Exterior Colors As with interior painting, when exterior painting it is best to think in terms of sets of colors instead of single colors. However the activity is often more complicated because houses tend to be built of a number of materials that have different textures, such as solid wood siding paired with a rock base or a brick building with timber trim. If you want to emphasize the difference in textures, paint each element an alternative color.
The Whole Picture When picking colors, note that two colors which may work well together as a siding and trim combo, may clash with the roofing color or various other elements such as the deck or landscaping. So when picking colors, remember to factor in things you can't, or won't change, such as the roof covering material, the close by ground coverings and plantings, any masonry work, and the color of your neighbors' houses.
Local Covenants When deciding on a house color, consider the local customs in your area. It is significantly common for towns and communities to insist upon some control over house colors. For instance, in the resort community of Hilton Head, SC, residents must choose external surfaces colors from a restricted palette of muted shades and even the stop signs have color constraints, whereas in metropolis of Charleston, there is a well-known district of pastel-colored homes called "Rainbow Row" where strong colors are welcome. Some designed communities can even fine you or make you repaint your home unless you use one of the accepted paint colors.
Testing Different Color Schemes As with the inside color selection process, you can start deciding on color placement without actually painting anything. Copy or sketch an outline drawing of your home and then make several photocopies to try different strategies. Utilize a pencil or highlighter and shade your home’s features and experiment with several high-lighting alternatives. Determine which features you would like to emphasize and which ones you would like to hide. The target here is to create a well balanced whole where no factor appears to dominate. By "pre-painting" this way you will not only avoid any disappointments you will be inspired to try some distinctive strategies before you pick up the paintbrush.
Some paint stores have computers that will "paint" your house for you right on the screen. The better systems are prepared to scan a high-quality photo of your house. Or you can provide a high resolution digital image. Even though you are not able to get an exact reproduction of your property, these programs will provide you with a sense of what kinds or combinations are pleasing and demonstrate some ideas of how you may paint.
Now that you have selected the colors for your home it is time to decide which colors should be assigned to specific architectural elements. Generally the siding is done in one color, but if there is ornamental molding above the first floor, another color siding can be quite interesting. Casings around doors and windows should all be the same color or the home will seem too over done. If there are attractive highlights in your trimming and molding, several colors are fine if the design repeats on the whole structure. Some Victorian homes can look balanced with six colors, so there is absolutely no firm rule.
One common fashion is to color the window sash and trim a color that is lighter than the body of the house. Shutters, if present, are usually painted darker than the home body. Naturally, fashions change. For instance, at the turn of the century, gloss black was typically the most popular choice for the home window sash. Nevertheless, you hardly ever see gloss dark-colored paint today except on shutters.
Highlight ornate trim work, below left, with eye catching colors.
Below are a Couple Tips for other Architectural Highlights:
Front Entry Create a dazzling effect with the addition of an accent color to this important element of your house. For example, a white house with a door decorated a bright color, such as red or green, pulls attention to the door making the entrance seem more appealing.
Frieze A historically appropriate treatment for the frieze is by using both the trim and body colors. Allow the trim color to be the dominant one to mark a clear difference from the top of the siding. Take care not to introduce way too many colors; you might finish up with an effect that is way too busy.
Corner Brackets Brackets have to be perceived as part of the overall framework and really should be painted so as to not appear they are "floating free" of the structure. Use the basic trim color. Stay away from too much color. Some painters put in a leading edge of scarlet to these features.
Sandwich Brackets Sandwich brackets are just a little different. Because they contain more than one layer and are more technical than simple corner mounting brackets, it is more suitable to utilize several colors. Paint the exterior portions to complement the trim and frieze, and the center another color showing off your scroll work.
Support Post If you have simple rectangular wooden posts on a porch, you almost certainly don't want to emphasize them with their own color. Color them to match either the overall trim or body paint of your structure. However, if your posts have special millwork, such as a chamfer over a square post or a ring over a turned post, it is quite acceptable to point out these adornments with a flourish.
Many people like to paint porch ceilings sky blue because they say the color mimics nature. White columns put in a nice contrasting touch.
Railings The rails are essentially extensions of the posts. Therefore, they are usually colored in the same color as the posts.
Balusters Try painting the balusters a lighter color than the rails. In the event the posts and rails have been treated in the main body color, try to use the trim colors to make them stand out. Even though you have elaborately worked balusters, avoid way too many colors to demonstrate your handiwork. Aside from the amount of time that might be involved in highlighting each baluster, the effect will look busy.
Ceiling and Floors Porches are painted certain colors not only for beautification, but as matters of practicality. Light colored ceilings help maintain a feeling of airiness and brightness. Painting porch ceilings blue is a method that is used for years and years to suggest the sky overhead. It is rumored to keep nesting bugs, such as hornets, from settling in. If the undersides of your porch ceiling rafters are uncovered, you might color them by using a combination of the body and trim colors. A dark floor is even more useful since it shows dirt and grime and tracks less readily than a floor decorated in a lighter color.
Steps and Risers The risers of wooden steps are usually painted the trim color, as the treads carry a surface (porch or deck) to the bottom and really should be painted in the same color. The handrail and balusters on the steps should be decorated to match the porch rail and baluster color plan.
Cement Foundations Many residences have a ring of brick or concrete blocks below the siding. Although it is fine to have this band the same color as the siding, a darker color makes the house seem solidly planted and can hide dirt and grime. Basement windows are generally decorated the same dark color to de-emphasize them.
A bright accent color, below left draws attention to this door.
Advanced Tips: There are many online paint planning programs. Leading paint manufacturers such as Benjamin Moore (www.benjaminmoore.com), Valspar (www.valsparatlowes.com), Glidden (www.glidden.com), and Sherwin Williams (www.sherwin-williams.com) feature paint color planners online. Simply search "virtual paint color planner" on the Internet for a list.
A terrific way to take a look at how colors work together is to see them in fabrics. Fabrics tend to be created by people who research color and have worked with it for a long time. The microcosm of a couch and pillow combination in a favorite catalog may contain the color scheme that will make your home look spectacular
Prefab Color Schemes Deciding on the specific colors in a multicolor plan is a little tricky. It's the reason that almost all of the major paint companies have created "combo cards" to help you to pick body, trim, and accent colors in a single step. These colors are also available in historical shades designed to match the most common color schemes of certain periods. One nice feature of the cards is that the trim and accent color chips often overlap the body color, which helps demonstrate a more realistic relationship.
Sound Quality Painting
824 90th Dr SE suite B
Lake Stevens WA 98258
(425) 512-7400
https://sites.google.com/1upserve.com/painter-lake-stevens
