Paint Picks & Trim Colors | Home & Hood

As you approach your house from your morning walk, your eyes are drawn to your home’s exterior. The paint on your siding looks drab and seems to exhibit a persona of sadness. Bits of the trim are peeling off, and you are revolted by the mere sight. You can’t even remember the last time it got fresh paint. Was it that color when you moved in? As these questions swirl around in your mind, one thing is for sure: your place is in desperate need of a new paint job.

Whether you live in a home, an apartment, a condo, or even an underwater mansion, the exterior paint job says a lot about your place. It is the first impression for passerbyers and visitors. If you’ve decided your home color needs a spruce, you’ve come to the right place. Except for the underwater mansions, I am not on the up-and-up with all that. Surely they require special finishings, but for the rest of the neighborhood – we got you covered.

So you’ve decided to paint your home. Great first step! Pat yourself on the back for making the decision at all. The next step won’t sound so enjoyable, but it is necessary, and there are two ways to go about it. If you feel you’ve chosen colors that fit in with the rest of the apartment complex, neighborhood, or other community setting in which you live, head off to McGuckins or some other locally owned business to choose and purchase the right paint for your home.

Sure, you could just go with the same humdrum colors that were fading away and just add another coat over it. Or you could get a bit bold with the exterior walls and trim colors that are in Vogue today. So, I headed to McGuckins to ask paint expert Maggie Hunt which colors are popular among consumers today. She showed me combinations of paint samples that consumers seem to splash around with these days, including a light beige for the exterior wall and a dark brown for the trim. Getting feedback from a decent number of customers buying paint to see first-hand what their preferences were adds to the legitimacy of what is popular right now.

Here are some exterior house colors that are hot in 2019:

• • Desert Beige

  • Moss Green

  • Soft Lemon

  • Stormy Gray

  • Smoky Red

  • Opal

  • Bright Yellow

  • Earth Tones Combo

I approached Jacob A., a paint purchasing customer already holding two canisters of paint, and asked him what colors he chose and why. “Well, this paint is actually for a house I am renting out in South Boulder,” he said. “We are definitely going with white for the interior. Specifically, we chose Polar Bear White, because my son liked the name.” Adorable. When speaking about his own home and what color the outside is, he said, “Well, mine is a bit out there. It is a vibrant blue with bright red trim.” Wow, I thought, he must have quite a generous HOA agreement.

You could just go with the same humdrum colors that were fading away… or you could get a bit bold.

Following the trends paint expert Maggie Hunt had mentioned, another customer said she decided on a light gray exterior wall with dark gray trim. These shades of gray seem to have begun competing with the usual beiges we are all too familiar with. These blends with shades of brown and gray seem to be popular even on a national level. Trends show a switch from overpowering botanical blends to more of a woodland style with earthy tones.

Sue Wadden is the director of color marketing at Sherwin Williams. “Their earthy color–gray blended with warm brown–gives off an old world, naturalist feel,” Sue was quoted saying in an Ella Decor article titled “These are the Top Color Trends of 2019.” While other energizing colors are also making the top list, it seems earthy greens make the top of the list along with grays and browns. Colors like Moss Green pair well with dark gray and cream shades. However, it is not recommended to pair pure white with these earthy greens.

It seems earthy greens make the top of the list along with grays and browns.

I spoke to residents in different areas in Boulder County, starting with Michael Hunt. He said, “I live in an apartment building, and the exterior is basically brown with brown trim. It couldn’t get more boring than this.” I must say I did cringe at the picture. However common this is, it is right in line with the typical picks.

A North Boulder resident with whom I spoke, Mark Cantelli, said that in his neighborhood in particular he has noticed grey to be a huge trend. “I also noticed a lot of what I’d call ‘greige,’ or a combination between grey and beige,” he mused. “High contrast has also been extremely popular lately, like black and white. For example, a white exterior wall with black trim.” He continued to note that design is a tricky thing, because everyone thinks they can do a good job on their own paint color selection when they really should ask a professional and seek some outside expertise.

After chatting for quite some time with James Rienhart, who has dealt with issues involving the Homeowner’s Association numerous times, I came to realize many neighborhoods are quite restricted on options. HOAs often have a lot of authority, almost unreasonably so. As a homeowner, you have to make sure that you’re in accord with the HOA protocol. They can force you to change the color. Even neighbors can report you to the HOA, and sometimes members of the association come by to ensure that the homes in the area are in accordance with their rules. It’s important to check with the laws of the local HOA to see what is and what isn’t okay.

According to interior designer Becky Shea, hunter greens are a great choice for 2019.

When you’re ready to give your exterior a little fresh paint before the end of this season, consider following these trends of 2019 and add some splashes of natural hues. After you’ve made the decision to freshen up your paint and you get the clearance from your HOA, consider getting samples of your first choices and test an area before committing to gallons. Take your time to find the new face color of your home.