White paint makes a house instantly polished and sophisticated, cheery pastels highlight a home's most interesting architecture details, and gray, well, it can do both. A charcoal exterior is timeless but bold, making dramatic rooflines and window frames pop. The moody color commands a space, but it does so quietly. Perhaps that's why a gray house blends so beautifully with its surroundings, whether set on a lush manicured lawn or nestled in the woods. Plus, paint isn't your only option to get this look—gray stone or shingles can have the same impact. Read on to discover five houses from the AD archives that showcase the versatility and power of gray. The for Every Project Love your space with expertly curated paint colors and room images to match any style. From garage paint to deck stain, get the colors and know-how to finish your exterior project. More than a chip on a wall, Project Color is your space, transformed, in a single tap. Get helpful tips and tricks from DIY-ers and experts in our Home Depot Community.

Already have a color in mind? At the risk of stating the obvious, it’s hard to find the best paint color for your house’s exterior. White is a classic, but choose the wrong shade and you’ll end up with a very expensive mistake. We wanted to take the guesswork out of choosing the best white paint for your house, so we asked the architect and designer members of our Professional Directory to share their vetted shades of exterior white paint. They’ve painted countless houses over the years, and know what works. Here, they generously share their 10 favorites. What’s your go-to shade of white paint? Tell us in the comments below. Swatch photographs by Katie Newburn for Gardenista. Above: Top row, left to right: Benjamin Moore Brilliant White; Benjamin Moore Simply White; Farrow & Ball All White; Benjamin Moore White Heron. Bottom row: Sherwin-Williams Pure White; Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee; Benjamin Moore Linen White; Porter Paints Atrium White; and Benjamin Moore Cloud White.

Above: On this house in Connecticut, Brooklyn-based O’neill Rose Architects used low-luster Benjamin Moore Brilliant White, which principal Devin O’Neill calls “a standard that always looks good.” The firm worked with Donald Kaufman on the palette for the house, and chose Donald Kaufman Color DKC-44 in semi-gloss for the porch and ceiling. Above: Interior designer Meg Joannides of MLK Studio in LA recently completed this Brentwood Park home. On the exterior, she used Sherwin-Williams Pure White, a true white that barely hints toward warm. The charcoal gray shutters are painted in Benjamin Moore Onyx. Above: Architect Tim Barber chose Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee for this new house in Santa Monica. The color is also a favorite of SF Bay Area–based designer Nicole Hollis. Above: Donald Billinkoff of Billinkoff Architecture in NYC rarely uses any other white than Benjamin Moore White Heron. Says Billinkoff, “In bright light it is warm and in low light it is bright.”

Above: NYC-based 2Michaels worked with midcentury antiques dealer Larry Weinberg in choosing Benjamin Moore Simply White for this outdoor room on Martha’s Vineyard. Interior designer Kriste Michelini also recommends this shade.beach house decorating ideas on pinterest Above: LA-based DISC Interiors painted the exterior of this Loz Feliz home in Crystal Haze from Dunn-Edwards. home decorating ideas photos budgetThis shade has the deepest tan inflection of the paints recommended here.purple christmas decorations next Above: SF Bay Area designer Nicole Hollis chose Farrow & Ball All White as her pick–the whitest white of our recommendations.

In this image from Farrow & Ball, the door and metalwork are painted in Pitch Black. Above: Nashville architect Marcus DiPietro chose PPG Porter Paints Atrium White for the exterior of this modern, Japanese-influenced home in Oak Hill, Tennessee. Next to Linen White (below), Atrium White is the second warmest of the bunch. Above: NYC-based Steven Harris Architects painted this Upper West Side townhouse in Benjamin Moore’s Cloud White. Photograph by Elizabeth Felicella. Above: SF Bay Area-based landscape architecture firm Pedersen Associates admires Benjamin Moore’s Linen White, shown here on a house in Mill Valley. Says principal Pete Pedersen, “Here in Northern California, the quality of light is such that you need to take a little off of the whites to keep from too much reflective glare.” Linen White is the warmest of the 10 whites shown here. Looking for a shade of white to paint an indoor room? See 10 Easy Pieces: Architects’ White Paint Picks.

We also consulted architects for their picks for exterior shades of gray and black. This is an update of a post originally published September 11, 2013. ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,Deciding which colors to paint the outside of your house is daunting (big commitment!)—so we asked the pros for help. Here, top designers share their go-to hues for a home’s siding, trim, and front door. Try one of their perfect pairings. Paint pricing: Behr Premium Plus exterior paint, from $29 a gallon. Benjamin Moore Regal Select Exterior paint, $55 a gallon. Dunn Edwards Evershield Exterior paint, from $44 a gallon. Farrow & Ball Exterior Masonry paint, $100 a gallon. Sherwin Williams A-100 Exterior Acrylic Latex Paint, $40 a gallon; All Surface Enamel Latex Base, $60 a gallon; Emerald Exterior Acrylic Latex Paint, $73 a gallon.Radiant flower beds and walkways lined with colorful potted blooms are surefire ways to up your curb appeal each season. But if you’re looking for a more lasting update, refresh your home’s facade with a coat of paint.

