Paint colors by room
Best Exterior Paint Colors
Exterior paint has to do two jobs most interior colors never worry about: survive UV, rain, and temperature swings, and read correctly at a distance and in full sun. Light colors shift lighter outdoors, dark colors shift darker, and saturation generally reads more intense than on a sample chip. The colors that consistently perform well on full-house exteriors are either high-LRV warm whites (which reflect heat and age gracefully), mid-LRV neutrals in the greige-to-taupe band, or deep saturated tones (navy, forest, charcoal) paired with bright trim. Historic districts and HOAs will constrain your choices; check before finalizing. Always specify an exterior-rated product with at least a 100% acrylic resin base — Sherwin-Williams Emerald Exterior, Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior, and Behr Marquee are among the most durable options.
60 ranked picks across 27 paint brands
Featured Exterior Guides
These colors rank strongly for exteriors and have full hand-authored designer guides with undertone notes, lighting behavior, coordinating trim and accents, and room-specific usage.
Top 60 Exterior Paint Colors
Accessible Beige
SW 7036
LRV 58 · warm
Agreeable Gray
SW 7029
LRV 60 · warm
Eider White
SW 7014
LRV 73 · warm
Evergreen Fog
SW 9130
LRV 30 · cool
Mindful Gray
SW 7016
LRV 48 · warm
Repose Gray
SW 7015
LRV 58 · warm
Worldly Gray
SW 7043
LRV 57 · warm
Bleeker Beige
BM HC-80
LRV 52 · warm
Classic Gray
BM OC-23
LRV 73.67 · neutral
Collingwood
BM OC-28
LRV 61.52 · warm
Coventry Gray
BM HC-169
LRV 48.18 · neutral
Edgecomb Gray
BM HC-173
LRV 63.09 · warm
First Light
BM 2102-70
LRV 75.86 · neutral
Gray Cashmere
BM 2138-60
LRV 64.53 · neutral
Guilford Green
BM HC-116
LRV 57.22 · warm
Manchester Tan
BM HC-81
LRV 63.24 · warm
Muslin
BM OC-12
LRV 66.54 · warm
Pale Oak
BM OC-20
LRV 69 · warm
Palladian Blue
BM HC-144
LRV 60.4 · neutral
Revere Pewter
BM HC-172
LRV 55 · warm
Saybrook Sage
BM HC-114
LRV 45.46 · warm
Silver Satin
BM OC-26
LRV 75 · warm
Smoke
BM 2122-40
LRV 56.39 · neutral
Soft Fern
BM 2144-40
LRV 56.67 · warm
Stonington Gray
BM HC-170
LRV 59.36 · neutral
Winter Gray
BM 2117-60
LRV 61.69 · neutral
Silver Bullet
Behr N520-2
LRV 79 · warm
Ammonite
F&B No. 274
LRV 65 · warm
Strong White
F&B No. 2001
LRV 80 · warm
Half Tea
Resene Half Tea
LRV 73 · warm
Vellum
C2-868
LRV 79 · warm
Hempel 11150
Hempel 11150
LRV 57 · neutral
Hempel 20450
Hempel 20450
LRV 75 · warm
Hempel 49500
Hempel 49500
LRV 57 · warm
Abalone Shell
SW 6050
LRV 60 · warm
Acacia Haze
SW 9132
LRV 32 · neutral
Acanthus
SW 0029
LRV 60 · warm
Accolade
SW 9516
LRV 62 · warm
Acier
SW 9170
LRV 32 · neutral
Adrift
SW 7608
LRV 37 · cool
Aesthetic White
SW 7035
LRV 73 · warm
African Gray
SW 9162
LRV 31 · neutral
Agapanthus
SW 9066
LRV 56 · cool
Agate Green
SW 7742
LRV 34 · warm
Aged White
SW 9180
LRV 74 · warm
Agua Fría
SW 9053
LRV 52 · cool
Aleutian
SW 6241
LRV 39 · cool
Allegory
SW 9553
LRV 45 · neutral
Aloe
SW 6464
LRV 55 · neutral
Aloof Gray
SW 6197
LRV 58 · neutral
Alpaca
SW 7022
LRV 57 · neutral
Amazing Gray
SW 7044
LRV 47 · warm
Analytical Gray
SW 7051
LRV 47 · warm
Ancient Marble
SW 6162
LRV 60 · warm
Anew Gray
SW 7030
LRV 47 · warm
Angora
SW 6036
LRV 57 · warm
Antimony
SW 9552
LRV 57 · neutral
Antler Velvet
SW 9111
LRV 43 · warm
Aqua-Sphere
SW 7613
LRV 41 · neutral
Aquastone
SW 9043
LRV 49 · neutral
Best Exterior Paint Colors by Brand
Each brand’s top 5 ranked picks for exteriors. The lists reflect the room-specific suitability rubric applied to every color in the brand’s full catalog.
Related Rooms
Adjacent rooms in the house often share a color palette, and browsing the neighboring room guides usually surfaces picks the exterior rubric doesn’t rank as highly.
Exterior Paint Colors — Frequently Asked
- What is the most popular exterior house color?
- Warm whites, soft greiges, and classic navy-and-white combinations remain the top-specified exterior palettes. Sherwin-Williams Alabaster, Benjamin Moore Hale Navy (on doors and shutters), and Farrow & Ball Cornforth White all rank at the top of architectural and designer reference lists.
- Do dark exterior paints fade faster?
- Historically yes, but modern exterior-grade paints with UV-resistant pigments have largely closed the gap. Dark colors still run hotter in direct sun — worth considering for siding durability and interior heat gain — but fade resistance is effectively on par with lighter colors in premium exterior lines.
- How do I pick an exterior color?
- Start with fixed elements you can't repaint: roof color, stone, brick, existing masonry. Pick a body color that coordinates with those elements. Trim should be 2–3 values lighter or darker than the body for readable architectural separation. Test large samples (at least 2x2 feet) on multiple sides of the house, and always view them in morning and afternoon light before committing.
- What finish should exterior paint be?
- Satin and low-sheen finishes are the standard for exterior siding because they balance durability with a natural appearance. Semi-gloss is appropriate for trim, doors, and shutters — its higher sheen resists dirt and highlights architectural detail. Flat and matte exterior finishes are rarely used outside of stucco and historic restorations.