Simple Color Tips For Selecting Exterior Paint!

Summer 2008

Provided by Christina Kittelstad of Spiral Design Color Consulting

Be Neighborly

When selecting exterior paint colors for your home, always consider what color schemes already exist in your neighborhood and on your specific street, so your colors don’t clash with surrounding homes. Considering the overall look of your neighborhood will show you care about maintaining the character of your neighborhood. If there is a color scheme you especially like on a neighbors home, call your HOA and ask them what the approved colors are for that specific address or use it as the perfect excuse to connect with a neighbor.

Work with What You Have!

With the right paint colors and materials, you can make you home look fantastic no matter what size or shape it is. First, consider the color of your roof, brick and any other competing elements that may influence color choices. Consider pulling out a few (but only a few) of the best architectural features your home has to offer such as the shutters, front door or dental work and highlight those with a subtle, earthy accent color such as rusty red, sage green, or charcoal blue. This will give your home its own personality while also blending into the overall colors for your home and the neighborhood. When in doubt, keep it simple and only select a few elements to draw attention to, or select classic colors known for your specific architectural style such as modern ranch, colonial, craftsman, mission or mountain rustic.

Accent the Best - Leave the Rest

When looking at the exterior for your home, one should see the body color, the trim color and the accent color. Do not draw attention to other less than beautiful features such as downspouts, gutters, and meters. Paint these substrates the trim or body color to best camouflage them and instead draw attention to the best features of your home such as a beautifully stained front door or paint it glossy red to create an inviting entryway.

Use the Right Paint Sheen For the Job

When painting, be sure to select the appropriate sheen for the job and various exterior surfaces of your home. For the main body consider using a flat sheen. On the trim and accents, using a satin sheen will create that crisp professionally painted look. Also consider upgrading your paint to a more durable paint that will hold up better through cold Colorado winters and hot sunny summers when colors tend to fade. Light paint colors will tend to reflect heat while dark colors will absorb heat, so factor that in as well when purchasing exterior paint. When in doubt, call your local paint store or painter and ask them what they recommend.

Exterior Colors Can Be As Sophisticated as Interior Colors

Choosing colors for the exterior of your home may not seem as exciting as selecting paint colors for the interior, but there is no reason the interior and exterior cannot reflect each others style in a flowing and cohesive way that is pleasing to the eye.
Many paint colors are often used interchangeably as both interior and exterior colors such as warm beiges, creamy whites and rusty or terra cotta reds.

Use the 3 Color Rule

When selecting the colors for your homes exterior, use the 3 Color Rule – choose three total colors such as: 1 color for the body/siding, 1 color for the trim and 1 accent color to give your home a nice pop of color, that will set it apart from your neighbors and prevent the color scheme from being to “boring beige”. Keep within the same color family for the body and trim such as lighter creamy tones, warmer tan/beige tones. The trim should match the body color accordingly, so if the body color is a warm beige, make the trim color a step or two lighter and select an off-white that has some beige undertones to it. The accent color can be completely different such as a rusty red, dark blue, black or green color, or it can even be a shade or two darker than the trim. When in doubt, select a monochromatic color scheme and you’ll be on track.

Work with A Color Consultant

Color consultants can be priceless when spending thousands of dollars to have your home painted correctly the first time. They are familiar with the nuances of each color and what colors will stand the test of time. Consider scheduling a 1-2 hour color consultation with Spiral Design Color Consulting to affordably work with a color expert, that can assist you in determining your color taste and recommend perfect exterior colors for your specific home style and needs. Spiral Design can also recommend quality painters for your area and budget that won’t empty your pocket book.
To Schedule A Personal Color Consultation with Spiral Design Color Consulting - visit www.spiraldesignsinc.com.

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