4 Tips to Help Choose an Exterior Trim Colour for Your Home

Add detail to your home’s facade with an exterior trim colour that accentuates your roof and siding and effortlessly frames your windows and doors. Whether you prefer high contrast or subtle impact, the Gentek colour experts are here to help you choose an exterior trim colour for your home: 

1. Use a Monochromatic Exterior Trim Colour 

Your exterior trim colour should be determined by the colour of your siding. A monochromatic colour scheme can add elegance and modern appeal with black trim and white siding. Alternatively, a clean white trim will always pair well with a dark charcoal or brown facade. The brighter the shade of white, the more contrast you can add. 

2. Choose Subtle Contrasting Colour 

Use shades from the same colour family for a subdued colour scheme that highlights architectural detail. Choose an exterior trim colour a couple of shades lighter or darker than your siding colour. This inviting exterior colour palette works particularly well in a traditional suburban setting, where neutral earthy tones are common.

3. Test Your Colour Preferences  

To help you decide on a trim colour, get a sample of your top three shades and paint them onto poster board. Prop the poster board against your home exterior and examine the colours in the shade and with full sun. This method can be beneficial if you have a brick or stone area in your facade that you cannot test paint colours on directly. 

4. Know Where to Use Exterior Trim Colour 

To achieve a streamlined look, paint the ceiling under eaves the same colour as the siding and paint the outward-facing cornice the trim colour. Make gutters and downspouts blend into your facade with the adjacent colour. Alternatively, make window sashes and shutters the darkest part of your colour scheme to help the windows recede into the facade.