It’s the dead of winter here in Sydney and absolutely freezing. Yet many people are starting to plan paint colours for the outside of their homes in readiness for summer. I’ve been choosing colours all over Sydney so thought I would give you some ideas.

Painting a house via Freefoto.com

A general rule of thumb is to choose three colours – a white or off white for the window frames, and eaves, a colour for the walls and a contrasting colour for the trims.

Modern Architecture via Domain.com.au

Depending on the architecture of the building the trim could be battens and shingles on Federation or Californian Bungalow style homes, or gutters, garage doors and railings for more modern style homes.

Californian Bungalow Photographer Lyn Johnston

This is only a guide and more or less colours could be selected. Window frames could be darker rather than lighter. However, I think that three gives enough variance and difference between each of the architectural features.

Of course, if the house is brick then you don’t need to choose a wall colour, but the colour of the bricks will have a huge influence on the other colours.

Brick Federation Home Photographer Lyn Johnston

If you are painting every surface, then choose the wall colour first as it will be the main colour and the one most people will notice.

If gutters are Colorbond and not being painted, you need to consider their colour.

Colorbond Guttering

If windows are powder coated and will not be painted, then make sure you focus on the colour and choose wall colours that blend or contrast with them.

Windows by Stegbar

If the roof can be seen from the street or the garden, then you must consider the roof colour too.

Expansive roof via Real Estate View

Have a look at the colours your neighbours have chosen. You don’t want to stand out too far from the crowd and you certainly don’t want to be exactly the same. Make sure you’ve considered what you want to achieve by painting your house. Do you want it to look larger or smaller? Do you want it to look updated or keep a traditional look?

All in a row

The architectural style of the home must be considered. A modern style house would not really suit a Heritage palette. You also need to think about what architectural elements you would like to enhance and which ones you would like to hide. I usually try to choose the same colour as the wall for the downpipes. I can’t imagine anyone thinking that they are worthy of being made a feature!

Tuscan Style Home

Choosing a colour is the easy part. Getting the right shade is a bit more difficult. Buy test pots and paint large pieces of paper in the shades of your choice. A Colour Consultant will bring large samples to show you, so you don’t have to do this step. Look at the swatch on all important parts of the house – the northern side that gets most of the sunlight will look completely different from the southern side which never receives any direct light. If it’s overcast, make sure it’s not too pale as full sun will lighten the colour considerably.

Using a professional will help take the angst out of choosing the right colour. Contact me if you would like some assistance.