“Element Guard® was developed to ensure that every residential exterior not only boasts beautiful colour that lasts, but also protects against various weather conditions.”
- Brad Henderson, Senior Product Manager at Benjamin Moore
Exterior House Colours You’ll Love
With so many colours to choose from, it can be challenging to land on the perfect exterior paint colour palette. We’ve got you covered.
In this guide, you’ll find curated colour combinations that will bring depth and beauty to your home’s exterior. From maximizing curb appeal to making it easier to choose colour and finish, Benjamin Moore is here to help.Product selection is equally important: You’ll want an exterior paint that both beautifies and protects your home. Benjamin Moore’s lineup of premium exterior paints, including Aura® Exterior and Element Guard® are all up to the challenge.
How to Choose Exterior House Colours
Natural surroundings, neighboring colour schemes, exterior colour trends, and your own personal preferences all play a role in choosing colours for your home exterior. From always-popular grays and neutrals to pretty pops of bolder colours, your home exterior palette is an expression of your style.
Homeowners typically use three to four colours when creating an exterior colour scheme. When planning your exterior paint colour palette, consider trim, windows, garage doors, shutters, and other exterior elements. Hues found from existing brick, stone, and roof colours also add to your exterior palette.
Follow these tips from our colour experts to choose your exterior paint colours with confidence.
Align Exterior Paint Colours with Outdoor Hues
Start building your palette using colour direction from unchanging exterior elements like roofing, stone, brick and landscaping. If your exterior accents tend to lean warmer, consider hues like Swiss Coffee OC-45, Yarmouth Blue HC-150, or Collector’s Item AF-45. If your exterior accents are cooler hues, try colours like Gray Owl OC-52, November Skies 2128-50 and Silver Lake 1598.
Need help knowing where your colours fall? Check out our guide to warm and cool paint colours.
Consider Your Exterior Accents
If your home has an expansive front lawn or lots of greenery, cool gray-painted siding can really make your surroundings pop. Try this combination to get the look:
- Siding: Cloud Cover OC-25
- Door: Concord Ivory HC-12
- Trim: Gray Owl OC-52
Observe Lighting and Exterior Paint Colours
Colours cast differently under various lighting conditions. For example, a paint colour under a shaded tree will appear a bit darker than an exterior hue in direct sunlight. The direction of your home also impacts how paint colour appears.
Using paint colour samples to see colour options in different lighting can help you determine which colour to use.
Synch Paint Colours with Your Personality
Your home should be a reflection of who you are. If that means expressive hues—why not embrace them?
Warm colours we love include:
Prefer cool hues? Check out:
6 Colour Families That Can Transform Your Home Exterior
Make a Statement with White Exterior Paint
White paint acts as a blank canvas. As seen in here, an off-white exterior lets this lush green front lawn and pillared entryway take centre stage.
- House & Trim: Harwood Putty CW-5
- Doors: Nicolson Green CW-500
Make a Design Impact with Deep, Dark Hues
We can’t get enough of endlessly chic exteriors in rich, dark hues. Consider these colours schemes:
- Black HC-190, shown here, used on both siding and trim
- Iron Mountain 2134-30 paired with White Dove OC-17 trim
- Polo Blue 2062-10 paired with White Diamond OC-61 trim
Brown Siding & Greenery: A Luxe Pairing
Dark-hued exteriors can be amazingly versatile. Dragon’s Breath 1547 is a deep, dark brown that breathes drama into any space, especially when paired with bright topiaries. Other browns we love for home exteriors include:
Back to Black
Black paint gives this home a distinct appearance, especially when surrounded by lush landscaping. Get this eye-catching look with:
- Siding: Black Satin 2131-10
- Trim: Brilliant White OC-150
- Accents: Million Dollar Red 2003-10
Gray-Blue Home Exteriors You’ll Love
Create a welcoming exterior with soothing blue-gray hues. Grays and blues make a statement, while keeping it cool. We love:
A Pop of Colour for Your Front Porch
On this front porch, Meditation AF-395 — a mix of gray, brown and green tones — brings an intriguing depth to this home exterior. Check out these deep neutral paint colours we love to highlight architectural detail:
14 Exterior Paint Colours We Love
The secret to painting your home’s exterior is more than just finding one single exterior paint colour. It’s finding the right paint colour combination for exterior, trim and home accents like garage doors, window shutters and the front door.
Our colour and design experts have curated mini palettes around 14 of our most popular exterior paint colours—use them to boost curb appeal and give your home a fresh new look.
1. Louisburg Green HC-113
This cool muted hue crossed with a deep mossy green brings the colours of nature to your home exterior.
- Body: Louisburg Green HC-113
- Door: Castle Peak Gray 1561
- Accent: Halo OC-46
2. Revere Pewter HC-172
An iconic neutral, this hue provides a versatile bridge between warm and cool tones.
- Body: Revere Pewter HC-172
- Trim: Swiss Coffee OC-45
- Accent: Copley Gray HC-104
3. Carrington Beige HC-93
A light neutral with a whisper of green undertone, this colour pairs effortlessly with deep blue.
- Body: Carrington Beige HC-93
- Trim: China White OC-141
- Accent: Lucerne AF-530
4. Morrel AF-125
Part of the Affinity® Colour Collection, this rosy undertone extends a warm welcome.
- Body: Morrel AF-125
- Trim: Stonington Gray HC-170
- Accent: Kendall Charcoal HC-166
5. Monroe Bisque HC-26
From the iconic Historical Collection, this colour combination forms a timeless trio rooted in the hues of American history.
- Body: Monroe Bisque HC-26
- Trim: Monterey White HC-27
- Accent: Cromwell Gray HC-103
6. Horizon OC-53
With its subtle blue undertones, this colour creates a friendly façade, especially when paired with eye-catching hues.
