Looking to crank up your home’s curb appeal? Create an attention-grabbing style with our tips and tricks for simple ways to enhance your home’s exterior.
Q: How can I enhance my homes curb appeal?
Sue: Those architectural details make your home unique – play them up! Does your home have incredible trim? Pick a color to enhance that. Maybe there are two forms of siding on your home — consider using two separate body colors to add some contrast. The unique aspects of your home can be a fun way to make a bold impression.
Q: What kind of design resources are out there?
Sue: Design resources are EVERYWHERE! Magazines, nearby homes and websites like Pinterest will help you identify what color schemes you gravitate toward. Once you have some selections in mind, let Sherwin-Williams and the ColorSnap® Visualizer help you finish the job. Upload a photo of your own home or select one of our pre-selected exterior shots to play with color and share your schemes with family and friends to get their opinions too!
Q: How do I create the perfect palette?
Sue: Think in terms of color pairs. For example, coordinating a dark siding color with white trim creates strong contrast, leaving room for accent colors to be used in other areas like shutters or doors. If you have a neutral siding and trim palette, a boldly-colored front door will make a statement. And remember, to create color harmony for your home, keep your exterior palette between four to five colors.
Q: So, what else do I need?
Sue: Samples! It’s important to get some color samples once you have narrowed down your choices. Get some color chips online or from your neighborhood Sherwin-Williams store and tape them up on your house for a day or two. Look at the colors throughout the day and in different weather if possible, because color can change depending on the conditions. Sherwin-Williams paint experts will also tint a small Color to Go® sample that you can take home and use to test on an area of your house. The recommended size would be about 24” x 36”. Take your time, because this final phase of the color selection process is really critical to success.
My home has a black door and shutters, a black storm door, white trim, light gray siding with varying shades of gray and white stone. My husbands wants to paint our front door white. I’m not so sure. Suggestions, comments?
Hi Gayle! A white door with the gray house and black shutters is a classic combo and allows you to accent your door with different wreaths and other items throughout the year. If you do paint your door white, make sure you paint the storm door white as well.
I have a red/orange brick front home, right now the door and shutters are maroon with white windows/trim. The door also has 2 side windows which are maroon. I want to paint all of them, and I keep leaning towards black for the shutters, but I just don’t know what to paint the door?! Any suggestions?
Hi Jen! A saturated Greige (grey+beige) would look stunning on your door. Check out:
Brainstorm Bronze SW 7033
Anonymous SW 7046
Warm Stone SW 7032
My 1948 ranch home has cream trim and a cinnamon red front door. The house faces due East with interior colors a combination of whites and neutrals. What do you suggest for a front door color?
Hi Pat, can you tell us what color is the body of the house?
Hello
I’m trying to pick colors for the exterior of my house. My house is mostly brick. Yellow brick on the front of the house including the porch and red brick sides and back. The third floor is stucco and is painted white and there is green trim and green and white awnings. I want to paint the awnings and the stucco and trim on the house but not the brick except for the foundation brick that the porch is sitting on. I need some advice on colors.
Thank you
Hi Cheryl! We’d like to get a better sense of your space before making a recommendation. Sign up for a free Virtual Color Consultation here.
Hi, I have a lighter blue house with white trim, black shutters and a red door. I would like to change the color of my door. Any suggestions?
Hello Sue, are you open to changing the color of the shutters as well? If so, we think a concentrated greige (grey+beige) like Urbane Bronze SW 7048 on the shutters and door would look fantastic. If greige is not to your liking, consider using a dark chocolate color similar to Status Bronze SW 7034 on shutters and door. If you paint your shutters and door the same color, you will create a cohesive palette with once accent color taking center stage. Let us know if you need anything else. Thank you.
navy!!
Hi tһere! This post couldn’t be written any better!
Reading thiѕ post reminds me of my previоus room mate!
He alwаys kept chatting about this. I will forward this write-up to him.
