Exterior Window Trim: How to Choose the Best Color Trim
- Classic White. It's hard to resist the power of classic white trim, especially on a darker home. For a remarkable...
- Elegant Black. If your home is a lighter shade, you can create an elegant contrast with black window trim exterior.
- Simple Monochrome. Some houses like to stand out while others like to be...
How do I choose a color for my house trim?
Your house’s trim can either blend in with your siding, or stand out and create an entirely different look. If you’re looking for a muted color that will have a low contrast with the rest of your exterior, look at colors that are within the same color family as your existing (or planned) exterior.
What color should I Paint my Exterior trim with siding?
To create a subtler contrast, choose an exterior trim color that's 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.
What color exterior trim goes with a White House?
Black exterior trim on a white house, for example, 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.
What color should exterior trim be on the second floor?
Tips for Exterior Trim Colors If your house is two or three stories tall and you want more than one shade of the principal body color, it is tasteful to apply the darkest shade on the first floor, medium on the second floor, and the lightest on the third floor. If the dark color is on top, you risk making the house appear top-heavy.
Should exterior trim be lighter or darker?
A lighter field color will make it look larger; a darker color will visually shrink it. Lighter colors can also make a house look visually flimsy, while darker colors can give it a strong, solid appearance. But it's the trim color that can make or break the scheme.
Should all exterior trim be the same color?
There are always exceptions to the rule, and it's no different with exterior trim colors. Even though color contrast is more common for exterior trim and windows, many modern buildings feature matching exterior trim and windows for a smoother, more consistent visual appearance.
What color of trim should I use?
Going lighter For classic or traditional interiors, using a white or off-white paint can really play up the trim and bring out its historical or intricate qualities. And many design experts consider white the perfect color for any trim, regardless of interior style or wall color.
Should Trim be the same color as the door?
It's a common question, “Do interior doors and trim have to match?” The short answer is no. The doors and trim can be whatever style and color you want them to be. Your home's design is entirely up to you.
Is white exterior trim going out of style?
Classic White White as an exterior color never goes out of style. And the classic look can be updated with a bold front door and colorful landscaping.
What color should front door trim be?
Use a neutral hue such as brown, black, or gray for a look that will withstand the test of time. Even deep reds and navy blues are classic front door colors that act as neutrals.
What is the most popular trim color?
whiteWhen it comes to trim, baseboards, doors, moldings, etc. a white paint color is the most popular choice. It provides a beautiful contrast to the wall color, really making it pop.
Should all the trim in a house match?
As a general rule, plan to paint all the trim throughout the main areas of the house the same color to create a unified effect from room to room. In more personal spaces, such as bedrooms and bathrooms, you might want to play around with more unique wall and trim color combinations.
Can you mix trim colors in a house?
The good news is that painted trim and stained trim can coexist in the same space. One way to combine stained and painted trim in the same room is to paint the trim a color other than white. You could choose a color for your trim that matches your furnishings and leave the walls white or off-white.
Should you paint exterior door trim?
An exterior door and trim don't necessarily have to be the same color. It's common to paint the outer door and trim using contrasting colors. Contrasting colors can make a home more distinctive and aesthetically pleasing, highlight architectural features, and give the trim depth and dimension.
Do door and window trim have to match?
As a general rule, yes, window and door casing should match. Whether inside or outside, matching the window and door casing throughout your home generates a unity of style. If properly executed, the casing around your windows and doors will impart a sense of elegance without overpowering the rest of your home's decor.
What color should Door frames be?
Generally, there are no right or wrong answers when picking out colors for doors and their frames. If most furniture and décor in your home is the same color, painting the door and frame the same would maintain the style.
Should exterior door and frame be same color?
An exterior door and trim don't necessarily have to be the same color. It's common to paint the outer door and trim using contrasting colors. Contrasting colors can make a home more distinctive and aesthetically pleasing, highlight architectural features, and give the trim depth and dimension.
Do door and window trim have to match?
As a general rule, yes, window and door casing should match. Whether inside or outside, matching the window and door casing throughout your home generates a unity of style. If properly executed, the casing around your windows and doors will impart a sense of elegance without overpowering the rest of your home's decor.
Should siding match trim?
While siding and trim should match, there is no rule of thumb for how to achieve this harmony. Siding and trim are often appealing if they are the same color or different colors.
Do you paint the door jamb the same color as the door?
If you aren't worried about a transition between two rooms, then it makes sense to paint the door jamb whatever color the door is. This makes them almost like one cohesive piece. An alternative option is to paint the door jamb to match the walls. This is fine, just less traditional.
Matching the Exterior Trim Colors
Matching colors is a great idea for your entire exterior. Your house takes on a classic and traditional appeal should you choose to match your windows and siding as well as the trim work around the edges of the siding. On the other hand, if the colors are contrasting, it can accent the key features and the exceptional design of your home.
Tips for Using Exterior Trim Colors
After choosing your exterior trim colors, it’s time how you can incorporate them to bring out the best of your home’s architectural style. In such cases, you should hire a quality home contractor who specializes in exterior services to achieve the ideal exterior look.
WHITE HOUSES & WHITE TRIM
White trim on white houses is becoming a big trend in exteriors and quite frankly, it looks absolutely charming.
