Choosing paint for the exterior of your home is an important decision as it has a big impact on the curb appeal and first impressions of your property, plus it is a costly and time-consuming job.
The surroundings, architectural style and the materials your property are constructed from are all key considerations when choosing paint colors for an exterior, but it is also a good idea to research exterior paint trends to help aid your decision. To get you inspired we’ve consulted industry experts on the key exterior paint trends and have shared their tips on how to go about picking the perfect palette.
What are the exterior paints trends for 2024?
When it comes to trending exterior paint colors and treatments, neutral palettes continue to dominate, but darker and earthier tones are becoming more prominent. Rather than cool greys, as with interiors, warmer tones are coming through including off whites, greige, taupes, browns and soft brownish-blacks.
‘We’ve seen a new emerging trend in exterior paint colors in the last couple of years: black and dark exteriors,’ says Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin Williams. ‘Dark paint colors have always been popular for exteriors, especially for doors and trims, but from the amount of gallons sold lately we can tell homeowners are now using it on the entire home.'
Just as with interior paint trends, warm earthy colors and those inspired by nature continue to be popular as we seek to reconnect with nature.
'Exterior decorating trends are following those we are seeing in interiors, with rich warm hues and earthy natural colors being embraced alongside joyful year-round sunny yellows and more traditional coastal blues and sea greens,' says Ruth Mottershead, marketing director and creative director at Little Greene. 'We have seen a move towards sumptuous cocooning interiors with the use of rich and indulgent browns and mid-tone caramels. These earthy yet refined shades create a perfect backdrop for the natural colors and textures of leafy greens and wood finishes found in exteriors too.'
While it’s useful to familiarize yourself with paint trends, they can come and go, so when it comes to something as permanent as your home's exterior, it's important to look at the bigger picture when making decisions say the experts.
‘You really need to consider your geographic location, the style of your home and surrounding elements when you pick out your exterior color. Particularly with older homes, or those really adhering to a historic style, you should spend a little time researching what these homes were typically painted,’ says Gaia Guidi Filippi, founder, and principal designer at Gaia G Interiors.
‘The direction your home is facing will also have a huge impact on how the color will appear, with north and east-facing homes receiving cooler light and south/west get that warmer glow. So as a general rule of thumb, you should select a warmer shade for the former and paints that have a touch more gray in them for the latter,' says Gaia Guidi Filippi.
It's also paramount to research the paint formula best suited to your property, taking into account the materials it is made from and the climate you live in, to ensure the paint is durable and performs correctly. 'You also want your paint to stand up to the elements, especially in certain parts of the country, so it’s important to select great quality paint and use a company that has a lot of experience in exterior painting,' adds Gaia Guidi Filippi.
1. Make a statement with dark paint colors
According to the experts, dark paint colors are becoming increasingly popular for home exteriors. While they aren’t for everyone, they can be a wonderful way to create a chic and edgy look. Try a brownish black or a soft black to make things easier on the eye.
‘At Clare, we do see darker colors trending upward overall and while dark shades have traditionally been viewed as a risky color choice, it seems as though customers have a growing appetite for deeper, moodier shades and are less afraid to make a bold choice’ says Nicole Gibbons, founder and CEO of Clare.
‘This exterior was previously a shade of beige and the owner wanted a dark shade to help camouflage all its imperfections and make it feel less dated and more modern. Goodnight Moon, our deep midnight blue, was a great choice. The dark shade makes the home pop, creating a strong contrast against the nature-filled setting of Yosemite where his home is located. It’s also a testament to the power of paint and how the right color can completely change the look of your home’s exterior.’
2. Keep things timeless with neutrals
Neutral tones continue to be go-to colors for house exteriors. Calming and safe, they never date and complement myriad architectural styles.
'As much as people are embracing bold color inside their homes at the moment, I feel like exteriors are increasingly leaning neutral,' says Gaia Guidi Filippi, founder and principal designer at Gaia G Interiors. 'There’s a lot of white houses now, and a ton of older brick homes being painted white or German schmeared (a technique where you apply a thin coat of mortar on brick and then smear it off, so it has a whitewashed look). The whites I am seeing tend to be warmer and creamier lately - which is a stunning, timeless look that I did on my own brick home with Benjamin Moore's White Dove. Almost as many homes are being painted very dark charcoals, often combined with wood accents for more modern looks.'
Gaia Guidi Filippi stresses that when picking neutrals it's best to be guided by the architecture. 'If you have a traditional home, you can opt for bright whites as the main color and the windows, then do a rich taupe on the shutters, and add some sophisticated personality on the door with an earthy green, for example. If the home more modern, you can try a smoky gray, black trim and a wood-toned door. And if you are lucky enough to have a Victorian home, you can explore a whole bunch of pastel and fun colors, along with white trim.'
Another key component is the color of your roof she adds. 'Where lighter colors go better with dark roofs and redder tones do well with beiges and creams. And definitely test out large areas with a couple of selections, then look at them in trying light at different times of the day before making your final decision.'
