1/8
Black
It’s dramatic. It’s deep. It’s a little bit fashion and a little bit goth.
Black homes are trending, big-time. As the desire for striking, bold exteriors continues, it doesn’t get much bigger than black. Done right, it sharpens up cool architectural details and adds dramatic curb appeal.
In this example, Mindy Johnson of The Johnsonettes made over a beige stucco and red brick house into this welcoming charcoal-black with Behr’s Black, and a custom mix of pink paints for the door.
Kathy Stracke, owner and color consultant at Five Star Painting of Wilmington, DE, a Neighborly company, says she’s definitely seen a “strong trend toward medium to dark muted colors with significant warm undertones.” Popular black colors range from charcoal to true ink black. Stracke says subtle, lighter accents can offset any heaviness.
Not ready to take a full plunge into the depths of darkness? Cristina Miguelez, remodeling specialist at Fixr, says their yearly paint report revealed that black is the top color choice for front doors — a reasonable entry into the gothy color. (See what we did there?)
2/8
Navy
This home got a total exterior makeover, transitioning from red-and-brown brick and yellow stucco to navy on the stucco and gray on the brick. Yes, people are definitely painting their exterior brick.
Behr’s Poppy Seed makes this enterprising homeowner’s entire house pop, adding immediate, unmissable curb appeal. The gray on the front of the house (not seen in the photo) is Fashion Gray, which has a bit of warmth to it.
Another navy option: Paige NeJame of CertaPro Painters of the South Shore and Boston says she’s seeing a lot of homes painted Benjamin Moore’s Kensington Blue with black trim.
