3 Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing Exterior Paint
You may be tempted to choose the first exterior paint color that you see. But you need to take your time and consider all of your options.
To ensure you get it right, avoid these three mistakes during your exterior house painting project.
Failure to Recognize Your Home's Style
Just as you wouldn't wear a ball gown to a beach party, you wouldn't want to paint your Cape Cod-style home with bright pink trim. Knowing the style of your home can help you narrow down your color choices.
A Victorian-style home, for example, might bode well with a paint color that compliments the gingerbread trim and Victoriana details. Similarly, if you have a Mid-century modern home, you'll want to select a color that echoes the architecture's sleek lines and geometric shapes.
Make sure the trim and shutters complement the body color. Generally, you want the trim to be a few shades lighter or darker than the body of the house. And for shutters, you can either choose a color that coordinates with the trim or goes with a completely different look.
The trick is to find a balance that reflects your personal taste while still complementing the overall style of your home.
Ignoring the Lighting Conditions
When choosing exterior paint colors, you need to think about how the light hits your home. The sun's position in the sky changes throughout the day and season, so the color of your home will look different at different times.
For example, a color that appears vibrant in direct sunlight may appear muted and flat in the shade. Similarly, a delicate and ethereal color in candlelight may appear harsh in daylight.
To get an accurate sense of how the color will look, paint a large swatch on all sides of your home. Then, take a step back and observe how the light affects the color at different times of the day. You may find that you love the way the color looks in the morning but shrink from its garishness in the afternoon.
Or, you may decide that you want two different colors for the body and trim of your home. Take the time to see how the light interacts with the paint color before making your final decision.
Failure to Consider Your Landscape
Once you've considered your home's style and the lighting conditions, it's time to start narrowing down your color choices. But with so many colors to choose from, it can be tough to decide.
If you're having trouble picking the right color, start by looking at your home's landscaping. Do you have a lot of green in your yard? If so, you might want to consider a complementary color like orange or yellow.
If your landscaping is mostly gray or brown, on the other hand, you might want to consider a cool color like blue or purple. The right color can help your home stand out from the rest of your block.
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