Painting the outside of your house? Need some help choosing exterior paint colours? Here are some colour tips...

If you use your imagination, you'll see there are a myriad of colour combinations you can use which highlights that self expression is one of the most important parts in creating a home.

In the picture below we've chosen a home built by Haven NZ using James Hardies’ Axon panel and painted in Dulux 'White on White’. This contrasts nicely with the James Hardie Linea Weatherboard in Dulux 'Glenbrook'.

Image courtesy of James Hardie TV Showhomes

Have a really good look at your house and study its period and design. Is it new or old? A bungalow or a villa? It's important to get a ‘feel’ for it and think of what you've always wanted to do, regardless of fashion. See if you can imagine that vision applied to your home. If you're still stumped, have a look at what appeals to you in other homes.

Variations of neutral colours will always look good, but why not consider adding a splash of colour to your front door or window facings, such as red, forest green or maybe a beautiful burnt orange. Touches of colour like this will make your home come alive.

Click here to view Exterior Paint we have available online

Be careful with darker colours, especially if your home is small. Darker colours can make the house appear smaller while lighter colours can open it up. An emphasis on colour can also be used to distinguish different materials, such as weatherboard or Axon panel. Lighter colours will make the surface recede whilst darker colours will bring the surface forward. It’s best to paint the product areas that have more visual interest, such as the horizontal lines of linear weatherboard, a deeper or stronger colour.

(Editor's tip: Take photographs of houses that you love and look at the colour combinations they've used in exterior paint. Cut out magazine pictures that grab your eye and start a scrapbook collection of colour combinations that appeal to you. This will help you to build a swatch of colours for your own home.)