by Bevin Theodore
3/12/2020
Your home is a reflection of you, and one of the most fun ways to express your personality and design preferences is through the colors you choose for the exterior of your house. We spoke with a few designers and builders for their predictions on where they feel color trends are headed and what color palettes have been most popular in their particular regions of the country.
Read our latest article on this topic: Exterior Design and Home Color Trends for 2021
Since exterior home colors are not changed frequently, you want to consider what appeals to you now and what will have staying power as trends evolve. While the options for exterior house colors are plentiful, architects and designers say there are definite trends in what is popular right now.
Classic white with a pop of color
Todd Wilson, principal of Wilson Design & Construction in Valdosta, Ga., said white – whether pure white or a hue that’s just off-white – remains the most requested exterior house color in his market. Homeowners often pair white with taupe or khaki accents for details like columns, porches, beams and shutters.
“I love a classic white because it reads differently in the light as the day progresses into the evening,” he said.
Using a light neutral color for the base of the house gives homeowners the opportunity to accent with light or dark shades. “My favorite option to use is a bright color on the front door when we’re using a very neutral palette,” he said. In fact, Wilson has seen a surge in the popularity of bright colors, especially shades of blue for shutters, even homeowners using more vibrant options like cobalt blue.
Wilson’s personal preferences for exterior house colors, including his own home, align with the current trends – an off-white or neutral house body, traditionally dark shutters and a bright front door as a statement.
“It could change tomorrow, but for now that’s my preference,” he said.
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A Resurgence of Warm Neutrals
While the grays and whites that have dominated the last decade are still go-to neutrals, some homeowners appear to be craving the warmth of natural beiges that were once written off as boring.
Instead of the bland earth tones of the 1970s, homeowners are opting for pleasing hues that take cues from their natural surroundings. Colors such as Cobble Stone, Timber Bark and Monterey Taupe are among popular Hardie® siding colors in North America and blend perfectly with natural elements.
• Cobble Stone is a rich, taupe-based neutral that has warm undertones and is reminiscent of natural cotton or linen. It works particularly well with darker accent colors.
• Monterey Taupe is another taupe-based shade, but with darker undertones. It is darker than Cobble Stone, but lighter than Timber Bark. It’s a gorgeous warm clay color and may remind you of peanut or walnut shells.
• Timber Bark is the darkest of the three colors. It offers a perfect middle ground between light and dark brown. As the name suggests, it’s a color inspired by forests and will look right at home on a heavily wooded property.
Using these colors on an exterior design can help your home blend with its environment for a more harmonious appearance. You home will simultaneously be on trend and look as though it has always been there.
A shift from white to darker exterior house colors
While Wilson said he has not seen the move to dark exterior house colors from homeowners in Georgia, the opposite is true in Houston, according to Victoria Hawes, certified green professional and certified graduate builder with Jamestown Estate Homes. While white houses with black trim have been the most popular of house color schemes since 2018, Hawes sees a trend of darker homes emerging.
“As a builder, it’s always tempting to go white because for some reason white homes just photograph beautifully,” Hawes said.
White homes with black accents have also become so popular that it’s common to have multiple homes on one street with this color scheme. In an attempt to stand out, homeowners are leaning toward dark gray or blue-gray, even if the deeper shade is accented with white.
“I think we’re going to see more people wanting to do new and different things or just to have a little bit less straight up black and white,” Hawes said.
Hawes’ own home, which was recently built, is blue-gray with white trim and white board and batten.
“I chose it because it’s low-maintenance, and while I love the look of the white houses, I didn’t want to have just another white house like everybody else,” she said.
Looking to stand out from the crowd? Explore darker hues such as Deep Ocean or Iron Gray for an exterior color palate that’s sure to be the envy of the neighborhood.
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