8 Pastel Colors We Love for Home Exteriors
By: Hannah Warne
While neutral color palettes or even dark colors like charcoal and navy are popular choices for home exteriors, there’s one category of shades that often gets overlooked: pastel colors. While these light and bright hues are sometimes associated with a youthful look or certain holidays like Easter and birthdays, these shades offer nearly endless possibilities when it comes to transforming your home exterior.
Read on to discover our favorite pastel colors and find the perfect hue for your home.
Intimidated by choosing pastel colors for your exterior? Our seasoned team can expertly bring any vision to life. Whether you’re looking for a blue, pink, or yellow shade, we’ll help you find the paint color of your dreams. In addition to choosing the color palette, our team will also help you put together a cohesive exterior complete with accents and finishes. Learn more about our virtual exterior design services.
What color are pastels?
Pastel colors are subdued and muted shades. Unlike highly saturated colors, they have a soft, pale look. Common pastel colors are buttercup yellow, blush pink, baby blue, mint green, and lavender.
#1 // Tranquility by Benjamin Moore
This green-gray hue is the perfect option for those who desire a hint of color but don’t want an exterior that looks too bold. With a light reflective value — or LRV — of 53.31, it’s a mid-toned shade that looks beautiful in any light. In the shade, the gray tones are more pronounced, while in the direct sunlight, the sage green hues come through more strongly, giving it a color-changing effect that is chic and elegant. Consider pairing it with one of our favorite whites for a timeless color palette.
#2 // Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams
This pastel green hue blends cool green and blue undertones for a subtly striking pastel shade. Though it may at first look similar to Benjamin Moore’s Tranquility, it has an LRV of 63, giving it a slightly darker finish. Unlike Tranquility, however, Sea Salt has blue undertones that give it a breezy, coastal feel.
While it looks beautiful with classic white trim, consider pairing it with something a bit bolder — like Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore — for a striking, cool-toned color palette.
#3 // Yellow Bisque by Benjamin Moore
Nothing says pastel quite like pale, buttercup yellow. And there’s no better pastel paint shade than Yellow Bisque by Benjamin Moore. This creamy yellow hue has an LRV of 65.89 and features beige undertones, ensuring it doesn’t read too bright or stark (even in direct sunlight).
For an earthy palette, pair Yellow Bisque with a muted beige hue, like Manchester Tan by Benjamin Moore, to create a more tonal look. Alternatively, you can pair it with other pastel hues like Gossamer Blue or Palladian Blue for an unexpected and striking finish.
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.
#4 // Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore
This sea-foam blue hue is the perfect calming pastel shade. The soft color has hints of gray and green, creating a coastal, sea-side feel. With an LRV of 60.4, the mid-toned color is also part of Benjamin Moore’s Historical Color Collection. Designed to pay homage to America’s historical architecture, this color is perfect for more classic homes, like Colonials or Victorians.
To let the Palladian Blue hue really shine, opt for an otherwise neutral palette. White, beige, or gray all blend beautifully with this pastel hue. You could also pair it with darker green or blues — like Pewter Green by Sherwin Williams or Needlepoint Navy by Sherwin Williams — to create a more one-of-a-kind palette.
#5 // Inspired Lilac by Sherwin Williams
No pastel paint roundup would be complete without a purple shade — and our favorite is Inspired Lilac by Sherwin Williams. This fun and playful hue is inspired by its namesake flower. Featuring warm red undertones and an LRV of 71, the bright and friendly shade perfectly contrasts with more classic home styles, like Cape Cods or Colonials.
When finalizing your color palette, consider pairing it with a more neutral tone like Seapearl by Benjamin Moore. That way, the focus stays strongly on the pastel colors while the trim and other accents purposefully fade into the background.
#6 // Gossamer Blue by Benjamin Moore
This muted blue is the ideal color for those looking for something a bit bolder — without going too over the top. A mix of gray, blue, and green, this cozy, mid-toned color is a striking option for any home exterior whether stucco, brick, or siding. To round out your color palette, consider pairing it with a creamy white shade like Greek Villa by Sherwin Williams for a bit of warmth. Alternately, you can mix it with dark, bold hues like Kendall Charcoal by Benjamin Moore, for a higher-contrast finish.
#7 // Early Sunrise by Benjamin Moore
This is a pastel that makes a bold statement. Inspired by the pink skies at dawn, this shade is a beautiful — yet unexpected — option for home exteriors. With an LRV of 68.21, it’s a mid-tone shade that doesn’t read too bright. It’s especially ideal for homes that don’t get a lot of direct sunlight. In a shaded environment, this pink hue reads a bit more muted but still delivers a beautiful pastel look.
This color beautifully lends itself to a monochromatic color palette, with a mix of darker pink or mauve, like Rouge by Benjamin Moore. Alternatively, for something more subdued, you can pair it with a classic white hue like Pure White by Sherwin Williams. This not only looks beautiful but also lets Early Sunrise really shine.
#8 // October Mist by Benjamin Moore
With an LRV of 46.54, this creamy sage green color is one of our favorite lighter pastels. The soft green hue has gray undertones, keeping it muted and subtle. This look is ideal for those who want a color instead of a neutral but are trying to avoid something too bright. October Mist is perfect for all textures. It also mixes well with organic materials like wood, stone, and metal for unmatched versatility.
This pastel color also pairs beautifully with almost any color palette. From light and airy combinations of white and beige to dark and moody mixes of charcoal gray and black, it effortlessly blends with other colors for nearly endless exterior options.
Choosing the perfect pastel colors
Though picking pastel colors may take a little more thought than choosing a neutral color palette, it’s worth it for the final results. These unexpected exterior shades will totally transform the look and feel of your home. The final result is a youthful and bright finish. From pink to green to blue, the ways you can bring your dream pastel home to life are nearly endless.
If you need help choosing the perfect pastel shades, brick&batten can help you overhaul your home or business exterior. Our talented team has extensive experience crafting custom color palettes and finishes to help our clients bring their vision to life. From bold and bright palettes to muted, subtle shades, our team will work with you to create your dream home through our virtual exterior design services. Start your project today!
Subscribe for more content like this!
