Color can be added to your home in many ways other than with paint. Evergreens and flowering trees and plants will enhance your exterior color choice. Evergreens come in a wide variety of greens from warm to cool. Flowering plants are available in every hue found on the color wheel. And the same principles apply to plants when creating a palette of colors for your home.
Do you prefer monochromatic color schemes or complementary colors? Are pastels your choice or do primary colors suit your tastes? Our expert paint color consultants can help you decide on the best approach for adding color to your landscape to complement your exterior. For a monochromatic choice, for instance, a nearby pink dogwood can inspire painting a front door in the same pink, which can be a surprising and beautiful choice. What if your exterior is yellow? Purple flowers would be the natural complement to your yellow exterior.
A gray blue exterior works well with a front yard of evergreens for an analog use of color. Blue spruce, or fescue grasses would look beautiful with lime green plants. The changing colors of a Japanese maple that turns scarlet in the fall would look gorgeous against a blue/gray structure.
Another approach may be the mass planting of one color of a species, such as the bougainvillea (seen in the photo below).
When shopping at your local garden center be sure to take photos of your house along with you – even from different times of year – to remind yourself of plant colors already established. This will help you make more efficient purchase decisions to build a gorgeous landscape for all seasons!
This blog was included as part of a larger article on color trends on Redfin.com.
As people emerge from their COVID cocoons, we’ve seen one trend emerging that we expect will continue in 2022: people are going opposite! Those with warm/beige walls are opting for cool grays, whites, and gray-greens. Those who have been living with cooler colors are opting to warm them up! Our clients that are in their forever homes are asking for bolder, brighter colors. They are not likely to follow suggested color trends. Clients who plan to sell in 3-5 years continue to opt for the lighter neutrals that work with their decor: Agreeable Gray, Sea Salt and Ancient Marble by Sherwin-Williams; Gray Owl and Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore continue their popularity streak. The beautiful gray/green shades that are being highlighted by paint manufacturers for 2022 are proving to be popular with clients doing a total reno or for new builds (October Mist-Benjamin Moore; Evergreen Fog-Sherwin Williams).
Another striking trend to emerge is the desire to add personality to one’s home through the addition of architectural elements such as wainscotting, coffered ceilings, and “feature” walls created with furring strips in various patterns. Many clients are also painting their stair railings and balusters a dark brown/black or deep gray color. Some are even trying out these dark colors on the window/door framing and moldings of a “trial” room.
In sum, we have found that our clients are welcoming change and looking to stamp their individuality on their homes in many different ways, and are no longer afraid of color to do it!
Green Is In! While the color green in its many shades is always a perennial favorite among ACC’s clients, this year the majority of paint manufacturers have selected a green as their Color of the Year. As green represents renewal and growth and positively affects our physical health, we celebrate their selections:
Benjamin Moore – Make room for creativity with October Mist 1495, the Benjamin Moore Color of the Year 2022. This gently shaded sage quietly anchors a space, while encouraging individual expression through color.
Sherwin Williams – Evergreen Fog SW 9130, Soothing, subtle and a perfect shade to freshen up any space.
McCormick Paints – It’s time to Chillax. Our 2022 Color of the Year has an airy, soothing tone that is comfortable in a rustic, modern, or traditional space. This white has no boundaries, a timeless classic.
PPG – Olive Sprig PPG 1125-4 After a year of stay-at-home orders and too few IRL (in-real-life) moments in 2020 and 2021, homeowners, designers, architects and facility managers are craving authenticity, nature and meaningful human interaction after living in a mostly digital world.
Behr – Breeseway MQ3-21 – evokes feelings of coolness and peace while representing a desire to move forward and discover newfound passions.
The America’s Color Consultants LLC’ tagline is “We Make Choosing the Perfect Paint Color Easy!” With over 15 years of experience we’ve found the term “perfect” has proven elusive for a few of our clients. Every so often we have a client who describes themselves as a “perfectionist.” Uh oh. While 99% of the colors selected with our client’s participation are, indeed, “perfect” and work for them, we sometimes can’t match a client’s perception. We educate our clients that many variables can affect what they see in a color as they seek “perfection.” Here are some examples of what I mean:
Example 1: The client sees a color in a magazine and requests that shade for their space. They are disappointed when they see it as an actual sample. What went wrong?
