Home Home Decor Ideas 25 Exterior Paint Palettes To Suit Every Style Of Home These color combos will make your Southern house sing. By Zoe Gowen Zoe Gowen After a notable obsession with yellow houses, historic homes, and glossy magazines as a child that lead to a degree in American Studies from Sewanee: University of the South followed by a jaunt through the Washington, DC art world, Zoë found her way as the Senior Home and Garden Editor with Southern Living. There she crisscrossed the region to produce inspiring interiors, entertaining, and holiday stories while also overseeing the Idea House franchise. After seeing more porches and Christmas trees than any other reasonable person can claim, she ventured out to pave new roads freelancing for various magazines and helping people bring magazine tearsheets to life inside private homes via interior decorating. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on March 4, 2024 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Laurey W. Glenn Don't you wish picking a paint color for your home's exterior was as simple as choosing a lipstick? Not only is the hue of your house a major commitment (unlike that regrettable tube of lipstick), but deciding on one can be tricky, too, since shades vary according to lighting, texture, and surrounding colors. Luckily, you don't have to wade through all the possible exterior paint color combinations alone. We've asked some of the South's most respected architects for their input to help you choose wisely, whether you're going coastal, thinking classic, or have no clue what you want. Flip through these expert-approved exterior paint color palettes to find the combination that'll make your house sing. 01 of 25 The Look: Pure Patina Keen Eye Marketing "Charleston is all about patina. As these colors wear over the years, they'll look even more beautiful than when they were first applied." – Mark Maresca, Maresca & Associates, Architects, Charleston, South Carolina Try This Color Scheme Body: Sherwin-Williams Double Latte (SW 9108) Doors: Sherwin-Williams Cascades (SW 7623) Trim: Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue (HC-144) 02 of 25 The Look: Fresh and All-American Laurey W. Glenn "For a traditional American home, try a deep green or baby blue on the shutters and a high-gloss dark red on the front door. Paint all other solid doors to match the shutters. Have French doors and trim matched with an opaque sample of the whitewash. The combination is light and fresh with high contrast and punch." –Charles Heydt, Pak Heydt and Associates, Atlanta, Georgia Try This Color Scheme Body: Whitewash Shutters: Benjamin Moore Black Forest Green (HC-187) Doors: Benjamin Moore Classic Burgundy (HC-182) 03 of 25 The Look: Classic Off-White Laurey W. Glenn "This off-white palette has roots in the Southern Colonial style but with a twist—the tone-on-tone scheme creates soft shadows that bring forward subtle texture variations from the materials of the house." – Ruard Veltman, Ruard Veltman Architecture + Interiors, Charlotte, North Carolina Try This Color Scheme Body: Benjamin Moore White Down (970) Shutters: Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan (HC-81) 04 of 25 The Look: Woodsy Retreat Photo: Hector Sanchez "This paint palette is reminiscent of Scouts at summer camp—dark uniforms all alike with bright green scarves tied at the collars." – Bobby McAlpine, McAlpine, Montgomery, Alabama, and Nashville, Tennessee Try This Color Scheme Body: Sherwin-Williams Black Fox (SW7020) Trim: Sherwin-Williams Sassy Green (SW6416) 05 of 25 The Look: Coastal Charm Southern Living "Dark and muted blues and greens reflect the colors of the Gulf Coast. This palette is quintessential for a Southern-style beach house. The look is warm and inviting." – Michael G. Imber, Michael G. Imber Architects, San Antonio, Texas Try This Color Scheme Body: Benjamin Moore Cromwell Gray (HC-103) Trim: Benjamin Moore Narragansett Green (HC-157) Doors: Benjamin Moore Country Redwood (HC-183) 06 of 25 The Look: Lowcountry Yellow Southern Living "We like a warm yellow paired with a classic ternemetal roof and red shutters for projects in locales where there is a lot of red clay in the soil, such as in Middleburg, Virginia, to make the house look more natural in the landscape. The warm palette also favors the lowcountry feel." – Anne Fairfax, Fairfax & Sammons, Palm Beach, Florida Try This Color Scheme Body: Keim Color 9038 Trim: Farrow & Ball Incarnadine (No. 248) 07 of 25 The Look: Timelessly Southern Hector Manuel Sanchez "There is a rich timelessness