Wood Stain Colors Our Exterior Home Designers Love
By: Cassie McDowell
Your home’s exterior color palette is a huge contributor to its curb appeal. And while many people think solely of siding colors, there’s a lot more to consider. Things like wood stain colors, accent hues, and stone gradients are all part of a home’s overall color scheme.
We get tons of orders from homeowners who need help picking siding colors (so many, in fact, that we launched a special package designed just for people struggling with paint selection). But we also hear from a lot of homeowners who want assistance picking stain colors for wood elements of their home, from decks to porch columns to siding. With that in mind, we decided it’s time to highlight our favorite wood stain colors.
Keep reading to discover our designers‘ go-to wood stain colors and learn how to incorporate them into your home exterior.
Wood stain colors, cladding materials, landscaping, garage door styles … the list of things to consider when renovating a home is seemingly endless. But don’t let that overwhelm you! Instead, partner with the pros (that’s us!), and let us make all the difficult design decisions for you. You can offer as little or as much input as you want, and we’ll create a custom, photorealistic rendering of your home with product and paint color recommendations. Learn more about our virtual exterior design services.
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.
What is the best color wood stain?
From pecan and walnut to cappuccino and espresso, there are tons of different stain colors for wood. With so many options available, it’s no wonder we frequently hear from clients who are curious which is best.
While there’s not one stain color that stands out as the absolute best, there are several that our designers turn to time and time again in their work. Our go-to wood stain colors are versatile and aesthetically pleasing. They play well with lots of other hues and building materials and can be used on a wide variety of home styles. Our favorite stain colors look just as striking on a large section of wood siding as they do on gable brackets and corbels. Without further ado, read on to discover the best wood stain colors for home exteriors.
P.S. If you’re considering incorporating wood siding into your home exterior but aren’t quite sure how to pull it off, check out this blog post where we share our top tips and design examples.
Walnut
Of all our tried-and-true wood stain colors, walnut is one of our most frequently used. This rich, dark brown stain works well as part of a light or dark color palette and can easily be juxtaposed with stone, concrete, or brick.
We love using walnut-stained wood elements to add warmth to our designs, such as the one above. The siding of this home is rendered in Benjamin Moore’s Cheating Heart, a dark gray hue with an LRV 6.89. (Not familiar with LRV? Learn what it is and why it’s important to factor in when choosing a paint color for your home here.) The wood elements really pop against the dark siding and create a visual divide between the first and second story of the home.
Espresso
Espresso is a bit lighter than walnut but no less impressive. Here, we used it on the wood shutters and front door with Benjamin Moore’s Galveston Gray, a versatile mid-toned hue, on the stucco. The espresso-stained elements work alongside the copper gutters and light fixture to add warmth to this façade. Stained window boxes add tons of charm and tie into the rest of the landscaping.
Cherry
This rich, reddish-brown stain color is a beautiful but slightly bolder choice for wood. Because of its red undertones, it won’t work with as many colors as a walnut stain, but when paired with the right hues, it looks absolutely stunning.
We used a cherry stain on the wood elements of the home above to make them stand out against the siding and brick, rendered in Sherwin Williams’ Aloof Gray and Fawn Brindle respectively. The stain can be seen on the front door, garage doors, and a small section of horizontal siding on the home’s left side.
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.
Pecan
This medium brown tone is a classic choice that we use in all sorts of designs. While it’s a no-brainer for traditional and transitional homes, it can also work on more modern or contemporary exteriors too. Additionally, its color pairings are seemingly limitless.
To show how versatile this stain color is, we used it in both design versions we created for this client, which each feature a different paint color. The first version has brick, siding, and trim rendered in Benjamin Moore’s Iron Mountain, a near-black hue with blue undertones. The second, below, features a much lighter paint color, Benjamin Moore’s Fieldstone. Pecan looks lovely in both renderings.
Cedar
Cedar-stained wood looks just as good on rustic dwellings as it does more sophisticated properties. Cedar is on the lighter side and can have pink-ish red undertones.
In the design above, it contrasts nicely with the stucco, eaves, and trim, all of which are rendered in Sherwin Williams’ Skyline Steel. The section of wood siding surrounding the entrance draws the eye to the area and makes it a focal point. The same wood is used on the left side of the home above the windows and on the right side, creating a cohesive look.
Mahogany
The wood elements on this stately home are rendered with a mahogany stain that adds to the elegant appearance of the exterior. Mahogany, a reddish-brown color, is rich and luxurious and is the perfect choice for this English Manor-style property.
We suggested a German smear technique to update the home’s brick and limewash for the stone. Incorporating some wood into the design — via the front door, columns, and window boxes — adds some necessary warmth. It also enhances the character and charm of the property.
The best wood stain colors for home exteriors
When it comes to wood stain colors, the options are plentiful. From light colors that look right at home on beachfront properties to darker hues that add an elegant touch to any exterior, there’s a stain color for every situation and home style. When picking the perfect stain for your wood elements, don’t forget to take into consideration things like your roof and siding color, light fixtures, and decor.
The journey to achieving your dream home exterior starts with a design from brick&batten. With our personalized, detailed design in hand, you can tackle your renovation project with confidence knowing the end result will be exactly what you had in mind. Don’t delay any further. Begin your exterior design project today.
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