Exterior

Exterior colors that suit the house, not just the photo

Exterior paint has a harder job than interior paint: it must work with fixed materials you can’t change, roof, brick, stone, in light that shifts all day. Here’s how to choose with those constraints, not against them.

The exterior order of operations

Choose in this order, because each step constrains the next:

1. Start with the roof and any brick or stone. These are the most permanent, most undertone-heavy elements. A brown roof wants warm siding undertones; a gray roof wants cooler ones.
2. Choose the siding or body color. In bright daylight, colors read 2–3 shades lighter than on the chip, so go slightly deeper than your instinct.
3. Choose trim. Crisp contrast for traditional homes; tonal, close-to-the-body color for modern ones.
4. Choose the front door last. The door is the one place for real personality, deep green, classic red, inky navy, because it’s contained and changeable.

Exterior testing matters moreSunlight is far stronger than indoor light. Always test exterior colors on large boards held against the house, checked morning, midday, and late afternoon. A color that’s perfect at 10am can look washed out at 2pm.

Guides in this collection

Exterior guides are in production now:

How to choose exterior house colors, working with roof, brick, and stone (coming soon)
Front door color ideas, the contained dose of personality (coming soon)
Exterior palettes by architecture style, craftsman, colonial, ranch, modern farmhouse (coming soon)

Coordinating inside and out?

The Whole Home Paint Guide keeps interior and exterior choices in the same family, so the house feels considered from the curb to the bedroom.

Browse the color systems