How to Win at Exterior Paint and Curb Appeal

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Everyone should win at exterior paint and curb appeal but it’s not that easy.

Do you want to question everything you know about exterior paint? March on down to the local Lowe’s and start picking out samples of paint for your exterior.  Better yet, grab an alternate color for the trim and door.  To really spice things up… bring your spouse!  Yeah! Do that!  Just to really keep you guessing, make the paint swatch you are picking from less than 2 inches and drag it outside.  

After dragging the paint swatch outside, tell me…how’s that working for ya? It’s a bitch. I said it. Total bitch. Confusing the situation even more, are you painting brick or siding? Oh yeah, forgot to mention, that changes things a bit.  Wait…wait…did you say your roof is brown? What? Brown?? Go back to Lowe’s. These aren’t gonna work. Not even close.  

Am I exaggerating? Unfortunately no. But, I can tell you this, there are some rules to follow and there are places and people who know and can help. Generally speaking, it’s nearly impossible to see a color on a friend’s house and have it work for you as well; therefore, you feel frustrated and alone.

Here’s why exterior paint can be frustrating:

  • roof color
  • environment
  • facing direction
  • stonework, brick, siding, concrete

First, you need to recognize your fixed elements. As a matter of fact, these elements all play a part in how we see color and how the undertones work together. If you fail to look at these components, you fail, period. As we’ve said countless times, it costs the same amount to paint the wrong color as it does the right color; however, there is hope!

So, brick&batten wants to take you behind the scenes on a paint color picking adventure and show you how the pros do it! Find out how to win at exterior paint and curb appeal!

  1. Stand back and evaluate the entire facade. What is the dominating force on your house? Is it your roof or possibly the brick color? Maybe it’s a massive concrete parking pad and drive way. What stands out? Are these colors warm or cool? Consequently, brick tends to be warm. Concrete can be cool.  
  2. Look at your roof…every house has one. What color is yours? Brown? Red? Black? Gray? Weathered Wood color?  
  3. Are you looking to lighten your exterior? Or feeling a darker scheme? Somewhere in the middle?  
  4. From these observations… proceed with choosing colors that can live with the fixed elements. For example, if your roof is brown, we want a warm color that will flow harmoniously. With a gray roof, usually there are brown tones in it as well to open up the field for more color options.  
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.

Next, after selections are made, see our blog post on TESTING. This is such an important step and one that will pay dividends in the long run. Colors can show up much lighter or darker on your house than the paint chip. Revere Pewter is a popular color with Benjamin Moore and a gorgeous color in real life. I’ve seen this color show up almost white on an exterior that got a lot of sunlight. Colors morph and reflect light in different capacities. 

Finally, test samples like crazy and drive everyone around you nuts with, ”Do you see yellow?  I see yellow” and “That’s way darker than I thought it would be…” and my personal favorite… “That’s green!  Not gray!” Happy Painting! When you’ve had enough… reach out, and let us take the guesswork away.  

Author

Alli’s passion for home design began during childhood when she’d accompany her father to various fixer-upper properties he was working on. Years later, Alli received a degree in physical therapy from Indiana University, but her love of design and personal need brought her back to the home design industry. Alli co-founded brick&batten in 2017 with her sister, Cassie, out of necessity. She was looking for a service like brick&batten for her own home, but one didn’t exist. Alli loves designing exteriors that inspire people. She’s also interested in real estate investment and enjoys creating exterior designs that will provide a great return on investment. Alli lives in Atlanta with her partner, three children, and their dogs. She loves to travel and often finds herself looking at houses in the areas she visits for inspiration and ideas.