Exterior Colors Much like interior painting, when exterior painting it is advisable to think in terms of groups of colors rather than single colors. But the job is often more complicated because houses are often built of several materials that have different textures, such as solid wood siding paired with a stone base or a brick building with wood trim. If you wish to emphasize the difference in textures, paint each element another color.
The Big Picture When picking colors, remember that two colors that may work well together as a siding and trim combination, may clash with the roof color or some other elements such as the deck or landscaping design. So when picking colors, be sure you factor in things you can't, or won't change, such as the roof covering material, the close by landscape and plantings, any masonry work, and the color of your neighbors' houses.
Local Restrictions When deciding on a house color, consider the local customs in your area. It is ever more common for towns and communities to insist upon some control over house colors. For example, in the holiday resort community of Hilton Head, South Carolina, residents must choose exterior colors from a limited palette of muted tones and even the stop signs have color constraints, whereas in the location of Charleston, there is a well-known area of pastel-colored homes called "Rainbow Row" where bold colors are welcome. Some designed communities can even fine you or force you to repaint your home if you don't use one of the accepted paint colors.
Trying Different Color Plans As with the interior color selection process, you can begin deciding on color placement without actually painting anything. Copy or sketch a line drawing of your house and then make several photocopies to try different strategies. Work with a pencil or highlighter and shade your home’s features and test out several high-lighting options. Decide which features you would like to emphasize and which ones you would like to hide. The target here is to make a well balanced whole where no aspect appears to dominate. By "pre-painting" this way you won't only avoid any disappointments you'll be motivated to try some distinctive plans before you pick up the paintbrush.
Some paint stores have computers that will "paint" your home for you right on the screen. The better systems are equipped to scan a high-quality photo of your house. Or you can provide a high resolution digital image. Even if you cannot get a precise reproduction of your property, these programs will give you a sense of what kinds or combinations are pleasing and demonstrate ideas of how you might paint.
Now that you have selected the colors for your home it's time to decide which colors should be assigned to specific architectural elements. Generally the siding is done in one color, but when there is decorative molding above the first floor, a second color siding can be very interesting. Casings around windows and doors should all be the same color or the house will seem to be too busy. If there are decorative features in your trimming and molding, two or more colors are fine if the design repeats on the whole structure. Some Victorian homes can look balanced with six colors, so there is absolutely no firm rule.
One common fashion is to color the window sash and trim a color that is lighter than the body of the structure. Shutters, if present, are usually decorated darker than the home body. Certainly, fashions change. For instance, at the turn of the century, gloss black was typically the most popular choice for the window sash. But you rarely see gloss black paint today except on shutters.
Highlight ornate trimming, below left, with eye catching colors.
Below are a Couple Techniques for other Architectural Highlights:
Front Entry Create a stunning effect with the addition of an accent color to this important element of your house. For instance, a white home with a door painted a bright color, such as red or green, draws attention to the door making the entry seem more welcoming.
Frieze A historically appropriate treatment for the frieze is by using both the trim and body colors. Let the trim color to be the dominating one to make a clear distinction from the top of the siding. Be careful not to introduce too many colors; you may wrap up with an effect that is way too busy.
Brackets (Corner) Brackets need to be regarded as part of the overall framework and really should be painted in order to not appear that they are "floating free" of the framework. Use the basic trim color. Avoid using too much color. Some painters add a leading edge of scarlet to these features.
Brackets (Sandwich) Sandwich brackets are just a little different. Because they consist of more than one layer and are more complex than simple corner brackets, it is more appropriate to use several colors. Paint the exterior pieces to match the trim and frieze, and the center another color to show off your scroll work.
Verticle Posts/Beams When you have simple rectangular wooden posts on a porch, you almost certainly don't want to emphasize them with their own color. Color them to complement either the overall trim or body coloring of your structure. However, if your posts have special millwork, such as a chamfer on a square post or a band on the turned post, it is perfectly acceptable to high light these adornments with a flourish.
Many people prefer to paint porch ceilings sky blue because they say the color mimics nature. White columns put in a nice contrasting touch.
Railings The rails are essentially extensions of the posts. Therefore, they're usually decorated in the same color as the posts.
Verticle Railing Supports Try painting the balusters a lighter color than the rails. In the event the posts and rails have been colored in the main body color, try using the trim colors to make them stand out. Even though you have elaborately worked balusters, avoid too many colors to show your handiwork. Besides the amount of time that would be involved in highlighting each baluster, the result will look too busy.
Floors and Ceiling Porches are painted certain colors not only for adornment, but as concerns of practicality. Light colored ceilings help maintain a sense of airiness and brightness. Painting porch ceilings blue is a method that has been used for centuries to suggest the sky over head. It is rumored to keep nesting pests, such as wasps, from settling in. In case the undersides of your porch roof rafters are exposed, you might paint them by using a combination of the body and trim colors. A dark floor is even more functional since it shows dirt and grime and tracks less readily than a floor decorated in a lighter color.
Steps and Risers The risers of wooden steps are normally painted the trim color, while the treads carry a surface (porch or deck) to the ground and really should be painted in the same color. The handrail and balusters on the steps should be decorated to complement the porch rail and baluster color design.
Masonry Foundations Many residences have a ring of brick or concrete block below the siding. Although it is fine to have this band the same color as the siding, a darker color makes the home seem firmly planted and can hide dirt. Basement windows are generally decorated the same dark color to de-emphasize them.
A bright accent color, below left draws attention to this door.
Expert’s Tips: There are various online paint planning programs. Leading paint manufacturers such as Benjamin Moore (www.benjaminmoore.com), Valspar (www.valsparatlowes.com), Glidden (www.glidden.com), and Sherwin Williams (www.sherwin-williams.com) feature paint color planners online. Simply search "virtual paint color planner" on the web for a list.
A great way to check out how colors work together is to see them in fabrics. Fabrics are often created by people who study color and have worked with it for a long time. The microcosm of a couch and pillow combination in a favorite catalog may hold the color plan that will make your home look spectacular
Prefab Color Layouts Deciding on the specific colors in a multicolor plan is a little tricky. It is the reason that the vast majority of the major paint companies have created "combo cards" to help you to pick body, trim, and accent colors in a single step. These colors are also available in historical shades designed to match the most common color schemes of certain periods. One nice feature of these cards would be that the trim and accent color chips often overlap the body color, which helps demonstrate a far more realistic relationship.
Sound Quality Painting
824 90th Dr SE suite B
Lake Stevens WA 98258
(425) 512-7400
https://sites.google.com/1upserve.com/painter-lake-stevens
