing… “If the brick was smooth, go ahead and paint it, even if there were a few rough bricks, OK to paint, but every brick on the house has a very textured surface and the paint will not look even, it will look splotchy and that I would not like the look.”
Here is a close-up photo of a traditional brick surface and the textured brick on my house. Both are porous, but you can see how different the textures are.
I know there are mixed feelings about painting brick. I am all for painting brick, but I didn’t need to be told not to paint this brick since I had firsthand experience from painting the same brick in my bedroom. It took a huge amount of paint and I didn’t achieve the even coverage I thought I would achieve. I can’t even imagine what it would take to do an entire house.
So budget and texture helped to make our decision not to paint the brick.
What Exterior House Paint Color Did We Choose?
After sampling 15 colors of paint, I narrowed it down to Glidden Khaki Bronze in a Satin finish.
It was the best neutral selection to go with the color of the brick and not have the house look too peachy. (Note the color on your phone or monitor may not be the true color.)
The colors I tested and thought were going to be “the perfect color” ended up looking too peach, yellow or grey.
- Test every color of paint on the actual house as the sun, shade and colors from the trees can change the way the color looks throughout the day as well as on different sides of the house.
I chose to use a neutral paint color for a few reasons:
- Keeping the paint color neutral with the bricks will allow us to play up the modern features we plan to add to the front exterior of the house over the next few months.
- I am naturally drawn to neutrally painted homes with lots of colorful flowers planted around them.
- All of the homes on my cul-de-sac are neutral in color scheme. They blend in with the natural elements and look cohesive. I like seeing this.
- The monotone neutral scheme is peaceful and tranquil.
When choosing what colors to try, I started with shades of lighter tan but kept going back to Home Depot to get darker shades to sample. I would have never chosen the color I did simply by looking at the paint color swatches. The color seemed way too dark in the store and even when I brought it home.
It wasn’t until I actually made up a board with the color that I saw it was the right color for my total exterior makeover plan. We will complete that plan one step at a time after the house is painted to play up the modern facade on the front of the house.
I will show you my mockup of this plan soon.
Tips on How to Choose an Exterior Paint Color for Your House
Painting the exterior of a house is a big project and you don’t want to get it wrong. To help relieve the stress of choosing a color, take your time to choose the right color or colors of paint if you are going to have a main color and an accent color.
Things To Consider When Choosing an Exterior Paint Color
- Head to the paint or home improvement store and pick up every paint brand’s exterior color combination idea pamphlets. These take the guesswork out of choosing a color scheme on your own.
- Do you have a color in mind? Pick up a few paint chips in shades of the color at the paint store from light to dark. Check how each one looks on the house and then get sample pots made up of each color to test each color on the house or sample board.
- Does the color look nice with neighboring homes?
- Test the color on all sides of the house. The direction the house faces can change the way the color looks.
- Consider trends in colors, but don’t feel you have to follow them.
- Take photos of house exteriors you like. Ask the homeowner for the color name so you can see what it will look like on your home.
- Still not sure what color to use? Consider historic home colors, colors popular in your area, and HOA regulation colors – where you can only use certain colors on the exterior of your home. If you live in a neighborhood with an association like this – choosing a paint color is easy.
- When choosing a paint color for a home’s exterior, don’t forget to consider other buildings or permanent structures on your property so your entire property will have a cohesive feel.
Our gazebo and dock are stained brown wood. The color of our boat is tan. These are the first things someone sees when they arrive at our house via the lake. I consider them part of the exterior color scheme.
The lawn fire pit had tan chairs and a table around it. Choosing the neutral color I did for the house will give the lake side of the house a very cohesive look. (If you look closely up at the second floor sliding door, you can see where I painted two sample colors of paint on both sides of the shutters and on the end of the front-facing board.)
Sample Paint Colors on Different Parts of the Exterior of the House
Choosing a paint color for your home no longer has to be a guessing game or an expensive project. Paint companies all offer sample size pots of any color for a few dollars.
Take advantage of these sample sizes of paint and get them mixed up in the colors you are considering. They allow you to actually see the paint on the house.
- Never rush into a paint color decision or pick a paint color on a whim or at the paint store. ALWAYS SAMPLE and TEST the color first.
Bring the samples home to test the colors first on the actual house like I did here, but cover all the base color (the teal) for me so it doesn’t reflect on to the colors.
I sampled colors all over the house…
…around window trim…
…and downspouts.
I tested the paints on every side of the house since the light is different on every side. I wrote down the colors in the order I painted them on a piece of paper so I would not get the color names confused.
If you don’t want to paint the colors you are considering on the house, paint poster boards and tape them to the house. Write the name of the color on the back of each board so you don’t get them confused.
- Move the boards to all sides of the house to see how the color looks in the sun and shade and also how anything around it like the color of the brick or trees casts a shade of color onto the paint.
- Look at the colors close up and from far away to see how they look. When viewing from far away you can see if the color has any undertones you like or dislike.
- Remove the colors you don’t like until you are left with one. If you painted the actual house, go over the sampled colors with the color you like best to see the color over a larger area.
What is the Best Sheen to Use for Exterior Paint?
1. Satin/eggshell: Is best for siding because it’s a low-reflective finish that’s good at hiding surface imperfections. It has a slight gloss, so it stays cleaner, is more easily washed, and stands up to abrasion better than flat or matte paints.
2. Semigloss: This shinier sheen is easier to clean, more durable, and more moisture resistant than a satin or eggshell paint. Best for trim, particularly on windowsills, which take the brunt of the weather.
3. High gloss: Is resilient and dirt-repellent, and adds richness and depth to colors. It also magnifies surface imperfections and requires skillful application. Use it sparingly; best for shutters, doors, and surfaces you touch or come in close proximity to.
What is the Cost to Paint the Exterior of a House?
The cost of painting the exterior of a house depends on the size of the house, the cost of the paint, and contractor cost. A gallon can range from $17 to more than $100. The cost of hiring a pro varies by region.
If you have the right size ladders and equipment, DIYing will save you money on the total cost of the painting the exterior.
Once You Have Chosen the Paint Color and Sheen
Picking the paint color can be the most stressful part of painting the exterior of a house. Once it is chosen, it is time to actually paint the house and watch the power of paint do its magic.
Update: The House Is Painted
To see the before and after makeover, select the link below.
- Before & After House Exterior Paint Makeover
- Home Exterior Paint: Dated Ranch to Modern Farmhouse