Spring has officially arrived in South, New Jersey and as you head outside to enjoy the weather, you may notice that winter has done a number on your home’s exterior. Whether it is damaged or dated, spring may find your curb appeal looking drab and in desperate need of a makeover.
Choosing paint colors for the exterior of your home can seem like an overwhelming task. What if you do it wrong and all your neighbors gather on your front lawn to point and laugh at you? Okay… so maybe that’s an extreme scenario, but we get it, you are looking for exterior paint colors that are attractive and timeless. Colors that will have your neighbors pointing for the right reasons.
Worry no more, we have prepared a brief education that will inspire you to confidently go forth, selecting house colors you will not regret and no one will laugh at. We promise.
The 3 Key Players
Exterior color schemes have roughly three key players. First off, you have your field color, which makes up the greatest portion of your exterior; this would be your brick, siding or cedar shake. Next, you have your accent colors. These are mainly your shutters and doors. Last, tying the whole thing together, is your trim and woodwork, which should ideally have a nice contrast with the dominant, all-over color of your home. Now that you have the players, let’s talk about coordinating exterior house colors that work.
Accentuate Your Architecture
Classic colonials do not get the same color treatment as modern mid-century homes. For historic homes, stick with paint colors that are appropriate to the time period; many paint brands offer a period-specific paint color palette to help you get it right the first time. When it comes to modern homes, stroll the neighborhood and see what you like, then be sure to coordinate your players accordingly.
Work With What You Have
Unless you plan to completely renovate your roof, rock and landscape, you will want to look at painting ideas that play nicely with these elements and help them work in harmony. If a portion of your home is a warm brick, let that speak to the colors you are planning to add in. If it is on the cooler side, you will want to work with tones that keep it cool.
Try-Outs
As is the case with choosing paint colors inside your home, you cannot rely on magazines and paint chips alone. Trust us, you do not want to miss the mark or execute a do-over when it comes to exterior painting. To avoid this, find an inconspicuous area of your home and use it as your test canvas. This way you will know what works and what does not work before it is displayed all over the front of your home.
We hope you feel better after this brief how-to on exterior color schemes and painting ideas. Ultimately, your home is your own and you need to style it as such both inside and out, no matter what your neighbors think. If you need a little help, give us a call. Our professional painters would love to give you a hand with painting and color selection. Together we can chase away the winter blahs that are lingering on the porch of your Maple Shade, NJ home.