Want to maximize your home’s impact? Choosing the right combination of exterior house colors can make or break your curb appeal. Whether you gravitate towards classic, neutral shades or want something a bit bolder, there are countless colors and palettes available to suit your style.
Explore our top exterior house color picks that will transform your home and make it truly stand out.
At brick&batten, our seasoned team is here to help you transform your home or business. We’ll work with you to customize your exterior design, from choosing the color palette to selecting finishes and other design details. Learn more about our virtual exterior design services.
What is the most popular color for a house exterior?
Popular exterior house colors range from classics like white, gray, and beige to more unexpected choices like green or brown. While the popularity of certain hues ebbs and flows over time, a few colors are eternally in style.
Read on to discover our favorite exterior house colors.
#1 // Urbane Bronze by Sherwin Williams
This warm, dark greige hue is a beautiful option to make any home feel instantly welcoming. The stylish shade has a light reflective value, or LRV, of 8, making it a decidedly dark color that makes a bold statement — but the earth-toned color doesn’t feel overwhelming or harsh like true black.
Instead, it has a chameleon-like effect depending on the time of day. North-facing light gives Urbane Bronze more of a gray appearance, while south-facing light gives it more depth and richness. Perfect for homes of any style — from Craftsman to farmhouse — this versatile color can also be mixed and matched with a wide range of hues like off-white, light gray, or black to curate your perfect color palette.
#2 // Thunder by Benjamin Moore
There’s nothing quite as versatile as a light gray exterior. Perfect for all architectural styles and neutral enough to fit into almost any color palette, light gray adds a timeless look to any home. And one of our favorite light gray hues? Thunder by Benjamin Moore.
This unique shade has hints both of green and purple, giving it a multidimensional look that can coordinate with almost any color palette. While these undertones give Thunder an earthy and warm feel, you can also create a bit of contrast by pairing it with gemstone exterior house colors to enhance your home’s curb appeal.
#3 // Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams
This deep, charcoal gray instantly adds a modern edge to any home. With an LRV of 6, Iron Ore is a slightly softer alternative to true black, but it still delivers a similar level of drama. When paired with ultra-light hues like white, however, this deep shade may appear black. But when mixed with earthy tones like greige or olive green, it can also pick up on the brown tones.
While this hue is versatile enough to look beautiful on any home, we like it best when used on more geometric architectural styles like modern or mid-century. The dark color pairs effortlessly with the clean lines to create an eternally timeless feel.
#4 // White Dove by Benjamin Moore
There’s nothing more timeless than a white exterior. And while it can be a bit overwhelming to choose the perfect white hue, White Dove is one of our favorites. This neutral white doesn’t skew too warm or too cool (so no yellow or gray undertones), making it the perfect middle ground. The neutral base also means you can mix and match it with almost any color palette for unmatched versatility.
Consider pairing it with a light gray like Worldly Gray by Sherwin Williams for a neutral color palette, or opt for a bolder mix with Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore.
We always recommend sampling and testing paint colors before committing. Factors such as natural lighting, undertones, and your property’s fixed elements will have a significant impact on how a color will appear on your exterior. Our friends at Samplize offer extra-large 9 x 14.75 inch peel-and-stick paint samples of the colors we love for exteriors. Order your ‘Real Paint, No Mess’ samples from Samplize here.
#5 // Evergreen Fog by Sherwin Williams
For something a bit more unexpected in your exterior house color, turn to Evergreen Fog by Sherwin Williams. This mid-toned hue has an LRV of 30, making it the perfect middle balance between light and dark.
The sage green hue has blue and gray undertones, meaning it looks different depending on the light. But because of its cool-toned look, we recommend pairing it with other cool colors like charcoal gray or even a deeper, hunter-green hue like Cascades by Sherwin Williams.
#6 // Cloud White by Benjamin Moore
For a creamier alternative to Benjamin Moore’s White Dove, look to Cloud White. This off-white hue has yellow undertones that offer a warm and inviting finish. Though close to pure white, the LRV of 87.35 helps ensure it doesn’t look too sterile or blinding. Instead, it’s the perfect off-white to deliver a crisp look.
This creamy shade is one of the most versatile exterior house colors out there. Ideal for any architectural style, from cottages to Colonials and everything in between, it transcends time and design style. Use it as your primary color or as an accent in your palette — the possibilities are truly endless.
#7 // Peppercorn by Sherwin Williams
If you love the look of a deep charcoal gray like Iron Ore but are scared to make such a dramatic choice, Peppercorn by Sherwin Williams is the ideal alternative. With an LRV of 10, it’s a bit lighter, while still offering a lot of depth and drama. No matter the light, it doesn’t ever look black and reads more like a true, deep gray (especially because it lacks a strong undertone).
For a classic pairing, match this hue with a creamy white accent color, like Seapearl by Benjamin Moore or Greek Villa by Sherwin Williams. For something a touch bolder, consider using black as a complementary hue in your exterior color palette.
#8 // Accessible Beige by Sherwin Williams
If you want an earthy hue but don’t want to go too dark, look at Accessible Beige. This neutral hue has gray undertones that create a warm and welcoming ambiance perfect for a house exterior color. With an LRV of 58, it’s also in the mid-tone range, allowing it to pair with darker and lighter colors for optimal versatility.
For a bright and airy color palette, opt for a white or off-white shade. For a darker, earthier look, Urbane Bronze by Sherwin Williams or Aegean Olive by Benjamin Moore both create a fall-inspired palette that fits the bill.
Choosing your perfect exterior house colors
Whether you want something totally timeless like off-white or want to make a bolder statement, these exterior house colors will instantly amp up your curb appeal. You can even mix and match more than one of these hues to curate a custom color palette that brings your vision to life! From classic pairings like black and white to one-of-a-kind combos like sage green and navy, the options are truly endless.