It can be a lot of fun to choose paint colors for your house. It can also be completely overwhelming to try and find the right color. If you are searching for an exterior paint color for your Northern California home, the process can be crippling. After all, the exterior paint color you choose is a huge commitment. Your house will be that color for years and you will see it every time you are outside your house. What if you make the wrong choice? What if you hate the color you choose? It can feel overwhelming to go through the thousands of exterior paint colors that are available and try to narrow them down to the ‘perfect’ color. In reality, you can search forever without making a decision unless you have some parameters to work within. Keep reading for some tips on how to choose an exterior paint color for your Northern California home.
Take a look around your neighborhood
A great place to start narrowing down paint color options is in your own neighborhood. Are there colors in your neighborhood that you love? Look at the houses that catch your eye and see if they have anything in common. If they are all dark colors then you should start your search with deeper tones. If they are all some shade of blue, then blue is a good place to start. You can also ask yourself if you want your house to stand out or blend in. If you want to stand out, choose colors that are different from what is already in your neighborhood. If you want to blend in, go with the same general color palette that you see on the houses around you. Getting inspiration from your neighborhood or immediate area can give you inspiration and help you find a starting point for your color search.
Check local guidelines
There are some areas that have guidelines when it comes to exterior colors. For example, houses in historic areas of town may have stipulations regarding the colors that are allowed on the exterior of the house. There are some homeowner associations that have rules related to exterior color choice. Start by checking with the powers that be in your area to find out if there are restrictions. If there are, it will significantly reduce the number of colors you have to look through in order to make a choice.
Save images of houses that you love
You can do an exercise online to help you discover what exterior paint colors grab your attention. Do a basic search ‘exterior paint colors’ and see what comes up. Go quickly through the pictures and save the ones you love to a Pinterest board or file on your computer. Once you have twenty or thirty images saved, look back through them and try to notice themes. Are they all dark or all light? Do you prefer neutrals or bold colors? Is there are particular style or era that seems to stand out to you? This exercise can help you gather some examples of what you love and provide a place for you to start on your search for an exterior paint color.
Homeowners in Northern California have a wide range of exterior paint colors on their homes. If you are ready to paint but cannot pick a color, you can get help from the local painting pros at D&D Painting. You can set up a color consultation to get some help choosing an exterior paint color for your house that you will love for years to come.
