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The 40 Best Exterior Paint Colors To Give Your Home Inviting Curb Appeal
From crisp farmhouse white to moody charcoal black, and every hue in between, these tried-and-true color schemes complement houses of any architectural style.
There are some houses that simply stop you in your tracks, whether it’s a dreamy white farmhouse, a crisp green lake cottage, or a classic Colonial complete with a red front door. Color, of course, plays a huge role in that aforementioned curb appeal, but choosing an exterior paint palette can be daunting. With an interior room, if you change your mind, it’s not a massive undertaking to repaint it yourself. However, painting an exterior is a much bigger commitment—one that calls for outside labor and significant investment. The good news is that if you get it right, you can rest easy for a decade or so. “Many manufacturers today formulate paints that have a life of 8 to 10 years, depending on the home’s environment,” says Terry Pylant, senior principal with Historical Concepts, a traditional architecture firm based in Atlanta and New York. “Paint is the protective coating on a home, so choosing quality paint with proper prep-work and application will help ensure that it will last.”
If you’ve been contemplating a new color, you’re likely already swimming in a sea of samples. White? Gray? Green? Red? Then, navigating the subtle differences—warm undertones, cool undertones—can be enough to make you want to throw in the tarp. But there are a few tactics that can help simplify the selection process. First things first: Be sure to review swatches on location—ideally both in the shade and full sunlight, and at various times of day. “Selecting a paint for a farmhouse, or any other traditional home in a natural setting, requires a close study of the landscape and surroundings that it will be a part of, so it is important to study swatches there and not remotely or indoors,” says Terry.
There are also practical, not-purely-aesthetic things to consider. For example, darker houses (think black or charcoal) absorb heat from the sun, which can help you save on heating expenses during colder seasons, but can also have the reverse effect in summer. And if you’re painting over stone or brick, you’ll want to consider how the surface's undertones will affect the end result. On a similar note, if you’re leaving any of that natural material exposed, you’ll want to make sure the color you choose is complementary. (Get more tips on painting brick!)
To help steer you in the right direction, here are 40 editor- and homeowner-vetted hues, including some of today’s most popular and beloved exterior colorways.
For more curb appeal inspiration, check out these stories:
Rachel Barrett is the Editor-in-Chief of Country Living. She can't pass up a vintage seascape, drives an '89 Woody Wagoneer (that is, when it'll start), and hopes to buy you a lemonade at a future Country Living Fair.
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