Exterior Colors As with interior painting, when exterior painting it is advisable to think in terms of sets of colors instead of single colors. But the job is often more difficult because houses are often built of a number of materials that all have different textures, such as lumber siding paired with a natural stone foundation or a brick building with real wood trim. If you want to emphasize the difference in textures, paint each element some other color.
The Picture as a Whole 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 various other elements like the deck or landscaping design. So when picking colors, remember to consider things you can't, or won't change, such as roofing material, the near by landscape and plantings, any masonry work, and the color of your neighborhood friends' houses.
Local By-Laws When choosing a residence color, consider the neighborhood customs in your area. It is significantly common for cities and communities to insist on some control over house colors. For example, in the holiday resort community of Hilton Head, SC, residents must choose external colors from a restricted palette of muted tones and even the stop signs have color limitations, whereas in the location of Charleston, there's a well-known district of pastel-colored homes called "Rainbow Row" where striking colors are welcome. Some planned communities can even fine you or force you to repaint your home unless you use one of the accepted paint colors.
Testing Different Color Schemes As with the interior color selection process, you can start deciding on color placement without actually painting anything. Copy or sketch an outline drawing of your house and then make several photocopies to try different plans. Use a pencil or highlighter and shade different features and experiment with several high-lighting alternatives. Make a decision which features you would like to emphasize and which ones you would like to hide. The goal here is to create a well balanced whole where no component appears to dominate. By "pre-painting" this way you won't only avoid any disappointments you will be encouraged to try some distinctive plans before you pick up the paintbrush.
Some paint stores have computers that will "paint" your house for you right on the computer screen. The better systems are equipped to scan a high-quality photo of your house. Or you can offer a high quality digital image. Even if you cannot get a precise reproduction of your house, these programs will provide you with a sense of what types or combinations are pleasing and demonstrate ideas of how you might paint.
Given that you have selected the colors for your home it is time to decide which colors should be assigned to specific architectural elements. Generally the siding is painted in one color, but when there is decorative molding above the first floor, another color siding can be very interesting. Casings around windows and doors should all be the same color or the house will seem too over done. If there are decorative features in your trim and molding, several colors are fine if the style 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 color the window sash and trim a color that is lighter than the body of the home. Shutters, if present, are usually painted darker than the home body. Of course, fashions change. For instance, at the turn of the century, gloss black was the most popular choice for the window sash. But you rarely see gloss black paint today except on shutters.
Highlight ornate trimming, below left, with eye catching colors.
Here are Some Tips for other Architectural Highlights:
Entry Create a stunning effect with the addition of an accent color to this important element of your home. For instance, a white house with a door painted a bright color, such as red or green, draws attention to the door making the entrance 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 dominant one to draw a clear differentiation from the top of the siding. Take care not to introduce too many colors; you could finish up with an impact that is way too busy.
Brackets (Corner) Brackets need to be perceived as a component of the overall framework and should be painted in order to not appear that they are "floating free" of the composition. Use the basic trim color. Stay away from too much color. Some painters add a leading color of scarlet to these features.
Sandwich Brackets Sandwich brackets are a little different. Because they contain more than one layer and are more technical than simple corner brackets, it is more acceptable to work with several colors. Paint the exterior pieces to complement the trim and frieze, and the center another color to show off your scroll work.
Verticle Beams/Posts When you have simple rectangular wooden posts on a porch, you almost certainly don't want to emphasize them with their own color. Color them to match either the entire trim or body color of your home. However, if your posts have special millwork, such as a chamfer on a square post or a ring over a turned post, it is quite acceptable to point out these designs with a flourish.
Many people prefer to paint porch ceilings sky blue because they state the color mimics nature. White columns add a nice contrasting touch.
Railings The rails are essentially extensions of the posts. Therefore, they are usually painted in the same color as the posts.
Balusters Try painting the balusters a lighter color than the rails. When the posts and rails have been colored in the main body color, try using the trim colors to make sure they stand out. Even though you have elaborately worked balusters, don't use way too many colors to show your handiwork. Aside from the amount of time 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 decoration, but as matters of practicality. Light colored ceilings help maintain a sense of airiness and brightness. Painting porch ceilings blue is a technique that is used for centuries to suggest the sky overhead. It is rumored to keep nesting pests, such as hornets, from settling in. In the event the undersides of your porch roof rafters are uncovered, you might color them by utilizing a combination of the body and trim colors. A dark floor is even more functional because it shows dirt and tracks less readily when compared to a floor colored in a lighter color.
Riser and Step The risers of wooden steps are usually painted the trim color, while the treads carry a surface (porch or deck) to the ground and should be painted in the same color. The handrail and balusters on the steps should be painted to complement the porch rail and baluster color scheme.
Concrete Foundations Many properties have a ring of brick or concrete blocks below the siding. While it is fine to paint 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 focus on this door.
Advanced Tips: There are lots of 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 look at how colors work together is to see them in fabrics. Fabrics are often created by people who study color and have worked with it for a long time. The microcosm of any couch and pillow combination in a popular catalog may contain the color design that can make your home look spectacular
Pre-made Color Schemes Deciding on the specific colors in a multicolor scheme is just a little tricky. It is the reason that almost all of the major paint companies have created "combo cards" to help you to pick body, trim, and highlight colors in one step. These colors are also available in historical shades made to match the most prevalent color schemes of certain periods. One nice feature of the cards would be that the trim and accent color chips often overlap the body color, which helps demonstrate a 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
