Picking the right paint color for your home’s exterior is a big decision. Unlike your interior walls, it’s more difficult and expensive to repaint your home’s siding.
An exterior paint job should last five to ten years, depending on your climate. Resisting trends and opting for a classic color will ensure that you don’t get sick of your home before it’s time to repaint.
Top 10 Classic Exterior Paint Colors
We’ve rounded up the top ten paint colors that never go out of style and specific hues from some of the most popular paint brands.
1. Bright White
Bright white can make a home feel fresh, helping it to stand out. You can use this color on almost all architectural styles, from traditional brick homes to more modern styles. Bright white home exteriors pair with all accent colors, although black is one of the top shutter and trim choices.
The biggest con to painting a home bright white is that it will show dirt and mildew more easily than darker colors. Be prepared to wash your home’s exterior 2-3 times per year to keep your paint job looking fresh.
Paint Colors to Consider: Sherwin-Williams Pure White SW 7005, Behr Ultra Pure White 1850, and Benjamin Moore Pure White OC-64
2. Creamy White
Creams and off-whites lend a warmer, more antique look than a stark, bright white. You can accent a creamy white home exterior with black trim or opt for taupe, greige, and other warm trim colors. Cream also coordinates well with warm wood accents.
Cream has yellow undertones and comes in varying levels of lightness and darkness. Paint sample swatches on your house to find the perfect shade before committing.
Paint Colors to Consider: Benjamin Moore Creamy White OC-7, Sherwin Williams Alabaster SW 7008, and Behr Swiss Coffee 12
3. Slate Gray
Slate Gray is a combination of charcoal gray and blue. Even though it’s cooler toned, it’s still neutral and works well with bright white siding and trim. Slate gray can give your home a moodier ambiance or make it look more modern, depending on your home’s architectural style.
You’ll find slate gray shades with varying levels of blue undertones. If you want your home to lean more toward gray, go for less blue.
Paint Colors to Consider: Benjamin Moore Midnight Oil 1631, Sherwin Williams Wall Street 7665, and Behr Midnight in NY N440-7
4. Light Gray
Light gray is losing popularity for interior finishes but remains a classic exterior paint color. A light gray can make your home look soft without showing as much dirt as true white. You can complement it with darker gray or white accents.
If you have a smaller home, painting it light gray will make it appear larger.
Paints Colors to Consider: Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray HC-170, Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray SW-7029, and Behr Silver Feature BWC-29
5. Soft Blue
Soft blue is versatile, working on most homes depending on the undertone. It coordinates well with brick, stone accents, and natural wood or white trim. Light, muted blues can give your home a calming feel, while mid-toned to darker shades add drama.
One of the most traditional exterior paint colors is sky blue, which can add color to your home without being overwhelming. You can also opt for blue-gray if you want your home’s siding to lean more neutral.
Paint Colors to Consider: Sherwin-Williams Dew Drop SW 9641, Behr Absolute Zero N940-1, Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue HC-144
6. Taupe
Taupe strikes a balance between mid to dark-toned grays and browns. It’s more cool-toned than warm beige and is versatile, working well with light and dark trim. As an exterior house color, Taupe never goes out of style. It offers more warmth than plain white without being bold or trendy.
Taupe pairs well with earthy color schemes like stone siding and brick accents. It also looks clean and fresh with bright white trim pieces.
Paint Colors to Consider: Sherwin-Williams Tony Taupe SW7038, Behr Perfect Taupe PPU18-13, and Benjamin Moore Pashmina AF-100
7. Earthy Green
From light to dark and everything in between, earthy green suits many architectural styles. Dark green has trended for the past few years, but a mid-toned to light green works for a more classic look. These shades of green especially suit craftsman bungalows, mountain homes, and rustic homes in the woods.
You can complement an earthy green home with black or white trims and shutters. A darker shade of green with the same undertones also works well as an accent.
Paint Colors to Consider: Sherwin-Williams Evergreen Fog SW9130, Benjamin Moore Lewiville Green 494, and Behr Muted Sage N350-5
8. Greige
Greige is the product of combining a warm-toned beige with a cool-toned gray. The result is a neutral color that works with warm or cool color schemes. Greige is the perfect meet in the middle if you can’t decide on gray or tan for your house color. It’s less warm than taupe and comes in varying intensities.
Dark greige pairs well with white trim pieces for a crisp look. You can accent a light greige with white, black, cream, brown, or a warm charcoal gray.
Paint colors to consider: Sherwin-Williams Perfect Greige SW 6073, Behr Greige PPU24-11, and Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter HC-172
9. Soft Yellow
A 2018 Zillow study found that buyers pay an average of $3,418 more for yellow homes than other colors, but you must be careful what shade you choose. Bright yellows can come off as too bold and tend to fade faster than other exterior paint colors. A softer yellow is a safer choice and works well with country homes, small cottages, and traditional-style architecture.
You can use white trim and wood accents with a soft yellow exterior. Save bolder colors, like red, for the front door.
Paint colors to consider: Benjamin Moore Cornsilk 198, Sherwin-Williams Pale Yellow SW 7691, and Behr Firefly P310-3
10. Rustic Red
Red is a striking exterior house color that works well on old-country style homes, craftsman, and rustic-style architecture. Warmer-toned reds work best as classic exterior colors and pair well with white or dark trim, depending on the shade.
If you like the idea of red but aren’t ready to paint your whole house, consider it for an accent color.
Paint colors to consider: Sherwin-Williams Roycroft Copper Red SW-2839, Benjamin Moore Caliente AF-290, and Behr Firecracker AF-290.
