Seeing
Colorful Exterior Results
"On entering
some of our villages, the only color which meets the eye is white.
Everything is white: the houses, the fences, the stables, the kennels,
and sometimes even the trees cannot escape, but get a coat of white
wash... Is this taste?" —Samuel Sloan 1852
By Paulette Rossi
Painting the exterior
of your largest investment—your home—is a laborious highly
visible task. Most people know what colors they like, but agonize
over exterior color choices because everyone can see the results.
In actuality it
matters more where a color is used than what color is selected.
In many parts
of the United States white is the most popular exterior color. However,
in our NW region a white house seems out of place in a neighborhood
where such shades as blue, yellow, brown, taupe, and gray dominate.
Meaningful colors
fit the community, reveal your personality and tie the parts—roof,
walls, windows, doors, and foundation—of your home together.
Before selecting
the main color for your home study the fixed or permanent colors associated
with it. Some colors on or around your home will not change. Most
people do not change their roof or landscape colors but do factor
them into their color scheme.
Consider your
painting project as property improvement. A large home on a small
lot will be brought into better proportion by selecting a darker color.
Conversely the small home can appear larger painted a lighter or brighter
color and using only a slight contrast between the body, trim, and
accent colors.
A two-story home
will appear shorter and longer by continuing the home’s body
color on vertical corner boards. Painting the corner boards a contrasting
color will make the home seem taller and make its footprint appear
smaller.
A two-story home
can also appear smaller by painting the lower level a slightly darker
value of the same color as the second floor. The darker color anchors
the home to the ground bringing the eye downward.
Trim and accent
colors are important in any exterior painting project. Selecting different
colors with the same color value or using a higher sheen than the
body color will produce good results. Homes painted with a light body
color and dark trim and accent colors will appear disjointed and visually
cluttered. The same applies to homes painted with a dark body color
with light trim and accent colors.
The home’s
utilitarian features are the downspouts, vents, and ducts. If they
are painted in the body color they will recede into the structure.
Accent colors can emphasize positive architectural features and add
value to your home.
Regardless of
the color choice the end goal of any color scheme should be to highlight
the positive and reduce the negative aspects of any home. Balance
is created when each of the home’s features is considered as
part of the whole.
Paulette Rossi
is a Certified Master Recycler promoting the use of Metro Recycled
Paint available in a rainbow of colors. She can be reached at: rossip@metro.dst.or.us or 503-797-1827.
Metro
Offers Six New Colors
MetroPaint the 100 percent post — consumer latex paint
re-blended by Metro regional government’s recycling program
has introduced six new coordinating colors. Light and dark brown,
light and dark green and light and dark blue join Metro’s
standard yellow, pink, gray, brown, barn red, and beige. A five-gallon
pail sells for $20 to $25. It is rated for interior or exterior
use.
Call
Metro Recycling Information:
503-234-3000 for a color brochure or log onto www.metro-region.org/paint for color samples and test results. |
Color
Is Relative
The color you select for an exterior project will appear darker
in the shade and lighter in the sun. The color you choose will
seem darker used on a larger wall than on a smaller surface. The
low sheen “flat” will appear lighter and high gloss
will look darker. The smoother the surface texture, the lighter
the color seems and the rougher the texture, the darker it looks.
And when two colors are side by side each tints its partner with
its own complement, the color opposite on the color wheel. For
example red brings the green out of its neighboring colors and
yellow brings out the violet undertones of its neighbors. And
all color pigments will deteriorate after prolonged exposure to
ultraviolet light. Lighter colors fade more slowly than darker
colors. Warm colors—reds and yellows—fade the fastest
along with blue, purple, and greens. But when the cool colors
fade it is the red or yellow element within them that is fading
fastest. Faded green will appear bluer because its yellow element
has deteriorated and purple will become bluer as its red component
is lowered. Vinyl siding will warp if painted a darker color than
its original color. |
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