Magazine use a CMYK printing process.
Answer: Magazines are a printed medium and paint is a suspension medium of chemicals and pigments. Printed pieces can only try to get close to the same shade nuance. The client should use the printed color as an inspiration and starting point, but not have the color in the picture as the expectation. Paint color is influenced by many factors.
Example 2: The client uses a manufacturer’s online tool to select colors for their space, but when they put up samples, the colors are not the same. What gives?
Electronic devices use RGB color.
Answer – Much like the answer for Example 1, a computer is a different medium and consequently can only get close to showing you what the true color of the paint is. It can be a good starting point for seeing what a change of color can look like in full coverage of a space (vs a small chip or sample), but don’t expect the color you see on the screen to be what you see on your walls.
Example 3: The client wants the same paint color found in one room of their home painted in a different space. They have the name of the paint manufacturer and color from 8 years ago. When a new gallon is purchased, it is close in color, but doesn’t look the same as the original room. Why?
Paint uses pigment, diferent pigments are mixed to create the paint color.(color above SW 6425 Relentless Olive)
Answer – Paint can look a bit different in different spaces for a wide variety of reasons: The paint in the original space has dulled over time; The orientation of the room’s natural lighting (NEWS) and time of day of use and affect color perception; Manufacturers of paint change the base formula every 3-5 years which can affect color nuance; Calibration of the computerized paint mixers can be off/need cleaning; Human error at paint store (wrong code punched in); Sheen of paint affects color – pearl and matte finishes will appear differently in addition to all of the above.
One of the most popular current home decor trends is removable peel ‘n stick wallpapers and murals. They are being featured on all the home decorating shows and are available everywhere – in stores, online, specialty stores, even Target! And they’ve come a long way from the days of contact paper: there is a wide variety of styles, patterns and colors available. They are perfect for mercurial personalities who don’t/can’t commit to a permanent wallpaper design, those who like to change up a space on a regular basis, and also for renters who have to change their space back to “blah” at the end of a lease. As with every product there is a wide range of quality, with complaints that range from toosticky and not repositionable to a lack of stick-ness. It is best to read product reviews before committing to a specific product.
Alexandria artist Ashley Spencer has been at the forefront of the removable wallpaper trend, designing and creating custom and semi-custom wallpapers and murals since 2009. The company creates unique, gorgeous repositionable, removable and reusable wallpapers and wall murals. Ms. Spencer has noticed that since the pandemic people are anxious to bring elements of nature indoors. Her clients like the instant gratification that comes with peel ‘n stick products, but are taking the time to research and purchase quality products like hers. Casart wallcoverings are print-to-order, which adds a sustainable practicality to her high-grade designer wall coverings.
Check out Casart’s website casartcoverings.com and for help with color and pattern selections, you can always turn to your friendly neighborhood America’s Color Consultant!
Birds & Birch, Cloud Murals and Shell Fish Tropical.
Say goodbye to the all-white pristine kitchen. Calming colors from serene blues to warm neutral greens are the upcoming color trends for 2021. Combining warm hues with bright pops of color is on the rise for 2021. After a year of being stuck at home, many people are choosing to update their living space to create a warmer and more sanguine environment. A cool grey paint in the kitchen matched with vibrant yellow accent furniture pieces elicits a vibe of positivity and warmth.
As color in the kitchen becomes more common, there may be an increase in popularity among homeowners with painting their cabinets green. Green is a combination between blue and yellow on the color spectrum and can work well with both cool and warm color palettes. Adding green accents in a grey painted kitchen can help bring the room to life and make it more vibrant. With industrial interior styles on the rise, green and other vibrant colors mix well with metal and wood elements. The days of having all white kitchens are behind us, as color makes its way back into the kitchen!
Updating your home’s exterior with a fresh coat of paint is a task many homeowners will undertake with spring approaching and is undoubtedly one of the most important factors to consider when it comes to enhancing your home’s curb appeal. And there’s no wonder why exterior paint colors are important – they can make or break a potential homebuyer’s perception of your home.
