Foundation Paint Colors to Make Your House Pop

Choosing the right foundation paint color may not seem like a big deal, but it can truly transform the look of your home's exterior. The shade you pick for your foundation sets the tone for your home's entire color scheme and complements the style of your house. With some strategic planning and testing, you can settle on the perfect hue to make your foundation -- and your whole house -- pop.

We'll look at how to complement your existing color scheme, match different architectural styles, account for sunlight and positioning, and blend with your home's surroundings. Follow along for tips and ideas to give your foundation a fresh new look.

Complement Your Home's Current Color Scheme

When choosing a foundation color, your starting point should be assessing how it will fit in with your home's existing exterior color palette. Take note of the current siding, trim, window, door, and roof colors. You want your foundation shade to coordinate well with the overall scheme.

Neutral earth tones like tans, browns, grays, and whites tend to be versatile options that blend seamlessly with most color combinations. They won't clash with your siding or roof colors. Darker neutrals, such as charcoal gray or chocolate brown, are especially flexible pairings.

Dark vs. Light Foundation Colors

Should you go darker or lighter for your foundation? There are pros and cons to both approaches:

• Darker foundations visually ground the home and emphasize lighter siding colors.
• Lighter foundations reflect more light and can make a home appear larger.
• Dark foundations show dirt less than lighter colors.
• Light foundations brighten up shady foundations and blend with landscaping.

As a general rule of thumb, most design experts recommend going slightly darker with your foundation color than the siding. This helps the foundation recede so the lighter tones of the home stand out.

Testing Paint Swatches

Don't rely on those tiny paint chips from the hardware store. Purchase a few quarts of your top foundation color contenders and paint them directly on sections of your actual foundation. This lets you evaluate how they look in real life on your home throughout daylight hours.

Once you've narrowed down one or two favorites, observe them over the course of a few days at different times. Make your final selection once you're confident in the color.

Match the Architectural Style

Beyond just the color scheme, it's important to select a foundation color that fits the architectural style of your home. Certain shades complement classic Craftsman or Colonial styles, while others enhance sleek modern designs.

Do some research on typical foundation colors for the specific architectural genre of your house. For traditional styles like Tudor and Victorian, rich earthy tones like brick red, brown, and tan are classic choices. Contemporary modern designs tend to suit more sleek, futuristic hues like jet black, light gray, or white.

Highlight Architectural Details

The foundation shade you select can be used strategically to highlight or contrast with your home's unique architectural details. For example:

• Light colors like bone white or ash gray help distinctive features like columns, moldings, and arches stand out.
• Darker colors create dramatic contrast against white columns or light stone designs.
• Accent colors in satin or matte finishes also impact this visual interplay.

So consider how your foundation color will interact with any special facets of your home's architecture.

Consider Historical Accuracy

For historic homes or period revival styles, you may want to choose colors that are appropriate for that era. Do some digging at your local historical society or archives to uncover what your property's original color scheme may have been.

At the same time, don't be afraid to blend historical accuracy with some modern, personalized flair. You can preserve the overall spirit of a historical design while still putting your own spin on it.

Account for Sunlight and Positioning

Before finalizing a foundation color, assess how much direct sunlight your home receives. This can impact the shade choice significantly.

South-facing foundations see the most sun exposure, so light colors or whites can help reflect sunlight and keep the home cooler. Shady north foundations warrant darker colors since they won't heat up as quickly in the shade.

Location-Specific Considerations

Your climatic region is another variable. In hot climates, light colors deflect heat while dark foundations collect it. In cooler northern regions, dark foundations absorb heat from sunlight during the short summer months.

Also consider peak sunlight months in your area. For example, houses in the Northwest see more sunlight in summer than winter. You may want a lighter color for summer cooling, then tone it down for winter. Study sun path charts to determine sunlight variations.

Complement Surrounding Landscape

Take note of the vegetation, trees, gardens, and landscaping that surround your home. Whatever colors dominate your natural surroundings should guide your foundation color selection.

For lush green landscapes, earthy nature-inspired hues like sage, olive, and mossy greens are ideal. They'll blend right in. On the other hand, for barer suburban or desert scenery, neutral grays, tans and whites contrast nicely against the environment.

If your yard brims with colorful flowers and plants, consider complementing them with these foundation options:

• Reds and browns for fall foliage
• Yellows and greens amid summer gardens
• Earth tones matching trees, stone, and soil

Alternatively, go boldly contrasting with bright white or light gray if you want your home to stand out from natural surroundings.

Carefully choosing a foundation color that works in harmony with your home's architecture, color scheme, sunlight patterns, and landscape can really make your property pop. Test out different shades and give your home exterior a whole new look.