How to Pick the Right Exterior Paint Colors

“Charleston is all about patina. As these colors wear over the years, they'll look even more beautiful than when they were first applied.” –Mark Maresca, Maresca & Associates Architects, Charleston and Greenville, South Carolina

Body: Weatherboard (DCR103) by Duron; sherwin-williams.com.

Doors: Historic Charleston Green (DCR099) by Duron; sherwin-williams.com.

Trim: Palladian Blue (HC-144) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.

“For a traditional American home, try a deep green or baby blue on the shutters and a high-gloss dark red on the front door. Paint all other solid doors to match the shutters. Have French doors and trim matched with an opaque sample of the whitewash. The combination is light and fresh with high contrast and punch.” –Charles Heydt, Pak Heydt and Associates, Atlanta, Georgia

Body: Whitewash

Shutters: Black Forest Green by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.

Doors: Classic Burgundy by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.

“This off-white palette has roots in the Southern Colonial style but with a twist—the tone-on-tone scheme creates soft shadows that bring forward subtle texture variations from the materials of the house.” –Ruard Veltman, Ruard Veltman Architecture, Charlotte, North Carolina

Body: White Down (970) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.

Shutters: Manchester Tan (HC-81) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.

“This paint palette is reminiscent of Scouts at summer camp—dark uniforms all alike with bright green scarves tied at the collars.” –Bobby McAlpine, McAlpine Tankersley Architecture, Montgomery, Alabama

Body: Black Fox (SW7020) by Sherwin-Williams; sherwin-williams.com.

Trim: Sassy Green (SW6416) by Sherwin-Williams; sherwin-williams.com.

“Dark and muted blues and greens reflect the colors of the Gulf Coast. This palette is quintessential for a Southern-style beach house. The look is warm and inviting.” –Michael G. Imber, Michael G. Imber Architects, San Antonio, Texas

Body: Cromwell Gray (HC-103) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.

Trim: Narragansett Green (HC-157) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.

Doors: Country Redwood (HC-183) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.

“We like a warm yellow paired with a classic ternemetal roof and red shutters, for projects in locales where there is a lot of red clay in the soil, such as in Middleburg, Virginia, to make the house look more natural in the landscape. The warm palette also favors the Lowcountry feel.” –Anne Fairfax, Fairfax & Sammons Architects, Palm Beach, Florida

Body: Warm Yellow (9036) by Keim; keim.com.

Trim: Incarnadine (No. 248) by Farrow & Ball; farrowandball.com.

“There is a rich timelessness and a patina to these colors that reminds me of the many great homes where I grew up in Florence, Alabama.” –Michael Franck, Franck and Lohsen Architects, Washington, D.C.

Body: Blackened No. 2011 by Farrow & Ball; farrow-ball.com.

Shutters: Railings No. 31 by Farrow & Ball; farrow-ball.com.

Porch ceiling: Parma Gray No. 27 by Farrow & Ball; farrow-ball.com; Clear Skies (2054-70) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com

“This scheme is very simple and clean and is especially well suited for home designs that are influenced by English and European styles.” –Hank Long, Henry Sprott Long & Associates, Birmingham, Alabama

Body: China White (74) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.

Trim: Iron Mountain (2134-30) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.

“Painted brick has a particularly Southern feel when paired with contrasting working lowered shutters. The effect of this palette is one of a warm-weather location.” –Bill Ingram, Bill Ingram Architect, Birmingham, Alabama

Body and trim: Lambswool (2269) by Pratt & Lambert; prattandlambert.com.

Shutters: Blue Spa (2052-40) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.

“A friend of mine insists that people who live in yellow houses are happier. For a more traditional look, try a dark green on the trim. For a less traditional accent color, we like a dark red.” –Jane Frederick, Frederick + Frederick Architects, Beaufort, South Carolina

Body: Yellow Jasmine (DCR009) by Duron; duron.com.

“High-contrast color schemes look best on cottages. The stone color is used only at the front door to add a subtle punch of color to the otherwise austere scheme.” –Norman Askins, Norman D. Askins Architect, Atlanta, Georgia

Body: Iron Mountain (2134-30) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.

Trim: White (01) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.

Doors: Carrington Beige (HC-93) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.

“This palette of Wedgwood blue and bisque blends naturally with the big sky. Paired with a wide front porch, this palette feels classically Southern.” –Jim Howard, James Michael Howard, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia

Walls: Swiss Coffee (OC-45) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.

Shutters: Iceberg (2122-50) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.

“The crisp white trim enhances the cottage-style details and provides a strong contrast to boldly colored siding. Don't be afraid to pick another fun color for your front door.” –Bill Curtis, Curtis & Windham Architects, Houston, Texas

Body: Sedona Clay (SW2313) by Sherwin-Williams; sherwin-williams.com.

Trim: Pure White (SW7005) by Sherwin-Williams; sherwin-williams.com.

“These subtle, creamy shades take on the effect of an old limewash when paired with hand-molded brick. We've been using it for years, and it never looks oudated or out of place. It's a classical palette that can be seen on raised cottages from Louisiana to the Lowcountry.” –Jim Strickland, Design Principal, Historical Concepts, Atlanta and Peachtree City, Georgia

Body: Roycroft Vellum (SW2833) by Sherwin-Williams; sherwin-williams.com.

Trim: Classical White (SW2829) by Sherwin-Williams; sherwin-williams.com.

Shutters: Andiron (SW6174) by Sherwin-Williams; sherwin-williams.com.

“Buildings of a more modern, pared-down aesthetic and smaller structures, such as weekend cottages or outbuildings, lend themselves to the deeper tones that allow them to sneak into the landscape. With this color palette, we prefer a monochrome look.” –Philip Dufford, Dufford Young Architects, Charleston, South Carolina

Body and trim: Copley Gray (HC-104) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com.

Taking cues from Mother Nature's favorite neutral (and to best complement the flower-filled yard), architect Sam Greeson suggests siding a bold green and the shutters a deeper, nearly black green. Then he recommends using crisp white paint to highlight the trim and exterior details.

Archictect: Sam Greeson, Meyer Greeson Paullin Benson; mgpb.com, Charlotte, North Carolina

Siding: Vine Green (2034-20) by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com

Shutters: Roycroft Bottle Green (SW2847) by Sherwin-Williams; sherwin-williams.com

Trim: Alabaster (SW7008) by Sherwin-Williams; sherwin-williams.com

“This natural, harmonious palette reinforces the colors of slate roofs and limestone. The tone-on-tone look is very pleasing to the eye and fits well within the Southern landscape.” –Stan Dixon, D. Stanley Dixon Architect, Atlanta, Georgia

Body: Relaxed Khaki (SW6149) by Sherwin-Williams; sherwin-williams.com.

Trim and shutters: Universal Khaki (SW6150) by Sherwin-Williams; sherwin-williams.com.

“This palette updates the colors of Colonial Williamsburg, the richly saturated, earthy mineral paint colors used in the 18th-century Virginia capital. These classics are always appropriate for a new old house.” –Russell Versaci, Russell Versaci Architecture, Middleburg, Virginia

Body: Ludwell Tenement Sage (CW417) by Pratt & Lambert; prattandlambert.com.

Shutters: Chowning's Tavern Brown (CW121) by Pratt & Lambert; prattandlambert.com.

Trim: Outside White (CW712) by Pratt & Lambert; prattandlambert.com.