Styles of house siding vary greatly from region to region not only because of local trends but also because of environmental factors. The coast features ocean and sand where other areas might feature the green of fields. This coastal environment makes some siding colors more appropriate than others. Still, while the environment of the coast makes a certain palette more suitable, the east and west coast cultures of the U.S. differ in their color preferences.
Northeast Coast
The Northeastern U.S. is the birthplace of the country and features some of the oldest buildings and settlements in America. Complementing this traditional backdrop, coastal homes in the Northeastern U.S. commonly feature a conservative color palette with both light and white shades. Although some coastal homes are shades of blue, such as light blue and Wedgewood, many prefer shades of light brown and tan, yellow, white and various shades of light gray. All of these shades suit white trim and most contribute to the "colonial" look that springs from this part of the country. In fact, proprietary shades such as Sherwin Williams Colonial Yellow and McCormick Paint's Colonial White are a reflection of this tendency.
Southeastern Coast
Although the Southeastern coast gets more sunlight and would benefit from the light reflection properties of light and white colors, coastal residents prefer neutral colors such as the cool neutral grays and the warm neutral cream and sand colors. While these colors do not reflect or absorb a great deal of light and will not affect the temperature of a home, they do complement stucco, stone and other common building materials used in the region. Also common in the southeastern coastal region are pastels such as muted shades of orange or green.
West Coast
Also a region that receives a great deal of sunlight, west coastal houses use light shades of yellow and green as well as earth tones such as light red and wheat for their homes. These colors reflect a great deal of sunlight, lowering the ambient temperature of the home along with the utilities bill. Additionally, earth tones such as wheat and sage green complement the colors in the surrounding environment.
Colors of the Coast
Of course, the colors of the coast themselves are often used to paint homes of any coast. Blues are favorite coastal colors that reflect the different colors of the ocean. Colors, such as Behr's Water Flow, are brighter while the deep blue Hawaii reflects the distant ocean. Sand is reflected in colors such as Sherwin Williams Sand while the sun is shown in colors such as Behr's June Day or Sun Shower.
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