Painting your home may be one of the best things you can do for its resale value and your own personal comfort. It gives your home a fresh update that everyone will notice. Your home is likely a source of pride for you, and this exterior remodel can go a long way for showcasing that pride.
You just have to choose a great paint color, and it’s surprising how difficult this task is! With a little preparation and consideration, you can choose the perfect color. Consider these 11 ideas to help you decide.
1. CONSIDER YOUR ROOF
Unless you’re planning on replacing your roof, you’ll want to take it into consideration when choosing paint. You don’t want a paint color that clashes with the shingles or rain gutters. The color of your soffit, fascia, and other roof elements should also be taken into consideration.
2. LOOK AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD
As you look around your neighborhood, you might start to notice how your neighbors have matched their rain gutters, soffit, fascia, and shingles to their Utah siding.
If you’re doing an exterior remodel, Utah neighborhoods are a good place to compare paint colors. You can get good ideas for colors as well as choose a color that doesn’t clash with your neighbors’ homes.
3. THINK ABOUT THE WEATHER
Utah weather often fluctuates, and it’s smart to choose a paint color that will shine in all seasons. When the ground and your rain gutters are covered in snow and ice, you want a color that meshes well with its environment and doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb. When it’s bright and sunny, you don’t want your Utah siding color to be washed out either. Find a good balance.
4. AIM FOR CONTRAST
Homes look best when there’s a complimentary contrasting color. Usually, window frames, posts, trim work, doors, and other details of the home may be painted a different color than your siding in order to draw attention to detail and make your home look like a piece of art.
White is always a safe trim color, but if you want a bolder look, consider a color that’s darker than your Utah siding. The result will be chic and modern.
5. MATCH THE LANDSCAPE
Think about the trees and plants you have in your yard and how the color of your home might compare. Your hardscaping can also affect the color you choose. In Utah, the mountain backdrop might also be considered to complement your siding choice.
6. CHECK OUT SMART TRENDS
It’s never wise to paint your home a unique trendy color unless you’re okay with repainting it every five years. However, some trends are timeless, and it can be smart to paint your home a trending color that will look good now as well as for decades to come.
7. FACTOR IN THE LIGHT
When testing out a paint swatch, you can’t rely on the color in the store or even in the parking lot of the store. The color will look different when it’s under the light of your own property.
8. KNOW YOUR HOME’S STYLE
A plain-front home can often get away with a bolder color than a home with extensive detail. You don’t want to choose a color that’s too strong if it might mask the detail work. Always choose colors that will complement the structure of your home.
9. COPY YOUR FAVORITE PHOTOS
Check out Pinterest and Google images to find your favorite exterior home colors. Look for homes with a similar structure as yours from the trim work to the rain gutters. Keep these photos in a saved file or on a Pinterest board, and refer to them when choosing your color swatches in the store.
10. GO BACK TO THE COLOR WHEEL
A color wheel shows various hues and shades of the rainbow and how they may complement each other. It’s a great way to choose both monochromatic color schemes and contrasting colors. Complementary colors often look dreamy on a modern home.
11. TEST IT OUT FIRST!
Before diving into your Utah exterior remodel, test your paint color. Bring a paint sample home and test it out on your house to see which color you like best. Let it dry, as colors often look different when wet. Leave it up throughout the day and check your colors in different lights so your well-chosen paint color will look fabulous 24/7.
