Four Questions to Ask Before Choosing Exterior Paint Colors
Choosing exterior paint colors for your home can seem as difficult as choosing the name of your firstborn child. Like the perfect baby name, you want the paint colors to reflect your family’s style and personality. You want both the name and the paint colors to stand out – but not enough to attract unwanted attention.
With a little work and research, you can choose the ideal color scheme for your home’s exterior. Here are some questions to ask yourself before settling on the right paint colors for your home.
1. WHAT ARE THE HOA REQUIREMENTS ABOUT PAINT COLOR?
Before you choose a bright yellow or blazing orange paint color, you need to check your HOA’s guidelines on exterior paint. Many HOAs limit the type of paint colors homeowners can use.
Contact your HOA board directly before you schedule a paint job. You may need to submit your color choices to the HOA board for approval.
2. WHAT ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS’ COLOR SCHEMES?
Even if you don’t have an HOA that dictates your paint choices, it’s still considerate to make sure your color scheme works with those of your neighbors. For example, you don’t want to get your home painted eggplant purple if your next-door neighbor’s house is lime green.
Take a walk around the block and take notes on the color schemes around you. While you don’t need to copy other homes’ colors exactly, you should still choose colors that will blend with those of other homes in your neighborhood.
3. WHAT IS YOUR HOME’S AGE AND ARCHITECTURAL STYLE?
Rather than simply choosing your favorite colors, consider which colors will look best on your specific home.
A paint company may know which colors are preferred for your home’s particular style. They may also have shades available that were commonly used during the time period in which your home was built. For example, a home built in the colonial style from the 1600s may look best in classic shades of white or blue. A Mediterranean style home built in the early 1900s may look best with an orange or red hue.
You could search for images of homes like yours online or in magazines to get ideas of what paint color schemes others have used.
4. WHAT ARE THE COLORS OF YOUR HOME’S PERMANENT FEATURES?
Certain parts of your home may have colors that cannot change. These features may include roof shingles, chimneys, or pathways. Make sure your color scheme works well with the colors of these features. If the features have cool colors such as gray and blue, choose cool colors for your home’s exterior. If the features are warm colors such as brown and beige, choose warm colors for your home’s exterior.
You can even use these permanent features to inspire your color choices. There may be blues, greens, or other color hues in these features that you can use in your overall color scheme.
Once you’ve answered all these questions, it’s time to choose your paint colors. Typically, you’ll need to choose three colors or shades: the main color, the trim color for edging and trim, and the accent color for doors and shutters. The three colors and shades should complement each other. However, if the main color is soft and neutral, the accent color can be a bit bolder.
It’s important to choose a paint color scheme that fits your home perfectly. That way, you won’t feel the need to change it again a couple of years down the road.
Choosing the right paint colors can be difficult. Use these guidelines to help, and talk to a paint specialist for more information. Call Rick’s Painting and Pressure Cleaning for experienced home painting.
