Harmonizing Your Home: Matching Exterior Body Paint with Trim Colors

Choosing the perfect exterior paint color for your home can feel like a big decision—but it doesn’t stop there! Once you’ve picked the body color, selecting a complementary trim color becomes just as important. The trim acts like the frame of a painting, enhancing and defining your home’s overall appearance. Here’s a guide to help you achieve the perfect match.

1. Start with the Basics: Contrast and Balance

The key to a cohesive exterior design lies in the balance between your body and trim colors. Consider the contrast:

  • Low Contrast: Using shades from the same color family creates a soft, elegant look. For example, pairing a light gray body with slightly darker gray trim.
  • High Contrast: Bold pairings, like a navy blue body with bright white trim, make features like windows and doors pop.

2. Classic Pairings that Always Work

If you’re unsure where to start, tried-and-true combinations are a safe bet:

  • White Body + Black Trim: A timeless duo that exudes sophistication.
  • Earth-Toned Body + Cream or Beige Trim: Perfect for blending into natural surroundings.
  • Dark Body + Light Trim: Navy, charcoal, or forest green paired with crisp white trim creates striking curb appeal.

3. Consider the Architectural Style

Your home’s style plays a significant role in color choices:

  • Modern Homes: Clean lines and minimalist palettes often use neutral body colors with black or metallic trim.
  • Colonial or Victorian Homes: Traditional styles lend themselves to contrasting colors, with bold trim that highlights architectural details.
  • Cottages or Farmhouses: Soft, warm tones like sage green with off-white trim evoke charm and coziness.

4. Work with Your Surroundings

Take a step back and consider how your home fits into its environment:

  • Natural Backdrops: For homes surrounded by trees or mountains, choose earth tones like browns, greens, and taupes to complement the scenery.
  • Urban Settings: Bright or contrasting colors can help your home stand out amidst a sea of neutral-toned buildings.

5. Pay Attention to Material Accents

Does your home feature brick, stone, or other materials? These elements should guide your color palette:

  • Warm Materials: Brick or red stone pairs beautifully with cream or warm beige trim.
  • Cool Materials: Gray or slate accents often look best with cool trim tones like crisp white or pale blue.

6. Test Before You Commit

Paint swatches can look very different in natural sunlight than in-store. Before finalizing your colors:

  • Test small patches on both the body and trim.
  • View the colors at different times of day to ensure they complement each other and look great in varying light conditions.

7. Set the Mood

Your home’s exterior is the first impression visitors and passersby get. Think about the message you want to convey:

  • Warm, Inviting Feel: Use earthy tones with soft, neutral trim.
  • Bold and Unique: Choose contrasting, vibrant colors for a standout look.
  • Clean and Classic: Stick to light neutrals with black or white trim for timeless appeal.

Conclusion

Matching your exterior body paint color with trim color is an art, but it’s also an opportunity to express your personal style while enhancing your home’s curb appeal. With these tips, you’ll create a harmonious, eye-catching look that makes your home the envy of the neighborhood. So grab those paint swatches and start dreaming!

Why Pay More for Quality Paint?

Quality paint costs more. Is it really worth it? There are a number of benefits that come with using a good quality paint.

1. Durability and Longevity:

Quality paint lasts longer. It can withstand exposure to the elements, it is formulated to withstand UV exposure, resist mildew and to retain its adhesion. This means less frequent repainting, which really saves you a lot in the long run.

2. Better Coverage:

High-quality paints tend to have better coverage, meaning fewer coats are needed to achieve a smooth, even finish. This not only saves paint but also reduces the labor involved.

3. Enhanced Aesthetics:

The finish of high-quality paint is typically superior, offering a more vibrant and consistent color. It just looks better.

4. Easier Application:

High-quality paints often have better flow and leveling properties, making them easier to apply. This means less frustration and a more professional-looking result, even if you’re a DIY enthusiast.

5. Resistance to Common Issues:

Quality paints are formulated to resist issues like mildew, mold, and fading from UV rays, ensuring that your walls stay beautiful and protected for longer.

6. Health and Environmental Benefits:

Many high-quality paints have lower VOC (volatile organic compounds) levels, making them a healthier choice for your home and the environment.

In the end, investing in quality paint can actually save you money, time, and effort, while also providing a better finish that lasts longer.

Quality paint promotes our company motto, Do it right the first time! Call the doctor for a quality application of your quality paint 541-497-3804

Wallflower

Here’s what Sherwin-Williams says of the Wallflower set of colors: “May’s sunset palette of mood-boosting hues feels made for a slightly eccentric style that blends retro color with a minimalist aesthetic. A Snowbound backdrop provides a blank canvas for the warm 70s-inspired hues of the palette to assert themselves as accents throughout the room. The curved comfort of softly rounded furniture and textured materials like rugs and cozy throws echo the warmth in the palette and bring some cozy balance to the clean “less is more” sensibility of this look.”

We say it’s a nice purplish pastel. Either way, let us know if you have an interior area that needs a color change. 541-497-3804

December 2023 Color of the Month

Add a dash of drama with a fiery shade that knows how to rev up a room. Peppery’s expressive nature excites your space with bold, attention-grabbing energy.

It’s time to finally get that interior painting project completed and you can do it by calling Mike 541.497.3804

Property Protection

For most of us, our houses and our business properties are our biggest assets. We have invested a lot of resources into these buildings. which is why critical maintenance is so important. Keeping a protective layer of quality paint is essential to protecting our investment.

Many exterior building products are engineered to have a protective layer of paint. Paint provides protection against water intrusion and against ultraviolet light deterioration. Many siding types are not particularly strong or resilient unless they are properly sealed and painted.

According to the Engineered Wood Association, “Proper finishing protects siding from the weather, reduces maintenance and promotes long-lasting performance. Weather can cause surface damage to unprotected wood within 4 weeks of exposure and adversely affect the performance of subsequently applied finishes. Preprimed products should be top-coated within 60 to 90 days of installation.”

The Paint Doctor takes into account the specific recommendations provided by the siding manufacturers. These recommendations are not just for the chemical characteristics of the primers and paints, but timing and how to apply the product. For example, “The first coat should either be brush-applied or sprayed and back-brushed while the finish is still wet. This is essential for textured surfaces, such as rough-sawn. Brushing helps work the finish into the siding, therefore providing better protection to the siding surface and optimum finish adhesion,” according to the Engineered Wood Association.

Additionally the edges and transitions must be sealed with proper caulking products professionally applied.

When you consider the amount of money you have invested in your siding, professional paint application makes a lot of sense to protect your investment. Call Mike at 541-497-3804.