Contrasting colors look appealing on a small house. The right combination of paint color for the exterior of your house takes on added importance when your house is small. The goal is to make your house appear as expansive as possible while focusing on appealing architectural features to make your house stand out. Most exterior paint combinations on small homes have two main colors -- one for the bulk of the house and the other for the trim and special features. Blue and White Blue and white work magic for a small house because blue grounds the home, making it look more substantial. White trim brightens the entire house and makes the blue look crisp and finely detailed. Midnight blue and navy blue are too dark for most small homes, and pastel blue looks faded, dull and outdated. Opt for medium shades of blue, such as blue-gray, cornflower blue, ocean blue or sky blue. Stark white paint works best for the trim, edging, arches and any additional architectural features. Paint your gutters and downspouts blue, so they blend with the house and don't stand out.

Black and White Black and white is a familiar color combination because white expands a house, making it appear larger than it really is. Paint the entire house white and use black paint for the trim and shutters. Black fades quickly when exposed to sunlight, so opt for a high-performance paint that has ultraviolet protection. Black trim is especially appealing on a white house when the roof is also black, charcoal gray or light gray. If black is too dark for you, opt for a dark or medium shade of gray for the trim. To avoid unwanted shadows and help your paint effectively reflect natural light, paint your window sashes and porch ceilings white. You can always add colorful flowers, vivid landscape, a brightly painted front door or a zesty "welcome" mat to spruce up the black-and-white combo with color. Brown and Tan Brown and tan team up for a warm and welcoming color combination that is subtle and won't easily go out of style. Choose a light, medium or neutral tan shade for the bulk of the house.

These hues aren't dark enough to shrink the appearance of a house, so they work well on small houses. Then, select a shade two or three shades darker on the same color swatch for the trim and architectural features. Choosing colors from the same swatch ensures that the colors blend harmoniously. You might choose a brown or taupe accent color for the trim that also matches one of the flecks of color in your roof. Sage Green and White If you prefer a darker base color, opt for sage green. decorating ideas for welcome homeIts warm undertones and muted hue work well on a small house, especially if you use white, off-white or beige to highlight your trim and architectural accents. pre decorated christmas tree saleSage green blends nicely with outdoor surroundings, such as trees, bushes and vines, so it makes a small house look like a continuous, fluid extension of the outdoors. christmas decorations outdoor star

You might install a wooden front door to maintain your nature-inspired color theme. /Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionChoosing exterior house colors can be quite challenging. It often takes years training and experience to learn what colors and materials will look good together, but the average person has never done anything similar before. And choosing the wrong color paint or material can be a mistake that you’ll likely have to live with for many years (or spend a lot of money to fix). wholesale home interior itemsHere are some tips to help you get started.christmas decorations to make from wood The most common mistake I see in choosing exterior house color is that the color is too light. decorating christmas trees ideas pictures

The sun will wash out colors outside, so choosing a light subtle color will end up looking like white. When choosing colors, keep in mind that they usually need to be more gray or brown than you think. For example, a gray with a tint of green in it will read more ‘green than you think when painted on an entire house. If you choose a color and can say ‘now that’s green’, you’ve likely chosen too ‘green’ of a green. The primary exception to this rule would be in more tropical locations such as Miami or other areas where a lighter more reflective color is desired to keep a house cool. Here, pastel and brighter colors can work well. If you are having trouble choosing trim and siding colors, keep them related to each other, like a cream trim and a darker beige on the same paint chip strip. Then add in an accent color like a deep eggplant color. Don’t choose your house colors from just a little paint chip! Even professionals with experience have large sample boards painted (or paint directly on the house).

Buy a quart of a few colors of paint and look at your samples in several different lights of the day and on different sides of your house. This takes time, but it’s the only way to really know if you are going to get to it right. Many homes have vinyl windows which will usually be white. Don’t paint the vinyl windows unless you have no other option. If you do, consult your window manufacturer and paint company to find compatible products. Painting white vinyl with a dark paint can be disastrous because of the expansion of the vinyl in sunlight. The dark color will cause the vinyl to expand even more than normal, leading to paint and possibly window failure. If you have trim around a white vinyl window, it often works best to paint the trim white too. This will tend to make the vinyl windows blend into the window, and look more like a traditional wood window. If you are choosing new windows and you want to paint your house a dark color, consider choosing a darker window color, as well.

Whereas in years past you may have had to choose between a “white” and “almond” exterior color for new windows, most of the windows we specify now are available in black or dark bronze on the outside (even if white is all you get inside). If you have the budget for wood or metal clad windows, then you’ll have many color choices, but even composite windows are now available with darker colors which can work well with a more modern house or a house with metal siding, or even brick. A bright white window on a dark or medium-toned house will often have too much contrast, and we typically stay away from that, unless the house is very traditional or you are seeking to make the windows stand out. This is a place where you can afford to take some risks because generally accent colors are limited to less area. We sometimes compare choosing accent colors to putting on makeup: the accent color is like putting on eyeliner and lipstick. You know what too much makeup can do- the same goes for a house.

Painting brick should generally be avoided, but sometimes it’s the only way to refresh an exterior. Just because you have a brick house, don’t automatically rule out painting it. You will still have the texture of the brick, but you won’t be stuck to the color, which can date many, many homes. Of course, if you have a Frank Lloyd Wright mission style brick home, don’t paint it! Unfortunately, most of our homes are not so inspired. Painting the brick can really lighten up a dark and dreary house. Consult a good paint store when painting brick to be sure to get compatible products. When the roof of a house is visible, it can be a very prominent element. Choosing the wrong color roof is a costly mistake so it’s important to understand some general rules first. When choosing the roof color, consider what color the house is going to be painted (or if is brick or stone, consider the general tone of the material). If the house is being painted warmer colors, then a brown roof may be the right choice.