The 12 Best Exterior Trim Paint Colors for Your Home
By: Mackenzie
Paint colors are a crucial element of exterior design. Those colors extend beyond the main shade on an exterior though. Exterior trim colors play a huge role in the overall appearance of your home. As such, it’s important to choose the right color to achieve the look you’re after. Bold, eclectic hues are on-trend for trim, and the classic shades like black and white never go out of style either. Whether you’re after something subtle and simple or fun and funky, we cover all the bases. Read on for some of our favorite exterior trim paint colors.
Whether you’re thinking about switching up the color of your exterior trim or you’re after a complete overhaul, our designers are here to help. Learn more about our virtual exterior design services.
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#1 // Benjamin Moore’s Creamy White
This design emulates the essence of a serene countryside setting. Surrounded by beautifully textured landscaping with bright blooms, wispy grasses, and rugged boulders, this ranch-style home embraces a subdued ethereal vibe. For the palette, our designers went with calm, muted neutrals. The mix of textures on the façade complements the landscaping effortlessly, and our designers decided to enhance the brick with a German smear technique, using Benjamin Moore’s Creamy White to tint the masonry.
To complement the German smear and create a cohesive look, we also used Creamy White on the exterior trim. Not only does the trim color choice tie together the overall palette, it also pulls the eye to the home’s peak, which is the center of the design.
#2 // Sherwin Williams’ Dovetail
The owner of this breathtaking red brick home wanted to leave the brick, landscaping, and layout alone. Instead, they wanted to give the entrance a facelift and reimagine the paint colors used for the exterior trim and shutters. (Did you know that brick&batten offers virtual design services aimed at exclusively rendering your design with different paint colors? Learn more about our paint visualizer).
We added warmth to the rich exterior with Sherwin Williams’ Dovetail, which we weaved throughout the design on the trim. Balancing the façade, we also incorporated Dovetail on the siding and stucco around the entry section, making the space stand out.
#3 // Sherwin Williams’ Dried Thyme
It’s hard to go wrong with sage shades coupled with wood accents. Earth tones look lovely on Tudor-style homes, so our designers leaned into a nature-inspired aesthetic for this design, using Sherwin Williams’ Dried Thyme to bring the Tudor lines and trim to life. Alongside the brick and stucco — rendered in Sherwin Williams’ Aloof Gray — the earthy green infuses the exterior with contrast.
While Dried Thyme is a deeper green hue, combined with the wood doors, window planters, and balcony railing, the shade brings warmth to the exterior and creates a cozy vibe. We especially love how the earthiness of the exterior trim paint color meshes seamlessly with the whimsical landscaping.
#4 // Benjamin Moore’s Mohegan Sage
Exterior trim doesn’t always have to exist in an entirely different color family as the one used for the main color of the home. For this design, we fully embraced shades of green. On the siding, we used Benjamin Moore’s Sage Mountain — a soft, elegant sage green. Our designers used the trim as a vessel to accentuate the architecture, rendering it in Benjamin Moore’s Mohegan Sage.
As a deeper shade of green, Mohegan Sage brings a breath of contrast to the façade without overstating the trim. We used this dark green color to tie the entire design together, from the trim to the stairs and railing.
#5 // Sherwin Williams’ City Loft
White exterior trim is as timeless and classic as it gets. For this design, we used Sherwin Williams’ City Loft on the exterior window trim, the columns on the portico, and the horizontal border stretching across the bottom of the home. Alongside the gray stucco — rendered in Sherwin Williams’ Dorian Gray — the soft white hue’s warm undertones create a welcoming aesthetic. Because of how the trim extends horizontally along the bottom of the design, it visually lifts the façade and calls attention to the other elements trimmed with City Loft.
