A lot of thought goes into the details of constructing a new home, but deciding on the finishing touch—the exterior paint color scheme—often bedevils new homeowners when given the choice. Even when limited in range by community bylaws or homeowner association dictates, finding the perfect color scheme can prove difficult.

Start With the Basics

Generally speaking, the exteriors of most homes are comprised of up to four colors: the primary color that covers the bulk of the house; accent colors of doors shutters and other small features; trim colors that highlight the doors, windows and other features; and the roof. In many cases the roof color is dictated by the materials used; however, in the Naples, Florida area many homes come with metal or tile roofing that can be painted. If your roof is made of asphalt or other non-paintable material, its hue will need to be considered a key backdrop component in considering your home’s other color choices.

The goal of these initial choices is to pick colors that provide contrast and accent each other. For example, if your primary color is dark, it wouldn’t make sense to accent it with trim in another dark shade. Instead, you want to find a tint that highlights any details of the trim, while emphasizing the home’s primary color. Or, as posited by some house paint specialists, treat the trim like eyeliner that brings out the colors of the doors, windows and other features, while also enhancing the glow of the home’s primary color.

Seek Harmony With Your Home’s Surroundings When Choosing Colors

Before starting the selection of the paint colors take stock of your new home’s surroundings. Check out the color schemes of neighboring homes, and consider the colors and tints presented by your yard, trees and gardens. Also, take note of your driveway, walkways and any stonework that may accent the overall picture created by your home’s paint choices. All in all, you’ll likely want your home’s colors to flow naturally with the landscape and surrounding houses.

Give Your Proposed Colors a Test Run

Understand that exterior paint colors can vary significantly from what you might see on paint sample cards and visualizers. The surface area being painted can influence the tone and shading, the look of which can also vary depending upon the lighting. One way to ensure that you’ve picked the perfect paint color scheme for your home is to test it on your home, or on similar materials, and in a manner in which you can inspect the colors at different times of day to check for light-influenced differentiations.

Getting Help With Your Color Choices

The large selection of available paint colors, shades and tints makes it easy to personalize one’s home, but also increases the difficulty in determining the perfect color scheme. There are numerous color coordinating tools, such as fan decks, visualizers and color coordinating palettes, that can help you pick your home’s color scheme. But you should also ask your professional painters for their opinion and advice.

FCI Painting has been helping their clients choose home colors for more than 20 years. The Naples-based company works closely with area contractors to make sure new homeowners are completely satisfied with the look of their new premises. FCI painting coordinates closely with contractors and other craftsman to make sure the job is done correctly, on time and at a reasonable price. To learn more about how FCI Painting can help you put the finishing touches on your newly constructed home, contact us today, or give us a call at (239) 435-1001.