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10 Exterior Color Trends

Michelle LeBowUpdated: May 10, 2019

The exterior color of your home is one of the most important color choices you can make. While the neighborhood, architecture and other design elements all influence your color choice, it's satisfying if it's also a reflection of your personal style. If coordinating siding, trim and accent paint colors seems daunting, here are some of the latest exterior color trends for you to consider.

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Traditional Exterior Color Scheme

One of the main considerations when painting the outside of your home is your neighbors. Nobody likes a copycat, but also you don't want your home stick out like a sore thumb in the neighborhood either. White is the most traditional exterior home color that fits into pretty much any neighborhood. White trim and siding is a very conservative color scheme and may require additional maintenance (yearly or bi-yearly pressure washing). But, white as an exterior color won't ever go out of style.

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Complementary Color Scheme

The antithesis of the classic and traditional white color scheme is using complementary or opposite colors. The way this trend works is that you have to make sure your color scheme is regionally appropriate or suits your neighborhood feel and tone. These color pairings can always be found at opposite ends from each other on the color wheel. When put together, the two colors bring out the best in each other, making both colors look cleaner and brighter. For the paint pro, the color wheel is a tool constructed to help you see the relationship between different hues. The bases are three primary colors: red, blue and yellow. These are then combined to make the three secondary colors: orange, green, and purple. Finally, the remaining six colors on the wheel are known as tertiary colors and are mixes of the secondary colors, including such hues as red-orange and blue-green. Using cheerful contrasting paint color hues works especially well if it fits your personal design style. Here's a guide to painting tools every homeowner should have.

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Warm and Cool Tints

Light and easy warm greens, yellows and blues can make your home appear larger. Using the warmer tints of color themes with a simple white trim visually brings the home closer to the curb to make your home stand out in your neighborhood. Once you've selected a basic color, it's easy to create many different and warmer versions within the same family. All you need to do is combine that color with a neutral in order to make it warmer or cooler, lighter or darker. This is known as tint and shade. Tint is lightening a color by adding white. Shade is darkening a color by adding black. Check out this resource on how to choose paint colors.

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Monochromatic

Monochromatic colors on the wheel are one basic color (hue), but have different values — lightness (tints) or darkness (shades). A dramatic and bold way to use the monochromatic paint trend is to paint your home all black. While contrasting siding and trim colors is typical, choosing monochromatic — especially black or gray with a darker or glossier black for the trim — really enhances the architectural and structural features of the home. Be careful when choosing your exterior paint colors in the store because they may appear lighter on the home exterior than on the paint chip in the store because of the natural lighting.

Plus: Exterior Painting Tips and Tricks

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Bold Color

Trim draws attention to your home's architectural details. Dramatic trim is one way to feature your home's beautiful windows or doors. Try dark red trim, dark blue or black trim, or other bold trim colors for a classy exterior statement. Plus: Painting Preparation: Making Paint Last, Prepare the Surface

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Neutrals

Variations of neutral color tones give your home a unique dimensional perspective. One-color neutral combinations may sound boring but when carefully planned, using tones of browns and grays, can be serene and elegant. Gray is one neutral that works well for exteriors and selecting a trim color two shades darker from the siding color is a safe bet.

Plus: How to Prepare for House Painting

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Natural Wood, Brick or Stone

If you have a considerable amount of natural wood, brick, or stone on your exterior, choose paint colors that complement those features. Choosing a paint color for your siding that matches your brick's tuck pointing can help visually pull the two surfaces together. Plus: How to Fix Peeling Paint

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Vibrant Front Door

The contrasting front door is a timeless trend. The easiest and most cost-effective way to brighten your home's exterior is to paint the front door a striking color. A red door is a classic, but any color that strikes your fancy and contrasts with the exterior of your home is worth a try. Plus: How to Replace an Exterior Door

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Roof Color

The roof can be up to 40% of your home's exterior. If you have to replace your roof, take the opportunity to consider your color choices. Bring home samples and see how they look with your other exterior colors. Plus: Roof Removal: How to Tear Off Roof Shingles

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Painting Stucco

When thinking about stucco and trim color combinations, remember that stucco tends to look best when painted a color you can find in nature. A neutral color is by far the safest bet for stucco and trim color combinations. Some paint color ideas for trim for the stucco home are soft olives or warm gray tones. Plus: How to Whitewash Stucco

Originally Published: May 10, 2019