WE ALWAYS RECOMMEND SAMPLING AND TESTING PAINT COLORS BEFORE COMMITTING. FACTORS SUCH AS NATURAL LIGHTING, UNDERTONES, AND YOUR PROPERTY’S FIXED ELEMENTS WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON HOW A COLOR WILL APPEAR ON YOUR EXTERIOR. OUR FRIENDS AT SAMPLIZE OFFER EXTRA-LARGE 9 X 14.75 INCH PEEL-AND-STICK PAINT SAMPLES OF THE COLORS WE LOVE FOR EXTERIORS. ORDER YOUR ‘REAL PAINT, NO MESS’ SAMPLES FROM SAMPLIZE HERE.
#6 // Sherwin Williams’ Rustic Red
This gorgeous historic home had all of the architectural chops to be truly stunning, and the homeowner wanted an eccentric color scheme. We rendered the wood siding with Avocado Olympic Stain. Welcoming warm primary colors to the palette, we used Benjamin Moore’s Mustard Seed for accents, including decorative features and the railing. We opted for Sherwin Williams’ Rustic Red trim, bringing a bright burst to the exterior.
#7 // Benjamin Moore’s Chelsea Gray
Neutral shades are often ideal for exterior trim. Modernizing this exterior, we embraced a white and gray combination. We rendered the brick and siding with Sherwin Williams’ Moderne White. Pulling from the stones in the landscaping and walkway, we went with Benjamin Moore’s Chelsea Gray for the trim, gutters, fence, and shutters.
#8 // Sherwin Williams’ Iron Ore
If moody, saturated tones speak to you but you don’t want a totally dark exterior, you can explore deeper hues for exterior trim and accents. Our designers grounded the brightness of this red brick exterior with charcoal trim, rendered in Sherwin Williams’ Iron Ore. Further deepening the aesthetic (without overdoing it), we added some matching Iron Ore siding to the mix. The charcoal trim and black accents pull from the subtle black and gray tones among the red brick, adding intentionality.
#9 // Benjamin Moore’s Black Beauty
Black trim and modern exteriors go hand in hand. In this design, we used Sherwin Williams’ Realist Beige on the stucco and Benjamin Moore’s Black Beauty for the exterior trim. This straightforward palette offers contrast and makes way for a sleek appearance. The color combination also emphasizes the breathtaking landscaping and hardscaping.
#10 // Benjamin Moore’s Simply White
For a bright, clean aesthetic, pure white trim does the trick. This client wanted a charming façade, supported by the exterior paint colors. We went with Sherwin Williams’ Sashay Sand for the siding. With a more whimsical and unique main color, we kept the accent shades simple.
Our designers suggested one of our favorite bright whites — Benjamin Moore’s Simply White — for the trim. The white trim appears on each one of the peaked elements of the home, acting as a way to enhance the architecture. We implemented subtle touches of black throughout the design too, rendering the front door in Sherwin Williams’ Caviar.
#11 // Benjamin Moore’s Aegean Olive
We are all about the dark olive trend, whether it’s the key color or a supporting shade. Here, we leaned into a classic look with regal vibes. Complementing the limewashed brick, our designers used Benjamin Moore’s Aegean Olive for the exterior window trim and eaves. This shade infuses the façade with a quiet complexity that elevates the curb appeal in an effortless way.
#12 // Sherwin Williams’ Vivacious Pink
Don’t be afraid to have some fun with your exterior trim! Bright colors work so well on historic homes where the architecture is particularly stunning. Sherwin Williams’ Naval is the main color on this design, but the trim puts in some serious work, too. We used Sherwin Williams’ Vivacious Pink on the accent trim and the color absolutely lives up to its name, putting some pizazz in the palette.
Thinking about spinning the trim color wheel?
If you’re dreaming of a timeless, classic aesthetic, you might gravitate toward neutral trim like gray, black, or white. But if you’re feeling bold and daring, you don’t have to conform to limits when it comes to trim. Whether you’re into red, green, or another shade, our designers know how to work the color wheel to the advantage of your curb appeal.
Ready to make your exterior design dreams your reality? Don’t wait any longer. Get started today!
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