and a patina to these colors that reminds me of the many great homes where I grew up in Florence, Alabama." – Michael Franck, Franck and Lohsen Architects, Washington, D.C. Try This Color Scheme Body: Farrow & Ball Blackened (No. 2011) Shutters: Farrow & Ball Railings (No. 31) Porch ceiling: Farrow & Ball Parma Gray (No. 27) or Benjamin Moore Clear Skies (2054-70) 08 of 25 The Look: Simple and Clean Hector Manuel Sanchez "This scheme is very simple and clean and is especially well suited for home designs that are influenced by English and European styles." – Hank Long, Henry Sprott Long & Associates, Birmingham, Alabama Try This Color Scheme Body: Benjamin Moore China White (I-74) Trim: Benjamin Moore Iron Mountain (2134-30) 09 of 25 The Look: Coastal-Inspired Laurey W. Glenn "Painted brick has a particularly Southern feel when paired with contrasting working lowered shutters. The effect of this palette is one of a warm-weather location." – Bill Ingram, Bill Ingram Architect, Birmingham, Alabama Try This Color Scheme Body and trim: Pratt & Lambert Beachwood (PLN-27) Shutters: Benjamin Moore Blue Spa (2052-40) 10 of 25 The Look: Bright and Cheery @vintageandgrace "A friend of mine insists that people who live in yellow houses are happier. For a more traditional look, try a dark green on the trim. For a less traditional accent color, we like a dark red." –Jane Frederick, Frederick + Frederick, locations in South Carolina and Georgia Try This Color Scheme Body: Keim Color 9036 Trim: Sherwin-Williams Lemon Drop (SW 7122) Shutters: Sherwin-Williams Cascades (SW 7623) or Sherwin-Williams Real Red (SW 6868) 11 of 25 The Look: High-Contrast Color Laurey W. Glenn "High-contrast color schemes look best on cottages. The stone color is used only at the front door to add a subtle punch of color to the otherwise austere scheme." – Norman Askins, Norman Davenport Askins, Architect, Atlanta, Georgia. Try This Color Scheme Body: Benjamin Moore Iron Mountain (2134-30) Trim: Benjamin Moore White (OC-51) Doors: Benjamin Moore Carrington Beige (HC-93) 12 of 25 The Look: Touch of Blue Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller "This palette of Wedgwood blue and bisque blends naturally with the big sky. Paired with a wide front porch, this palette feels classically Southern." – Jim Howard, James Michael Howard, Jacksonville, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia Try This Color Scheme Body: Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee (OC-45) Shutters: Benjamin Moore Iceberg (2122-50) 13 of 25 The Look: Burst of Color Photo: Robbie Caponetto; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Container Arrangements: Tom Ericson/The Transplanted Garden; Location: The Cottages at Ocean Isle Beach, NC "The crisp white trim enhances the cottage-style details and provides a strong contrast to boldly colored siding. Don't be afraid to pick another fun color for your front door." – Bill Curtis, Curtis & Windham Architects, Houston, Texas Try This Color Scheme Body: Sherwin-Williams Spa (SW 6765) Trim: Sherwin-Williams Pure White (SW 7005) 14 of 25 The Look: Casual Cream Southern Living "These subtle, creamy shades take on the effect of an old limewash when paired with hand-molded brick. We've been using it for years, and it never looks oudated or out of place. It's a classical palette that can be seen on raised cottages from Louisiana to the lowcountry." – Jim Strickland, Historical Concepts Architecture & Planning, Atlanta, Georgia Try This Color Scheme Body: Sherwin-Williams Roycroft Vellum (SW2833) Trim: Sherwin-Williams Classical White (SW2829) Shutters: Sherwin-Williams Andiron (SW6174) 15 of 25 The Look: Modern Monochromatic Southern Living "Buildings of a more modern, pared-down aesthetic and smaller structures, such as weekend cottages or outbuildings, lend themselves to the deeper tones that allow them to sneak into the landscape. With this color palette, we prefer a monochrome look." – Philip Dufford, Dufford Young, Charleston, South Carolina Try This Color Scheme Body and trim: Benjamin Moore Copley Gray (HC-104) 16 of 25 The Look: Charming in Green @thatcitybird Take a cue from Mother Nature's favorite neutral (and complement a flower-filled yard) with vibrant green siding and dark green, nearly black, shutters. Use a crisp white to highlight the trim and exterior details. – Sam Greeson, Meyer Greeson Paullin Benson, Charlotee, North Carolina Try This Color Scheme Body: Benjamin Moore Vine Green (2034-20) Shutters: Sherwin-Williams Roycroft Bottle Green (SW 2847) Trim: Sherwin-Williams