White Vinyl Windows & Trim
Although you see home owners purchasing different colors in windows, white vinyl windows is still the predominant color choice among home owners. If you have white vinyl windows, its best to have your trim, fascia and columns of your house in a matching white color. Otherwise, your vinyl windows could stand out like a sore thumb does.
Effective Trim Color Warm Colored Houses
If your brick, stone and/or siding is in the warm tones, a trim color in the warmer tones will enhance the house’s overall appearance. Generally speaking, for light colored warm toned houses, your trim should be darker than the main color of the house.
What color brick should I use for trim?
If you have multi-color bricks and you want your trim color to blend and fade, I recommend choosing the brick color that is the medium shade (not the lightest and not the darkest). If you want to contrast your brick color, choose the darkest or lightest brick color to match. For homes that are not brick and you want your trim to blend in, ...
Can I take a brick home to Sherwin Williams?
If you have a brick home, you can take one of your bricks to Sherwin Williams and have them color match either your darkest or lightest shade brick. If you do not have an extra brick, ask Sherwin Williams for a fan deck and match the brick to a paint color in the fan deck. If you have multi-color bricks and you want your trim color to blend ...
What is a monochromatic color?
A monochromatic color palette is considered different shades of one hue. So if you have a dark grey exterior with light grey exterior trim, that would be considered a monochromatic palette. You can also achieve a monochromatic exterior for your home with one color, but with different finishes. If the entire exterior is painted a matte grey, it ...
What color trim contrasts with grey?
If we continue with the dark grey exterior example, a stark white trim will contrast with the grey. This difference will give your home a crisp, fresh look and is a small change that can make a big difference in your home’s exterior.
Is trim monochromatic or monochromatic?
It’s not monochromatic, but also keeps the trim from contrasting too much with the rest of the home. If you want to choose a high contrast color for your home’s exterior trim, think about opposing colors. If we continue with the dark grey exterior example, a stark white trim will contrast with the grey. This difference will give your home ...
Can trim be blended with siding?
Your house’s trim can either blend in with your siding, or stand out and create an entirely different look. If you’re looking for a muted color that will have a low contrast with the rest of your exterior, look at colors that are within the same color family as your existing (or planned) exterior.
Is painting your home a painting?
Your home is an extension of your personality. Painting your home’s exterior is more than ensuring a fresh coat of paint. Your home’s exterior is a blank canvas. It gives you an opportunity to create a cohesive exterior look for your home, using contrast, color theory, and your home’s overall style as a guide. What could your home become with a few coats of paint?
What is the purpose of molding and baseboards?
Molding or trim helps define a room's style, adding architectural character and dimension to the walls, while window and door molding and baseboards also serve the practical purpose of concealing the gaps that exist in most houses.
How to tell if you like wood trim?
To see if you like a wood trim color, test the stain on the edges of a door or the back of molding first. The way it reacts to your wood might not match the store sample. Bonus: Once your trim has been stained and varnished, you might only need to wipe it down with a liquid furniture cleaner to keep it looking fresh.
What does white trim do?
In rooms with light or pastel walls, white trim makes the color look cleaner and clearer while introducing a mere hint of contrast.
What color stain is best for yellow walls?
Medium- to dark-brown stains tend to create a visually heavier feeling, while lighter, golden, or honey-toned stains can appear nearly as sunny as a yellow wall. Using stain instead of paint on wood trim takes advantage of the grain and brings natural texture to the room.
What style of house was built in the 1950s?
Ranch-style houses built in the 1950s and 1960s favored simpler, narrower moldings, but the unpainted look still prevailed. Leaving the trim and doors a natural color plays up the beautiful texture of wood and brings warmth to interiors.
What color is stain?
A full range of colors is available, including bleached gray-white, golden yellow, reddish-brown, dark brown, and ebony. breakfast nook with dark windows and hanging chalkboard signs. Credit: Edmund Barr.
Can you use wood trim with light colors?
Trim in natural wood tones can introduce a sense of warmth and history to rooms. Use caution when pairing richly stained wood trim with light-colored walls, however. Because darker trim against light walls calls so much attention to the woodwork, consider whether your woodwork is worth the notice.
Choosing Exterior Paint and Trim Colors
I need some help deciding how to do the color scheme of the exterior of my home.
Comments (15)
I don't think a black and white color scheme will work with that prominent brown roof. Also, when you paint brick you have to use a particular type of paint. Before you go too far down that road make sure you are going to be able to get it in the color you want. Someone else will probably come along and photoshop some options for you.
What is monochromatic paint?
This look is achieved by painting the trim of the house the same color as its exterior. To keep this look from falling flat, be sure to use a more matte finish on the exterior and a glossier finish on the trim and shutters.
What color is the exterior of a 1950s ranch house?
This '50s-era ranch house got a new lease on life with a warm, earthy palette of gray and brown. The gray trim helps unite the dark gray-brown exterior brick with the black shutters and white vinyl windows.
What color trim is best for a spin?
White. If you're looking for high contrast with a classic spin, you can't go wrong with bright, white trim. Although it's one of the best choices when it comes to sun fading, it also tends to get dirty quick. From: Brian Patrick Flynn.
What color is best for exterior?
Black . Black is the most effective way to add drama to your exterior. Since black is a neutral, it works well with just about every color in the spectrum. Keep in mind, though, that black can quickly turn yellow-green when coated with a layer of springtime pollen.
