The perfect color palette for the house facade

Ritika Tiwari Ritika Tiwari
Vienna State Opera, podpod design podpod design Interior design
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The entrance facade of your house is one of the most important things as it leaves a lasting first impression on your visitors. The correct way to design a beautiful facade is by opting for the right colour combination. However, the broad range of selection available these days can make it even more challenging than you might think. One also needs to be sure of the facade colour they select as it will last for years or even decades. 

In general, warm tones of colours like orange and red are more inviting when compared to cool colours like green and blue. Along with this other factors that play a major role in choosing the perfect facade colour also include the size and position of your house. The solar radiation also contributes to the overall appearance of the facade. Here are a few tips that can help you select the perfect colour for your facade.

1. Bright walls and dark roof

The reason why white walls are considered classy is that they blend easily into their environment and radiate warmth. In addition to the colour white, one can also use beige and yellow to achieve the same effect. Even if you have a large house, bright facades look perfect as they do not interfere with the landscape.

This type of facade is often chosen by large housing societies or communities as it provides an overall symmetry to the entire city or town. These facades do have certain limitations as well which means that you might need special permits to use your own colour concept.

The ultimate goal of creating this facade is to achieve complete harmony. The best way to complement the bright walls is by using a dark colour for the roof like brown or even anthracite. It will make the roof to look more clean and elegant than usual.

2. Same color walls and roof

This house is the perfect example of how to use a uniform colour scheme for your facade. By coating the walls and the roof in a similar colour, the designer was able to achieve a fabulous overall appearance. 

Due to the subtle facade colour the window frames, railings and the gutters were also able to blend perfectly into the existing surrounding. However, this type of uniform colour scheme only works best when the house is not squeezed between other buildings.

3. Dark walls and bright roof

While searching for the right house facade colour one should always consider the appearance of the constructed building. For example, facade colours for a terraced house will always be slightly different from that of a detached house. Other things to consider also include the size of the building and the direction of the natural light source. It will help narrow down your colour options.

Most homeowners choose the classy, bright wall and dark roof facade. However, this picture proves that a house can also look great by opting for a darker colour wall and a lighter colour roof. The striking effect of this beautiful facade is also because the bright roof complements the base colour and also forms a frame for the walls. This type of facade is perfect if your house is situated in a natural surrounding and has a big garden.

4. Combining materials

Choosing the right kind of facade material out of glass, wood, metal, stone, and plaster is also important. Admittedly the cheapest variant is plaster, but it also tends to crack. However, the best way to use a plastered exterior is by combining it with a stone or wooden base. Anyone who decides to use wood for their exterior facade can give their house a natural look almost instantly. One can also incorporate metal as an individual element in the form of balcony railings to add a modern touch. 

On the other hand, if you willing to experiment with your facade than opting for a glass glaze is another very good idea. It will also help make your interior look bright. But opting for glass means that you should also think about the right kind of blinds or curtains to cover up the windows. In general, it is important to understand the overall appearance of your building and its surrounding before choosing the right kind of colour for your facade.

5. Faded colors to match your architecture

The exterior facade of your house can be subjected to a lot of dirt and harsh weather. For this reason using gray tones of colour over bright ones is recommended. Also, one should know that bright colours usually only exist with organic pigments which mean that they are less resistant to sunlight. 

But if you still want to opt for shiny colours like green or blue then make sure that it suits your house well. For example, a country house with a bright pink facade can never work whatsoever. Whereas, a house in the middle of the forest with a dark green facade will always look fantastic, as it complements the overall surrounding and design concept.

Similarly choosing bright colours for a large house can often make it look overwhelming. So make sure that you combine your shiny facade with certain accent colours to make it look harmonious. On the other hand, if the design of your house is striking and exceptional in itself than opting for a simple facade is the right choice.

6. Classic home colours

In Germany, one likes to be more classy and inconspicuous which reflects in their houses as well. The standard colours used to paint a house facade in Germany are white, beige, yellow or orange whereas the roof is always red or brown.

Using light colours does not necessarily mean that there is no scope for experimenting. For those of you who want to try something different then they can simply include bright colours in the form of their window frames or garden fences.

In modern houses, you often find flat roofs or large glass facades which leave no room for being creative. But in similar German peaked houses using bright colours on the roof can make a whole lot of difference.

7. Baroque facade

If you are thinking which facade colour one must choose to revive the baroque age, then looking at the architecture of the building is essential. If one can capture the expression of an ornate building like its curved shape, ornaments, gables, or columns than creating a beautiful facade becomes much simpler. Baroque architecture is based on illusion which means no matter what material you are using you can always make it look something else. 

In Germany’s yesteryears, natural stones like marble and sandstone were more often used for creating a building. These stones were only available in shades of yellow and red which can still be seen in most of the old buildings. However, till the date, the core colours used for creating a facade remain somewhat reserved in the country.

Even with so many different colour choices available more and more people prefer to use shades of red. These bright looking houses also have a more intensive effect on the overall environment, and the imposing colour often makes it look overwhelming to the visitors.

8. Renaissance facade

Majestic renaissance houses can bring their owners back directly into the ancient world like nothing else. These buildings can recapture elements such as columns, triangles, and capitals which also gives it a defined architectural style. Along with this, simple geometric forms such as circles or cuboids also dominate the facade and provide them with a grand appearance.

Renaissance buildings were usually constructed in three different versions which include natural stone, plaster, and veneer facades. It was in this era when the tendency to use gray and overtones was developed. If the facade is plastered and only slightly decorated, then the overall use of colour is still worthwhile. For example in a renaissance building preference for dark gray, brown and red shades always prevails the white walls.

Although, in the case of half-timbered houses the compartments are usually white. The entablatures experienced a real colour war in South Germany while the northern part of the country was still using colour conservatively. Being said that, North Germany still used many details and ornaments to decorate their exterior facades. Due to this versatility, a renaissance facade does not provide a clear rule for colour selection.

9. Romanesque facade

The use of geometric stone squares placed on top of each other, with reduced ornamentation and small windows made the Romanesque architecture more cumbersome and bulky.

No wonder the Romanesque period enjoyed decorating their facades and interior space. Often the pure natural stone used in the buildings were decorated colourfully to create a contrasting effect.

In the modern times, thick walls are considered as a desirable feature in houses. Along with this restored ornaments are just right to achieve a classical style, and it also offers more scope for colouring the facade.

For more designs check out our ideabooks

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