We’ll be the first to admit that selecting a color from the vast range of choices can be a big (and expensive!) decision. After all, it’s one home upgrade that’s guaranteed to leave an impression on visitors as well as passersby. So here are two key points to keep in mind. First, consider how the color will appear on as large a scale as your house; it may look lighter or darker than it would on a single wall. Second, take your home’s architecture into consideration—a charcoal black might modernize a cottage but look completely out of place on a Greek Revival house. For expert guidance, we looked to top tastemakers and designers for their ideas (and tips) on exterior house paint colors that are just right. The house: an 1869 Greek Revival home in New Orleans James White by Farrow & Ball Why it works: Leontine Linens founder Jane Scott Hodges chose the airy white paint for her Garden District home’s facade as a nod to its 19th-century roots and to accentuate the house’s unique architecture.

“Homes of that time were typically painted white to allow the bold details and moldings to stand out,” she tells us. The pristine white not only sets the house apart from the more colorful homes in her neighborhood but also sets the stage for what’s inside. “We chose the color to create a clean palette on the exterior of our home knowing the bold mix we would incorporate on the inside.” Paint tip: For a home with beautiful columns and moldings, consider pure white as a way to draw the eye to the ornate flourishes. The house: a 1920s Colonial Revival cottage in Ann Arbor, MI The paint color: Railings by Farrow & Ball Why it works: With double-hung windows, a small porch, and a simple pediment above the door, the home of Michelle Adams, designer and editor of the blog The Maryn, has all the charms of the perfect cottage—but only after she nixed its original hue. “When I purchased the house it was painted in a light beige color, which made the oversize black pediment stand out like a giant nose,” she says.

“Painting it a dark charcoal helped blend in the pediment and create a new focal point with white windows and a white door. The dark paint also helped disguise the many dents in the metal siding, which was unfortunately added on top of the original wood at some point in time.” Paint tip: Opt for a darker hue to mask any imperfections that lighter hues might magnify. The house: a Colonial Carribean-style estate in Bermuda The paint color: Pink Dust by Pratt & Lambert Why it works: “The home had been a paler shade of pink when the homeowners purchased it and was lovingly recognized on the block as ‘the pink house,’” says Jesse Carrier of Carrier and Company, who designed this estate with architect Kasimir Korybut. “In the spirit of its Colonial Caribbean roots and respecting its local heritage, we decided it should remain pink but with a bit more punch. Historically, bright pinks and yellows are appropriate for this style of architecture, and we believe that a home should reflect where and what it is.

Just as cedar shingles might harken a New England vibe, pink stucco should give a clue that you’re likely somewhere south of the Mason-Dixon line.” Paint tip: Jesse’s rule of thumb is to narrow down to two or three colors, then look at each at different times of day, in different light, and on different sides of the house before making the final decision. The house: an 18th-century schoolhouse barn on the coast of Rhode Island The paint color: Country Redwood by Benjamin Moore Why it works: When refurbishing a circa-1790 barn house into his home, one of the first things designer and antiques dealer John Peixinho did was update the one-room structure’s 1980s red paint color, which had strong blue undertones, to this warmer shade, which nods to the home’s history as a schoolhouse. Paint tip: Red paint was once a more cost-effective option to white. For the perfect red that references farmhouses or barns from those days, opt for one with brown or orange undertones.

The house: a French country-style manse in Colorado The paint color: custom gray and purple mixes Why it works: Designer Petra Richards drew inspiration from the South of France for this family home’s traditional brick facade and shutters. The light gray (typical of French houses) and vivid purple (reminiscent of the region’s lavender fields) help to accentuate the details of the brick as well as modernize the overall architecture of the building. Paint tip: When painting brick, be sure to first clean the stone and the grooves thoroughly to ensure that the paint adheres. The house: a traditional Georgian house in Los Angeles The paint colors: Benjamin Moore’s Brilliant White and Essex Green Why they work: “Symmetry, balance, and proportion are the classic hallmarks that comprise the stately exterior of a Georgian-style home,” says decorator Timothy Corrigan of his own house. To play up the structure’s beautiful framework, he opted for what he deems “a classic color combination” for this style of architecture: crisp white and deep green.

“White is the perfect choice for the clean lines and distinctive architectural features, while the dark green instantly draws the eye to the home’s symmetrical design.” Paint tip: Take a cue from your home’s surroundings when deciding on a paint color for features such as the front door or shutters. For Timothy, “This shade of green is not too yellow, nor is it so dark that it appears black. It’s a welcoming shade that nods to the lush green foliage surrounding the house.” The house: a Craftsman bungalow in Los Angeles The paint color: custom Ralph Lauren blue mix Why it works: Colombian designer Moises Esquenazi went for a bold blue that’s just the right balance of bright and cool. “It was a bit of a risk although it just seemed appropriate. I thought this shade was a perfect mix of strong, elegant, and unique,” he says, adding that the color also helped to more sharply define the home’s silhouette and white trim. Paint tip: Be bold, but also be mindful of your home’s surroundings and the effect of light when it hits the color.