Pretty sure һe ԝill have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
Hi there, I have a Brown roof, with brown front door brown, garage, brown shutters, and a dark tan siding split level home I had just purchased. I just had my roof done with a grey/black color yesterday and I like the tan siding, What would go best for accents on the front door, shutters and garage? White?
Hi Tyler! Yes you certainly can’t go wrong with classic white. However, if you want to introduce some color to your palette, consider using one of the blue-grays below. Any of these color would complement the neutrals in both your siding and your roof beautifully. Take a look at:
Dustblu SW 9161
Let it Rain SW 9152
African Gray SW 9162
Hi! I have a light yellow house with black shutters. I can’t decide on a good front door color! Any suggestions?
Hi Lisa, Are you open to changing the color of your shutters? A mid-tone gray like Gray Matters SW 7658 on the shutters would look stunning on a light yellow house. Yellow and gray look beautiful together and opens your palette up for my choices on your door. A charcoal gray on your door like Tin Lizzie SW 9163 or Cityscape SW 7067 would create a timeless look for your exterior. If you want to keep the black shutters, you can use Tin Lizzie or Gray Matters on your door.
I have a 3 story home in Florida and have chosen SW 9169 Chatura Grey for the house but need a trim color. My roof is brown, garage doors are white and front door is a light wood grain. Can you suggest a color for the trim? It would go across the front of the house on the second floor and around the windows going down the middle of the house.
Thank you!
Hello Donna, if you want to make the exterior seamless, consider using the white of your garage doors which would be either Pure White SW 7005 or Extra White SW 7006. However, if you are open to using a softer white which would complement your Chatura Gray look at either Shoji White SW 7042 or Toque White SW 7003.
I have a light blue siding with red shutters and a red door…I hate it! I’ve been thinking of changing to shades of teal but can’t decide on the shades…help!
Hi Meg, do you want to change the shutters and door to teal or the body of the house? Let us know when you get a minute. Thank you!
I love this blog! I have a Cape Cod house that I having painted. am thinking of Morning Fog, a grey, with blueish grey doors, Dyers Woad. Does anyone have any experience with these colors? Thank you!
need help on a nice greige color for the exterior of my home! i have stone trim in the front, the tile roof is a lighter brownish-grayish color (if that makes sense) and ive decided on white trim and a dark blue front door. repose gray is throughout the interior.
Hello Hollie, since you will have a dark blue door, we think it is best to stick with a Greige (grey+beige) family similar to what you have inside but several shades darker. A greige will look like a gray without turning into a baby blue next to your front door. Some great options for your exterior are:
Classic French Gray SW 0077
Acer SW 9170
Gray Shingle SW 7670
Hello! We have a classic red brick home– the brick is slightly distressed with pops of white/tan and some dark grey spots. Our windows have vinyl trim that is very light tan that cannot be changed. We are looking for colors for the doors, trim and remaining woodwork. The roof is charcoal. Right now, the trim is tan that has a pink tint. The easy answer is to just do a more neutral tan/beige, but we are thinking a dark trim that highlights the charcoal roof and grey from the brick might update the house. I also really like the blue/green color on the porch ceiling at the top of this page. We have a large covered patio, and if we go with a charcoal color for the trim, I was thinking that might be too dark for porch soffit– so maybe a turquoise could be fun? or a lighter greige? Let me know your color suggestions!
Hi Meghan! We’d like to get a better sense of the space before making a recommendation. Click the following link to schedule a free Virtual Color Consultation. https://homeowner.sherwin-williams.com/colorconsult/
Hi!
I’ve been in my farmhouse colonial for 28 years. We’ve had Stone Lion with white trim and BM #644 doors and shutters, followed by Sanderling, Navajo trim , Olympic Range shutters and accent doors in BM Raisin torte. We have red brick on our farmers porch.
We are keeping same body and trim but I’m looking for color options for shutters and doors. Also the front storm door is green can it be painted? Thank you!
