If you’re painting the outside of your home, don’t be afraid to take a little time with the color decision. “Your interior is about your personal color tastes,” says Tom Lee, Senior VP of Consumer Marketing for Behr, “but the exterior is really about durability. It’s about protecting the biggest investment you have.” It isn’t an easy decision to redo, so don’t rush it. With that in mind, here are some tips for choosing a paint: Plan to spend a little more money. Investing in a premium paint such as Behr Marquee Exterior Paint & Primer in One is a wise choice. You don’t want to be climbing up a scaffold again anytime soon — or paying for someone else to do it — so paint needs to cover well, resist stains and stand up to weather. Think about your permanent materials. If you have an existing brick or stone foundation, patio, or accents, work with their underlying tones as you’re choosing a paint shade. If you’re stuck, try pairing opposites in terms of color temperature.

For example, if you have a warm red brick foundation and you want brown for your exterior paint, choose a taupe with cool gray/blue undertones instead of a peachy tan. Take advantage of technology. You can usually bring in a sample of permanent materials to the paint store for computer color matching. Behr also offers an online tool called that lets you choose an initial color, recommends matching/coordinating colors, and helps you experiment with color combos on images of a home exterior so you can imagine the finished look. Don’t forget the trim. If you want something other than the usual white, try your exterior color just a few shades lighter for a subtle, elegant effect. Ease in with swatches. Buy test sizes of the paint colors you’re considering and paint some brush-outs on the exterior. Be sure to put some color on both the north and south sides of the house, where lighting can differ dramatically, and near any trim you’re coordinating with. Visit your paint samples at different times of day to get the best idea of how the finished product will look.

To give you a head start, here’s a cheat sheet of popular Benjamin Moore exterior colors courtesy of Andrea Magno, Benjamin Moore’s color and design expert: Neutrals: Shaker Beige HC-45, Alexandria Beige HC-77, Pashmina AF-100 Grays: Stonington Gray HC-170, Thunder AF-685, Storm AF-700christmas decorating ideas for your front door Blues and Greens: Phillipsburg Blue HC-159, Guilford Green HC-116, Soft Fern 2144-40, Santorini Blue 1634, Wickham Gray HC-171home decor catalogs free download Trim:  Navajo White 947 (also OC-95),  Frostine AF-5, Simply White OC-117bedroom decorating ideas cute Front Doors: Lucerne AF-530, Flint AF-560, Breath of Fresh Air 806, Black Satin 2131-10, Silhouette AF-655, Super Nova 1414, Pomegranate AF-295

Sign up for weekly project ideas and advice from experts Privacy Policy Sign Up for More We love to DIY. You love to DIY. See the latest DIY projects, catch up on trends and meet more cool people who love to create. Make It. Fix It. Learn It. Find It. Get quick inspiration from Made + Remade each week. The Essential Steps to Landscape DesignTry These Plants and Groundcovers Reducing the Size of a Lawn 10 Things You Must Know About Landscaping Lush Landscaping Creates Major Curb Appeal Popular Landscaping Groundcovers and Shrubs How to Design a Great Yard with Landscape Plants How to Landscape a Shady Yard Some of the Most Desperate Landscapes How to Landscape a Sloping BackyardChoose the Best Colors Designer insights  you can use to select the right paint colors. More on Choosing Interior Paint Colors Select the Right Sheen Which sheen is best for your walls? Let us help you find the right one.

More About Paint Sheens Know How Much Paint To Buy Calculate the amount of paint you need & save some time and money. How to Paint a Room Watch our step-by-step guide on interior painting and get better results. Choosing Paint Brushes and Applicators Concrete & Garage Floor Paint Trending Chalk Paint Projects When you’re ready to tackle your next paint project, we offer an amazing choice of colors from top paint brands, at the best price, and expert know-how to help you do the job right. Whether you’re making a colorful update to the interior or exterior of your home or working on a unique DIY project, you can really pour on the creativity with our unmatched selection of paints and exterior stains, craft supplies like chalkboard paint, stencils, glitter, or even glow in the dark spray paint. You should also check out our paint project and buying guides as well as The Home Depot Blog for current paint trends, popular color palettes and paint craft ideas.

For all your painting needs, small and large, we’ve got you covered at The Home Depot.Picking an exterior paint color for your home is tricky, but when a color expert gets it wrong it makes you wonder if there’s hope for the rest of us. Leslie Harrington chose a gray for her Connecticut home. When this long-time color expert pulled up to the house after one coat had been applied, she was shocked. “It had too much red in it and was too strong, so I called the painter and we came up with a solution,” says Harrington. She originally chose the same gray used inside the home to bring a holistic look to the house. And she didn’t want the same color as other houses in the neighborhood. “But the gray I chose was too red and brought out the red undertones in the roof,” she says. The painter added green to the paint to neutralize the red, and Harrington wound up with a color she loves and describes as elephant gray. The trim is white, and to tie it together the front door was painted a smoky purple with a bit of red that complements the red from the roof, as if that was the plan was all along.

So how do you nail the right exterior paint color, especially when the color on the small paint chip will have a lot more punch once magnified? Start by taking cues from the house style and what was typically used, such as a white or pale yellow for a Colonial home and earth tones for a Craftsman. Common Painting Mistakes to Avoid Putting Your Stamp on It You love turquoise, doesn’t everybody? You won’t be repainting your house for another eight years or so, and if you’re putting it on the market before that know that some house hunters won’t even look inside if they don’t like the exterior paint color. They’re thinking of the thousands they’ll spend to have it repainted. Tips: Be a good neighbor and think how the color fits in. “You don’t want to be a total oddball on the street, but you don’t want a color that’s too close to homes next door,” says Harrington. “And the better the street looks, the more value it has.” You can add interest to your home’s exterior by painting the front door a color you love—it’s easy and inexpensive to change, if needed.

In the South, pink houses can charm, but that’s harder to pull off up north, and the color of San Francisco’s painted ladies won’t work in Boston. Natural light plays an important role here and makes colors look lighter. Tips: The exterior paint color you first pick might look washed out once it’s on your house. Pick a color that’s one or two shades darker than what you think you want, or go a shade grayer. Paint a swatch on the front of your house where it’s in full sun, not on the porch or overhang where there’s shadows. Look at the color at different times of day. The color of the roof, window trim, sashes, and even the mortar matter. Tips: The mortar around the bricks is typically off-white, beige, or gray. So match trim to the mortar color for a look that’s warm and more natural, rather than painting it a bright white. If the roof has red or brown tones it can clash with a gray or green exterior, while black and gray act as neutral roof colors. When choosing a color for the window trim, consider the color of the window sash and whether it can be painted.