"Dupioni"; "Faux bois";
"Intaglio"; "Pulmonaria"... Rare tropical
diseases? European politicians? Expensive
appetizers?
Nope, they're paint colors! If
you're thinking of painting the outside of your
house you might be wondering whatever happened
to red, green, and blue!
Paint Paralysis
The dizzying array of color
choices and their associated names are enough to
give a homeowner a case of Chromophobia
- the fear of colors. How do you decide what
color(s) to use when there are so many options?
At $40 a gallon or more for
quality exterior latex, you can't afford to make
a mistake. And if you don't like the
colors, your neighbors probably won't either;
colors have public impact - you're not the only
one who has to live with them. But a little
research and planning can help you get started
with the confidence that the final paint job is
one that you - and your neighbors - will be
pleased with.
Field, Trim, and
Accent
An existing house isn't a
blank canvas - after all, you're not changing
the color of the roof, the brick or stone, and
maybe not even the windows (if they're vinyl or
aluminum clad). Roofs and masonry walls are
large areas of unbroken color and natural
starting points for creating a palette.
An exterior paint scheme
should be made up of at least three colors: the
field - large areas such as walls or
roofs; the trim - corner boards, window
trim, fascias, rakes, etc.; and accent
- specific elements including doors, shutters,
and other architectural features.
Field colors make up the
majority of what you'll see on the house and
will lead you to the choice of trim and accent.
Are you trying to make your house look a little
more prominent on the street? A lighter field
color will make it look larger; a darker color
will visually shrink it. "Unattractive" elements
- gutters, downspouts, etc., should also be
painted the field color to help them "disappear"
into the background.
But it's the trim color that
can make or break the scheme. Painting the trim
the same color as the field can work in some
cases, but it can also give the house an
"unfinished" or "wedding cake" look. Darker trim
- especially around the windows - can cause a
"frame" effect, where the windows look like
pictures hung on a wall. Keeping the trim
lighter than the field is almost always a safe
bet.
The accent color is where the
excitement is. Once you've chosen an attractive
combination of field and trim, make it "pop"
with an eye-catching accent color. It's a tool
to give life to an otherwise muted color scheme
and draws attention to the important features of
the house. The front door, shutters, and the
windows frames (not the trim) are good
places for accent colors. Windows painted with
accent and trim colors together can be the most
interesting part of the composition.
Choosing a Paint
Scheme
The two most important
considerations in choosing a color scheme are
the architecture of the house and the
neighborhood context.
Historic architectural styles,
for example, look best in their original color
schemes, although these can vary quite a bit.
Original Colonial and Colonial Revival homes
were often quite colorful on the inside, but
less so on the exterior. Often they were painted
in a single color for the field and trim, with a
second color for an accent. Combined with
prominent red brick chimneys and a brick or
stone base, the effect is a three-color scheme.
Victorian homes - often
referred to as "painted ladies" - sometimes
showed off six or more colors of trim and
accent. Making that look good today takes the
services of a color specialist and a lot of
time. But a similar effect can be had with as
little as three colors if they're well placed on
the house.
The Craftsman style of the
early 20th Century sported a darker, earthier
color scheme using deep browns, greens, and
reds. The current popularity of the style is
making more homeowners consider richer color
schemes for their homes.
Take cues from the other
houses in your area - a house should have its
own personality and style, but houses don't look
good in "party dress" all the time.
Final Coat
Whether you're comfortable
with choosing colors or not, you have several
resources that can make the decision much
easier. Many paint manufacturers have produced
pre-selected color palettes arranged by
architectural style or color range that specify
compatible field, trim, and accent colors.
They're available at paint and building supply
stores and most are very well done.
Many paint companies have
online paint selection programs that suggest
proper color combinations - some even allow you
to preview colors on photographs of real houses,
or on a digital photo of your own home.
Sherwin-Williams.com and
Lowes.com both have excellent online tools.
Plan ahead, be bold in your
color choices, and use paint company resources.
But don't ask for red, green, or blue in the
paint store - they won't know what you're
talking about!
"
