Help Choosing Exterior Paint Colors (Decatur, Madison: house, buy, college)

[Preston3124]

Is there anyone in the Madison area that you would recommend to help us choose exterior paint colors? We are ready to paint, but we are both terrible at visualizing what different colors will look like. Ideally it would be someone with one of those computer programs like you see on the home improvement shows.

[HB2HSV]

Just keep it simple - Green and Yellow

[LCTMadison]

Many of the paint suppliers like Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore have those online where you can upload a pic, or use one of their generic exterior pics to play with color selections.

[Preston3124]

Originally Posted by LCTMadison

Many of the paint suppliers like Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore have those online where you can upload a pic, or use one of their generic exterior pics to play with color selections.

I have the Sherwin Williams app. I'm sure it is user error but I have trouble using it. I'd still like a professional opinion if anyone knows someone.

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by HB2HSV

Just keep it simple - Green and Yellow

Hard to go wrong with Alabama red & grey, but Lowes sells camouflage panels if you want to fade into the kudzu.

Drive around and take pics of homes with colors you like. Select three, then take those and a pic of your house to someone you trust. If you don't have input and don't like the end result, it will grate on you worse than if you made the error on your own.

[Preston3124]

Part of the issue is that we have an uncommon color brick. It is sort of in the orange spectrum and the roof shingles were selected to kind of match that. I haven't really seen anything when driving around that strikes me.

I guess no one has any suggestions for someone to advise on this?

Would it be an "interior" decorator even though this is exterior paint?

[harry chickpea]

I took a course in color theory taught by one of the leaders of the Bauhaus movement back in college about fifty years ago, and learned to not suggest too much.

THe basics are much like music, with diads, triads, fifths, and a type of chord structure. Start with this:

https://www.sessions.edu/color-calculator/

In general, go for muted colors or pastels unless you want to have your place look garish. Buy a pint of each of the colors you plan on using (splurge here and get a few variations as well) and paint a primed panel and some dimension lumber and then allow them to dry and rest them up against the house. Look at the colors and relationships through a week or more, - a sunny day, a dreary day, a sunset and sunrise.

The color of a paint is only part of the equation. The spectrum itself can change slightly as the atmosphere plays tricks. Street lights can do strange color-shifts. By doing a real-world test, you are more likely to discover problems before investing in the whole job. By having the slight variations, you can hone in on what you think looks best.

One other possibility. People do not see color the same way. In addition to red-green color blindness, there are all sorts of variations in perception. You can ferret out online tests to see if your color vision is within the common range. If it isn't, you need to depend more on the basic color rules and the impressions of others.

Yes, an interior designer (ask for credentials and to see their portfolio) can help. Do NOT take their word as Gospel though. It is your place.

[LCTMadison]

Originally Posted by Preston3124

Part of the issue is that we have an uncommon color brick. It is sort of in the orange spectrum and the roof shingles were selected to kind of match that. I haven't really seen anything when driving around that strikes me.

I guess no one has any suggestions for someone to advise on this?

Would it be an "interior" decorator even though this is exterior paint?

There is a lady (her name escapes me) that works at Madison Paint and Decorating on Hughes Rd that has helped me pick several paint colors. I think she might be their "interior designer" because I've seen her helping people do color selections many times when I am in there. I think HSV Decorator Center on Regal has someone there as well.

Or you could hire one of the many interior decorators in town...yes, they can give you advice on exterior colors as well but they will charge for this service....for the exterior that might be money well spent.

Or you could try to identify your brick color and search Pinterest for some ideas.

[Preston3124]

Originally Posted by LCTMadison

There is a lady (her name escapes me) that works at Madison Paint and Decorating on Hughes Rd that has helped me pick several paint colors. I think she might be their "interior designer" because I've seen her helping people do color selections many times when I am in there. I think HSV Decorator Center on Regal has someone there as well.

Or you could hire one of the many interior decorators in town...yes, they can give you advice on exterior colors as well but they will charge for this service....for the exterior that might be money well spent.

Or you could try to identify your brick color and search Pinterest for some ideas.

Thank you and yes I expected to pay for the advice. Not too much though I hope. We did an addition many years ago and as a result I have a pile of the brick so I could take a sample with me to a paint store.

[Southlander]

Unless he's retired, Sammy Stone at Gobble-Fite Lumber in Decatur. They sell the excellent Martin-Senour paints.