Painting the interior of your home can sometimes create some anxiety with selecting the right colors. However, choosing an exterior paint color for your home can be downright terrifying. When it comes to painting the exterior of your home, the color you choose is extremely important. The right color can add curb appeal and value to your home, while the wrong color can make your home look dated or, worse, uninviting.
Fortunately, there are a few things that you can consider when choosing a paint color that will help your decision easier. One of the best ways to choose a paint color is to consult with a professional. A painting company with years of experience can offer expert guidance on exterior painting. Professionals like Beaverton painting contractor can help point you in the right direction when selecting a paint color. Aside from this, however, there are a few other things that can help. Let’s take a look at some tips for selecting the right paint color for your home.
Consider Your Home’s Style and Neighborhood
When looking at paint colors for the exterior of your home, your home’s style will lend some guidance. A color scheme of pastels may not be the best fit for your ranch-style home, while very bold hues may feel out of place on a Victorian. You need to consider what will look good on the style and design features of your home. Additionally, as much as your home provides inspiration, your neighborhood may also offer some guidance regarding possible paint colors. Do you live in an area of historic homes or a newer suburb with some dominant themes? Use those to give you a starting point.
Draw Inspiration from Other Homes
While narrowing down your color possibilities, it might be beneficial to drive around other neighborhoods and take note of certain colors and color schemes that you like. Try to look at homes that are close in style and design to yours. Not only will this give you an idea of what you like, however, but you might also find things ideas that aren’t good as well. If something looks out of place, there’s a reason for it. For example, the standard colors f vinyl windows are generally white and beige. Usually, these belong together with crisp, clean color schemes. If you notice a house with windows that seem out of place, it could be that the color is wrong. Look at other houses for color inspiration of what you should and shouldn’t consider.
Don’t Worry About Trends
There are so many things in our lives, from clothing and shoes to vehicles, that are all subject to passing trends. Home colors are the same way. During certain periods of time, specific home colors or color schemes rise in popularity, and it seems as though you can find countless houses painted that way. However, the tide will soon change, and a new “hot” color will emerge. Instead of trying to do something on-trend, you should select a color that you enjoy and that matches your personal style. You might love it now, but as soon as the gray trend is over, you’ll wish it was the next trendy neutral. Go with what you like instead of what is trending right now.
Draw from Your Home’s Feature
More than likely, your home has some existing hues that you could pull into your new color scheme. Brick and stone on the foundation, window trim, and roofing materials can all help you choose colors for the exterior of your home. Many people don’t understand how much influence existing fixed colors have when selecting paint colors. However, you can’t ignore what’s already on the house. If you do, you could select the wrong paint color and create an odd or disjointed home facade. Be sure to consider everything from your landscaping and sidewalk to the stain of your deck when choosing a new paint color for your home.
Additionally, you should consider the size and shape of your house. The size of your house influences the way colors look on it. Homes that are very large and painted a darker color might seem ominous and foreboding. Similarly, a smaller home with a very light color scheme might not feel grounded.
Use the Color Wheel Rules
The most successful home color combinations incorporate three hues. You should have a dominant shade and two accent colors. This includes having one color that is richer or brighter than the others. When selecting your colors, you might look at color guidelines from the color wheel. Colors in the same family work well and are called monochromatic. For example, you might select varying shades of gray to create your look. Additionally, you might choose to go with opposites, also called complementary colors. When looking at different color wheel options, however, be sure to consider your existing features and think about how they will fit into your new scheme.
Test Your Colors First
Once you’ve narrowed down your color choices, it’s important that you test them out on your house to get an idea of how it will look. You don’t want to hire a painting contractor to paint your entire house with colors you love, only to find that you don’t love it when it’s finished. Before you paint your home, you can get color samples and paint large swaths on an area of your home’s exterior. You can then spend a few days looking at them at different times of the day, in the sun and shadow. This will ensure that you really like the color before you commit to it.
Selecting the right paint color for your home can add value and curb appeal. Ultimately, the best way to choose a paint color for your home is to consider all of the factors involved. Take your time and choose a color that you’ll be happy with for years to come. The most important thing is that your home reflects your personal style and personality.