Amp up your outdoor staging and make a lasting first impression to passersby and prospective buyers with our tips and ideas for top-notch, eye-catching, whole-house color palettes for your home’s exterior.

By Kelly Roberson

 1. Rely on the Classics

When it comes to eye-catching exterior color schemes, there’s something to be said for tried-and-true combinations. This classic abode would probably look out of place with any other setup than warm beige for the siding and bright white around windows and on rails. Another key feature to pay attention to: exterior light fixtures. These are wonderful for adding complementary materials or colors, as well as decorative accents to your home. The lantern-type fixtures here balance the home’s symmetry, with a pair flanking the doors on all three floors.

2. Pick Two Hues in Varying Brightness for Accent

Some of the more interesting exterior color schemes are those that turn tradition on its head. Take, for example, Colonial-style homes: quite often these are painted in a single color, many times white. While that’s a great solution, there are ways to update and modernize that choice, too. The accent shades chosen for this particular home—a dusty, lavender gray and a bright turquoise—would normally not be used in the same color scheme. Here, though, the gray offers a refined accent on the shutters, while the turquoise—a brighter spin-off of some of those same blue-purple tones—directs guests and prospective buyers to the front door.

3. Limit Bold Accents

Judicious use of a bold accent color can lend your home a more restrained exterior scheme than you might expect. It’s a choice that works well with classic home styles, particularly because it doesn’t overpower their very traditional forms. This home—which deftly matches a deep gray with a lighter tone—also relies on an orange-red hue, inspired by some of the roofing materials. That tone is carried over on rooflines and side doors to provide a continuing color line for the eye to follow.