Choosing the Right Exterior Paint Color

Last Updated: September 9, 2016

Two-story house with a garage, light-colored siding, and a red pickup truck parked outside.

Last year Liz and I decided it was time to repaint the exterior our house. While we’re both fairly decisive people we found it difficult to select a new color. Owning a painting company made it imperative in my mind that we select the right color.

We were able to agree upon some color concepts to start with. The next step was to apply color samples so that we could more easily determine what worked and what didn’t. There were several factors in our final decision and if you’re in the process of determining what color to paint your house, the following may help you.

What Are The Neighbors Doing? - Always consider what others in your neighborhood are doing. It can influence curb appeal. If the trend is toward brighter colors you can probably get away with it, but if most of the homes are in classic, neutral colors, don’t go too far off the path. Whenever you’re in doubt, you can’t go wrong with mid-tone neutral colors.

Gray house with a red front door, white pillars, and brick steps. Durability - Some colors are less durable than others. While the paint may hold up just fine, certain pigments are more likely to fade – reds and blues, for example. Beige and light to medium browns are less susceptible to fading. Exterior paint color performance is an important consideration if you don’t want to face a repaint every two to three years. As a rule, premium paints will always hold their color longer than inexpensive paints.

Coverage - Earth tones and gray paints provide better coverage than most colors. Reds and yellows can take three to four coats (sometimes more) to cover. The more coats you need, the more expensive your paint job will be. Again, premium paints will cover better than cheap paints.

Neighbors, durability, and coverage are all important factors in deciding what color to paint your home’s exterior. The most important thing is to choose colors that bring out the best features of your home and minimize any unattractive features. Neutral colors are always a safe choice, but if you have a beach home in a rental program, you may actually do well to choose something that stands out.

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