How to Update Exterior Paint Color Without Tears!
An exterior paint color success story!
I recently worked with a new client, who I will call Hannah, who needed advice on choosing a new exterior paint color for her door and shutters. Hannah’s house is a red brick ranch house, with a tidy yard in a well-tended neighborhood. The houses in her neighborhood, although aging, are still selling quickly, with the values continuously increasing. She thought that her newly purchased home appeared somewhat outdated, but she needed advice on selecting a paint color.
The cost of choosing the wrong paint color
Hannah was concerned about choosing the right paint color the first time. She had recently moved to her new home, and she didn’t want to pay professionals to re-paint if she made a mistake. This is an issue for most homeowners who are selecting paint. Not only is premium paint expensive–Benjamin Moore costs approximately $85/gallon–professional painters are also expensive to hire.
Shameless plug: As a home stager and color expert, I charge $50/space to give the homeowner options for paint colors that coordinate in their space. I provide options for paint color, and instructions for how to make the final decision. I also offer digital renderings that allow the homeowner to preview their paint colors by virtually painting the spaces that they want to change. The visual representation of the new color, in the context of the space, gives homeowners the ability to see their color before they paint!
The process of choosing a color
First stop: Pinterest
After a brief discovery call with Hannah, I asked her to find inspiration photos on Pinterest that were similar to the look that she wanted for her exterior. She provided me with photos of brick houses with painted doors and shutters, which helped me to visualize what she had described to me during the discovery call. Hannah also sent me a photo of her own home, so that I could develop ideas before our in-person consultation.
Next step: In-person consultation with fan deck
After reviewing Hannah’s inspiration photos, I conducted a further search for more ideas for brick houses. Then, I met with her at her home, in person, with my Benjamin Moore paint fan deck. (Click links below to purchase!)
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The process of working with a fan deck can be daunting because there are so many color options! Fortunately, I had narrowed the scope before our consultation, and had a good starting point. After looking at different color chips against the brick, and against the white trim, I narrowed the possibilities to a few that I thought coordinated with the brick without bringing out any clashing undertones.
That reminds me: Lighting is super important when selecting paint color! We selected the initial colors while outdoors, and the day was slightly overcast. It was also early afternoon, and Hannah’s front yard didn’t have shadows. However, before committing to a color, you MUST, MUST, MUST paint a sampling board with the potential color, and view it in all types of lighting–cloudy, sunny, mid-day, dusk–and make sure the color looks great in ALL lighting.
Trust me on that. I almost selected an exterior paint color for my home that would have appeared lavender in dim lighting. That would have been a catastrophically expensive mistake to make!
My secret tool for previewing paint colors
Really, it’s not a secret because most designers know about it. Benjamin Moore’s website features a Personal Color Viewer application, where you can download a photograph, select the areas to be painted, and virtually paint the space with the color that you select. It’s so fun, like trying on shoes! I took my time and experimented with some wild colors, but sent Hannah the generated photos of the previewed colors. She didn’t like the initial colors, so I sent her 8 more possibilities, which she liked better.
The Personal Color Viewer is not terribly difficult to use, but it requires a good-quality digital photograph, and it helps A LOT if you have a photo that has no shadows, and no obstructions with trees or shrubs. Otherwise, the process takes more patience than I am blessed with.
Final step
The most critical step is to purchase small samples of the paint that you have selected, and paint a large sample on a sampling board. Another option is to order a large, stick-on sample of the color from Samplize.com or a similar site. Look at the sample against the adjacent surfaces; make sure that you like how they look beside each other. Although the Personal Color Viewer gives a good approximation of the finished paint result, in person the color can appear differently due to shadowing or directional lighting.
Click below to purchase your sample boards and DIY paint tools!
End result
The end result of this consultation was an updated, fresh take on the traditional red brick ranch house. Although traditional brick can look dated and tired, updating the exterior with brighter trim, shutters, or doors breaths new life into this traditional design. This brick ranch update looks more modern, and it takes on a cottage vibe with this robin’s egg blue.
Don’t be afraid of color! Paint is one of the simplest updates for a home, and if you have patience and a steady hand, you can do it yourself. Try the tools that I suggested, and imagine how much you will love your home if you take a chance with fresh paint!
I am pleased to offer Certified Color Expert virtual consultations via Zoom for people who live outside of the central North Carolina region! The fee is $50/space and includes 2 online sessions to determine the best paint color for your space. If you are located in Greensboro, I offer in-person consultations for $50/space; for consultations in the Piedmont Triad outside of Greensboro, there is a $20/visit fee for travel.
GCD bio for blog articles
Hillary McAlhany is the owner and Senior Creative Consultant of Gate City Design. She is a certified professional home stager/redesigner, E-designer & color expert. Hillary is also the Managing Partner of Lakeside Property Group, LLC. Although she is based in North Carolina, she offers remote design services outside of the central North Carolina region.
