When it comes to choosing colors for the exterior of the home, there are many elements to consider before diving in.Before deciding on the main dwelling color of a home…consider all the other design elements of the house and property.
What Color are the Windows and Roof?
The elements that are part of a home will also end up being part of the color scheme. The roof, for example, is a dominant element that, depending on its color, might be a key factor in choosing the rest of the palette. A stone facade with a black roof establishes two of the main colors already in the home.
Other non brick elements such as the landscape will end up determining how a home color scheme looks, too. An abundance of flowers and colors might require a palette that’s more neutral, while a mostly green yard will look nice from a home that includes strategic pops of brighter hues.
How Many Colors are Needed on the Exterior of a Home?
Remember the days of being told that 5 colors were needed on a home’s exterior? Those five colors include permanent elements, like a roof and walkway.
Ideas and designs have changed over time and modernized. For a modern but still classic look, you only need 3 colors on the exterior of your home. Most exterior facades have a palette that combines three colors in just-right proportions. That’s known as the 60/30/10 rule: 60 percent of the paint is one dominant color, 30 percent is a secondary hue, and 10 percent is an accent color. In many cases with brick homes, the color of the brick itself will end up being the dominant color.
How to Choose Exterior Home Colors
Before choosing a color, walk around the home and assess all the existing colors of the home and exterior including the hardscape. Look at the color of the roof, the color of the walkway, the color of the windows, the landscaping, patios, retaining walls, railings, any element that is permanent to the home.
Take into consideration, the tones of those permanent structures, such as the roof. If the roof is brown, the main dwelling color will look beautiful with a warm hue. On the other hand, if the roof is black, the main dwelling color will match better with a cooler hue.
How Many Colors Did We Choose for Our Home Exterior?
I chose three colors when deciding on the exterior palette scheme for our home, and the roof color was one of them. I went for a more non traditional look with my color scheme. The colors include, the roof color, the main dwelling color, and an accent color for the door, railings and garage. So in essence, I only chose 2 paint colors for our exterior. I used the same color on the dwelling as I did on the trim. How does it all look?
Stay tuned for the upcoming reveal on November 7, 2019.
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Denise
XO
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the three colors vs. five colors seems to fit in with the classic, simple elegance you are going for – and that feature photo with the sunset (sunrise?) was breathtaking!
Thank you! Our sunrises are magnificent in the Fall. I think I made the right choice in choosing 3 colors over 5. We have so much color around our home as it is…keeping it simple is key 🙂
🙂
so beautiful
You are too kind 🙂
So nice to have the steps spelled out, Denise! It makes it so much easier to make a conscious choice! I love the direction you’ve gone and the color we’ve seen so far! I can’t wait to see your final reveal! 💗
Hi Barbara, I learn so much myself as I go along this process. It’s a big job and I hope I can teach others to make conscious decisions and learn from my mistakes…as I’ve made one already 😬