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Exterior Inspiration

House colours chosen around your roof

Twelve exterior schemes, two for each common roof colour, with walls, bands, trims, doors and window frames planned together.

The short answer

Start with the roof: it is the largest fixed colour on the house. Choose a main wall colour with the same warm or cool lean as the roof, a deeper colour for the plinth or bands to hide splash, and a trim colour that repeats the roof or window frames. Then sample on a sunny and a shaded wall before you buy.

Choose your roof colour

Screen colours are approximate. Final appearance depends on lighting, surface, sheen and paint formulation. Always approve a physical painted sample before making your final selection.

  • Illustration of a bungalow with maroon roof sheets, Buttermilk Cream walls, Toasted Almond bands, Chocolate Brown trims and a Walnut Brown door and gate.

    Maroon roofs

    Cream and chocolate · Warm greige with off-white trims

  • Illustration of a bungalow with terracotta clay tiles, Warm Sand walls, Honey Oat bands, Soft Ivory trims and a Walnut Brown door and gate.

    Brick-red and terracotta roofs

    Warm sand with light trim · Off-white with terracotta accents

  • Illustration of a bungalow with chocolate-brown roof sheets, Warm Plaster White walls, Soft Wheat bands, Chocolate Brown trims and a Walnut Brown door and gate.

    Chocolate and brown roofs

    Warm white with dark frames · Stone beige with brown accents

  • Illustration of a bungalow with blue roof sheets, Chalk White walls, Pale Dove Grey bands, Concrete Grey trims and a Stormy Blue-Grey door and gate.

    Blue roofs

    Crisp off-white with grey trims · Pale grey with deep-blue accents

  • Illustration of a bungalow with green roof sheets, Soft Limestone walls, Pale Eucalyptus bands, Forest Green trims and a Forest Green door and gate.

    Green roofs

    Off-white with deep-green accents · Stone beige with sage detailing

  • Illustration of a two-storey house with grey roof tiles, Pale Dove Grey walls, Concrete Grey bands, Charcoal trims and a Charcoal door and gate.

    Grey and black roofs

    Light grey with charcoal accents · Warm white with timber and earth tones

Choosing exterior colours, step by step

  1. List what is staying

    Roof, window frames, stone or tile cladding, gates, paving and boundary walls. Note their colours as they look today, after weathering.

  2. Match the temperature

    Warm roofs (maroon, terracotta, brown) suit warm walls; cool roofs (blue, grey) suit cool or neutral walls. Grey and black roofs suit either.

  3. Keep the main wall light to mid

    Lighter walls show the house's shape and tend to stay cooler in the sun. Save the deepest colours for trims, doors and gates.

  4. Plan for splash and dust

    Red soil and dust mark the bottom of walls. A deeper plinth or band hides it, and a slightly softened white shows it less than a brilliant white.

  5. Check the surroundings

    Neighbouring houses, trees and lawns reflect onto your walls. Some estates and gated communities also have their own colour guidelines, so ask management before choosing.

  6. Sample on the house

    Hold sample boards against the roof edge and frames on a sunny and a shaded wall, morning and late afternoon.

Painting soon? Damp patches, cracks and peeling should be dealt with before any colour goes on. Check My Wall helps you work out what a wall needs first, and the exterior coatings guide explains the options.

From screen to wall: approving a sample

  1. Narrow down to two or three colours here.
  2. Ask for those colours in the actual product and sheen you plan to use. Your supplier will match the closest colour from their own range; the names and codes here are FinishGrid's, not a manufacturer's.
  3. Paint sample boards (A4 or larger) or patches on the wall, with two coats.
  4. Look at them beside the roof, floor or furniture, on sunny and shaded walls, morning and evening.
  5. Approve one painted sample before buying all the paint.

Plan the next step

Know your colours? Plan the budget for the outside walls, or ask FinishGrid to look at your house and options.

  • Free tool

    Project Estimator

    A planning budget for interior walls, exterior walls or a textured finish.

  • Free tool

    Full House Painting Budget

    A stage-by-stage budget for a whole house, inside and out.

  • Free tool

    Check My Wall

    Damp, cracks or peeling? Check what the wall needs before choosing a finish.

  • Paid service

    Paint, Colour & Finish Consultation

    A paid FinishGrid Advisory service: written, brand-neutral advice on colours and finishes for your actual property, scoped with you first.