Faux Copper Gutters: A High-End Look for Less

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We love copper gutters and use them in our virtual home designs all the time. They’re durable, unique, and create a striking aesthetic. But they can be expensive and aren’t always within our clients’ budgets. 

The great news is you can still get the beautiful look of real copper gutters without breaking the bank. Keep reading for our tips on how to use faux copper gutters to maximize curb appeal. 

At brick&batten, we carefully consider all aspects of your home’s exterior, from gutters and garage doors to paint colors and porches. Learn more about our virtual exterior design services.  

A rendering of a home with faux copper gutters

Dark Bronze Gutters

If you want the look of copper gutters for less, dark bronze might be the solution. Copper and bronze are both part of a category of metals called “red metals” and have a very similar look. But because copper is a pure metal and bronze is a copper alloy (a combination of copper and tin), bronze is typically a bit cheaper than copper. So, when you opt for bronze gutters, you get a similar aesthetic to copper gutters with a smaller price tag.

The gutters used in the design above coordinate perfectly with the home’s natural brick and dark accents.

A rendering of a home with faux copper gutters

Copper Penny Aluminum Gutters

Aluminum is the most common gutter material, but it doesn’t have the high-end look of copper. Enter copper penny aluminum gutters, which combine the elegance of copper and the affordability of aluminum. Copper penny aluminum is a painted aluminum product that has the appearance of new copper. Additionally, aluminum is much lighter than copper, which makes for easier installation.

The copper-colored gutters in the rendering above add uniqueness to the home’s exterior in a subtle, intentional way.

A virtual rendering of a home's exterior

Paint Your Existing Gutters

One of the easiest ways to achieve the high-end look of real copper gutters while on a budget is to paint your existing gutters. Simply coat your gutters with copper-colored paint (either liquid paint or spray paint), and they’ll look brand new. Be sure to purchase a good quality paint and test a small area first to ensure the color is right.

With its wood and stone accents and deep, earthy siding color — Sherwin Williams’ Iron Ore — this home has a nature-inspired vibe that the copper-colored gutters play into nicely.

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.
A virtual rendering of a home's exterior

Faux Copper Gutters Galore

Now that we’ve covered some of the best ways to incorporate faux copper gutters into your exterior design, we’re going to highlight a few of our favorite renderings featuring this design element.

A home exterior with faux copper gutters

We love to bring dimension to a home by mixing different textures and design materials. Copper gutters work well in so many of our renderings because they’re incredibly versatile and play nicely with all sorts of materials. In the design above, copper gutters complement the dark shake siding and create juxtaposition against the light stone veneer.

A rendering of home exterior

In this example, the copper gutters tie in perfectly with the wood columns that frame the front door, as well as the wood lintels above some of the windows. The reddish-brown shade of the gutters also looks lovely with the home’s siding, rendered in Benjamin Moore’s Cape May Cobblestone.

A rendering of a white brick home

Creating contrast with design elements is an effective way to enhance your home’s curb appeal, as demonstrated above. The dark copper gutters pop against the white brick, rendered in Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace.

A virtual rendering of a home with faux copper gutters

The Bottom Line on Faux Copper Gutters 

Faux copper gutters are an excellent way to mimic the look of real copper gutters without blowing your budget. We hope this post has provided you with plenty of information and inspiration for your exterior design project. 

For more details on the various aspects of your gutter system, check out our exterior design dictionary. We explain some of the most commonly used vocabulary that we’ve come across in our work, from gutters and downspouts to stucco and limewash. 

There are countless design elements at play in any home’s exterior. We’ll help you choose the right elements for your home and show you how they’ll look before you start renovating. Get started on your exterior design project today. 

Our designers only use and recommend products that we know, love, or would use on our own properties. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission, at no cost to you.

Author

Britteny has worked as a professional writer and editor for more than a decade. She launched her career as a features writer in New York City, covering fashion, food & beverage, and hospitality. She has contributed to a wide range of publications, including International Business Times, Glam, Thirsty Mag, and Cardinal & Pine and has worked with famous faces such as Kate Upton and Nigel Barker throughout her career. Britteny has been covering the exterior home design industry as a writer for brick&batten for almost two years. Britteny splits her time between New York City, her home state of Michigan, and Caye Caulker, a small island off the coast of Belize in Central America. When she’s not writing or editing, Britteny can be found at the beach or in the kitchen testing out vegan recipes.