Considering how much we fret about what colors to use inside our homes, it seems odd that so little thought is given to the colors we use outside. We strive like crazy to personalize our interiors and then unthinkingly paint our exteriors a play-it-safe white or a ho-hum beige.
The truth is, though, that exerior colors are every bit as potent and powerful as interior colors when it comes to giving a house a visual lift and a one-of-a-kind look. Color can change not only the complexion of your house but also its character.
That doesn`t mean you have to turn your conventional Cape Cod or modest ranch house into a scaled-down version of San Francisco`s Victorian painted ladies. Chances are, a little dab`ll do ya. With a little color in the right places, an undistinguished wallflower of a house can become the life of the block party.
But a single hue or two just won`t do. You need to think in terms of color combinations, typically a minimum of three: one color for the walls, a slightly darker or lighter shade for windows, shutters and trim and then a strong accent color-fire-engine red, emerald green, periwinkle-for the front door.
A three-color scheme will accentuate your home`s best qualities, drawing attention to the shapes of windows or to architectural elements such as trim moldings, shutters, columns and corbels.
It may help to think of paint as makeup and the front of the house as a face. Every woman knows that cosmetics can do two things: highlight strong features and camouflage weak ones. Paint can do the same things for a house, working like eyeliner, mascara, blusher and lipstick to make a house more attractive.
Paint can alter the visual shape and proportions of a house. For a short, squat house, using the same color on the foundation, walls and eaves can make the house appear taller. For a too-tall house, accentuating horizontal elements such as porches or wide windows can make the house seem shorter. The strategy is not much different from buying clothes: Vertical stripes can make you appear taller and thinner; horizontal stripes can make you appear shorter and wider.
A shade of difference
A change in exterior materials can cue a shift to a slightly different color. For example, on many older two-story houses, the first story is covered with clapboard siding and the second is often wood shingles. Naturally, you won`t want too much contrast between the two materials, but the difference of a shade or two can work wonders.
Another cue can be a change in the surface of an exterior wall-a protruding bay window, say, or a recessed entry. If you paint both of these elements the same color as the wall, they will melt into the background. But if you paint them a darker or lighter color, they will add some variety to the house`s facade.
True, choosing multiple colors is more complex than choosing just one color. But, to some extent, it`s far easier than choosing colors for the interior of a house. For one thing, your choices are somewhat limited by the boundaries of good taste-when was the last time you saw an orange house?-and common sense.
Other factors also can help narrow the field. Consider the landscaping, for example. If you have pride-and-joy evergreen trees out front, it`s not likely that you`ll want to paint the house in back of them green, too. Trees with leaves that turn red or gold in the fall also may influence your color choices, as well as blooming trees and flowers, ornamental shrubs, wooden decks, brick patios or flagstone sidewalks.
Consider, too, your neighbors to the left, the right, across the street and up and down the block. You may want to distinguish your house from the more run-of-the-mill dwellings in the neighborhood, but by how much? On a street of all-white houses, it won`t take much in the way of accent color to set your house apart from the rest. It`s probably best to err on the side of subtlety.
For inspiration, drive around the neighborhood or those nearby and look for color combinations that appeal to you, as well as ones that don`t. Also, look through home building and remodeling magazines and build yourself a portfolio of exterior color ideas.
Finding help
You may even find more help at your local paint store than you`re accustomed to. Many paint retailers are installing computerized color video monitors that can show you how your house will look with various color combinations before it is painted. After you select from the computer`s memory bank a house that most closely resembles yours, the outline of the house appears on the monitor screen. Then you can electronically color various elements of the house to come up with a multicolor scheme that appeals to you. If you are dealing with a less technologically advanced paint store and have to resort to conventional paper paint chips, don`t settle for just one tiny sample. Help yourself to six or eight chips of the same color. When you get them home, cut them out and paste them on a sheet of paper so you have a sizable sample to look at. And make your decision outside in the daylight. Artificial indoor lighting can drastically alter the true color of paint.
Also, if you`re buying custom-mixed (as opposed to ready-mixed) paint, calculate carefully the quantities required, and order all of the paint at the same time so you can be sure the formula is consistent from quart to quart or gallon to gallon. And even if you are using ready-mixed paint, mix all of the containers of one color together before you paint. Regardless of the color specified on the label, there can be discernible differences in color between cans.
So instead of mindlessly slapping on another coat of whitewash this summer, think of the outside of your house as an opportunity for self-expression. Even if you live in a neighborhood of assembly-line houses, color can help make yours as individual as a fingerprint.
