Color & Schemes

Exterior Paint color  

Lately, it seems like all the online painting tips are focused on the interior of the home. And for good reason! 

During this time of year, snow and cold weather tend to redirect our focus indoors. But before you know it, the sun will be shining and you’ll find yourself actually enjoying being outside again. 

With that in mind, we thought we’d consider a question that we often get from clients: how do you choose exterior paint colors for your home? 

After all, it’s a big decision, and even though paint colors can be changed, it carries a feeling of permanence. So, let’s dive in and help you plan for exterior painting season!  

Choosing The Right Paint For Your Home To help you to narrow down your paint color selection, we’ve outlined the most common considerations below.  

Remember Your “Fixed Colors” What materials make up your home’s exterior? Wood, stone, or maybe a distinctive roof color? 

Since you won’t want the color you choose to clash with a feature of your property that can’t easily be changed, fixed colors are major factors in picking your exterior paint color. For example, if you have a lot of brick, earthy colors would be a flattering choice, while wood can benefit from lighter, brighter shades.  

Consider Your Home’s Architectural Style Do you have a home that is built in a particular historical style, such as Colonial, Victorian, or Mid-Century Modern? If so, staying true to its heritage is recommended.  Choose Classic Paint Combinations Classic looks remain in style for a reason. 

You really cannot wrong with a lighter body color for your home with a darker complimenting trim in a similar hue. Be creative (a paint color professional can help with this!) and put your own spin on this tried-and-true look.  

Give It Some Regional Flair It also can be a smart idea to take the region where you live into consideration. Different parts of our country are known for different style of homes. Letting those regional features shape your exterior paint color choices can help you to create an authentic look.  

Welcome Guests With An Accent Door Not ready for the full commitment of painting your home? If you’re searching for a more “entry level” project, why not add an adventurous pop of color with an accent door?  

Painting your front door a bright, bold color might be all the inspiration you need to choosing a coordinating exterior paint shade.  

Do You Need a Professional Painter? From color selection to expert application, Kansas Star Painting can do it all. 

It would be our pleasure to put our services to work for you. Why not contact us today?

Popular Color Schemes 

If you’ve just moved into a new home and want to make it feel more like your own, or you want to give your current home a facelift, one of the best ways to do so is to paint the exterior of the house.  

Painting your house is a relatively quick and easy way to dramatically change the way a property looks, and because the sky’s the limit when it comes to choosing colors, you’ll be sure to find something that’s your taste when picking colors. Depending on the style you prefer for your home, there are a number of different combinations you’ll find appealing.  

Traditional If you prefer your home to look relatively similar to the other homes on your block, traditional coloring will be your best bet. Think of combinations such as a tan home, black or dark navy shutters, and a brick red door, or a light gray home, with off-white shutters and a buttercup yellow door. 

Traditional homes are gorgeous but don’t step too far outside the box when it comes to décor. Choosing colors that have remained in style for some time ensures that the home will fit in among many other homes in your neighborhood. If you prefer something a bit more updated yet still subdued, choose a stone/natural green shade, accented with cream-colored shutters, a mahogany door, and olive green accents.  

Southwestern-Style If you prefer the look of warm, inviting, adobe-style homes, you can consider upgrading to stucco or EIFS and painting it in a shade reminiscent of southwestern locales. Combinations such as tan, camel and tea-brown are great, as are ecru, tan and gray-blue. 

These combinations evoke the spirit of the southwest and the desert, especially if a portion of the house is outfitted with stone or brick.  

Go for shades that mimic sand and sunset, and use the desert as inspiration and you’ll be able to put something great together.  

Beachside Property Whether you live near water, or just like the color palettes associated with beachfront living, you’ll love the unique color combinations that come with painting your home as though you live on the shore. 

Think bright yellow as the base color, bright white trim, and olive green shutters. Or, for a more toned down yet still interesting combination, paint your home a neutral ecru or off white, and accent it with a burlap shade that is just a few tones darker. 

Then, for a pop of color, paint the door and shutters a dusty, dark turquoise. Another combination that’s popular for beachfront living is a dockside blue—a pale, gray blue—paired with ivory shutters and white accents, with a dark roof. 

