Exterior Colors As with interior painting, when exterior painting it is advisable to think in terms of groups of colors rather than single colors. But the activity is often more difficult because houses tend to be built of a number of materials that all have different textures, such as real wood siding matched with a stone foundation or a brick building with timber trim. If you want to emphasize the difference in textures, paint each element another color.
Seeing the Big Picture When picking colors, remember that two colors which could work well alongside one another as a siding and trim blend, may clash with the roof color or some other elements including the deck or landscaping design. So when picking colors, remember to factor in things you can't, or won't change, such as the roof covering material, the nearby ground coverings and plantings, any masonry work, and the color of your neighbors' houses.
Local Real Estate Covenants When deciding on a house color, consider the neighborhood customs in your town. It is more and more common for cities and communities to insist upon some control over house colors. For instance, in the resort community of Hilton Head, South Carolina, residents must choose external surfaces colors from a limited palette of muted shades and even the stop signs have color constraints, whereas in the city of Charleston, there is a well-known area of pastel-colored residences called "Rainbow Row" where striking colors are welcome. Some planned communities can even fine you or make you repaint your home unless you use one of the accepted paint colors.
Trying Different Color Strategies As with the inside color selection process, you could start deciding on color placement without actually painting anything. Copy or sketch a line drawing of your residence and then make several photocopies to try different layouts. Make use of a pencil or highlighter and shade your home’s features and test out several high-lighting choices. Decide which features you want to emphasize and those you would like to hide. The goal here is to create a well balanced whole where no component appears to dominate. By "pre-painting" in this manner you will not only avoid any disappointments you'll be motivated to try some distinctive strategies before you pick up the paintbrush.
Some paint stores have computers that will "paint" your house for you right on the screen. The better systems are equipped to scan a high-quality image of your home. Or you can provide a high quality digital image. Even if you cannot get a precise reproduction of your property, these programs will give you a sense of what sorts or combinations are pleasing and demonstrate ideas of how you may paint.
Given that you have selected the colors for your home it's time to decide which colors should be assigned to specific architectural elements. Usually the siding is painted in one color, but if there is decorative molding above the first floor, a second color siding can be very interesting. Casings around doors and windows should all be the same color or the house will seem too over done. If there are decorative features in your trim and molding, two or more colors are fine if the pattern repeats on the whole house. Some Victorian homes can look well balanced with six colors, so there is absolutely no firm rule.
One common fashion is to paint the window sash and trim a color that is lighter than the body of the structure. Shutters, if present, are usually colored darker than the house body. Certainly, fashions change. For example, at the turn of the century, gloss black was typically the most popular choice for the windows sash. But you almost never see gloss black paint today except on shutters.
Highlight ornate trim work, below left, with eye catching colors.
Here are a Couple Techniques for other Architectural Highlights:
Front Entry Create a stunning effect by adding an highlight color to this important element of your home. For example, a white home with a door painted a bright color, such as red or green, pulls attention to the entranceway making the entry seem more inviting.
Frieze A historically appropriate treatment for the frieze is by using both the trim and body colors. Allow the trim color to be the prominent one to draw a clear distinction from the top of the siding. Take care not to introduce way too many colors; you may end up with an impact that is way too busy.
Brackets (Corner) Brackets need to be regarded as part of the overall framework and should be painted so as to never appear that they are "floating free" of the structure. Use the principle trim color. Stay away from 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 contain several layers and are more technical than simple corner mounting brackets, it is more acceptable to work with several colors. Paint the exterior items to match the trim and frieze, and the center another color to show off your scroll work.
Support Post When you have simple rectangular wooden posts on the porch, you almost certainly don't want to emphasize them with their own color. Color them to complement either the entire trim or body color of your structure. However, if your posts have special millwork, such as a chamfer over a square post or a band over a turned post, it is perfectly acceptable to high light these designs with a flourish.
Many people like to paint porch ceilings sky blue because they state the color mimics nature. White columns add a nice contrasting touch.
Rails The rails are essentially extensions of the posts. Therefore, they are usually decorated in the same color as the posts.
Verticle Railings Support Try painting the balusters a lighter color than the rails. In the event the posts and rails have been colored in the primary body color, try using the trim colors to make sure they stand out. Even if you have elaborately worked balusters, avoid way too many colors to show your handiwork. Aside from the timeframe that would be involved in detailing each baluster, the effect 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 feeling of airiness and brightness. Painting porch ceilings blue is a technique that is used for centuries to suggest the sky over head. It is rumored to keep nesting pests, such as wasps, from settling in. In the event the undersides of your porch roof rafters are uncovered, you might paint them by using a combination of the body and trim colors. A dark floor is even more useful because it shows dirt and grime and tracks less readily when compared to a floor painted in a lighter color.
Steps and Risers The risers of wooden steps are normally painted the trim color, as the treads carry a surface (porch or deck) to the bottom and really should be painted in the same color. The handrail and balusters on the steps should be colored to complement the porch rail and baluster color plan.
Cement Foundations Many properties have a ring of brick or concrete block below the siding. While it is fine to have this band the same color as the siding, a darker color makes the house seem securely planted and can hide dirt and mud. Basement windows are usually painted the same dark color to de-emphasize them.
A bright accent color, below left draws attention to this door.
Advanced Tips: There are numerous 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 Internet for a list.
A great way to check out how colors interact is to see them in fabrics. Fabrics are often created by people who research color and have worked with it for a long period. The microcosm of a couch and cushion combination in a popular catalog may contain the color scheme that will make your home look spectacular
Prefab Color Schemes Deciding on the precise colors in a multicolor design is just a little tricky. It's the reason that almost all 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 historic shades made to match the most common color schemes of certain periods. One nice feature of these cards is 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
