Six Steps to the Perfect Exterior Colour Palette

You know it’s dated.

But where, just WHERE do you start in the process of selecting a new exterior colour for your home?

I’ve put together six steps to help you on the path to selecting the perfect exterior colour for your home.

That’s it. Just six things to help you decide:

1. Look at Home Surroundings

2. Consider Architectural Style

3. Don’t forget the Roof Colour

4. Use Colour Theory

5. Drive Around to see what others have done

6. Test the Lighting

Let’s start with

1. Home surroundings

Yes, that’s right, in considering the exterior of your house you should give some thought to not the exterior of your house (!) and look at the surroundings of your home.

Do you want your home to visually harmonize with your neighbours, to blend in with the natural environment or, to stand apart?

For instance, if you live in a coastal region, you might notice the trend is to have lots of white with an accent of blue; if you reside in a lush green area, perhaps you want your home to be in balance using earthy and neutral tones.

Or perhaps all the homes on your street are painted in that awful ‘builders brown’ and you can’t stand it anymore; you need to come home to something more colourful each day. You may even want to stick it to the rest of the neighbourhood and be a trendsetter …  if you do it right, of course.

2. Architectural Style

Ok, the next thing to look at is the architectural style and features of that style in your home’s design.

Interestingly, different architectural styles have specific colour palettes that complement their unique characteristics. For example, colonial homes are often white, Victorian-style homes often feature vibrant colours and ornate trim, while modern homes tend to have a minimalist colour palette with clean lines.

Do you have shutters, battens, or some other architectural feature that you want to highlight in a different colour from the background. This will help you decide how many colours you want or need for the exterior colour palette.

3. Roof Colour

One large feature that you cannot ignore - but I’m guessing is often forgotten in exterior colour selection - is the roof colour.

Consider complementary or contrasting colours that harmonize with the roof. For example, if you have a dark-coloured roof, lighter shades for the siding and trim can provide an appealing contrast.

Conversely, a light-coloured roof might pair well with deeper hues for the exterior.

4. Colour Theory

Now utilize Colour Theory.

Don’t let that term scare you.

You use it every day selecting what clothes to wear and there are fail-safe tools such as the colour wheel out there to support and lend confidence to your personal preferences. 

Understanding concepts such as complementary colours (colours opposite each other on the colour wheel), analogous colours (groups of colours next to each other on the colour wheel), and colour harmonies can help you create a balanced and visually pleasing combination.

Experiment with various colour schemes to find the one that best suits your personal preferences or to achieve the look you are going for. (If I had found the colour wheel earlier in life, I could have saved a small fortune on throw cushion covers).

5. Drive around

For idea generation, some inspiration and possibly motivation, consider grabbing a coffee and driving around different neighbourhoods in your city (if you have the time and resources available).

Check out see what others have done, what you like and importantly what you don’t like.

You don’t have to invent a palette, copy one.

There’s a lot of value to seeing the colour choices people have made close-up; to see how different colours weather and appear in natural light. And you’ll probably build up confidence knowing you can’t do as bad with colour choice as some others have!

6. Test the Lighting

Before finalizing your exterior colour palette, it’s a good idea to test paint samples in natural light.

Colours can appear different depending on lighting conditions, so see how they look during different times of the day. Apply sample colours to a small area of your home's exterior and observe them under various lighting conditions to ensure the desired effect.

And finally if you’ve done all that and still find that you can’t decide.

Consider enlisting the services of a designer. There are architectural designers that can help you visualize how your home will look in different colours before you invest in materials and labour. They build a 3D model of your home using the latest technology and then render images of it to help you with the decision making.

Swit Swoo Design Inc offers these services and our clients have found the process brings a lot of value. Personally, I love these projects for the potential impact they can have on transforming the curb appeal of a home.

Choosing an exterior colour palette doesn’t have to be daunting. Remember if you don’t like it, you can change it (a lot of times if you’re especially wealthy).

By considering the surrounding environment, architectural style, roof colour, colour theory, natural lighting, and looking at what others in your city/town have done, you can confidently select colours for your home's exterior.

And if you want some assistance, we are happy to lend a hand.