4 Factors to Consider When Choosing Exterior Paint Hues
September 1, 2023
Fall is the perfect time to update the exterior color of your home or business as the mild temperatures and low humidity are ideal for painting. Once you’ve decided to paint, the big questions include if the color palette is right for your home’s architecture, the environment, and the surrounding neighborhood, and does it appeal to your personal tastes.
Let’s explore the four factors that may impact your decision as you peruse the paint aisles in search of the perfect color palette for your home or business.
Home Style or Architecture
The style of home you own may help in your decision-making process, especially if you are trying to determine what color scheme would look best now and in the future.
For instance, Victorian-style homes with rich architectural details look best using a combination of three colors typically in the brighter hues of red, blue, green, and yellow. Classic Colonial homes are traditionally painted in classic colors of white, muted blue, and grays with an offsetting color for the shutters or doors. Craftsmen-style homes tend to emphasize the architecture that makes the home unique by zeroing in on the natural materials and earthy colors. Similarly, ranch-style homes that are low to the ground should utilize neutral colors that blend with the landscaping.
Be sure to consider the architecture of your home before making a final decision on your exterior paint color.
Environmental Elements
There are several environmental elements that should be factored into your decision on a color palette for the exterior of your home/business. These include considering the existing environmental landscape, the surrounding features, and neighboring homes.
The environment can be extremely important in New England when making a decision on paint color. Is your home or business in a city or near the ocean? Is your home close to neighbors? Each of these questions can help you determine the color scheme.
Take a look at your neighbors and ensure that you are not choosing a color that will look out of place or as the “odd one out” in your neighborhood. Also, consider choosing a color that is not too similar to next-door neighbors.
If your home has surrounding landscapes like natural stone, the ocean, tall grass, or other landscaping features, factor these in when determining a color palette.
Lighting
This factor is important whether you are painting a home’s exterior or interior. The amount of natural sunlight at different times of the day can change the overall perception of color. Try the samples on your exterior and watch how it displays itself in the light throughout the day.
Personal Choice
Remember that when choosing an exterior color there are no hard and fast rules. Always choose a color that appeals to your tastes even if they are not liked by everyone. Get inspired by photographs you love, a painting you enjoy, a piece of clothing, or any number of textural items in your home or online. Make the color something you can enjoy looking at each and every time you turn into your driveway.
Categorised in: Exterior painting, Jerry Enos