When the calendar flips to a new year, you may feel energized to finally tackle home upkeep projects that are easily put off. If your home’s exterior is looking a tad lifeless and drab as a winter sky, it might be time for a total-home paint job. However, there is a “cheat” that can help you achieve a house facelift without the significant investment of repainting your entire home: painting your doors, shutters, and trim.
Refreshing these exterior tidbits can go a long way in enhancing the overall curb appeal of your home. Once you’ve decided to take on these smaller exterior elements, the remaining decision is what colors to choose. Ahead, we’re answering a few commonly asked questions about selecting colors for your trim, doors, and shutters.
Should your exterior doors match your shutters?
Without a doubt, your front door and other exterior doors should absolutely coordinate well with the color of your shutters. That said, your doors do NOT have to be the identical color as your trim or your shutters. Approach this color selection knowing you can use different shades of a color, but keeping it all in the same family. Many homeowners find success in using one signature color for the shutters, but using a lighter or darker iteration of the paint color for the door. This adds intrigue and contrast without clashing.
What are good color combinations for exterior shutters and a front door?
Again, your front door and your shutters do not need to match perfectly. Consider the entire home from a zoomed-out perspective. Because the front door has a relatively small footprint, it’s a good place to go bold. It serves as a focal point, and should feel welcoming.
The actual color you choose depends, of course, on the color of your house. Generally speaking, your door should either complement or coordinate with your door — meaning it should be very similar, or completely opposite (and therefore complementary) on the color wheel.
Take this coordinated-color example: If your shutters are a dark, muted brown with green undertones, an olive door would be a well-suited match. If contrasting colors are more your speed, consider this example: If your shutters are black, a bright red door would make a door stand out.
Should your trim match your shutters?
The same answer applies here: Your trim should pair well with your shutters, but the exact paint color does not have to match. Some people love the look of one color on the shutters with the same color, but mixed with fifty percent white, on the trim. For others, a crisp, clean white is the only way to go for the trim — so much of that decision depends on your house color and material. The right look for a brick home will be quite different than what looks good on one that’s stucco!
How do you pick a shutter color?
Personal preference and home style should dictate the color of your shutters. Whether you go neutral or bold, traditional or contemporary, your shutters should make your home “pop” in a good way. Not sure where to start with selecting a shutter color? Find inspiration in this blog post. And, be sure to read this post about how to avoid cracking before you pick up the paint brush.
Fortunately, we have a wide range of colors and styles to suit just about any home. Get started in your selection journey now!
