| Now that you have taken into account the fixed | | | | accent colors are a good choice for doors and |
| features of your home, as well as the context of | | | | shutters. If you are painting the exterior of your |
| your neighborhood, you are ready to begin | | | | home in order to sell it, a contrasting door color is |
| considering your available color options for the | | | | a major benefit, say many realtors. |
| exterior of your home. Poor color choice can | | | | Building's Architecture |
| make your house seem flat, dull, and featureless, | | | | Be sure to find out what the original colors of |
| and you don't want the colors you choose to | | | | your home were. Many times, people find that the |
| overwhelm any aesthetic features of the | | | | original color combinations are the most appealing |
| architecture of your building. | | | | for their specific building type. This is especially |
| Light or Dark Colors? | | | | true for historic homes. Ideally, Victorian style |
| As a general rule, lighter colors typically brighten a | | | | homes typically look visually appealing with |
| house and make it appear more spacious, while | | | | Victorian colors, and so on. |
| darker colors can make the building seem smaller, | | | | Tools to Help You Choose |
| but can also draw attention to the details of your | | | | There are many methods available to you to help |
| home. Dark colors also absorb and hold more | | | | you find the ideal colors for your home. If you |
| heat, so they may not be a wise choice in hotter, | | | | have artistic talent, you can draw a picture of the |
| sunnier areas. | | | | exterior of your home and make copies. You can |
| Muted tones are an increasingly popular choice. A | | | | then freely color the picture of your home with |
| few examples of these muted tones include such | | | | colored pencils, to get a better idea of how those |
| colors as Windsor Blue or Colonial Green. | | | | specific combinations might look. |
| Number of Colors | | | | There are also many computer programs and |
| Most people usually think of a two-color | | | | software to aid you in finding the ideal colors for |
| combinations when planning on repainting the | | | | your home. Some of these programs come with |
| exterior of their home. This is a common mistake, | | | | a list of house templates to choose from, and |
| and choosing three or four colors to incorporate | | | | some allow you to import an actual photo of your |
| into the exterior of your home can have dramatic | | | | home in order to preview your color combinations. |
| effects. | | | | If you plan on hiring a professional painting |
| Trim/Accents | | | | contractor, then why not ask for his or her |
| A well-chosen selection of contrasting trim and | | | | opinion? Sometimes, there is seldom a better aid |
| accent colors can draw attention to architectural | | | | than a good professional's opinion. |
| details as well as disguise any design flaws. Bright | | | | |