Selecting Your Home’s Exterior Paint Color

Selecting Your Home’s Exterior Paint Color

Exterior painting is an important part of the upkeep of your home. It should be done regularly and to high standards. If it’s done as often as it should be then it isn’t all that expensive because you can stay aware of what kind of shape your home is in and take care of problem spots before they become a major issue. It can be really beneficial if you want to save some extra money in the long run. But that’s not the only reason to paint the exterior of your home.

Renovations and most general home improvement projects can get pretty pricey, but painting is one of the quickest and least expensive to change up your home. Fresh paint can help your home to fit into the neighborhood better or give it a look unique to you. It can make your home look fresh and new. When potential sellers are getting ready to put their home on the market, they often paint the house first and it makes all the difference.

When painting the exterior of your home often all you have to do is hire a professional exterior painting company. There’s only one thing you have to do as the homeowner beforehand and it’s arguable the most important thing. You have to pick the color.

Picking the color can be rather difficult in that you can’t just pick whatever is the first thing that pops in to your head. Whatever color you chose it’s going to be on the outside of your home where everyone driving by, or stopping by your house, can see it. And first impressions can say a lot about a house and the family that lives inside of it. You’re going to want something nice, something that represents you, and that can be anything from a bright color with basic accents, or a classic color and a door with a touch of vibrancy.

Beyond picking a color, you have to be committed to it. If you aren’t, you’re kind of stuck with it. You don’t want to spend money and time on painting the exterior of your home only to decide shortly after that you don’t like it. Then you have to do it all over again!

How to Pick a Color

There are a few ways to help you decide what color to paint your exterior, and one of the easiest ones is to look at the homes around you. Before you get started, depending upon where you live, some outsiders might have a say in what colors you can paint your home, like the Homeowners Association. Check before you get started to see if you have any restrictions on what you can and cannot do.

But other than that, what kind of area do you live in? Are you living in the North? The South? Southwest? Over time these different areas have developed their own appeal and look that you can easily make use of in your own designs. The colors of Northern homes are full of soft, traditional nature colors of blue, grey and green tones. Dessert areas have warm red and brown earthy tones while the ocean side areas are covered in soft colors that are airy and ocean breeze ready.

If you don’t particularly care about local trends, you can always look and see what the current trends are elsewhere, or just pick whatever most appeals to you.

The Effects of Colors

When deciding how to paint the exterior of your home, keep in mind that colors actually can have an effect on how you feel. So, basically different colors are going to do different things for your home and mood. It’s been scientifically proven. There are a lot of guides that go pretty in depth on what colors do what that you can easily find on the internet, but we’ll tell you a few here so that you can get a few ideas.

Reds, oranges and yellows are warm colors that can give feelings of energy, warmth and comfort. On the opposite side of the color wheel, there are the blues, greens and purples. These colors are calming and soothing. And you don’t have to just pick one color that you like, or one emotion or feeling that you’d like to promote because you’ve got a whole house! You’ve got to paint the siding and then you’ve got to paint the trim, the shutters and the front door.

If You Can’t Choose

If you can’t decide on a color, then you still shouldn’t panic. Take a deep breath. Ask your local painting professionals what they suggest. They’ve got plenty of experience with color matching and they’ve probably seen an endless amount of combinations. Some currently popular combinations include ivory and white, mustard yellow and brown, or taupe and green. Or you can always look through magazines and at other houses in your area for inspiration.

If all else fails, just go with what you like. Trust your judgement; you’re probably pretty good at picking complimentary colors. And it’s your house to do with as you wish. You don’t have to worry about what others are doing or what the current trends are. Trends change quickly and as long as you like what you come up with and it reflects you well, you’ll have a beautiful home.

If you are interested in getting a free estimate for exterior painting or just want to learn more, then give us a call. We’re ready to answer all of your questions. You can contact us here or you can call us directly at 239.600.1418