With so many paint colors, finishes, and factors to consider when undertaking an exterior paint update, choosing a paint color can seem like an intimidating decision to make. To help ease the stress that comes with such a big design decision, we asked paint color experts from Austin, TX all the way to Warrenton, VA for their best exterior house painting tips to make your painting project a breeze.
1) Start with the Rule of 3
Start by choosing 3 coordinating colors. From there, choose a darker color than you initially think; the sun washes colors out quite a bit, so take the time to paint samples on a large sample board. I like to use the 20×30 poster board you can get at any craft store. –Nest Obsessed Interior Design
2) Simplify the process
Use a 3-step process to tackle your exterior paint project:
Select colors that complement the period of your home.
Divide your home into 3 sections when selecting paint colors: Siding color, Trim color, Door and/or Shutter color
Then, place the samples at the front of your home, or on an area where you can see all three paint selections working together, and observe them during different times of the day.
It’s always best to paint large samples on the building before you start painting and look at the swatches at different times of the day. Keep this exterior house painting tip in mind if you’re choosing a white paint color for your home exterior. Off-whites can come across as a stark white when painted outside, and grays tend to turn bluish due to the lighting, so it’s best to choose a gray with some yellow in it. Remember, you can always go deeper in color hues on the exterior compared to interiors. –Catalina Paints
4) Keep it minimal
Narrow your exterior color choices down to only two colors: body color and trim color. The stone and roof colors will make up the rest of the palette, but be sure that there’s a definite contrast between the two colors. If your trim color is going to be white, be sure to avoid any pink or yellow undertones. Choose the most neutral white you can get. The best way to determine the undertones is to compare a few samples to each other, such as using paint chips from the store and place them on a white background under good light, preferably exterior, to see the undertones and eliminate any visible whites with color to it.
Any color painted on an exterior surface will be much lighter because of the exposure to daylight, so when you choose your darker color, don’t be afraid to choose a deeper value (darker shades) to ensure that the color doesn’t “wash out.” –Max Ruthven Color & Design
5) When in doubt, test it out
Be sure to sample for the ‘true color’ (how the paint color will ultimately read) of the paint you choose. Use the exterior house painting tip to get the true color for your sample by priming large portions on two sides of your house. When testing color samples, don’t put a sample over the existing color as it will “shift” the color, and don’t paint samples right next to each other. Having two colors side by side can cause them to “shift,” which can change our perception. And, when testing your samples, do two coats. Buy a quart (not the sample pint), so you can sample both the sheen and grade of paint- these both can change how the color reads on your home’s exterior. –Luxury Color Design
6) Don’t rely solely on the paint chips
One huge mistake while selecting exterior colors is to choose colors that are too light. What looks perfect on a color chip will appear much lighter in natural light. An exterior house painting tip to avoid this mistake is to always find your perfect color and go one to two shades darker. –The Business of Color
7) Consider the altitude of your house
Moisture softens colors, so a good exterior house painting tip to keep in mind is to choose a less vibrant color if you are at a higher elevation. The higher you are, the less water vapor is in the air. For example, if you live in Denver and want a yellow house, look at buttery tones instead of lemon ones. –The Color Psychic
8) Use your home’s history to your advantage
The history of your home can actually make it easier to choose a paint palette, as many paint brands are featuring collections that are “historic,” which can help narrow down your choices. Take a moment to research the decade your home was built, and you will find amazing paint color choices that you might not have ever considered. Whether your home is a mid-century ranch or a Victorian three-story beauty, there are swatches out there that will enhance your home’s charm and make it the talk of the neighborhood. –Splendid House Interiors
9) Take cues from your neighborhood
Identify your home’s style and neighborhood, existing elements of your home’s exterior, and nature around the home.Taking the time to survey your neighborhood will help you eliminate colors that not only won’t work for your home but also keep your neighbors happy. –Georgio Savva
10) Play around with accent colors
Add some personality with accent colors on your front door or shutters and paint the siding or larger planes of the house in a more neutral color. Take a hint from London or Paris, where most homeowners paint their doors in unique colors to make them stand out. It showcases the personality of the people who live there and is also easy to change when you are ready for a new hue. –Christine Billings Interior Design
