Thinking of painting the exterior of your home? Whether you want to go classic or a little bit more bold, these trending exterior paint colors are sure to provide you with some much needed inspiration.

Painting the outside of your home is a big investment both in terms of time and money. For that reason, it’s important to choose a color that you love and will for years to come. And while you don’t need to keep it neutral just to appease your neighbors, it’s also a good idea to stick to exterior paint colors that blend in well in your neighborhood—especially if you’re planning to sell one day.

So, where should you start? We’ve compiled a list of 2021’s most popular exterior paint colors, plus simple tips for helping you narrow down your options and pick out just the right color for your home.

2021’s Trendiest exterior paint colors

This year, modern design meets classic hues, with many of the top exterior paint colors offering up a touch of the unexpected without straying too far from traditional.

If you’re ready to mix it up, here are the ten exterior paint colors that are at the top of designers’ (and homeowners’) lists.

1. Warm White or Off-White
   The top exterior house colors of 2021 are warming up the neighborhood, with many of them serving as warmer takes on your more common exterior mainstays. A great example of this is warm whites and off-whites, which keep it simple while also coming off a lot less stark than true whites.
2. Pale Gray
   Gray is an excellent neutral paint color for a home’s exterior, and provides an interesting alternative to more standard go-tos like beige and brown. In the same vein as the warm options above, go with a warm gray instead of going cool, such as one that has some subtle sage undertones.
3. Pewter
   Sticking with gray for a minute, if you’d like to go darker consider pewter, a more richly saturated gray that falls somewhere in between a matte silver and charcoal. It’s bold without being too over the top, and an easy way to instantly bring older homes into the 21st century.
4. Black
   You’ve probably seen it, but are you brave enough to use it yourself? Opting for black for your home’s exterior is a guaranteed way to stand out and modernize your house. And because it pairs well with a variety of accent colors and materials, you don’t need to go all or nothing. Tone it down by going two-tone and pairing it with a creamy white, or use it as the perfect accompaniment to wood trim and detailing.
5. Sage
   Sage is a relaxing, almost coastal hue, and a lighter take on other exterior greens and blues. It’s muted without being boring, and gives your home just a touch of color without going too over the top. It pairs especially well with white, but can also be used as an accent with other blues or greens—even deeper ones like navy.
6. Gray-Green
   A close cousin of sage, gray-green is in the same vein as the general warm grays mentioned above, just leaning a little more heavily on the green than the gray. It’s become a mainstay of farmhouse exteriors, but works equally well on most other exterior styles, including craftsman, modern, and Cape Cod.
7. Deep Blue
   Another colorful option that still conveys plenty of warmth is deep blue, which is a lot closer to navy or a colonial blue than a classic blue. It’s a natural pairing with white trim, and a much-loved color that’s likely to stand the test of time regardless of where your home is located.
8. Light Blue
   If you’re keen on blue but want to keep it light, then a light blue shade with a hint of gray or slate is a good way to go. Alternately, you could go with more of an overt light blue if you prefer a brighter undertone, but you might be a bit more limited on what other exterior house colors you can pair it with.
9. Barely-There Pink
   Think pink won’t work on the exterior of your home? Think again! 2021 has seen the rise of super pale pink shades that toe the line between white and beige. The key to making it work is to look for an airy shade that you can pair with other neutrals, such as natural wood or white.
10. Terracotta
    For a modern take on a brown exterior, go with a terracotta or another clay-inspired hue. These shades are inherently rich and warm, and give homes an earthy vibe that’s a lot more interesting than your everyday standard brown.

How to choose a color for your home’s exterior

Picking out your home’s exterior paint colors is a little bit different than picking out its interior colors, since whatever you choose isn’t just something that has to vibe with your own style but that also has to fit in with its wider surroundings. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re obligated to play it safe, but it does mean that you want to take more than just your personal preferences into account when making your decision.

Here are some things to consider:

• Look at the lighting – Some colors play well with shade while others require plenty of natural light to shine their brightest. It’s always essential to consider the role that light will play and to keep in mind that certain colors might not look the same on your own home as they do in magazines and on social media based purely on the amount of natural light that your home is exposed to.
• Go for a stroll – Walk around your neighborhood and take note of the exterior house colors you like and don’t like. You’re not limited to what other people around you have chosen, but this should be helpful for providing you with inspiration and setting the tone for what might blend well in your specific area.
• Factor in accents – Are there any parts of your home’s exterior that you won’t be changing, such as the roof color or shutters? If so, these will definitely need to be factored in to your decision, since you don’t want to choose an exterior paint color that clashes with the existing elements of your home.
• Don’t forget resale – Paint colors are a personal choice, but if you stray too far outside the norm for your neighborhood and home style then you risk having trouble selling your house later on. Fortunately, lots of trending exterior colors double as classics and can improve your home’s value, so it doesn’t mean you’re relegated to sticking with the same-old-same-old.

Other notable exterior home trends

When it comes to curb appeal, it’s more than just the color your home’s exterior that’s likely to stand out. Here are some other exterior home design trends that are worth noting this year.

Colorful front doors

If you want a pop of color on your house, than the front door is a great place to do it. Lots of the trending exterior paint colors mentioned above will work great with this look, and it’s an affordable way to update an existing door without having to spring for a full replacement.

Color blocking

Speaking of creative ways to use color, you could also play around with color blocking. Stick to two complementary shades (black and white are a classic pairing, but they’re hardly the only one) and use both as a main color element. This won’t work well on all homes, but is well suited to exteriors with varying dimension in its architectural elements.

Sustainable materials

This trend isn’t just about looks, but it’s still an important one. If you’re making updates to your home’s exterior, look for sustainable options that will both make your house more energy efficient and make it more appealing to future buyers. Bamboo, recycled steel, and precast concretes are all great examples of sustainable materials that also serve to lend a modern update to your home.