If it’s time to paint the exterior of your home and you shudder at the idea of having to pick colors, here are some suggestions that might help:

• Choose a color scheme that blends with the homes in your neighborhood and is also compatible with your next door neighbors’ houses.
• White or lighter colors make a house appear larger and reflect the sun’s light and heat.
• If you have window shutters and a lot of stone on your exterior, consider matching your shutter color to the stone’s dominant color.
• Consider painting your window shutters a shade slightly darker than your siding or stucco color if you like a monochromatic look.
• Dark colors can make a home look smaller, and the sun’s UV rays will fade them quicker … which means you’ll be repainting sooner!
• Paint your front door a contrasting accent color to give your home’s exterior an artistic flair.
• Take into account the colors in other elements of your home, like your roofing materials, brick, stone facade, etc.  The flecks of color that go into making their dominant color are excellent candidates for siding and trim color choices.

Paint stores and home improvement centers have put together a variety of exterior paint color schemes for you to consider.  These samples incorporate the latest in color trends, and they’re free so you can take them home.  Also check out paint manufacturer’s websites (www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/ and www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/welcome-to-benjamin-moore). Paint and color is their business and their websites provide a lot of information and color ideas as well as photographs to help you visualize the end product.

And, you can always ask your painting contractor’s opinion – we’re here to help you pick colors, too. You can bet we’ve seen every imaginable color combination there is, and we’re as vested as you are in making your home look beautiful!