11) Examine the fixed elements on your home
Look at colors independently or against the fixed elements (brick /stone) on the home. Don’t compare paint color choices next to one another but look at them independently on large painted sample boards in the exterior environment. –Your Color Consultant
12) Take inspiration from existing masonry
Use the existing roof and other accent materials like brick or stone to choose the color. These are often the hardest materials to change, so build the colors around that. We also love to pick one tone and play with multiple different saturations of that color to create unity and depth. –Frederick James Designs
13) Strike a balance with a neutral color palette
No matter the style of the house, you can’t go wrong with a palette of monochromatic neutrals. Look to any stone or brickwork as your color guide. Using the same paint color strip, select two of the mid-to-lighter tones. The trim color can be either the lighter or darker tone, and the body of the house the other. Use a black/dark color for the window rails, sashes, and grills for a sophisticated, updated look. The doors can be either the dark color of the window grills or a choice that introduces the color scheme found inside the house. –America’s Color Consultants
14) Pick colors that compliment permanent fixtures
The right exterior paint color depends on which elements are staying. If your home has a stone facade, select a paint color that compliments the stone with a similar undertone. By doing this, your home will have a cohesive color palette and will look beautiful. If your roof is brown, select a paint color with a warm tone, such as a soft creamy white. A black or charcoal roof provides the most versatile paint color options and works well with blue, grey, and white. –Styled Interiors
15) Familiarize yourself with the color wheel
Pick 2 to 3 colors that you love and match them to the rest of the home’s exterior. Once the colors have been chosen, they can be customized by reducing or mixing them with another base color. When we do either of these options, it’s always onsite at the home in a small sample section to see how it looks against the rest of the selections. This helps the client get a unique color. –Yvonne Christensen Design
16) Pay attention to tone
It’s important to find a color that has tone added to the pigments. Tone is adding gray to the pigments, which results in making the intensity of the color duller. This helps the color from being degraded from the Texas UV. Also, move down the monochromatic scale to a darker version of the color preferred. The color will often look lighter when applied in direct sun. –Clement’s Paint
17) Use color charts as references
I tend to select colors off historical color charts, as they are often more architecturally appropriate for exterior usage. One of my favorite ways to select an exterior paint color is to drive around town and identify existing homes that resonate with the look we hope to achieve. Then I knock on the door, express my admiration for their beautiful home, and politely ask if they wouldn’t mind sharing the color. Sometimes going the old-fashioned way is the best exterior house painting tip. –Salt Design Co.
18) Not sure where to start? Ask for an expert’s opinion
Hiring a professional color consultant can save you time and money. While it may not seem like it at first, buying paint samples can add up, and making a mistake that could require a repaint can be expensive. Receiving exterior house painting tips on trends, styles, and the impact lighting has on your color choices are huge benefits of hiring an expert. –Ashford Painting
When working with clients to develop a color palette for their homes, I am often met with the sentiment “I don’t want my house to look like a clown house.” These clients fear color. As a trained artist and color expert, I use the four S’s to help them select what will be their ideal color solution.
Simplicity, Strength, Sizzle, Sophistication. These Four S’s have been used for decades as the foundation in graphic design, interior design, architecture and most creative fields. In each category the S’s might differ somewhat, but the general idea remains the same.
Simplicity – The simpler something is, the longer its life. When things are simple we do not tire of them as quickly. If you do not plan to paint for another 20 years, consider choosing this path. An example of this is a monochromatic color palette. Simple does not necessarily mean all white or beige.
Strength – This can mean something different for each person. For paint it means a bold, saturated paint color.
Sizzle – Some people just like things that are exciting – colors that create energy. Complementary and analogous colors can also create this color energy.
Sophistication – In the paint world this can also be defined as classy, refined or elegant.
Sophisticated color does not shout at you, and does not stand in opposition to its furnishings. These colors usually fall into the mid-range of intensity.
