Exterior house colour ideas 2021

When it comes to building brand new double-storey homes and choosing the overall colour scheme or just freshening up the appearance of your home from the outside for a visual change, it can be a somewhat daunting challenge to the inexperienced. The team of design experts at Residential Building WA have put together some ideas, tips, and suggestions about how to give your home the ‘wow’ factor whatever your individual style preferences are. It would also be a useful idea to check out our display homes in Perth for examples of award-winning homes and how inspirational and classy they can look whilst retaining a sense of character and individuality.  

The basics

The outside of your home is likely to be comprised of a number of different elements, including cladding or brickwork, windows, and doors. Any or all of these can probably be painted in any juxtaposition of your choosing.

Research

Before you begin, sit down and ask yourself a few questions:

• How do the other houses in my neighbourhood look from the outside? 

• Are they similar in their colours and stylings, or all different? 

• Are they more classical and subdued, or have people chosen modern colour schemes?

There are a couple of good reasons to do this:

• You might find that you love the look and want to emulate it

• You will be able to determine whether your chosen scheme will stand out ‘like a sore thumb’

Nobody is suggesting that you have to conform with the general colour scheme of your area if you don’t want to. After all, it’s your house and you can paint it any way you like, but you may get some useful tips as to what appeals to you, and it never hurts to consider all of your options; in fact, it’s essential. 

Further questions to ponder:

• What colour is the roof? How will this affect the general scheme of things? 

• Can the window and door frames be painted or are they fixed? 

• Are there any architectural features it would be nice to highlight and accentuate?

• Are there any dominant colours in the driveway, fence, or garden walls?

If you find yourself in the position of having a certain number of colours that cannot be changed then try to get samples of those colours, perhaps by blowing up photographs before taking the next step on your journey:

Make a colour board 

One great idea when it comes to choosing colours and how they look together is to make yourself a colour board. Collect paint samples from hardware stores to give you a good idea of the actual colours you will be able to purchase when the time comes. Try to get a good mix of paler, neutral colours and some bolder ones. Scour magazines and websites for colour schemes that catch your eye. Print them out and stick them together on the board. Move them around into juxtapositions that you find appealing. Ask yourself: 

• Which ones look good together? 

• Do some of the colours overwhelm the others? 

Essential tip – make sure you are looking at your colour board and judging the composition of colours outside! It is quite remarkable how different colours can appear under interior lighting versus sunlight. Check them at different times of the day, in different weather conditions, and even at night. You will only get a true idea of how the finished colours will look this way. 

Colour schemes and ideas for 2021

There are always arguments for creating a classical, traditional look to your home and it’s hard to go far wrong if you do so. Here are some modern ideas and options that can be found in New Level 2-storey display homes in Perth that encapsulate a classic feel in 2021.

Two-tone 

Pick your favourite striking colour and then go a few steps lighter (paint sample strips are particularly useful for this exercise) until you find a good balance. The lighter colour will now become the background canvas onto which you will add your bolder highlight colour. The walls will be the paler version and the door frame the brighter one and so on. This not only makes for a guaranteed harmony between the colours (as they are essentially the same, but one has much more white added) but will also look striking without being overwhelming. 

Whites and greys

Nothing could be more classical than a set of warm whites or contemporary greys and they happily stand alone and look amazing if you prefer a more neutral overall look. Alternatively, they can be accentuated beautifully with subtle variations in colour or even more dramatic ones like black against white. Greys have become an exceedingly popular choice over recent years and continue to be so in 2021. They can be made warm or cool and the neutrality of the colour provides great versatility. Greys can be made to suit almost every style of home and architectural features look incredible when highlighted with crisp white. 

Pastels

Pastels colours are making their comeback when it comes to exterior colour schemes and they can certainly brighten up any facade and add a sense of individuality and fun. Think about all the beautiful pastels that one sees in picture-perfect European villages, from the stunning pale blues and greens of Alpine areas and Greek fishing villages to the pale yellows and oranges of Tuscany. The aesthetic doesn’t have to be reminiscent of a sweet-shop window but can still be striking and gorgeous.

Residential Building WA Homes

Residential Building WA have set a high standard for double-storey homes and encourage you to view our 2-storey display homes in Perth to see just how beautiful your home can be with some careful thought and attention to detail. 

Please get in touch with any questions or comments you might have about our double-storey homes or anything else you have in mind and one of our dedicated team members will be only too happy to discuss them with you.