No-Regret Paint Colors for Your Home’s Exterior (2024)

There are some houses that simply stop you in your tracks, whether it’s a dreamy white farmhouse, a crisp green lake cottage, or a classic Colonial complete with a red front door. Color, of course, plays a huge role in that aforementioned curb appeal, but choosing an exterior paint palette can be daunting. With an interior room, if you change your mind, it’s not a massive undertaking to

repaint it yourself. However, painting an exterior is a much bigger commitment—one that calls for outside labor and significant investment. The good news is that if you get it right, you can rest easy for a decade or so. “Many manufacturers today formulate paints that have a life of 8 to 10 years, depending on the home’s environment,” says Terry Pylant, senior principal with Historical Concepts, a traditional architecture firm based in Atlanta and New York. “Paint is the protective coating on a home, so choosing quality paint with proper prep-work and application will help ensure that it will last.”

If you’ve been contemplating a new color, you’re likely already swimming in a sea of samples. White? Gray? Green? Red? Then, navigating the subtle differences—warm undertones, cool undertones—can be enough to make you want to throw in the tarp. But there are a few tactics that can help simplify the selection process. First things first: Be sure to review swatches on location—ideally both in the shade and full sunlight, and at various times of day. “Selecting a paint for a farmhouse, or any other traditional home in a natural setting, requires a close study of the landscape and surroundings that it will be a part of, so it is important to study swatches there and not remotely or indoors,” says Terry.

There are also practical, not-purely-aesthetic things to consider. For example, darker houses (think black or charcoal) absorb heat from the sun, which can help you save on heating expenses during colder seasons, but can also have the reverse effect in summer. And if you’re painting over stone or brick, you’ll want to consider how the surface's undertones will affect the end result. On a similar note, if you’re leaving any of that natural material exposed, you’ll want to make sure the color you choose is complementary. (Get more tips on painting brick!)

To help steer you in the right direction, here are 40 editor- and homeowner-vetted hues, including some of today’s most popular and beloved exterior colorways.

You can’t go wrong with a crisp white farmhouse set against a lush green landscape, as seen in this new-build Oklahoma property. (Coordinating ducks optional but highly encouraged.)

Get the Look:
Exterior Paint Color: For similar, try Glacier White by Benjamin Moore

RELATED: This Oklahoma Couple Ditched Their Big City Home to Build a ‘Not-So-Big House’

Dark exteriors, like this one in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, are an especially popular choice for a modern farmhouse. A darker hue is also good for concealing dust and dirt in windier climates.

Get the Look:
Exterior Paint Color: For similar, try Iron Ore by Sherwin-Williams

In California’s wine country, a kit barn-turned-guest residence evokes classic pastoral charm courtesy of an iconic hue.

Built in 1890, this charming 970-square-foot cottage in Redlands, California, is proof that darker houses don't have to feel overtly modern or edgy. The trick is choosing warmer tones, like this rich brown with a hint of black.

Get the Look:
Exterior Paint Color: Black Bean Soup by Benjamin Moore

RELATED: Peek Inside a Former Gardener's Cottage

When Kelly Gray (@talkofthehouse) revived her 1949 lake cabin, she opted for a deep-but-not-too-dark green that complements the surrounding trees while still maintaining a lively welcome-to-the-lake spirit.

Get the Look:
Exterior Paint Color: Night Watch by Glidden

RELATED: See More of This Cozy Georgia Lake Cottage That is Filled with Colorful Vintage Finds

To give this worn-down, Depression-era cottage new life, architect Greg Dutton opted for an ochre salvaged clapboard exterior inspired by the goldenrod wildflowers that dot the surrounding pastures.

Get the Look:
Exterior Paint Color: Wythe Gold by Benjamin Moore

RELATED: See More of This Ohio Cottage That is What Tiny Home Dreams Are Made Of

With its satisfying symmetry and classic, clean white exterior palette, this picturesque Southern farmhouse is the kind of property that makes you pump the brakes on a country backroad.

Get the Look:
Exterior Paint Color: White Dove by Benjamin Moore

RELATED: Step Inside One of the Prettiest Country Farmhouses We’ve Ever Seen

If a rusty barn red farmhouse is a wee bit too country for your tastes, consider a red paint color tinged with orange undertones, which feels a tad more unexpected and contemporary.

Get the Look:
Exterior Paint Color: For similar, try Brave and Bold by Magnolia Home

Does it get any more “Maine” than a shingled, bring-on-the-sandy-feet cottage that takes its color inspiration from the blueberry bushes that surround the property? We think not!

Get the Look:
Exterior Paint Color: For similar, Blueberry by Benjamin Moore

RELATED: Try These 45+ Beach House Decorating Ideas

To maintain the original red of this cozy cottage on Missouri’s Table Rock Lake, homeowners Katie and Andy Barnes had the existing red paint color-matched at the local hardware store.

To give her West Virginia bungalow a handsome update, DIY-er Bambi Constanzo (@number131) covered the exterior with a rich warm gray.

Get the Look:
Exterior Paint Color: Evening Hush by Behr

RELATED: This Tiny Cottage in West Virginia Brims with Big Personality

If anyone were to obsess about an exterior paint color, it makes sense it’d be an artist. Here, painter Kelley Bentley Ash selected a warm and welcoming brown for the outside of her Alabama home, which serves up nice contrast to the vibrant artwork on display in the interior. (Be sure to peek inside!)

Get the Look:
Exterior Paint Color: Black Bean Soup by Benjamin Moore

RELATED: See Inside This Alabama Farmhouse That is One of the Most Colorful Homes You'll Ever See

Designed by Jim Strickland of Historical Concepts (with interiors by Heather Chadduck Hillegas), this Carolina river house feels right at home in the Lowcountry landscape. Dark “Charleston green” shutters add the finishing nod to the region.

Get the Look:
Exterior Paint Color: For similar, China White by Benjamin Moore
Front Door and Shutter Paint Color: Black Forest Green by Benjamin Moore

Bedding designer Bailey McCarthy gave her sweet Bellville, Texas, guest home an eye-catching exterior courtesy of classic white siding and a cotton-candy pink front door. A miniature pony named Soulja Boy(!) completes the pastoral picture.

Get the Look:
Exterior Paint Color: For similar, Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore
Front Door Paint Color: Cat’s Meow by Benjamin MooreRELATED: Peek Inside This Century-Old Victorian Farmhouse

Just outside of Nashville, musician Ronnie Dunn’s high-style barn home features a rugged true brown that complements the earth-toned interiors.