The average house façade has gone through a lot of changes over the decades in order to be considered “modern”. From the cast iron lacework of Victorian revival homes to the plain exteriors and L-shapes of the 1970s, exterior house colours and designs don’t always stand the test of time.
Colour and architectural detail have much to do with making a house look timeless. Here’s how exterior paint colours and other features can help your house endure changing tastes and styles over time so that it always looks its best.
Before we show you some ageless colour combinations for your home, it’s worth taking some time to understand how colour affects the look, feel and even size of your house. By doing this, you can ensure that your home both stands out and works with the rest of the neighbourhood, saving you a headache in the future.
LIGHT AND SHADE
A basic understanding of colour can go a long way when discussing exterior house colours. For example, certain colours can make your home look large and open, while others can make it seem smaller and closed in. In general, light colours – white, beige, ivory and so on – complement traditional architecture, while darker colours such as charcoal can overwhelm the façade of your home.
PAIRING COLOURS CORRECTLY
Another factor to consider when trying to decide on an exterior paint colour scheme is the number of colours. A single colour can make your home’s exterior seem flat and uninteresting. Too many colours create clutter and a sense of conflict, which can make your house stick out like a sore thumb. A good guide to follow is two or three complementary colours and one contrasting colour to add visual interest.
CONSIDER YOUR HOME’S ARCHITECTURE
There are many features of your home that can help you to decide overall exterior paint colours. These include:
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Roof colour and material
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Window colour
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Features such as a patio or fretwork
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Undertone of bricks or stone
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Fence colour
MONOCHROME SIMPLICITY
Our Hamptons façades combine bright white and varying grey tones to bring a sense of timeless grandeur to this large double-storey home.
MODERN CHARCOALS
Charcoal tones, black window frames and dark roof tiles are paired with a feature brick with red undertones as seen here on the Axis facade.
While many traditional homes tend to stick to neutral palettes, charcoal is a modern exterior house colour that makes your home instantly more edgy.
COFFEE AND CREAM
Coffee and taupe tones mixed with grey – as seen on the Hamptons façade of our Lyndhurst 23 home – can work well on modern façades and have been a long-standing, popular colour choice for many years. Just avoid leaning too hard into beige tones in order to keep your house looking fresh.
EARTHY TONES
Both modern and more traditional homes can carry a darker, earthy exterior colour scheme well, especially in areas of natural beauty. Grey, olive, slate and taupe all work together to make for a standout house façade.
Are you looking for more ways to create a modern house façade? Check out our post on how to do exactly that.
LET WOOD AND OTHER MATERIALS REPLACE PAINT
As the Malibu façade on our Paddington 35 home shows, the external materials of your home can contribute to the overall colour palette. Let stone, wood and even steel stand in place of paint for an exciting home exterior.
Want to see more examples of timeless exterior house colours? Browse our entire collection of Clarendon Homes designs for further inspiration.
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