Exterior Paint
Painting your home inside is a budget friendly home makeover – but don’t forget the outside! Curb appeal is the term used for making your home look better from the exterior and it’s just as important as decorating the interior. In fact, curb appeal is one of the more important factors when planning to sell your home.
Picking an exterior paint color is just as important as the interior, if not more important. In this case, it’s not just an expression of your style, but a reflection on your neighborhood as well. Important considerations for choosing exterior paint color include:- How are the other homes in the surrounding area painted? You don’t want your home to stick out like a sore thumb when curb appeal is a consideration.
- Consider the features of the home that won’t be painted. If you have a brick front or brick wall on your home, consider the brick as part of the color scheme and paint accordingly.
- Don’t forget the accent colors – your shutters and trim need to be considered in the grand scheme of the exterior color palette.
- If you have a period home, consider the historical accuracy of the color palette. While painting a Victorian home in fun colors is oh-so tempting, consider the history of the home.
- Like interior paint, light colors make a house look larger, and white tends to be favored for traditional, classical homes. In fact, over 1/3 of homeowners prefer a white exterior.
- If your home is too close to the curb, consider a darker color, as dark colors tend to recede. If your home is further from the curb, consider a lighter color which will make the home ‘advance’ and look closer.
- Windowsills should be painted lighter colors to reflect the light and heat from the sun.
- Consider the size of your lot when choosing the exterior paint color, if you have a small home on a larger lot, the dark color may highlight the fact that the home is small, consider a lighter color. If you have a large home but a smaller lot size, consider a darker color choice to make the home size look more appropriate for the lot.
- Make sure you use color samples to see how the color looks in its setting. Don’t pick an exterior color inside a dimly lit store and expect it to have the same results outside on your home.