Repainting your home is exciting, it can make your house feel brand new again! But choosing the right exterior paint colors? That part can be surprisingly stressful–and most homeowners spend forever if they don’t know how to start… And unlike repainting a bedroom, if you get the exterior wrong, everyone sees it, every day.
Don’t worry, we’re here to make sure that doesn’t happen! We’ve helped hundreds of homeowners in Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, and surrounding areas find colors that they love. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything we tell our own clients before they choose their paint colors so you can feel 100% confident about what goes on your home.
Table Of Contents:
- 1. Don’t Look At Exterior Paint Colors Until You Look At This
- 2. Got Bricks? What You Should Know Before You Paint It
- 3. Consider the Michigan Climate and Lighting
- 4. Think About the Personality You Want Your Home to Have
- 5. Use Your Phone to Preview Exterior Paint Colors
- 6. Sample the Paint—Seriously, Don’t Skip This Step
- 7. Choose Your Trim, Shutters, and Accent Colors
- 8. Don’t Overlook the Sheen
- 9. Popular Exterior Paint Color Combinations We Love Right Now
- 10. Still Stuck? Let’s Make This Easy
1. Don’t Look At Exterior Paint Colors Until You Look At This
Before diving into color palettes, take note of the current features of your home:
- Roof color and material
- Brick, stone, or foundation color
- Driveway and walkways
- Window trim and fixtures
These 4 elements act like your outfit’s accessories. Your paint color should complement them, not fight against them. For example:
- If you have a reddish-brown brick, earthy neutral colors like greige or cream give you home a calming feel.
- If your roof is a cool-toned slate, consider cooler grays, whites, or blues for your siding.
The goal is balance. Your home should feel cohesive, not look like it’s wearing a 5-colored flannel.
2. Got Bricks? What You Should Know Before You Paint It
Brick can add a classic, timeless look to your home—but if the color feels dated or too dark, painting it can instantly modernize your home. Whether it’s a full brick wall, porch pillars, or just a section of your home, here’s what you need to know:
Yes, You Can Paint Brick—But It Needs Prep
Brick is porous, which means it absorbs moisture. That’s why prepping it properly is key. Your painter will likely clean the surface, repair cracks, and use a masonry primer before applying exterior paint.
What Looks Good on Painted Brick?
White and soft grays are popular for a clean, modern look. Earthy tones like taupe or warm beige keep a natural feel while still refreshing the space. If you’re painting brick pillars, you might contrast them with trim or siding for a high-end custom feel.
Keep in Mind:
- Once you paint brick, it’s very hard to go back to natural—so be confident in your choice.
- Painted brick needs occasional maintenance since it can peel or chip over time, especially in humid or wet climates.
Pro Tip: Want the modern look of painted brick without full coverage? Ask about brick staining or limewashing for a softer, more breathable finish that keeps the brick’s texture.
3. Consider the Michigan Climate and Lighting
Here in southeast Michigan, the weather plays a big role in how paint looks on a home. Bright sunshine in the summer, overcast skies in the fall and winter—it plays a part on how your home looks throughout the year.
Here’s what we typically recommend:
- Lighter colors can brighten your home during gray winters.
- Cooler tones like green or blue can feel crisp in summer but may look a little cold in February.
- Warmer tones (think taupe brown, soft yellow, muted green) feel cozy year-round.
While you can’t just change colors every season, think about what season you really want your home to shine in. And remember: colors almost always appear lighter outdoors. That “perfect soft gray” on a swatch may look a bit white on your siding. Testing is key (we’ll get to that soon).
4. Think About the Personality You Want Your Home to Have
Color sets the tone. Is your home welcoming? Sophisticated? Playful? Here are some examples:
Classic & Timeless
Want to blend in with the neighborhood, while still looking slick? White, beige, navy, or charcoal are great options that will never go out of style no matter what your house looks like.
Warm & Inviting
If you want to give off cozy vibes, sage green, dusty olive, and warm gray tell your neighbors you’re a soft and welcoming family.
Bold
For those who want to make a statement and be the focal point of the neighborhood, deep teal, rusty red, sapphire blue, or even an amethyst purple make your home shine like a jewel.
