Use trim as an opportunity to add color and style to your home's exterior.
Trim is an often overlooked element of a home's exterior; most homeowners consider siding, shutters and landscaping when developing plans for increasing curb appeal, but trim is also an important visual element in home design. Trim refers to the areas around windows and doors, as well as a home's edging, gutters, spouts and porch detailing. Choosing the right color trim for your home can dramatically improve the style and curb appeal of the home.
White Trim
White trim is a clean, crisp and classic option for exterior trim on traditional or modern style homes. When it comes to exterior trim, white is hardly considered a neutral or boring color choice. Bright white trim is often a stark contrast to the exterior siding color; even homes with brick or natural wood exteriors are in contrast to crisp white paint on exterior trim. White trim is a particularly versatile choice because it likely matches the color of gutters or spouts. If you have a porch, white railings and decorative white trim add charm and a chic country feel. Choose a white in a gloss or semigloss finish to create a smooth look that stays bright in the sunlight.
Neutral Colors
Neutral trim colors give a house a finished look without distracting from other elements of the home like windows, siding or landscaping. Basic neutral tones are in the gray family, though neutral could also include a trim in a shade that is similar to the color of the siding on the home. A home with natural stone detailing around the door will look subtly sophisticated when the door and window trim is done in a matching shade of gray. Brick exterior homes have a lot of visual interest and character; choose a muted brown, gray or red trim to finish the exterior without distracting from the brick detailing.
Earth Tones
Integrate the exterior of your home into its natural surroundings by painting the trim in an earth-inspired color. Pull earth tones from both the landscape and the color of the house; for instance, a beige ranch in the woods of New England will look completely natural with a bark-colored brown semigloss paint for trim around the windows and doors. A stucco home in sandy Arizona will seem brighter with a pale yellow trim against the roof line and sides of the home. Muted greens, browns and yellows are the best options for earth tones; blues tend to be a bit more difficult to match and usually stand out against a home or landscape.
Bright Colors
If you are looking to liven up the exterior of your home with bold color choices for trim, look to jewel tones like ruby, sapphire or emerald in a gloss finish. Any bold color choice will add visual interest and curb appeal to a home's exterior, but be sure to match your saturated color to the rest of the house; for instance, a bright green trim may look a bit aggressive on a sky blue home. Instead, look for more dramatic shades of the exterior of your home; pair sapphire trim with a light blue home or a lime shade of green for mint green siding. If you home is a neutral color like white or gray, choose rich purples or blues to create an artistic color contrast.
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