Your home’s exterior paint color says a lot about the home, the style, and the interior. The right paint color can change the whole look of the house and update the style. However, choosing a color is tricky, because you can’t see how the color will look on your house until you try it. Here are 5 tips from professional residential painters in Canton, GA, to help ensure you get the right color.
1. White Isn’t Always White
White is a popular paint color for both interior and home exterior painting these days, but you don’t have to choose the purest, whitest white to get that crisp white look. And in fact, all over white in some instances just looks boring and white-washed and old-fashioned in the wrong way. If you want the “crisp white” look, consider doing an off-white color that complements other exterior colors of the home. Or, instead of making white the main exterior color, use white as a trim color for windows, shutters, and pillars while using a contrasting neutral color for the main walls that accentuates the “crispness” of the white.
2. Neutral Can Be Any Color
When you hear the word “neutral” related to paint colors, you may think strictly in grays; however, neutral encompasses a huge range of shades and hues. You can have a wide spectrum of grays, to be sure, but you can also have neutral greens, blues, browns, and even purple. Consider your home’s surroundings and if there are any colors or topography you want to mimic. Darker, neutral green shades look great in a very green and wooded setting, for instance. Or if you wish to draw more focus on the deep blue sky above, a smoky and neutral blue will be the right choice for you.
Remember that any color you see in the paint store will look brighter and more pronounced when it’s covering a large surface area, like a house. Choose neutral colors that are closer to grey on the color spectrum for a more subdued and natural hue.
3. Think in Contrast
Another great technique for updating your curb appeal through exterior house painting is through contrasting colors. Just don’t overdo it. The professionals recommend a primarily neutral theme with a touch of contrasting color, like a rich red or sunny yellow, on a small area. This could be a front door or your front window shutters, or both together. You can also create contrast without using bright colors. You can have a dark, rich roof color, for instance, with a pale complementary color on the siding of the house. Or you may want a darker exterior paint to contrast with white trim and picket fencing.
Before you start exterior painting, it’s best to look at lots of example and consult the professional painters for tips on choosing paint. Also, it’s a good idea to be prepared to repaint if the color you choose at first doesn’t look the way you want once it begins to cover the house.