4 Steps to selecting the perfect exterior paint color

The perfect shade of white for your exterior isn't white! It needs to be a cream so it doesn't look stark

Painting your home is exciting, the power of paint never ceases to amaze me! 
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However, we need to ensure we pick the perfect body and trim colour. Here’s a few tips to get you started! 
I was thrilled that Sherwin Williams sponsored me for the paint, thank you SW!
We love their Emerald exterior latex! It went on smooth as silk and had superb coverage.

1. Note your existing elements and choose a color that works or compliments your existing elements such as: stonework, roofing, window frames, driveway/walkway color, exterior lighting (which can have cool or warm toned lighting), landscaping and immediate neighbours color choices.

Photos by: Sari V Photography Design by: Jil Sonia Interior Designs

    
2.  Likewise be aware of your neighbourhood homes to ensure you have not copied their existing color. You may need to check with neighbourhood restrictive covenants or strata agreements to ensure you are able to paint the color of your choice. Some neighbourhood covenants require you to stay within a color field to best represent a cohesive community aesthetic. It shows you are a good neighbour.

Photos by: Sari V Photography Design by: Jil Sonia Interior Designs

3.  Paint a few large sample boards or poster boards of a minimum of 11”x14”  sizing with your prospective color choices. Once dry, hold these color sample boards up against various features of your home such as in step 1 (noting exterior home elements) to see how they look. 

Remember with smaller color samples, getting a true representation of color is more difficult than with larger sample boards. Your exterior contains large painted surfaces/spaces , so it’s important to have larger sample boards to get a truer representation of how a color will work. 

 A great hint also is to choose a flat/matte sample paint color, to allow you to see the color without sunlight glare or possible exterior lighting de-coloration/accentuation. And with that said, your exterior lighting will also play a significant role in how you color will appear. Your light’s Kelvin measurement (color of light) will change the tone of you color choice too, just as will the direction of various sunlight from North, South, East and West which is what we call metamerism.

Photos by: Sari V Photography Design by: Jil Sonia Interior Designs

Designer Tip: Most exterior paint colors tend to look lighter and brighter outside so it is important to test your paint samples in the actual elements outside. Beware of selecting a trim color that is too white, it might look too bright and harsh.

It's good to have a few choices pre-painted, as lighting, shade, and time of day can present color nuance to your choices. Have 3-4 color choices made up for a field/body and trim color.

The color finish (matte/flat, satin, gloss etc) can reflect light and cause a different color experience. We recommend a flat/matte finish for the body, as it does not provide too much glare or a sheen. Your home’s exterior color personality will showcase better with a matte/color. Remember you want to see color and not a mirrored reflective color tone as with satin or gloss etc.

Photos by: Sari V Photography Design by: Jil Sonia Interior Designs

4.  Select your field (body) exterior color first, then secondly a trim color that accents it. Ensure your trim color choice works well with your window metal/polyurethane frame color. If you happen to be changing out your windows, black window frames are the best because they tend to disappear into the background of the glass from a distance.  Black window frames can make selecting your paint colours easier. When choosing the trim color, keep in mind the window casing/frame color and choose a complementary shade. No one wants a “bossy” window frame color ruining a good field and trim color choice for your home exterior.

Finally, before you begin purchasing large amounts of paint, it is vital that you paint a test sample area of your home. Picking an area of your house exterior that stands alone as a test color pallet is crucial. At this point take a couple of days to think over your choices. Your color experience will change dependant upon the daytime hours, the amount of sunlight and even your exterior lighting. 

And there you have it. We sure hope these tips and tricks can help you find the perfect color for your amazing home!