- Body: Horizon OC-53
- Trim: Ashwood Moss 1484
- Accent: Wasabi AF-430
7. Hampshire Gray HC-101
An almost-neutral green, this earthy hue is a great alternative to charcoal gray.
- Body: Hampshire Gray HC-101
- Trim: November Rain OC-50
- Accent: Boreal Forest AF-480
8. Sweet Rosy Brown 1302
A decadent burgundy, this colour delivers pronounced purple tones and welcoming vibes.
- Body: Sweet Rosy Brown 1302
- Trim: Feather Down OC-6
- Accent: Branchport Brown HC-72
9. Caldwell Green HC-124
This hunter green with regal blue undertones brings the forest forward.
- Body: Caldwell Green HC-124
- Trim: White Heron OC-57
- Accent: Lenox Tan HC-44
10. Silver Gray 2131-60
A pale gray, this hue’s blue-green undertones is fresh and sleek.
- Body: Silver Gray 2131-60
- Trim: Brilliant White OC-150
- Accent: Sea Mist Green 2041-50
11. Van Courtland Blue HC-145
Combine Old World and contemporary style with this winning combination.
- Body: Van Courtland Blue HC-145
- Trim: White Diamond OC-61
- Accent: Classic Burgundy HC-182
12. Charcoal Slate HC-178
This striking dark gray is even more pronounced when contrasted with whites and neutrals.
- Body: Charcoal Slate HC-178
- Trim: Pure White OC-64
- Accent: Red Point Sand CC-128
13. Chambourd AF-645
For the adventurous, an exterior in a bold rich mahogany makes a statement.
- Body: Chambourd AF-645
- Trim: White Opulence OC-69
- Accent: Winter Gray 2117-60
14. Black HC-190
Black hues paired with fresh white and charismatic red always wins.
- Body: Black HC-190
- Trim: White OC-151
- Accent: Caliente AF-290
5 Answers to Your Home Exterior Painting Questions
Every home is distinct. Read on for insights on some of the most popular homeowner questions when it comes to painting home exteriors.
Don’t Forget to Pick Exterior Sheen
Every exterior paint product comes in an array of different sheens. Ask your locally owned Benjamin Moore store to help you decide which sheen to go for based on your home exterior’s style and substrate.
Common sheen uses for exteriors include:
- Low Lustre (most popular): Siding, Trim
- Pearl/Satin: Siding, Trim, Shutters, Doors
- Semi-Gloss/Soft Gloss: Trim, Shutters, Doors, Architectural Details
- Gloss/High-Gloss: Doors, Architectural Details
You Can Paint Vinyl Siding
Many homeowners with vinyl siding think that they need new siding to achieve a fresh new colour for their exterior. Not true!
A fresh coat of colour using a high-quality exterior paint like Element Guard® or Regal® Select Exterior High Build (shown here) offers an easier, less expensive way to give vinyl siding a gorgeous makeover.
Check out the 75 colours at your disposal in the Colours for Vinyl palette. Homeowner favourites include:
You Can Paint Stucco
Painted in creamy White Chocolate OC-127, this stucco home façade contrasts beautifully with dark green door shutters and trim. Other paint colours we love for stucco home exteriors include:
Paint Your Garage Door: Low Effort, Big Impact
Painting exterior accents like your garage door can freshen up your home’s exterior with less effort and expense.
Here, Seashell OC-120 stands out on garage doors, trim, and window mullions. To find the perfect colour for your garage door, take advantage of the free Benjamin Moore Colour Portfolio® app. Use the photo and video visualizers to “virtually” apply paint colours for a preview.
Which Are the Best Paints for Home Exteriors?
Benjamin Moore offers a wide range of high-quality exterior paints, including:
- Aura® Exterior paint with exclusive Colour Lock® technology, provides the ultimate performance for rich, full colour and unprecedented durability.
- Regal® Select High Build is a thick, high build, 100% acrylic formula that bridges small cracks and voids in fewer coats.
- Element Guard® offers exceptional permeability to withstand wind-driven rain, excessive humidity and other harsh weather conditions on many surfaces, including vinyl siding.
- Woodluxe® Exterior Stains enhance the natural beauty of exterior wood surfaces like fences, decks and outdoor furniture. Woodluxe offers a wide variety of opacities and colours, while providing a mildew-resistant coating and superior protection against UV damage and other harsh weather conditions.
Questions? Visit or call your locally owned Benjamin Moore store to discuss the best exterior product for your project.
The Best Way to Choose an Exterior Paint Colour
To summarize:
- Create a palette based on the design elements of your home and surroundings.
- Look at colours that will synch with your home’s architectural style, natural environment and neighbourhood.
- Consider the way natural light hits your home and how it will impact the paint colour you choose.
- Determine which paint finish makes the most sense for your project.
Try On Exterior Colours with Samples
Sampling paint colours before you buy is important to build confidence in your final colour selection. Use our brush-on 8 oz. paint colour samples as follows:
- Paint your colour selections onto a white foam board.
- Bring the board outside.
- Observe the colour throughout the day, taking into consideration the effects of shadows and sun on the colour.
Please note: Our brush-on samples are formulated for interior use only; we don’t recommend brushing paint samples directly onto your exterior.
If you want to take your exterior painting project one step further, check out how to paint a garage door, how to paint your front door, and more DIY exterior projects.
Find the Perfect Colour for Your Home Exterior
Make your home the envy of the neighbourhood with a beautiful, elegant and striking exterior.
Element Guard™ Exterior Paint
Get beautiful colour that stands up to the harshest weather conditions.
Aura® Exterior Paint
Get ultimate performance for rich, full colour and unprecedented durability with Aura-exclusive Colour Lock® technology.