What are the most popular exterior paint colors of 2016?
It depends!
Liz Olech writes at Trulio that for siding, the best colors are those that don’t clash with (or copy) your neighbors’ homes. Since the siding is by far the most visually dominant color of a home’s exterior, it’s important to get this one right. She recommends picking the siding color first, and only then moving on to pick trim and accent colors.
She recommends a few of the top colors for each category, listed below. But what do these colors and similar concepts look like in person? We combed Instagram to put together examples of real homes putting these color concepts into practice so you can see how it looks and decide if that’s something you’d want for your home.
Siding Color
For siding, Liz Olech suggests Benjamin Moore – November Rain, Sherwin-Williams – Avenue Tan, Benjamin Moore – Boston Brick, Olympic – Coast of Maine, and Benjamin Moore – Wedgewood Gray.
Here are a few beautiful homes with siding paint colors that work well:
Cream
Gray
Dark Blue
Trim Color
Trim, Olech suggests, should be painted a little lighter than the siding so as not to stand out too much, which might make the home look “off” and small. You can also use the trim paint color to “hide” the less beautiful parts of the home, so they don’t stand out as much. Clever! For trim, she recommends Sherwin-Williams – Panda White and PPG Paints – Oatmeal for warm-hued homes, and Benjamin Moore – Frostline for cooler homes.
Here are a few great examples of real homes where the light trim pops without being overpowering:
Accent Color
Accents are where the excitement happens. Just remember to keep your accent colors complementary to the other colors in and outside your home, and err on the side of classic, especially if you plan on selling your home any time soon. Here are some of the colors she recommends for your home’s exterior accent color: Benjamin Moore – Super Nova, Sherwin-Williams – Indigo Batik, Benjamin Moore – Breath of Fresh Air, Glidden – Rusty Red, BEHR – Cinnabark, and BEHR – Black Lacquer.
