The 10 Best Accent Colors for Your Home Exterior

It’s true that the right exterior color will increase your home’s curb appeal and make it more attractive to potential buyers. However, when choosing a color, you’ll need to go beyond just the main house color, and pick an accent color as well. Accent colors are used for emphasis in a color scheme. They can be bold, minimal, or serve as a contrast to the main color. Without them, your new exterior paint job could fall flat.

Grays have replaced beige as the ultimate neutral color. Gray is a great choice for the main house color because it serves as a solid background for accent hues, but it is just as eye-catching when used on trim, shutters, front doors, and other details. Gull Wing Gray by Benjamin Moore features a subtle blue undertone that works well with earthy colors such as chocolate brown, rust, and mustard gold. For a warmer gray, consider Anew Gray from Sherwin-Williams, which has taupe undertones that work well with greenish blues and warm whites.

Navy blue is intense and makes a bold statement when used as the main exterior house color. If you’re not quite ready to cover your whole house in the high-impact hue, consider it for your trim. Popular navy blues such as Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy and Sherwin-Williams Naval are good choices if you are looking for a classic dark blue. However, if you are looking for a deep blue with a bit of warmth, Farrow & Ball Hague Blue is a dramatic choice with green undertones that works with a multitude of colors like grays, blacks, and even lighter blues. The beauty of this color is that is can change dramatically depending on the light. Use it on exterior trim and shutters set off the home’s main color.

Classic blues have the ability to infuse calm and serenity into a space. PPG’s Chinese Porcelain is the perfect blend of navy and cobalt. It’s not too dark, and bright enough to take notice. Chinese Porcelain works particularly well on a front door of a home with wood siding or gold/brown accents. If you want something that’s not so dramatic, Glidden’s Caribbean Sea is a tropical teal blue that would make any front door stand out. Teals work well with bright white, cream, navy, pinks, and especially gold and brown tones.

If you like the look of white trim but are not a fan of stark white, consider beige. Beige has a long-standing reputation for being bland and boring. However, the neutral color has come a long way. Nowadays, you can find beiges with pink and peachy undertones that give the color warmth and depth. Farrow & Ball’s Slipper Satin is a pale beige with a slight pink undertone that makes a great replacement for cool white. Accessible Beige by Sherwin-Williams is a taupe-ish beige that makes a good alternative to warm white.

Related: The Best Trim Colors for the Home, Inside and Out

Red is all about drama, which is why it’s not a popular pick for a main house color. In small doses, however, red makes other colors pop and adds a bit of ‘wow’ to your home’s exterior. Glidden’s Red Delicious is a lovely classic red that has just enough blue undertones to pair well with sandy tones, whites, and any blue. 

Related: 9 Bright and Bold Colors for Your Front Door

Browns work with a variety of color schemes and offer plenty of range. The brown color family flatters a variety of finishes, textures, and styles just like its neutral cousins white and grey, only with much more warmth. Farrow & Ball Tanner’s Brown is a rich, dark brown that is reminiscent of leather. It works well with blues and gold, and even reds. If you want brown that’s a tad lighter, consider Behr’s Espresso Beans. This chocolate brown pairs beautifully with crisp white, aqua, pale blue, and even mint green. Use browns on trim and even your garage door!

White is the go-to color for trim. As with grays and beiges, whites have a dynamic range. Benjamin Moore’s White Dove is a versatile neutral shade with a hint of gray. It complements a wide range of colors. If you want a white with a bit of warmth, Swiss Coffee by Valspar works well with warm neutrals or shades of mint and teal. Olympic’s Delicate White is cool, creamy white that works with virtually any color and will give trim a crisp, clean look.

Related: 7 No-Fail Exterior Paint Colors

Green is a refreshing color and nature’s neutral hue. When selecting an accent color, it’s better to stick with a lighter shade of green. Benjamin Moore’s Limesicle is a neutral green that pairs beautifully with other light neutrals such as beige and taupe. It’s also stunning against deep, dark jewel tones and rustic reds. Hazel by Sherwin-Williams is a cool, soothing green that looks great with taupes and whites.

Yellow is a notoriously difficult color to work with when it comes to home exteriors. It’s a strong, vibrant color that takes center stage when it’s the main color. As an accent color, however, it will beautifully complement the main color as long as you pick a yellow with an undertone that matches it. Sherwin-Williams’s Cachet Cream is neutral as you can get when it comes to yellow. It’s slightly peachy and works well with reds, browns, and warm greens. Valspar’s Saffron Ivory is a soft yellow that works well with warm colors.

Black is increasingly becoming a popular trim color for all styles of homes. Similar to white, black is versatile and comes in a range of undertones. Black paint works well on shutters, trim, and doors, and there’s a black that will pair well with virtually any color. PPG’s Onyx Black is a dark, cool black with a true black undertone. Pair it with any color to make it stand out. Sherwin-Williams’s Tricorn Black is one of the richest, most neutral blacks that’s void of any undertones and pairs beautifully with nearly every shade. If you are not really to go that dark, try a softer black like Farrow & Ball’s Off-Black.