Pick the Right Color for Your Home Style

At Arizona Painting Company, we assist homeowners with color selection all the time. We start by considering the style of your home, since we know certain colors lend themselves to specific home styles. Then we look at the features of your home that won’t change, such as shingles and stonework, and the colors used throughout your neighborhood. Using this proven formula, we narrow down the field and work with you to find the colors that speak to you and your home.

Which color is right for the style of your home?

Contemporary
Monochrome tones seem to work best for the minimalistic style of contemporary homes. But with their modern edges and geometric lines, they need—and can carry off—a bright punch of color.

For a sharp contrast against the large amounts of glass that are often used in ultra-modern homes, warm grays, beiges, and other neutrals work well. Then, to offset those neutral colors, hop over to the bright side of the color wheel for a pop of something bright and cheery on doors, trim, and any mixed material features.

Coastal
If your home is seaside, you need to look no further than the shoreline for inspiration.

Cool blues and grays are naturals for a home that sits on the sea. The tranquil backdrop begs to be offset with white trim and a front door bursting with color—think bright yellow, green, or orange.

Victorian
If you live in a Victorian home, the paint world is your oyster. Bold is the rule and almost no color is off-limits.

There is no need to settle on just one or two colors. Go ahead, pick three! If you prefer to stay within a certain color family, you can still achieve a classic Victorian look by selecting various shades of the same hue. Just don’t overlook the value of the ornate details of your home and the power of punching them up with the bright contrasting paint color.

Colonial
Strong and stately, colonial homes are no-nonsense and elegant in their simplicity.

White siding and trim is certainly a safe—and traditional—way to go, but there are tons of other options to play up the features of a colonial home. If you prefer to keep the colors classic, blues, greens, grays, even buttery yellows will give a punch of color while keeping it timeless.

Ranch
Ranch-style homes, also known as ramblers, have experienced a significant transformation since they became popular in the 50s. One of the most common house styles in the U.S., ranch homes offer a casual, open layout on a single—often sprawling—story.

The original ranch-style homes were painted in colors of their day, ranging from traditional black and white of the 50s to the nature-inspired harvest golds and avocados of the 70s. Today, muted tones of grays, browns, even avocado work well on this style of home.

Craftsman
The architectural detail of craftsman-style homes is screaming for a paint scheme that will call attention to its assets. The exposed rafters, deep porches, and porch piers are all opportunities to inject your personality onto the exterior of your home.

Choosing a naturally-toned backdrop like green, sand, or gray for the main body of the home opens up your possibilities for accent colors like brick red, yellow, or blue.

If you choose to go bold with the main color, such as a deep blue or saturated green, painting the architectural elements a bright, crisp contrasting white will make a powerful statement.

Other factors to consider when choosing paint colors.

When you are selecting paint colors for your home, remember there are other elements you will need to factor into your decision.

Shingles
Chances are you are not going to want to re-shingle your roof just because you are painting. So when you select your new color palette, you will want to make sure they make sense with your shingle colors.

Stonework, pathways, & driveways
Your existing stonework will also need to be considered in your paint color selection. Take a close look and see if your stonework is done in warm or cool tones—or maybe a little of both. If you are struggling to find inspiration for your paint colors, turning to a fixed feature of your home, like stonework, may give you the answers you are looking for.

Neighbors, HOA
Take a look at the colors of the other homes in your neighborhood. Unless you want to be that neighbor, you probably want your home colors to cohesively blend in with those around you.

If you live in a neighborhood with a Home Owners Association (HOA), you will want to check the bylaws to see if you need to comply with certain colors. Otherwise, you risk the chance of having to repaint.

When it comes time to paint the exterior of your home, take away the guesswork by calling the team at Arizona Painting Company. We will assist you in choosing the right colors for your house style and neighborhood and help give your home a fresh new look for 2019.