Exterior Colour: How to Choose Exterior Paint.

How to design a contemporary colour palette for home exterior - part one

Choosing a colour palette that works can be a challenge. Like any recipe, the result will be hit or miss without a method. The array of paint colours available today has complicated the decision-making process for the novice renovator or property owner.

As a Colour Consultant one of the first questions I'm asked is “Where to start with colour?” As a Designer, I start by defining the tonal key and chord. Once the mood of the exterior has been established through a chosen tonal scheme. Once the tone has been established, you then have a guideline to work with; now you refine your choices based on colour likes and dislikes and the surrounding influences. For an exterior colour scheme you will need a minimum of five colours to complement textures or materials with a total of finishes closer to ten.

Choosing colour is not the starting point of any scheme it’s the finish.

Let me explain what I mean by tone, and the theory behind tonal keys and chords.

Tonal key is the term that describes the overall tone of a picture or space. It is the relationship between light and dark elements that determines the mood and emotional impact of a space, object, or structure.

In the tonal scale the values are divided into three keys. As shown below, in the grayscale value 10 is white and value 1 is black. High Key: values 10, 9 & 8. Intermediate Key: values 7, 6, 5, & 4. Low Key: values 3, 2 & 1.

Tonal Keys & Values

The term chord gauges the amount of contrast within the picture or space. Minor chord defines minimal contrast within a tonal key, whereas a major chord conveys maximum contrast.

When working on interior colour palettes, lighting can be manipulated and orchestrated in specific directions, temperatures, and intensities. Context within interior spaces can be manufactured.

An exterior colour scheme is at the mercy of its external environment and sun exposure. Note the tonal keys and chords used on buildings below. Also, consider what colours complement adjacent structures. If your colour scheme clashes with the surrounding environment. Context is everything, ignoring the surrounding environment can have a disastrous impact on the final look. Colours you like my appear completely different insitu when influenced by colours nearby.

The following images are examples of exterior colour schemes which convey the various combinations of tonal keys and chords.

Image one:

High key minor chord

Key values within 8, 9 & 10

Minimal contrast.

Image two:

High key major chord

Key values within 8, 9 & 10.

Maximum contrast utilising accenting values in low and intermediate keys.

Image three:

Intermediate key minor chord

Key values within 4, 5, 6, & 7.

Minimal contrast.

Image four:

Intermediate key major chord

Key values within 4, 5, 6, & 7.

Maximum contrast utilising accenting values in high and low keys.

Image five:

Low key minor chord

Key values within 1, 2 & 3

Minimal contrast.

Image six:

Low key major chord

Key values within 1, 2 & 3

Maximum contrast utilising accenting values in high and intermediate key.

Designer tips...I cannot stress these next points enough!

1. Always choose exterior colours when standing outside and viewing samples in full sun.

2. Colour match existing elements to be retained. (New colour choices are integrated with existing colours or textures – the scheme will never be cohesive if existing elements are an afterthought).

3. When viewing colours for a specific area ie. Wall, post/column, beam, eave, place the colour on the area you are choosing for. The lighting from flat to vertical and inverted areas will alter how the colour responds once applied.