When you work with siding contractors to upgrade your home’s siding, you choose more than the material. You also have to select the color, and that can be more difficult because you have more options to choose from. Siding is also a major investment and takes time to install. Your home can’t try on different colors like you do with clothing, so aside from looking at samples from siding contractors and using virtual simulators, you can use the tips below.
Consider Your House Style
While you don’t have to abide by traditional color palettes, certain house styles are associated with color themes that have become timely. Your siding will feature the main color, and the supplementary colors will be applied to your accent, trim, and roof. That’s a lot to coordinate, so for now, focus on the overall palette. Once you decide a palette, you can break it down into specific colors.
Historically, Craftsman homes were built to be the opposite of Victorian homes, which were famous for their elaborate designs. The humble design of Craftsman homes make them ideal for simple, earthy palettes that have rich reds, browns, and greens.
Mediteranean homes are known for their arches, columns, and terracotta roofs, which are best accompanied by sunny earth tones, such as warm browns and greens. The colors should invoke the feeling of warm weather and an appreciation for the warmer shades of nature, but Mediteranean homes also fare well with warm gray.
You might be familiar with the bright and playful colors of the Painted Ladies, the famous row of Victorian homes in San Francisco, but the first Victorian homes had softer colors because bright paint was costly. Once the production cost of bright paint lowered, Victorian homes took on their famously bold color schemes. Historically, Victorian homes have leaned both ways, so you can use bright or soft color palettes.
Traditional cottage homes are painted with bright airy colors to invoke charm. Typically, their color palette features white as the main body, but cottage homes also work well with palettes that are earthy, neutral, or contemporary.
If you’re part of a Home Owner Association, make sure your new color scheme won’t violate color codes. And regardless of your house style, you can’t go wrong with neutral colors.
Choose a Theme: Warm vs. Cool
A quick way to split your color choices in half is by choosing warm or cool tones. The “heat” of your tones can impact the overall mood of your home, whether energizing or relaxing. It’s best to stick to warm or cool, because using both might be a visual clash that makes your home appear pieced together.
Warm tones include earthy and sun-based colors, while cool tones include blue, gray, and black colors.
Use Color Harmony
All homes look best with multiple flattering colors, which bring out dimensions and frame unique features. Your siding can be a single color that is complemented by the trim and accent, but if your home is larger, you might opt for a secondary siding color to add complexity to your design. Your siding color(s) should harmonize with the other colors of your home, including your roof.
To identify flattering colors that harmonize with each other, refer to a color wheel. Colors located next to each other are analogous, and reduce contrast. To get the most contrast, use complementary colors, which are located on opposite sides of the wheel. You can experiment with different color harmonies, such as monochromatic, for additional combinations.
Ask Siding Contractors for Advice
Shifting through countless flattering colors for the right one can be daunting, especially if you’re not adjusting the colors of your roof, trim, and accents. Using house styles, color themes, and color wheels as guidance can point you in the right direction for a pleasing exterior, but your best bet at making the right choice is with siding contractors.
Siding contractors are experts at choosing the right siding colors for homes of all styles and sizes. They can help you choose colors that make your home pop, blend in, or however you want your home to appear.
Contact your local siding contractor Mares & Dow Construction and Skylights today for custom advice about the color of your home’s siding. With over 40 years of experience, we install fiber cement siding that’s as durable as it is beautiful.
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