Exterior trim provides decorative detail to your home's facade. Exterior trim colors accent your roof and siding and may frame your windows and doors, which means they play a significant role in your exterior color palette. Depending on the siding and trim color combination, trim can provide an unexpected touch of color, blend in with your siding, or make your front door stand out.Whether installing new trim work or painting the existing trim, these tips will help you find the best exterior trim colors for your home.
How to Choose Exterior Trim Colors
The ideal exterior trim color will depend on the look you want to achieve. Monochromatic siding and trim create a subdued, elegant quality, while a high-contrast color scheme can give your exterior depth and interest. Consider the architecture of your home before deciding which colors you'll use. Choosing an exterior paint color that complements your home's style and matches your personality is key.
Black and White
Black exterior trim on a white house emphasizes architectural features for a more modern look. For homes with darker siding, such as brown or charcoal gray, white trim is always a good option. Bright white can make other colors appear more vibrant, so it's perfect for highlighting a vibrant front door. Painted white brick keeps the front entryway from looking too busy, as unpainted brick might, and the white-painted floorboards on the porch continue that feeling.
Bright and Colorful
If you prefer a bright, colorful look, consider choosing a high contrast exterior trim color, such as yellow trim against blue siding. These shades come from different sides of the color wheel, so the effect is energizing and dynamic yet still pleasing to the eye. These colors add a storybook feel to homes with many decorative details, such as Victorian-style houses.
Subtle Shade Difference
To create a more subdued contrast, choose an exterior trim color a few shades lighter or darker than your siding color. Combining shades from the same color family highlights your home's architectural details without going too bold. For example, if your siding is off-white, try painting your exterior trim a light tan or taupe. This tonal look works exceptionally well on traditional-style homes where a bright splash of color might look out of place.
Earthy and Natural
When in doubt, earth tones are usually a safe bet for exterior trim colors, as they can help your home blend in with its surroundings. Browns and greens give a feeling of substance and importance to a home, and their connection to nature provides a house with a cozy, inviting look and emphasizes indoor-outdoor living. Add a brighter color, such as yellow, to add emphasis to a door or windows for impact.
Tips for Using Exterior Trim Colors
Once you've selected your exterior trim colors, it's time to decide how to use them on your home's various architectural details. These guidelines can help you achieve the best look.
Ceilings, soffits, and fascia: Generally, porch ceilings and soffits should be painted the same color as the siding, while the entire fascia (the trim that faces outward) should match the trim color.
Gutters and downspouts: To make gutters and downspouts as inconspicuous as possible, paint them to blend in with the adjacent siding or trim. On a frame house with olive trim and a light green body, for example, the gutters would probably be olive to disappear against the olive fascia, but the downspouts would be painted light green to correspond to the adjacent siding. On masonry buildings, the downspouts often are painted bronze-green to simulate weathered copper.
Window trim: When painting window trim, sashes, and shutters should be the darkest parts of your color scheme. As a result, the windows recede into the facade. Paint the window sash color with a neutral tone that can be repeated on the front door or porch steps. Storm windows should be the same color as the sash.
Multicolor trim: If you plan to combine two or more exterior trim colors on your home, it's important to apply them thoughtfully so the look is intentional, not haphazard. For multilevel homes, it's typically best to use the darkest shade on the first floor, medium on the second floor, and the lightest on the third floor. If you paint the darkest trim color on top, you risk making the house appear top-heavy. Houses with shingled upper stories are the exception; these should be painted a lighter shade on the lower story.