Alabaster (SW 7008) 17 of 25 The Look: Natural and Harmonious Hector Manuel Sanchez "This natural, harmonious palette reinforces the colors of slate roofs and limestone. The tone-on-tone look is very pleasing to the eye and fits well within the Southern landscape." – Stan Dixon, D. Stanley Dixon Architect, Atlanta, Georgia Try This Color Scheme Body: Sherwin-Williams Relaxed Khaki (SW 6149) Trim and shutters: Sherwin-Williams Universal Khaki (SW 6150) 18 of 25 The Look: Rooted and Rich Photo: Laurey W. Glenn "This palette updates the colors of Colonial Williamsburg, the richly saturated, earthy mineral paint colors used in the 18th-century Virginia capital. These classics are always appropriate for a new old house." – Russell Versaci, Russell Versaci Architecture, Middleburg, Virginia Try This Color Scheme Body: Ludwell Tenement Sage (CW417) by Pratt & Lambert; prattandlambert.com. Shutters: Chowning's Tavern Brown (CW121) by Pratt & Lambert; prattandlambert.com. Trim: Outside White (CW712) by Pratt & Lambert; prattandlambert.com 19 of 25 The Look: Historic Farmhouse The exterior required a refresh. âWe loved the look of the house, but it didnât have insulation and some of the wood was rotten,â says Caroline. They replaced the siding and painted it Benjamin Mooreâs Simply White (OC-117) to maintain the classic farmhouse facade. Keeping the green metal roof was a no-brainer. âI couldnât imagine it any other way!â she says. Alison Gootee Though her 1800s farmhouse in Pickens, South Carolina, required an exterior overhaul, designer Caroline Brackett followed the original's lead, giving it a fresh coat of white paint and keeping the green metal roof. Try This Color Scheme Body: Benjamin Moore Simply White (OC-117) 20 of 25 The Look: Tropical Punch Dane Tashima Coastal whimsy was the name of the game for Dr. Quinn Peeper and Michael Harold's Pass Christian, Mississippi, weekend retreat, a 1946 house that reminded Peeper of his grandmother's home in the Arkansas Delta. They relied on a spirited blue to liven up the once-dated metal awnings. Try This Color Scheme Awnings: Sherwin-Williams Mariner (SW 6766) 21 of 25 The Look: Classic Creams Sun-seeking updates and white paint transformed this Homewood gem. LAUREY W. GLENN Birmingham, Alabama, firm River Brook Design and Construction flooded this bitty cottage with light by adding dormers up top and a bay window on the main floor. Revamped landscaping with pretty plantings deliver a welcome burst of color to the front yard. Try This Color Scheme Body: Benjamin Moore’s White Dove, OC-17 Shutters: Benjamin Moore’s Pale Oak, OC-20 22 of 25 The Look: Palm Beach Contrast A coat of aqua (Benjamin Mooreâs Let It Rain, 639) on the exterior lightens up the wood front door and Spanish-tile roof. Erica Dunhill D.J. and Korinn Belock's 1920s Spanish-style bungalow in West Palm Beach's historic El Cid neighborhood called for an exterior paint job as cheery as its coastal surrounds, especially to balance the wood front door and tile roof. Try This Color Scheme Body: Benjamin Moore's Let It Rain, 639 23 of 25 The Look: Old Faithfuls A fresh coat of Benjamin Moore's Simply White (OC-117) lightened up the exterior of the 1924 charmer. ALISON GOOTEE; Styling by Dakota Willimon This 1924 Palmetto, Florida, Colonial-style home once served as a parsonage. Its new owners, lifestyle influencer Sarah Tucker, her husband JB, and their two boys, opted to stick with a classic black-and-white scheme for the house's exterior. Try This Color Scheme Body: Benjamin Moore's Simply White (OC-117) Shutters: For similar, Sherwin-Williams' Tricorn Black (SW 6258) 24 of 25 The Look: Pretty in Pink Carmel Brantley; Styling: Matthew Gleason Designer Ellen Kavanaugh fell hard—and fast—for this ranch-style fixer upper in Wellington, Florida: it reminded her of her childhood home and was just the kind of good-bones-project she loves. Inside and out, she revived the house with a sun-soaked palette that feels warm and inviting at every turn. Try This Color Scheme Body: Benjamin Moore Sheer Pink (894, cut 50%) Shutters: Black-green powder coat 25 of 25 The Look: Mint Condition Brie Williams Designer and homeowner Molly Williams color-matched the existing exterior shade of her 1890 Charlotte, North Carolina, home before giving it a new coat. The color is something of a "chameleon," she notes. Try This Color Scheme Body: Sherwin-Williams' Sea Salt (SW 6204) Trim: Sherwin-Williams' Extra White (SW 7006) Shutters: Sherwin-Williams' Tricorn Black (SW 6258) Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit