Energize your home’s exterior with more vibrant colors

Date: 9/11/2013

(BPT) – Chances are you’ve thought about adding a splash of color to the exterior of your home, and you’re not the only one. Many people have the same idea, but they don’t act because they’re worried they will choose poorly. Selecting the wrong color for your home’s exterior isn’t only costly, it’s embarrassing as well.

“Many homeowners are afraid to add color to their home’s exterior because they don’t want to make a mistake,” Kate Smith, a career color trend forecaster with Sensational Color’s Color Marketing Group (CMG), said. “Especially when people look at the style of their homes, they can become confused by what colors will enhance their exteriors.”

One common mistake homeowners make when seeking to add color to their home’s exterior is they fail to identify a full color palette. They set out to choose that perfect color for their home without thinking about how it will interact with the newly-installed window frames or new roof.

Smith said the selection of your main color should take into account the colors of fixed features related to your home, such as the brick, stone or stucco found on your foundation, porch or walkway. Selecting color options for the trim, shutters and the front door should only come after the main color has been selected.

All of this may sound daunting, but Smith said the key is to follow the process. If you’re ready to take the opportunity and make your home the most envied on the block, a new, 36-page free ebook, titled “FRESH Color Schemes for Your Home Exterior,” can help.

In this free guide, authored by Smith, she advocates taking a “top down” approach to adding eye-pleasing color palettes to the home exterior. She said people who are interested in making a color change to their exterior should start with the roof color and work their way down, taking into account the siding, window frames, front entry door and trim.

The ebook includes specific tips for home styles including: ranch, colonial, bungalow, Victorian, Spanish mission, European and new American homes. Smith provides several color combinations for each home style as well as tips for making the homes complement their neighborhoods.

“One of the hottest trends in the marketplace right now is to ‘shake up’ home exteriors with color,” Smith said. “This tutorial provides guidance on understanding the home's exterior features and playing off them with color accents.”

Smith created the guide in collaboration with several building manufacturers including: DaVinci Roofscapes, Fypon, Simonton Windows and Therma-Tru. You can access the ebook through these company websites or through Smiths website, http:// sensationalcolor.com.

“No homeowner should feel locked into blah or standard colors on their home's exterior,” Smith said. “A shake or slate polymer roof can have an appealing blend of colors, such as browns and autumn tones. Low-maintenance vinyl window frames and grids come in pine green, chocolate and even brick red to add pizzazz to the home. And, homeowners can create a welcoming front entrance by painting a fiberglass door a striking accent color. Tie that all together with painted urethane trim pieces that add the 'icing on the cake' for the home and you can really make a home more appealing with coordinated colors.”

&8211; Courtesy of BrandPoint