68 Inviting Home Exterior Color Palettes

Choosing exterior colors for your house can be one of the biggest design decisions you ever make, as they're a major factor in its overall look and feel. Luckily, there are a few tips and tricks you can follow to make the decision less daunting.

When choosing a color palette for your home, there are three elements to consider: the main or field color, the accent color and the trim color. Scope out your neighborhood for field color inspiration; if your neighbors’ homes feature mostly muted hues, neutrals and earth tones will be your best bet so your house doesn’t look out of place. Accent colors are where you can have some fun; consider pairing a white or gray field color with a bold yellow front door, or a brown or beige field color with cheerful green shutters. For the trim, white looks clean and crisp against just about any exterior, but brown, black and gray can also complement many color schemes.

Now that you know the basics, browse the following exterior house colors (with paint color recommendations) and get inspired to spruce up your home’s curb appeal.

Paint colors: Sherwin-Williams Software + Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White + Sherwin-Williams Cheerful

Symmetrical homes evoke a sense of formality, elegance and heritage. Honor tradition with a lighter-colored palette rimmed by darker accents. This home softens into its surroundings, while a bright blue door spotlights the front door's architecture.

Paint colors: Valspar Churchill Hotel Ivory + Valspar Betsy's Linen + Valspar Lake Breeze

The arched ruby-red door is the perfect contrast to the traditional dark-brown timber and white stucco Tudor-style palette.

Paint colors: Sherwin-Williams Navajo White + Sherwin-Williams Black Bean + Behr Ruby Ring

This adorable house was built in 2011, it’s in a historic neighborhood, so the homeowners wanted it to have a classic look. Cottage-y touches, like the window boxes, a brick path and cutouts on the shutters help give the home that classic Cape Cod vibe.

Paint colors: Glidden Pebble White (shutters and front door) + Benjamin Moore Wedgewood Gray (trim) + Benjamin Moore White Dove