Hi Kathleen! For a job of this scope you would benefit best from a one-on-one virtual consult with one of our designers. You can schedule a “real time” appointment with a designer when you sign up. This virtual consult will allow the designer to see your space and lighting which would be the best option for your project. Click the following link to get started. https://homeowner.sherwin-williams.com/colorconsult/. As for your green door, it sure can be painted! Consider using SnapDry Door & Trim Paint.
What colors would you suggest for a used-brick, two story house with brick on the first story and wood on the second story?
Hi Cathie! Do you have any color family you are interested in?
I have a brown house with white trim and window shutters. I am not sure about the front door color. Currently I have white front door but now I want to change it increase the curb appeal. Could you suggest?
Hi Sangeeta, we’d like to get a better sense of this space before making a recommendation. Please fill out the form linked below for a free Virtual Color Consultation here.
We are looking to paint our single story home in Northern NV. We are interested in a green for the body of the home (looked into Privilege Green) with a cream/neutral trim, and a red front door. Any suggestions as to what colors (green body, cream trim, red door) would look good together?
Hi Courtney, Courtney, these are two options that would look beautiful. Please keep in mind that it is always best to look at color in your lighting:
Option 1 Option 2
Body SW 6193 Privilege Green SW 6187 Rosemary
Trim SW 7013 Ivory Lace SW 7011 Natural Choice
Door SW 2856 Fairfax SW 6328 Fireweed
We have Tudor style house with stone and brick (keeping those natural)… wanting to update with grays or possibly urban bronze…. Would love some help with two color that would work well with our style 😉
Hello Erin, take a look at either Gauntlet Gray SW 7019 or Urbane Bronze SW 7048 for your Tudor home. Either of these saturated colors would give a modern twist to your classic style.
My home is painted tan/beige with red door and black shutters with a red brick garage and black roof. We are required to only use colonial color palates and I would like to paint the house a creamy beige (less yellow than tan) and paint the door and shutters a nice shade of blue but don’t want anything too light or too dark. Would also need a contrasting color for the trim, if I don’t paint it the same beige. Any recommendations on colors?
Hi Dee Dee, for a job of this scope and detail, you would benefit best from a one-on-one virtual consult with one of our designers. You can schedule a “real time” appointment with a designer when you sign up. This virtual consult will allow the designer to see your space and lighting which would be the best option for your project. Click the following link to get started. https://homeowner.sherwin-williams.com/colorconsult
SW
Hi! I have a brick house with a medium charcoal gray roof that also has some brown shingles scattered throughout. The mortar is a light gray. The brick is not a deep red, but more of a textured terra cotta but it is definitely not orange. Maybe a softer brownish red. I am struggling to find a front door color because the house has southern exposure and no overhang on the porch so any undertones are very obvious. I have been looking at grays but realize that most have either blue, green, or purple undertones. I prefer green or blue undertones if there is something that will work. As it gets later in the day the undertones disappear. I am also not sure whether to go in the lower or higher LRV range. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hello Susan, consider using a Greige (grey+beige) for your front door. Any of the greiges below would echo the colors in your mortar and roof and would unify the different colors/finishes on your exterior. Look at: Dorian Gray SW 7017, Intellectual Gray SW 7045, & Acier SW 9170.
We’re like Susan in that we are south facing. We’ve looked at: Dorian Gray SW 7017, Intellectual Gray SW 7045, & Acier SW 9170. Does SW 7069 Iron Ore go well as an accent with any of these three body colors? We are considering off-white trims due to HOA constraints.
Hello Michelle, yes either Iron Ore SW 7069 or Peppercorn SW 7674 would be a great choice for accent color. It is always best to look at color in your lighting. Order some free sample chips from our website to determine which color will work best for you.
I am looking to paint my front door a light blue/teal. It is a classic New Englander white siding with black shutters. Currently the front door is dark blue which I don’t feel is a good look. The storm door is white. I want something to pop with color.
