How to Choose the Best Exterior Paint Color

You recently decided to paint your house this summer. Whether you’re trying to appeal to prospective buyers or you’re simply ready for a new paint job, the reality is that choosing the right color scheme can be difficult. Here are five tips for selecting the ideal exterior paint color for your home, as referenced from Houzz.

Plan around elements that will remain in place

Take a long look at the outside of your residence, paying close attention to roof shingles, stonework, pathways, and driveways. The last thing you want to do is choose a color scheme without taking these elements into consideration. Here at DJ’s Painting in New Jersey, we suggest going with colors that tie in these constants in a way that feels seamless.

Account for your home’s style and era

It’s easy to think of crazy, out-of-the-box paint color schemes for your home’s exterior. Just remember the color you choose should suit the style. When it comes to a home’s architectural style and era, it’s probably not the best idea to mix modern and Victorian, for example. Take some time exploring paint manufacturers’ collections of historically accurate colors. Be sure to adhere to the appropriate homeowners’ association guidelines before getting too far ahead of yourself in the process.

Consider the visual effect you want to create

This is your chance to create a unique visual effect with your home. What exactly do we mean by this? Well, if your residence sits back from the road or in the background of large trees and other landscaping, you may want to opt for a brighter color so it stands out more. On the other hand, if you’d like to create an illusion of greater privacy with your paint, choose a darker hue to make it appear as though your home is receding.

Select several paint shades 

Painting the exterior of a house involves more than just applying one coat of paint. When preparing to paint your residence, it’s imperative to consider the field color (the primary color), the accent color (for smaller areas such as doors and shutters), and the trim color (for roof edging, railings, and other trim). Keep in mind that in a perfect world, the trim color should differ greatly from the field color. Wanting to make sure you create a modern look in the end with your painting project? Then come up with a scheme that features one or two colors at the most.

Always test your colors

Think back to the last time you painted a room in your house. Chances are you noticed that shades can vary significantly from the way they appear on the paint chip. It goes without saying that painting the exterior of your house is a much bigger job than adding another coat of paint to your office or second bedroom, which is why you’ll want to get the shades right the first time around.

Start by purchasing a small amount of paint and testing it on an area where nobody will see the spot. How does the paint look in the middle of the day while being exposed to direct sunlight? Does it change at all following a round of inclement weather? Though this may seem like a lot of work on your end, remember that your home is your biggest investment, so you’ll want to be happy with your exterior paint color selection for years to come.

Work With An Experienced New Jersey Painter This Summer

At DJ’s Painting, we understand the challenges that come with DIY painting projects. Whether you have no idea where to start with colors or you’re not confident that you have the right tools for the job, this task can become daunting in a hurry. That’s why we suggest saving yourself the headache and contacting a professional painter instead.

DJ’s Painting has been South Jersey’s choice for residential painting since 1986 and we’re ready to help with your next project. Our friendly house painters will take a look at your residence, write up an estimate with a clear scope of work, and then move forward with the work once we have a green light. What’s more is that DJ’s provides a two-year warranty on every local residential painting project.

This summer, leave your home painting work to the pros at DJ’s painting. Learn more about our South Jersey painting services today.