3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Choosing Exterior Paint Colors
People make quick judgments as soon as they see your home. In less than a second, they get a sense of its style and mood, as well as your personality. One of the most important elements to a great first impression is how your home is painted.
Picking exterior paint colors is simpler than it sounds. In fact, the process is pretty straightforward. As you consider different exterior paint colors for your home, there are some important questions you should ask yourself before you choose.
There are many factors to consider when choosing a new exterior paint color for your home. It is important to choose colors that will complement your home and landscape, that will protect your home from the elements, and that will last for years to come. If you can answer these three questions, you’re on your way to choosing the right colors.
What Mood Do I Want to Create?
As you noticed in our color psychology blog, choosing the right color can impact the mood people feel in different rooms in your house. The same concept applies to your home’s exterior. You can help family members and visitors feel a certain mood every time they approach the house.
Here are some common paint colors and their moods:
Light blues and greys: These colors create a calm feeling, which you will appreciate each time you arrive home after a long day at work.
Red: Reds send a bold message of power and energy. Choose red if you want your home to stand out in your neighborhood. But note that red is also very intense-make sure you’re truly ready to make a statement.
Pink: The right shade of pink, such as a dusky rose color, creates a feeling of elegance.
Blues and purples: These colors bring people inward, as they evoke contemplation and meditation.
Green: Green symbolizes health and, like light blues and greys, makes people feel calm. But if trees and plants surround your home, you’ll want to choose a unique shade of green to help your home stand out.
Yellow: Yellow is bright and sunny and increases energy. But you’ll need to choose the right shade, as it can be uneasy on the eyes.
While these guidelines can help, you shouldn’t choose your house color solely based on mood, so let’s move on to another consideration.
Which Colour Reflects My Personality?
Besides encouraging a certain mood or emotion, your home’s color also sends visitors a message about your personality. Here are a few common colors and the message they send about you:
Jewel tones (ruby, sapphire and topaz): You are confident and outgoing.
Neutrals (grey, brown, beige and ivory): You are practical and easygoing.
Yellow and orange: You are cheerful and welcoming.
Light blue: You are calm and introspective.
Before you settle on a paint color, make sure it will send the right message about your family and your personality. If you don’t like attention and prefer keeping to yourself, bright orange probably isn’t the best paint choice.
Which Color Will People Want to Look at Every Day?
Now that you know to choose a color that portrays the correct mood and personality, you’ve probably narrowed down your color to a few options. Before you decide on the ideal shade, make sure it’s something you’ll enjoy looking at every day. Lime green may look exciting now, but is it really something you want to see every time you come home?
You also need to keep future buyers in mind. Calm colors like beige and blue appeal to many different people. If you choose a more vibrant color, you may find it difficult to sell your home.
For these reasons, most people gravitate toward neutral colors. But that doesn’t mean your house has to look boring. For example, you could choose a light blue for your house and a deep purple for the trim. That way, you get a pop of color that doesn’t overwhelm buyers and neighbors.
Ask our Edmonton Exterior Painters for more advice about choosing the right paint colors. An experienced painting company can help you choose a color that fits your personality as well as your home’s style.