Picking House Colors:

Color is very important to me when you walk into a house, especially my own. To the left is a pic of my living room. It was recently made over on HGTV's show FreeStyle, which will air in the next month or so.

When the designer for the show first came over to see our living room, I had it painted this "Miami Vice" orange. It was supposed to turn out like an "Orange Orange" but it was slightly lighter and brighter than that. Instead of taking the time to repaint it, we just left it that hideous color. The designer emailed us the color that they suggested and it is called "Robin's Egg Nest Blue." The names are enough to make your head spin. At first I didn't know if I would like it but then after it was all finished I loved my new look to my living room. Here are some things to consider when you are choosing a color for your house!

Existing Colors

Your house is your canvas, but it is not blank. Some colors are already established. What color is your roof? Is there mortar or other siding that will not be painted? Will doors and railings remain their existing colors? New paint does not need to match existing colors, but it should harmonize.

Interior Colors

It may seem comical to paint entire house based on the pattern of a pillow case, but this approach does make sense. The color of your furnishings will guide you in the selection of your interior paint colors, and your interior paint colors will influence the colors you use outside. Once again, your goal is to harmonize.

Accents

Depending on the size and complexity of your home, you may be choosing two, three or as many as six colors. In addition to the color you select for siding, you'll want to select accent colors for trim and details such as shutters, moldings and columns. This can be tricky, because too many colors will overwhelm your house and too few will make it seem two dimensional.

Darks and Lights

Light colors will make your house seem larger. Dark siding or dark bands of trim will make your house seem smaller, but will draw more attention to details. Darker shades are best for accenting recesses, while lighter tones will highlight details which project from the wall surface.

Hopefully these will help a little bit when you go to decide what colors your house should be!

If you would like to be emailed when my living room show will air on HGTV please email me at Holli@HomesByHolli.com and I will email you once I know the exact date/time.