Modern Finally, if you prefer modern combinations for home exteriors, consider a tawny, cardboard-esque shade of tan, accented with a buff-beige and dark bronze-brown.  Or, go for the popular, muted grays that are wildly popular—pick a stone gray for the base, accent it with a bright white, then choose a toned-down black (or a very, very dark gray) for the shutters. Want something a bit bolder? Choose a barn-style red for the base color, accent it with a bone color, and choose a deep, dark navy for the shutters—the true American dream home come to life.  

Want to know more about exterior painting for your home? Contact Kansas Star Painting and Home Services today.

Latex Paint for Your Home’s Exterior

Exterior Painting If you’re considering painting your home, or hiring a company to do so, you’ll want to make sure that you or the firm you hire uses latex paint. 

Because home exteriors take a beating from sun, rain, snow and other harsh weather conditions, it’s important to ensure that the paint—your home’s first level of defense against damage—is strong enough to stand up to the elements. 

Latex paint provides a stronger barrier against things like the weather, UV rays and extreme temperature fluctuations—for example, a deep freeze in the winter or very hot and humid summers. As always, it’s ideal to paint when the temperature outside is between 50 and 85 degrees, because temperatures outside that range can make it difficult for the paint to dry properly, which can mean you having to go over the paint and fix flaws.  

Resistant to Fading First of all, since the outside of any home is going to be exposed to UV rays day in and day out, it’s important to consider fading when choosing paint. Thankfully, latex paint offers more protection against fading than other paints, particularly ones that are oil-based. Latex paint will remain true to color longer, despite being exposed to sunlight for years.  

Permeable for Optimal Damage Resistance The finish of latex paint is also ideal for preventing expensive, frustrating damage to your home. Latex finishes can be breathable/permeable, which allows for moisture to vaporize and evaporate before it can damage the wood fibers of your home. If you are using paint that isn’t breathable, and moisture seeps in, it can cause significant damage to your home, sometimes before you even notice, which can be costly to repair.  

Adaptable to Extreme Temperature Fluctuations Latex paint is also very adaptable to different temperature changes. For instance, drastic changes in temperature can cause wooden surfaces and siding to contract and expand. If you painted with an oil-based paint, that paint may crack, flake, or peel off when the wood underneath it contracts or expands. 

If you’ve used latex paint, though, the paint has the ability to “stretch” a bit and conform to the wood or siding underneath it. 

If you live in an area where the summers and winters drastically differ in temperature—say, in Kansas or the Wichita —you’ll want to be using a latex paint to avoid having to repair paint damage from weather fluctuations.

Want to know more about exterior painting for your home? Contact Kansas Star Painting and Home Services today.

Type of Paint for Kids Rooms 

If you’ve got young children, you know that life can get pretty messy, pretty quickly. 

That’s why if you’re repainting their bedrooms or playrooms, it’s essential to choose a paint finish that will be able to stand up to the beating your kids give it. 

That means paint that’s easily cleaned and won’t come off the wall when you have to really scrub at it, paint that hides imperfections, and paint that will stand the test of time in terms of fading and peeling. 

Glossy paint is obviously out of the question, as is matte, unless you feel like touching up your room every few years from wear and tear from cleaning. 

That leaves, for the most part, eggshell and satin paint.  

Why Use Eggshell or Satin ? 

Using Eggshell or Satin on the walls ensures that you’ll achieve maximum durability and cleanliness capability in your child’s room. 

Eggshell and Satin paint are both very easy to wipe down, and can stand up to vigorous scrubbing, something that, if you have kids, you’re no stranger to.  

These finishes can be easily cleaned with a simple soap and water solution, so you won’t need to worry using special cleaners, either. Eggshell and Satin finishes hide imperfections like nicks and scratches, too, unlike glosses or flat paints—they reflect light slightly, so it can help obscure noticeable imperfections and flaws to make the entire room look better overall.  

Other Things to Consider 

You will also want to look for non-toxic, low or no-VOC paints, which are often labeled as eco-friendly paints. 

They are virtually odorless, unlike traditional paints, and are ideal for kids (and parents!) who might be sensitive to odors or other chemicals in the air.  

 If you’re looking for creative ideas for your kid’s bedroom or playroom, contact Kansas Star Painting today. 

We’re a full-service painting and home services firm serving the Wichita, Kansas and surrounding area, and we’d be happy to help you dream up something great for your home.

Want to know more about exterior painting for your home? Contact Kansas Star Painting and Home Services today.