Landscaping elements, such as flower
gardens, flowering shrubs and trees that change color, can affect your
color choice. For example, heavily wooded lots will make colors appear
darker due to the shade, and the foliage tends to camouflage the home.
Elements of your home, such as roofing
shingles, brick or stone accents, often have varying shades and hues that
can serve as the foundation of your paint color choices. For example, a
charcoal gray shingle could have flecks of gray-blue or gray-green that you
can incorporate into the color scheme.
Be sure to examine color samples
outdoors at various angles and at different times of the day. Consider
buying small quantities of paint in desired colors and paint a section of
the house where the body, trim and accent colors can be seen together.
Pay attention to the direction and
intensity of the sun. Intense sunlight can wash out colors. While brighter
colors may be suitable in Sunbelt cities, lighter, neutral tones often work
better in other locales. Tinted and mid-tone neutrals are popular because
they play off landscaping and other building materials.
White or light colors make a large home
on a small lot appear even larger, while dark colors tend to make the same
home look smaller but more substantial. Remember, light colors advance in
space while dark colors recede. So if a home is located far from the curb,
painting it a light color will make it look more prominent.
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