It's Summer time! Perfect time to spruce up the exterior of your home.
Painting gives the most bang for your buck!
But how in the world does one decide what color to paint their house?
In a guest post by Zillow, Jennifer Riner shares some ideas.
6 Steps to Choosing a Home Color
It’s difficult to alter home
exteriors without major renovations and large budgets. Repainting,
however, is an easy, inexpensive way to give face-lifts to boring
home façades. Along with fresh landscaping and a few décor
features, new color schemes can transform exteriors from dated to
designer.
Before purchasing paints and brushes,
owners should determine which colors best suit their homes. Use these
six steps to figure out appropriate exterior shades.
1. Research Surrounding Neighborhood
Determine the best exterior paint
choices by examining other homes throughout the neighborhood.
Location can ultimately determine if certain hues are regionally
appropriate. For instance, it’s more common for homes
in Florida to be painted pink than in the Midwest due to the
warm, southern climate that welcomes bright and upbeat colors. San
Francisco has “painted ladies” – or Victorian-style homes
featuring perky shades of purple – lined up on some of the most
popular streets in the city. Vacation homes in the Caribbean might
incorporate more eccentric outdoor color schemes than bungalows in
the Pacific Northwest. Uncharacteristic shades might draw negative
attention, so try to match exteriors to their respective locations.
2. Match Architecture
Architects often paint homes with
historically iconic colors or hues to complement structural genres of
homes, which make the styles easily recognizable to the average
onlooker. For instance, cottages benefit from light and bright blues
and craftsman-style homes shine in earth tones such as green. Tudors
give off rustic vibes that should be honored with classic red brick.
Mediterranean homes usually feature terra-cotta pinkish-brown. These
are just a few of the many styles of homes on the market, and some
may not follow these guidelines precisely. For instance, Dutch
colonials are often painted warm neutral colors, but might look great
in classic white. Compare distinguishing color choices with personal
preferences to come up with a compromise that satisfies tradition and
individuality at the same time.
3. Pick a Palette
After choosing the color to paint the
siding or brick, consider the additional features. More contemporary
residences are the same color for siding and trim. However, there’s
no shame in picking three to four varying shades for one home.
Classic exteriors typically have varying body and trim colors with
dark wood doors. From a selling standpoint, buyers may be overwhelmed
by too many contrasting shades – keep the palettes somewhat neutral
to broaden the number of potential offers.
Paint trim in bright tones to stand out
amongst darker siding. Oppositely, paint trim dark to offset stark
home colors. Homeowners should direct focus to top-selling points,
especially during open houses and listing photo shoots. The contrast
between deep blues and grays with whites and beiges impress
individuals searching for homes with updated, stylish exteriors.
5. Mask Eyesores
Paint gutters, vents and utility boxes
the same exact color as the body of a home. Creating a monochromatic
scheme helps hide some of the less attractive, but necessary
structures. Rather than hide unsightly fixtures with overgrown
landscaping, match colors to trick eyes into looking past
imperfections.
6. Complement Landscaping
Homeowners who recently painted their
front doors red might consider planting red rose bushes along the
front of their homes in two symmetrical lines. Against white homes
with black shutters, rosy hues stand out without being too dramatic.
Already have well-designed front gardens featuring colorful
flowerbeds? Use those arrangements to decide which tones to paint
siding, trim, doors, railings and shutters. This way, only one
feature has to be modified to match the rest of the front yard.
Aside from paint colors, think outside
of the box when it comes to façade ornamentation. Consider bright
yellow front doors or stained-glass windows to add unique elements to
home exteriors. Even with neutral color schemes, fun décor can draw
wanted attention to homes. Keep trinkets and accessories minimal to
avoid an over-done look.
