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How to pick the right exterior paint colours for your home

Catherine Ruane- Fleetwood Paints Interior Designer 

An exterior paint job is an investment that can change the entire look of your home. Picking colours for your house can prove to be quite difficult and overwhelming at times, so I’ve laid out 5 key elements for you to consider when choosing colour.

Top tip – When choosing your exterior colour you have to consider the dominant features e.g stone, brick, fencing and the surrounding area. You will also have to consider the period and architectural style of your home. With these in mind think about the colours you love, as your home is a reflection of who you are.

 

1. Plan around the elements that are hardest to change
Unless you are doing a complete renovation, surfaces such as slates, stonework, pathways and driveways will remain the same. Therefore you should consider these before you select your colour.
Look at the undertones between them to inform you of your colour palette.
Warm colours are beige, khaki, brown and rust. Cool colours are grey, blue and black.
Consider paint colours that will tie these fixed elements together in a harmonious way.

2. Consider your home’s architectural style and era.
Whether you have a traditional bungalow, a victorian home or a modern home, your exterior paint scheme should feel appropriate to the style. The simpler your house architecture, the fewer colours you will need.
For an elaborate victorian style with ornate trimwork you might plan on using three or four colours.
For a modern build you may only use one or two colours. You can also use your colours in different ways in block colours or on your trims.

 

3. Consider your neighbours The house next door can give you colour ideas, but its a bad idea to copy your neighbour. Choose colours that set your house apart but that don’t clash with nearby buildings. Choose a house colour keeping in mind to whats around you. This can mean deliberately blending, complementing or even contrasting with colours used by surrounding neighbours.
Top tip – The landscape around your house is full of colour ideas. The prevalence of trees may suggest an earthy palette of greens and browns. You may have a nice pop of colour in your garden that would be good for your front door.

 

4. Attention to details

To emphasise architectural details paint them in an accent colour that has an intentional relationship to the background colour of your home. This can be a matter of using a complementary colour, a contrasting colour or a hue within the same colour family (depending on the effect you are trying to achieve.) You must be careful when you use an accent colour because it also depends on the size and complexity of your home.

 

5. Effect of colour

Dark colours are used for a dramatic effect while light colours are used to make an area look bigger.
(Top tip – If your house is small with white window frames, I would suggest to paint your reveals and window sill in white to make them look bigger.)

 

Five Exterior Painting Trends for 2020

1. Fleetwood Portland & Fleetwood Slate Grey -This light and dark grey combination is suitable for all house styles.

2.Fleetwood Dingle Mist & Fleetwood Slate Grey- A pale blue palette that is beautiful for all house styles.

3.Fleetwood Ashford & Fleetwood Avoca Woods- This brown based neutral scheme is perfect on all house styles as earthy colours arevery easy on the eye. These shades work very well with stonework.

4. Fleetwood Atlantic Way, Fleetwood White & Fleetwood Slate Grey- A cool neutral look that works excellently with white, grey and black windows.

5.Fleetwood Warm Stone, Fleetwood Designer White & Fleetwood Westport -A really fabulous combination as you are getting a warm colour without any yellow or peach tones.