Your exterior crafts people's first impression of your house. You can make your house look elegant and put-together, or messy and visually overwhelming depending on the color scheme you choose. Fortunately, designers like Joanna Gaines have offered their expert opinion about what colors to consider when painting your exterior, which ranges from neutrals to aesthetically-pleasing vibrant colors.
The key to creating a visually appealing house exterior is to incorporate a cohesive color scheme. The safest route to take is to stick with neutrals, but you can explore the color spectrum for deeper shades that can add depth and dimension to your exterior.
There is also the trim to consider which will outline your house; a subtle pop of color that can make or break your exterior.
Aside from cohesiveness, you'd want your exterior to have a cozy vibe, one that would make people feel warm and welcome. Fixer Upper designer Joanna Gaines has formulated a line of paint colors that would spruce up your exterior.
1. Gatherings
"Gatherings" has a neutral tone that would make your exterior look effortlessly elegant. It has a warm undertone combined with a cool grey, both of which can be emphasized or toned down depending on the amount of sunlight that hits the surface.
Color shifts could reveal other tones such as green or purple, although it is only a subtle tinge that wouldn't be overpowering.
Read: Does Exterior House Paint Fade Over Time?
2. Blackboard
True to its name, the color is reminiscent of blackboards in a schoolhouse. It's lighter than pure black but darker than grey. It can give depth and dimension to your house, so it is best to combine the color with other light-neutral colors.
3. Ella Rose
Ella Rose is the perfect shade for your exterior if you want a softer and more feminine flair. This exterior paint will make your house look welcoming and inviting, and it can reflect your affinity for refreshing and youthful colors.
It can pair well with white or cream trims, but make sure to add dimension to the exterior by pairing Ella Rose with wooden elements or brown shades.
4. Silverado Sage
Silverado sage has a muted green tone with a lot of greys, so it's more of a grey-green color. You may think this color looks too plain, but it will give your exterior a sense of airiness when paired with white-colored trims and doors.
It gives off a classic suburban look; a neat and practical color that will make your exterior look effortlessly chic.
5. One Horn White
One horn white is a softer shade of white, so it's an ideal option if you don't want a stark white exterior that could easily expose the smallest specks of dirt. It has warm undertones, although it is more emphasized when there's access to sunlight.
You can pair it with darker trims to add dimension to your exterior, or at least incorporate textured elements such as wooden doors to add character to the house.
6. Carter Creme
Carter Creme has a more honey-like yellow tint that could add a splash of color to your exterior without being visually overwhelming. One of the mistakes homeowners make is picking a vibrant color in an attempt to make their house more "welcoming" and end up with a highlighter color that's too stark.
7. Sunday Stroll
Sunday stroll is a warm grey shade, but it's subtle and leans more towards a grey shade. It's a neutral color that's neither light nor dark, so it's a good color scheme foundation since it can balance out light or dark tones well.
Pair this color with warm-toned neutrals to create a lovely contrast and to make your home look more welcoming. As much as possible, try to avoid pairing it with other grey-leaning shades since it can make your exterior too plain.
8. Cupola
The cupola is another grey-leaning shade with subtle undertones of tan. It's good for exteriors, but there's a risk that it can make your exterior too plain. The good thing is that you can easily spruce it up since it's a versatile color that can complement various color schemes.
This shade can be considered a "blank canvass" that you can design any way you want so your house can look more visually appealing. Take advantage of this quality by exploring different styles and aesthetics that reflect your personality best.
9. Luxe
Luxe is a green-toned color with grey undertones, such that it can be called an "evergreen grey" color. True to its name, the shade Luxe can make the exterior look effortlessly elegant, and you can blend this color with natural elements such as wood and potted plants to spruce up your exterior.
Natural elements will make your exterior look more rustic and classic, but you can modernize it by incorporating white and beige shades into your exterior.
10. Emmie's Room
The shade "Emmie's Room" has a soft color that can be associated with the innocence and playfulness of a child's bedroom. This shade, when incorporated into your exterior, will make your house look playful, charming, and inviting.
It's an ideal color if you want a soft color scheme that can also be aesthetically versatile. The mint blue color is toned down by avocado green hues, creating a refreshing color that can spruce up your exterior.
11. Soft Landing
This shade has a more citrus yellow color that is toned down by white tones, making it lean into a more neutral tone. The yellow hue adds vibrance to the color, so this is a great option if you're looking into brighter and more saturated colors without venturing to "highlighter" territory.
12. Magnolia Green
Magnolia green is a classic color that can add a splash of color to your exterior. It's tried-and-true; it's not visually overwhelming, and it can make your house look classic.
Lean into its natural appeal by incorporating wooden elements into your trim, front door, and windows. However, you can go for a more cosmopolitan look by incorporating more whites and greys into the color scheme, creating a modern but timeless look.
13. Antique Rose
Antique rose doesn't have the color of a fresh rose. Rather, it has the color of an old dried rose that's been pressed inside a book for years. True to its name, it has more of a warm beige neutral tone with subtle gray dust that is often seen in old preserved roses.
This color will make your exterior look airy and light which you can emphasize with white trims. You can add dimension by incorporating dark-colored elements into your exterior.
14. Americana Egg
Americana Egg resembles sage green, except it's leaning toward a more grey tint. You can create a soft and neutral color scheme with this exterior paint, and you can use white to outline your house to combat plainness.
Adding light-colored trims will also add more visual structure to your exterior because of the contrast between the two hues.
15. Weekend
This shade can be associated with calming weekends with its blue hue. It's a bold and rich color, so it's best to balance it out with soft-colored trims and exterior doors such as neutral beiges and whites. Combining it with dark hardwood can also make your exterior look classic, but the style can look dated.
It is best to create contrast so the colors won't get lost with each other.
Read: Should Storm Door Match Front Door Color?
16. Shiplap
Shiplap has a white color with subtle dustings of charcoal grey, so it can sometimes look purplish depending on the lighting. This would make your exterior look airy, but you can combat the "cold" tone by incorporating it with wooden or white elements.
17. Garden Trowel
This shade leans toward a more earth-toned hue, so it's a good option if you want a more rustic look. It's aesthetically versatile, so you can explore the design spectrum and add elements that can make your exterior look either modern or classic.
Final Thoughts
Joanna Gains Magnolia Exterior Paints are designed to be versatile, so some of them are meant to be paired with richer, more vibrant shades. The point of exterior paints is to create a neutral base so you'll have more agency over the style and design.
As always, go with the color that will reflect your personal style best.