3. Choose warm earthy colors
As with interior paint trends 2024, warm earthy colors are growing in popularity as we seek comforting colors that complement the natural world. 'With earthly tones on trend, opt for hues in the tan, green or gray color family for a warm and welcoming look on wood siding. Terracotta and brown shades continue to increase in popularity and they can blend seamlessly with nature,' explains Erika Woelfel, VP of color and creative services at Behr. 'Neutrals with a bold twist will be big in 2024 and creates visual interest as well as dimension on home exteriors.'
As well as blending beautifully with natural environments warm, brownish tones can also be used as a clever visual device to make certain structures easier on the eye. Here the use of multiple brown tones helps soften the strong architectural shapes of the building. The property is painted in Behr's Spanish Sand on the main house body, trim and garage door with Rivera Beach on the vertical panels. Baronial Brown is used for the for the front door and Tugboat is on the front fence and porch rail.
4. Use color to highlight architectural features
Increasingly homeowners lucky enough to own period properties are looking to celebrate the architecture of their homes and are using paint to highlight the period features. When Louise Copeland, founder of L.B. Copeland Interiors took on the remodel of this mid-19th century Gothic Revival property in Germantown, NY, she took care to respect its architectural history inside and out and chose to highlight the decorative period details including the gable accents and window frames in a beautiful green shade set against a warm neutral.
The green was the perfect choice on several levels, not only does it link seamlessly with the beautiful rural surroundings, but the home had belonged to a naturalist and horticulturist in the past so the green fittingly pays homage to the history of the property.
'The interesting thing about this house is that it’s almost 200 years old and the Browns are only the sixth owners in all that time,' says Louise Copeland. 'The man who built it in the 1830s was a ship captain and built a dock on the property, which is the highest point in the area to see all the ships coming in. Then a naturalist purchased it, followed by a director of horticulture, so everyone had the property for long periods of time, putting their own touches on the home and landscape.'
Choosing colors that complement the history of a building is advice echoed throughout the industry. 'I’m a strong believer in choosing a color palette that speaks to you but there are definitely historically accurate colors that are associated with various architecture styles,' says Nicole Gibbons, founder and CEO of Clare.
5. Choose colors that complement natural surroundings
When choosing exterior paint colors architects, developers and interior designers advise drawing inspiration from the surrounding scenery to ensure the house sits harmoniously within its environment.
'Typically, we like to avoid trends when it comes to something as permanent as our client’s homes, but we have seen a shift in clients requesting more natural color palettes with darker hues that blend seamlessly into the surrounding nature. We love seeing a dark-painted home surrounded by lush landscaping,' says Cintra Sedalik, interior designer at Herlong Architecture and Interiors.
Interior designer Nitya Namya, based in India, agrees that in recent times, there has been a noticeable swing to more earthy and natural shades in exterior colors. 'Homeowners prefer colors such as sage green, muted blues or warm taupes which blend well with the nature around their houses. This increasing fashion is driven by people’s desire to have serene exterior environments that reflect the surrounding ecology.'
6. Use bold colors by the patio
Using dark colors on walls adjacent to a patio area can be a wonderful way to bring personality to an outdoor space, and it's a trend we're noticing more and more with colors ranging from bold sunshine yellows to deep moody greens.
'Everyone’s familiar with the concept of an interior accent wall but choosing a strong accent color to highlight architectural elements of a home, or in this case, ground an outdoor living space, can really add a lot of interest to a home’s exterior color palette,' says Nicole Gibbons.
7. Stand out from the crowd with bold front door colors
Painting the front door is an easy and quick way to stamp your personality on your home exterior and is the ultimate first impression you can make with your home. Although it's a simple DIY project that can be done over a weekend, painting a front door can make a big impact on the curb appeal of your property. Increasingly we're seeing homeowners pairing neutral walls with rich and bold front door colors and it's something noted by the color experts too.
'Enduring exterior wall colors include muted tones like Cadogan Stone No. 59 and Egyptian Grey No. 154, while doors are often in classic bolder shades like Brompton Road No. 205. We are seeing a growing popularity for red, and Blomster JB. 01 from our newest collection with Jinny Blom, formulated for both the interior and exterior of the home, is proving popular– try it on a window frame or front door for a pop of cheerful color,' says Dominic Myland, CEO of Mylands. 'Mixing the vibrancy and shades of exterior paints creates a dynamic look that adds character to the outside of a home, while sticking to more unified schemes allows for a seamless and sophisticated design.'
As with walls and masonry paint, the key to choosing the right shade is to be led by the architecture and your surroundings. 'When choosing your door color, think how it will respond to your brick, stone, or render. Sampling is really important before you invest in your topcoat color,' advises Patrick O'Donnell, brand ambassador at Farrow & Ball. 'We are loving ox blood reds such as Deep Reddish Brown in Full Gloss against red brick and Inchyra Blue in Exterior Eggshell looks beautiful against most stonework.'
Light, neutral colors continue to rule when it comes to house exteriors, with warmer neutrals growing in popularity over cooler greys. 'Neutral tones are a great choice when it comes to paint for the exterior of a property – offering a clean, timeless look that will stand the test of time,' explains Bailey Oates, color expert at Earthborn.
To ensure the color and paint treatment you choose will endure across the years be sure to take into account the context of your home, including the architecture style surroundings.
