Take a cue from wood's natural colors and use shades of brown.
Exterior paints can be mixed to match nearly any color you desire, but for your exterior wood, it's often best to choose neutral tones that blend with the surrounding areas and don't draw too much attention. Modern exterior color palettes tend to emphasize muted tones, but offset them with richer colors on trim elements such as window and door frames. Wooden decks may be considered trim or architectural accents in many cases, so that wood can often be painted a bolder color than the rest of the home.
Wheat
Wheat tones in paint take the neutrality of white but add interest and warmth with a bit of natural brown. Painting your exterior wood in the ultra-light brown or wheat range can give your exterior wood a clean, tidy look that attracts the eye without overwhelming the surroundings. Accent your wheat-colored wood with deep reddish purples or rich browns in the chocolate or mahogany range. Dark stained wood also accents wheat-painted wood nicely. Cinnamon reds provide warm contrast for this color.
White
White is a classic color for exterior wood and it can be accented to fit nearly any era's style. Apply primer to your clean exterior wood, even if it has been previously painted, then add two coats of a high quality white paint for a smooth, even finish. Accent your white with cinnamon red, rich brown, navy blue or even black for a modern look. For older style home exteriors, try brick red, dark gray or slate blue trim. Nearly any color goes with white, so don't be afraid to choose accent colors that appeal to you, or take your cue from your surroundings and try to match paint colors with flowers, trees or other nearby architecture.
Brown
Brown wood never goes out of style, but the popular shades change from year to year. If you're painting a cedar home in a wooded setting, try finding browns that match the cedar's natural tone as much as possible, or go darker to match the surrounding tree bark. In suburban settings, choose medium browns in rich, warm tones, such as caramel or light coffee tones. Any of these may be accented with white or shades of brown that are significantly lighter or darker than your primary shade. Greens and reds also make good accents for brown wood, especially in deeper shades and natural ranges, such as forest or moss greens and clay reds.
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