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68 Inviting Home Exterior Color Palettes

By: Jacquelyn McGilvray, Gabriela Hardan, and Caren Baginski

From classic to bold, showcase your style with inspiration from these exterior paint color schemes that offer serious curb appeal.

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Photo: Jeff McNamara. From: HGTV Magazine.

How to Pick Home Exterior Paint Colors

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

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Photo: Valspar

Ivory + White + Aqua

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

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Skiatook Rattan Basket

Skiatook Rattan Basket

$74.50 at Wayfair

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Photo: Photography by Ashley Gieseking. From: HGTV Magazine.

Black + White + Ruby Red

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

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Navajo White by Sherwin-Williams

Navajo White by Sherwin-Williams

Available at Sherwin-Williams
Black Bean by Sherwin-Williams

Black Bean by Sherwin-Williams

Available at Sherwin-Williams
Ruby Ring by Behr

Ruby Ring by Behr

$24.98 at Home Depot

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Photo: Denise Retallack. From: HGTV Magazine.

Gray + White + Dove

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

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Pebble White by Glidden

Pebble White by Glidden

$18.98 at Home Depot
Wedgewood Gray by Benjamin Moore

Wedgewood Gray by Benjamin Moore

$44.99 at Benjamin Moore
White Dove by Benjamin Moore

White Dove by Benjamin Moore

$44.99 at Benjamin Moore

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