Choosing exterior colors for common North Jersey house styles

Start with what you can't change

Roof color, brick or stone, and window frames set the boundaries. A scheme that ignores a warm-toned roof or existing brick tends to look off no matter how good the color is on its own.

Style by style

• Capes and split-levels: a single body color with crisp trim keeps a small elevation from looking busy
• Colonials: symmetry rewards a classic body-plus-trim-plus-door combination, with the door doing the work
• Cedar shakes: solid stains and body colors both work; shakes show texture, so avoid very high sheen
• Stucco: color reads lighter across a large flat surface than it does on a chip
• Brick accents: pick the body color against the brick outdoors, never under indoor light

Test it on the house

Put sample patches on more than one wall and look at them in the morning, at midday and in the evening. North-facing walls will read cooler than south-facing walls all day long.

Check what your town or HOA allows

Some neighborhoods and homeowner associations have rules about exterior colors. Worth a check before you fall in love with a scheme.