Thanks
Hello Toni, Teal is a great color for your door, check out these lighter teals:
SW 6478 Watery
SW 0017 Calico
SW 9051 Aquaverde
It is always best to look at color in your lighting. Order some free sample chips from our website to determine which color will work best for you.
We recently painted our small bungalow/cape cod style home SW 0032
Needlepoint Navy with black shutters and white window trim. I would love a fabulous from door, what would you suggest?
Are you open to a coral or pink? Either of those options would be stunning. Let us know when you get a minute and thanks again.
I have a traditional colonial style 3 story home with walkout basement and front entry garage under. Second story has front facing walk up porch/balcony. My house is a pine green color with white trim & porch rails. I want a pop of color for my front door but I’m not sure if I should paint both doors the same color. The basement entry is directly under the main floor entry and is at driveway level beside the garage. I’m leaning towards a dark navy blue. Should I paint both doors and garage or just main level door (2nd floor with porch)?
Hello Cathleen, Yes, you should paint both doors and garage one of these handsome navy blues:
SW 2740 Mineral Gray
SW 6244 Naval
SW 2739 Charcoal Blue
It is always best to look at color in your lighting. Order some free sample chips from our website to determine which color will work best for you
I like the colors in the first picture for Crank Up Your Curb Appeal but there aren’t any color numbers for them. What are the colors?
Hi Andrew, The colors are Rainwashed SW 6211 and Eider White SW 7014.
Hi, we’re having our home exterior painted. We have red brick all over the facade of the main level with currently a ‘tan’ siding with pure white trim everywhere else. It just feels a little boring/dated, but we don’t want to do anything obnoxious or overly saturated since we won’t be painting the brick. We were looking at the shoji white with relaxed khaki trim, or svelte sage with a pure white trim, or would really love any other ideas. Thank you.
Hello Kara, Consider a mix of your two palettes. For instance, consider using Svelte Sage SW 6164 on your siding and then either Shoji White SW 7042 or White Duck SW 7010 on the trim.
My house is a light-yellow vinyl siding. I just had a new fiberglass front door, with two sidelights, installed and the color is called cherry. Not red cherry, but a dark cherry. What colors would you suggest for my shutters and the stucco on my house. This is a big step, and I don’t want to make a mistake.
Hi Dorothy, Is there any way you could message us on social media and attach a photo of your house? That would be a big help before making a recommendation. Another option we offer if you don’t want to take this route is our free 30-minute color consultation with a color specialist. You can book that session here: https://www.sherwin-williams.com/en-us/virtual-color-consultation Thanks again.
The house has chocolate brown/dark brown shutters and windows. We tried colorsnap visualizer, but it was not really helpful. We are considering SW 6771 Bathe Blue, SW 6792 Minor Blue, or SW 6814 Breathtaking for the exterior color. Which would you recommend? Also thinking white trim but not sure which white. thoughts?
Hello Sue, of those three colors, Minor Blue SW 6792 would be a home run. Breathtaking is purple and Bathe Blue would lean towards looking like a baby boy’s nursery, which we don’t want. Minor Blue is a blue that would look great paired with dark brown. It is always best to look at color in your lighting. Order some free sample chips from our website to determine which color will work best for you.
Sherwin-Williams.com, your paints and coatings have changed our spaces into show-stoppers. Your obligation to quality, immense variety choices, and master direction have been priceless.
We have a large cape with clapboard on the front of the house and cedar shingles on the sides and back. We have painted the cedar shingles a light gray and are trying to determine the color for th efront and trim. For the front clapboards we were thinking of a darker gray to contrast the sides, considering Modern Gray or Summit Gray. Concerned about going to dark but also wanted enough of a contrast from the light gray sides. For the trim considering a white like Snowbird or Alabaster. Any advice would be appreciated.
Hi Bob, for a project like this, you would be best served by a half-hour one-on-one virtual consult. The consultant needs to see all the finishes in your space before making any recommendations. You can sign up for that here:
https://www.sherwin-williams.com/en-us/virtual-color-consultation