Choosing a Color Scheme For Your Home Exterior

If you have decided to tackle a re-side project, you will be faced with the choice of your home’s exterior color. While durability, workability and efficiency are all critical benefits to you as a homeowner, the most outward facing choice you will make during your building project is the color. Choosing the right color for your home can seem like a big task and with color decisions to make beyond siding, like trim and other exterior accessories, it can be difficult to determine what you want. We’ve compiled a list of siding color ideas to help you find the color scheme that’s right for you. 

The first thing to consider when choosing a color scheme for your home is whether you are leaning toward a particular style. Typically, your home’s style informs your color decision. 

Not sure how to describe your style? Here are some home style descriptors to get you thinking:

• Mediterranean 
• Craftsman 
• Modern
• Ranch
• Tudor
• Farmhouse
• Coastal

For example, modern farmhouse style siding is typically a combination of white and black, which can be achieved with LP^® SmartSide^® ExpertFinish^® in Snowscape White and Abyss Black. Siding colors for ranch homes, however, tend to utilize earthier colors like ExpertFinish trim & siding shades such as Canyon Brown or Marshland Moss. For a coastal home, blue shades, such as LP SmartSide ExpertFinish siding in Summit Blue or Rapids Blue, might suit it best. 

If you don’t feel like your home has a strong tie to a specific style, start with colors you’re drawn to. Drive around neighborhoods in your city and take notice of homes you like. Are they all one color? What color is their trim? Do they have an accent color for other exterior accessories? Notice combinations that work together and ones that don’t.

Exterior House Colors for 2021

Looking at current exterior trends is another great starting point when you find yourself at a loss for color combinations. If you’re looking to explore new trends in house siding, there are a handful of colors that have risen to popularity this year, including dark grays and black, muted greens, and warm whites.

Having too many options can be overwhelming sometimes. Prefinished siding is a great solution for a streamlined re-side. Choose from a variety of LP SmartSide ExpertFinish colors, including Abyss Black, Tundra Gray and Summit Blue. 

Think About Your Colors Holistically 

When you think about your home’s exterior you likely think of one color. In reality, homes typically have two or more colors that create an exterior look. Choosing three main colors can help create a cohesive look and feel. The process doesn’t have to be complicated—divide your home’s exterior into three categories. 

Main Exterior + Accent Color + Trim

First, your main exterior, which is probably the part you thought of when initially thinking through choosing the right color for your home. Since this is the siding that will cover the majority of your house, it should complement your roof and reflect your home style. Once you have that picked out, choose an accent color for gables, accent walls and architectural details. Finally, tie your home’s look together with trim. Discover specific color combination suggestions for both black and brown roofs here. 

Once you’ve chosen some exterior color combinations, you may want to see what they’d look like on your home—use the LP SmartSide Home Visualizer Tool for a more realistic look at your color choices.