Modern
If you have a newer home or just want to look that way, jet black, off-white, gray (any shade), are perfect primary colors for your color combination (which we’ll explain later).
Pro tip: Walk around your neighborhood and snap photos of color schemes you love. Chances are, they’ll work well on your home, too.
5. Use Your Phone to Preview Exterior Paint Colors
Several paint companies offer online visualizer tools where you upload a photo of your home and test out different color combinations. Try:
It won’t be a perfect match, but it helps narrow down choices before you start sampling. Also, take photos of your home during different times of day. Notice how shadows hit certain areas and how lighting shifts. You may love a color in the morning light but hate it in the afternoon.
6. Sample the Paint—Seriously, Don’t Skip This Step
Paint can look very different once it’s actually on your home, depending on light, shadows, and surroundings. That perfect shade in the store? It might look totally different in the sun or under your porch’s shade. This might be the most important thing we tell homeowners:
Grab the samples. Paint real swatches. Look at them for a few days.
Here’s how to sample exterior paint right:
- Test at least 3 colors that you like
- Paint 2’3 square feet in different spots of your siding (sunny side, shady side, near trim, near roof)
- View the swatches in morning, afternoon, and evening
It might look silly in the moment, but spending an extra day or two on samples can save you from years of regret.
7. Choose Your Trim, Shutters, and Accent Exterior Paint Colors
Once your main siding color is locked in, it’s time to build your supporting cast. For this, we’ll paint the trim, shutters, and front door.
Trim refers to the wood or material that frames parts of your home—like around windows, doors, corners, and along the roofline. It helps define the edges of your home and gives it a clean, finished look.
Shutters are decorative panels that sit on either side of your windows. While they were originally used to protect windows from storms or provide privacy, most modern shutters are purely decorative—and a great way to add color, contrast, and character to your exterior.
- Trim: White or off-white gives your crisp contrast with your siding, but you can also try a soft tan or dark brown for a more unique touch.
- Shutters: Pick something 2–3 shades darker than your siding, or go bold with navy, black, or deep green.
- Front Door: This is your chance to add personality! Bright red, soft turquoise, or even stained wood can make a great statement–no rules here.
8. Don’t Overlook the Sheen
When choosing exterior paint colors, it’s not just about the color—the sheen makes a difference, too. The finish (level of shine/gloss) you choose can impact durability, appearance, and how well the paint holds up over time.
Here’s a quick breakdown of common sheens for exteriors from least to most shiny:
- Low Lustre (most popular): Ideal for siding, brick, and trim
- Satin/Soft Gloss: Great for trim, shutters, and doors
- Semi-Gloss/Gloss: Best for trim, shutters, doors, and architectural features
- High-Gloss (special scenarios): Perfect for doors and statement details
What we recommend: low lustre for the siding/walls of your home, and soft-gloss or gloss for the trim, shutters, and doors.
9. Popular Exterior Paint Colors–Combinations We Love Right Now
Here are some timeless (but trending) combinations that have been popular with our southeast Michigan clients:
- Warm White + Black Trim + Natural Wood Door
- Charcoal Gray + Crisp White Trim + Red Door
- Soft Green + Cream Trim + Bronze Accents
- Navy Blue + White Trim + Gold Fixtures
- Taupe + Deep Brown Trim + Olive Green Door
You don’t have to make a color combo that’s never been done before—sometimes the best exterior schemes are the ones that are already out there.
10. Still Stuck? Let’s Make This Easy
We get it. Even with all this advice, choosing a color can still feel overwhelming. That’s why TrueCoats Painting offers color consultations with every exterior painting project.
If you’re stuck, we’ll work together to:
- Help you narrow down your palette
- Test swatches on your actual siding
- Work with your home’s existing features and style
- Make sure the final result is something you’re proud of
Because when we repaint your home, we want you (and your guests) to love it every time you pull into the driveway.
Ready to Give Your Home A New Paint Job?
With this guide, picking out your new paint shouldn’t just be a piece of cake, but also make this process way more fun! Now you know where to start–and who knows–maybe a certain color combo is calling your name now.
Whenever you’ve picked that sample you want to cover the rest of your home, let’s paint your vision.
