- 1). Look through magazines for pictures of houses that match the style of your home. Consider using the colors on the houses you find attractive. Make a note of attractive color schemes on the houses you walk or drive by. Visit the paint store for sample cards that show which paint colors coordinate with your house color.
- 2). Match your shutters to your roof for a unified look and add a colorful door color. This will add height to a low, ranch style house. This also works well with styles such as Tudor that have large expanses of roof. Use a traditional color, such as brown or burgundy, on the door of a Tudor house.
- 3). Choose colors that are traditional to the region where you live. Houses in tropical climates such as Florida often have more brightly colored trim. However, do not use paint to make a house in a non-typical style blend into a neighborhood. A Tudor house will not become a tropical cottage with the addition of avocado green shutters and a coral door.
- 4). Research traditional colors for old houses and homes that closely mimic historical styles. Borrow books on historical architecture from the library. Don't limit yourself to books of homes. The colors schemes on the wonderful art deco hotels on Miami Beach would be wonderful on an art deco house. A fun way to get the feeling of an era is to watch movies set in the era. "Meet me in St. Louis" has several good examples of the "painted lady" style of house from the turn of the century.
- 5). Choose neutrals for a recently built "suburban eclectic" style house. Keep the color of the garage door close to main house color to avoid drawing attention to it. Use the boldest color on the front door.
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