From Left to right: Bohemian Lace (HGSW-4052); White Diamond (BM-OC-61); Pure White (SW-7005); Alabaster (SW 7008).From Left to right: Mindful Gray (SW-7016); Revere Pewter (BM-HC-172); Classic Gray (BM-OC-23); Collingwood (BM-OC-28).From Left to right: Antique Glass (BM-CSP-695); Sea Salt (SW 6204); Borrowed Light (Farrow & Ball); Aleutian (SW 624l).From Left to right: Full Moon (SW 6679); Napery (SW 6388); Behr P270-2 September Morning; Kilim Beige (SW 6106).From Left to right: Urbane Bronze (SW 7048); Grizzle Gray (SW-7068); Stargazer (SW-9635); Lichen (Farrow & Ball). From Left to right: First Light (BM 2102-70); In Bloom (Magnolia), Dune Grass (BM 492); Behr RD-W14 Aria Ivory.
Sherwin-William paints are indicated as SW, and Benjamin-Moore as BM.
Happy New Year! It’s that time when all the new paint “colors of the year” have been revealed. And there is a hue for everyone! There are soft, muted colors, colors born in nature, bold colors, and dark, moody colors. You can easily Google “Paint Colors of the Year 2021” and find links (and lengthy tomes) from all the popular paint manufacturers. Some of these colors will prove to be trendy – lasting 4-8 years in popularity, and several will prove to be a fad – out of favor in just a year or two.
Many of the shades you see among the major players were developed in coordination with the home decor and furnishings industry several years ago. That’s why you find lots of items that “match” among those manufacturers in any given year. The past several years have seen the continuation of the neutrals trend with the current favorite, gray, now moving from the cooler shades toward the warmer ones being referred to as “greiges”.
America’s Color Consultants often work with people who have had their current furnishings from “a few” to “many” years and more often than not, want a refresh as opposed to a total home redo. Consequently, we are working with fabrics and colors that are not currently “on trend.”
When a client wants a more “modern” color (currently meaning gray) we see which of the beautiful neutrals on the market will work best with their rugs, drapes, furniture, light sources, etc. Because grays are actually black and white paints tinted with color, there is a gray shade of every color.
Over the past 15 years ACC has consulted hundreds of times with homeowners and small businesses and enjoyed the insights of national paint manufacturers and local paint stores, realtors and home owners. We have put together our first ACC Collection of Real Life Favorite Paint Colors (ours and our clients!). A few are personal favorites and colors we would love to spec for someone with bold ambitions; others have proven to be very popular for those planning to sell their properties in a few years; changing from a bright to a neutral; and several are those colors that have proven time again to be both popular and tried and true for clients on the east and west coasts.
Color is SO subjective and there are many factors that are considered when searching for a new paint color. We never push our own personal preferences, but when asked we certainly offer them! Our job, of course, is to educate our clients, guide the process, and assist in identifying the color that makes them say “YES – that’s it!” Experience, product knowledge and industry familiarity make us a valuable tool in your home improvement arsenal!
America’s Color Consultants Real Life Color of 2021 is Agreeable Gray (SW 7029).
While the name of this shade may elicit a yawn, and suggests it is neutral to the point of non-existence, nothing could be further from the truth, in our opinion.
This versatile shade of greige is happy to play with everyone. A medium light shade, it has an Light Reflective Value of 60, so it reflects a fair amount of light, but won’t wash out, and looks great with white or natural wood trim. It works well in any room with any furniture style and loves complementary earth tones. It can stand up to bold accent colors, too. It can comfortably be used in one room or the entire house. It has been a popular choice for all these reasons for the past 10 years with our clients and shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.
With design trends that are more modern and neutrals maintaining their popularity, accent walls are a good way of accentuating artwork or a fireplace or just adding a surprising jolt of color. An accent wall is a wall painted in a different color than the rest of the room. Usually a contrast to the predominant room color, it could also be a similar color but with a different pattern. Wood, tiles or wall paper can provide that beautiful contrast. There are numerous products on the market now that can serve the purpose.
Random Lengths Butternut Brown Vintage Shiplap Planks
Be careful though – an improperly created accent wall could make the room feel smaller. It’s a safer bet to use accent walls primarily for living rooms or family rooms, rather than smaller rooms such as bedrooms. However, a properly done accent wall behind the headboard of the bed can work very well. An adventurous homeowner could even choose to have two accent walls: multiple accent walls create an accented space. But it would be best to make sure the colors work particularly well together: if the accent colors are fighting each other for attention, then the effect could range from odd to atrocious!
