Your window, door and siding colors are likely the first things people notice about your home. A balanced exterior color scheme is a great way to show off your personality while creating a look you love coming home to every day. The question is, how do you do it? To start, consider a little color theory.
By remembering color theory when decorating your home, you can choose color combinations that evoke positive emotions. It will help you create a balanced exterior look that is neither monotonous nor uncomfortably contrasting. Let’s review the principles of color theory and how to select exterior colors for your home.
What Is Color Theory? (and Why It Matters for Exteriors)
Color theory is a set of principles that explains how colors work together. It’s interconnected with color psychology, which explains how colors affect our emotions and perceptions. In design, art and home decor, understanding color theory helps you select hues that give the right impression.
Consider color theory in this way: if you wanted a home that conveyed calm relaxation, would you choose neon yellow or coastal sage green for the siding color? Chances are, it wouldn’t be neon yellow. This softer, calmer green curates balanced, peaceful curb appeal that positively impacts viewers. The harmony fostered by such a choice is color theory at work.
The Color Wheel in Color Theory
The color wheel, a diagram that maps the color spectrum and shows color relationships, is integral to color theory. It was first envisioned by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666, and while it has evolved since then, it remains a bedrock of design principles. It separates colors into three main groups:
- Primary: Red, yellow and blue
- Secondary: Green, orange and purple (made by mixing primary colors)
- Tertiary: Combinations of primary and secondary colors (like red-orange, yellow-green and blue-violet)
The primary benefit of the color wheel is helping people visualize color similarities and contrasts. This is valuable for homeowners planning to upgrade their exteriors.
Incorporating Color Theory Into Home Design
As you start your home upgrades, the interplay of colors will naturally play a large role. Here are a few examples of how to consider color options in your design plan.
1. Weigh Analogous vs. Complementary Colors
When choosing the best colors for your home exterior, consider whether hues are complementary or analogous.
- Complementary colors sit opposite each other on the color wheel: Red complements green, blue complements orange and yellow complements purple. When paired together, complementary colors create positive contrast and enhance each other. If you want vibrant but balanced curb appeal, consider using complementary colors in your design. For instance, pairing a red door with green siding can add a pop of color without garish contrast.
- Analogous colors sit next to each other on the wheel. For example, yellow is analogous to yellow-orange and yellow-green. These colors blend harmoniously, so if you want a calm and serene space, decorating analogously is the way to go.
2. Design Around Things That Can’t Be Easily Changed
When choosing colors, select options that won’t clash with permanent home features like:
- Brickwork
- Roof colors
- Stonework
- Hardscapes
The best feature colors are those that accentuate and coordinate these items. Try not to choose options that clash, such as pairing a green roof with blue siding colors. Rather, pair the green roof with neutral siding colors, like Window World’s Antique Parchment, Adobe Cream or Monterey Sand.
3. Follow the Three-Color Palette Rule
The average home needs two to four exterior colors for a balanced palette. Most stick with a three-color scheme: one for the body (siding), one for the trim (window frames) and one for the accents (shutters and front doors).
- Body colors: Your siding colors are the largest visual element of your home, so be sure to choose a shade that isn’t overpowering. Most people choose neutral (creams, grays, off-whites) or nature-inspired colors (sages and earth tones) because they are easy on the eye and often protect the home’s resale value. If you want to make your exterior pop, consider a deeper statement color like charcoal, slate or midnight blue. Many of these darker shades are neutrals or near-neutrals that offer good balance.
- Trim colors: White remains the hallmark color for gutters and window frames. It blends well with light-colored siding and can also balance and brighten the color of darker homes. A more recent trend has seen dark-colored accents, like black windows, added to light-colored homes. These color pairings create contrast and prevent the body color from looking washed-out.
- Accent colors: Window shutters and front doors often sport contrasting or complementary colors. Choosing a contrasting shade for these pieces can accentuate and brighten your home’s siding and accent work. If you have a darker body color, lighter accents can help balance it out. Or, if you have lighter siding, a deeper shutter color might add the perfect color.
4. Consider Undertones, Value and Shifting Outdoor Colors
When creating your exterior color palette, remember the color wheel is just a starting point. Other elements might affect your color choices.
- Your colors’ undertones can interact with your home’s features. If you have a gray in your palette, consider whether it leans cool (more blue) or warm (more beige). Pairing the wrong undertone with other home features might cause a subtle clash.
- Color values (their lightness or darkness) can shift in natural light. A cream siding color that looks perfect inside might appear too white in full sun. Or, a charcoal gray shutter might appear more black in evening shadows. Compare each option in natural light to gauge what works.
- Don’t forget the surrounding landscape colors. Your yard is as much a part of your home as the home itself. Your palette should blend cohesively, so it accentuates your surroundings, rather than clashing with them.
5. Be Careful About Chasing Color Trends
Every year, there’s a new home exterior design trend. Think carefully before you jump on the bandwagon.
Bright neon siding or dark siding with dark accent combinations might look trendy now, but what happens when they go out of style? You might be stuck with an expensive exterior design that no longer suits your tastes. Even worse, out-of-style trends can lower your home’s resale value (or force costly refinishing if you decide to list your property). It’s better to stick to lasting color combinations that keep your home looking its best.
Bring Your Exterior Vision to Life With Window World
If you’re ready to move from visualizing your home’s color palette to bringing your vision to life, Window World is ready to help. Our wide selection of windows, doors and vinyl siding comes in timeless colors that seamlessly complement one another and the natural landscape. By keeping color theory in mind alongside other design best practices, you’ll have a winning combination in no time.
Contact us for a free estimate on your next home upgrades.