Every neighborhood has at least one home that stands out as the community eyesore with awful, clashing paint colors that adorn the exterior. Bright turquoise or electric lime green might be nice accent color choices, but when painted on the whole house, they can quickly earn your home an unflattering nickname among your neighbors. Choosing beautiful, complementary colors for your home does not have to be an arduous process if you take the time to do your research and learn about how colors work together.
Home Style
The style or design of your house can dictate which direction you take in choosing colors. Historically, Victorian-style homes employ a diverse color palette that is designed to show off the gingerbread details and craftsmanship. Colonial homes often feature white prominently with darker accents added to shutters or other details. Modern homes are stunning with neutral earth tones, and bright pops of color can be used to accent special details. Look through design books or paint brochures to get ideas about which colors have been used on homes like yours.
Color Wheel
A color wheel is a tool used by designers to determine which colors might work well together. Three ways to use a color wheel are to use complementary colors, triadic colors or adjacent colors. Complementary colors are those that lie across from each other on the wheel, such as purple and yellow. Triadic, or three colors, lie equal distances from each other on the color wheel, such as violet, orange and green. The third option is to choose adjacent colors. This might mean choosing colors that are next to each other, such as orange and yellow, but it could also mean selecting several shades of the same color for a monochromatic look.
Get Inspired
Colors are difficult to picture just by looking at them in a book or on a paint swatch. Drive around neighborhoods with homes similar to yours and see what color schemes draw you in. If you find a home that you love, do not be afraid to ask the homeowners what paint colors they used. Once you have narrowed down your color choices, visit a paint store to buy paint samples. Paint small sections of your home with colors you love, making sure you see each sample against trim colors, brick and in all sorts of light since each of those circumstances can radically alter the appearance of each color. Live with your options for a couple of days before you decide on a final color palette for your home.
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