Using pastel paint colors for the exterior color palette gives your house a beautiful refresh, setting a lovely tone for the rest of the home while making a lasting impression.
When choosing the exterior color palette, the hues you use on the front door, trim, siding, window shutters, and other elements play a vital role in the home’s overall atmosphere and appearance.
The proper paint color combination can add character, evoke a certain mood, highlight unique architectural details, and easily update an old facade.
We’ve compiled several pastel exterior ideas that will work for different architectural styles, from classic white exteriors to bolder, contemporary ones.
Take a look!
1. Contrast with Accents
The challenge with choosing a single paint color for an exterior color palette is that it can feel dated and dull without careful planning. One way to overcome this is to use an accent piece in a lighter or darker shade than your primary color.
This 1928 Tudor home used a soft pink door as a complementary color to the light gray-blue wooden siding, adding more contrast and an unexpected highlight. The brick chimney adds textural details without interrupting the soft pastel scheme.
2. Enjoy Timeless Charm
The ornate pillars and French doors offer a base that’s in tune with this home’s charming architecture. Other ornate details on the wall stand out against the soft pink paint color and combine with the beautiful ironwork to evoke an air of old-world grandeur.
The sage green shutters subtly contrast the soft pink, keeping the color palette minimalist and low-key. Sage green chairs below ensure a cohesive look, while a trio of hanging planters top off this home’s historic elegance.
3. Keep it Calming
If your home is surrounded by trees, consider using a standout exterior paint color that calls attention to your space’s style. Here, a cool sky blue paint color pairs beautifully with crisp white trim, railings, pillars, and garages to wrap this lovely home with beachside charm.
The pillars on the ground level are painted a similar blue to the primary color to create a subtle distinction and add an updated touch. The dark gray front door makes a welcoming statement.
4. Get Inspired with a Cottage Feel
Siding usually provides the foundation for your exterior color scheme since it typically occupies the most surface area. Consider one or two shades that complement your siding color’s undertones.
The light beige siding on this cottage contrasts nicely with the dark gray door and window boxes and complements the natural stone foundation. Bright white trim stands out against the cool exterior paint colors.
5. Make it Dreamy
Coral pink siding, bright white trim, and a cheerful blush pink front door add charm to this contemporary cottage-style home. The coral paint color pairs nicely with the cool gray shingle roof, while the crisp white highlights the home’s architectural details and adds contrast.
Natural materials such as wood and stone on the patio and home’s foundation complete the exterior, adding an inviting touch and playful personality.
6. Shine with Black and Yellow
Create a timeless exterior with pale yellow siding, black window shutters, and a white front door.
This classic exterior color scheme looks clean and crisp on this modern traditional home, with the brick walkway, old-style lantern, and flag continuing the elegant aesthetic.
7. Exude a Bright Feel
@Jeffery M Wolf General Contractor, Inc.
Consider a tried-and-true exterior color palette and complement yellow siding with white and gray accents. Here, the soft butter yellow paint color on the siding pairs with the white trim, door, and accents for a clean and classic look.
The concrete block structural foundation combines with the walkway to subtly contrast the intercostal home’s cheery exterior design.
8. Blue and White Elegance
This charming colonial revival style home uses a color scheme of light blue and white for a totally pleasing exterior color palette.
The striped awning livens up the otherwise monochrome facade and adds personality, while gray on the roof provides a subtle contrast.
9. Employ a Rich Wood Accent
Using a rich wood accent in your pastel exterior color scheme can give your home a more refined look. This home deftly matches Sherwin Williams (SW) Intellectual Gray on the siding with SW Porpoise on the window shutters for a lovely linear design.
The natural wood door and porch floor contrast nicely with the gray color palette and provide warmth but in a more updated way. The rustic brick stairs echo the home’s traditional features, while SW Alabaster on the trim balances the look.
10. Stand Out with White
@T.S. Adams Studio, Architects
Classic off-white siding appears clean and crisp against the semi-arid surroundings. Contrasting accents such as the light blue window shutters and the front porch ceiling panel highlight the home’s modern farmhouse architecture and linear features.
The natural wood door and its siding draw attention to the front porch, and the wooden floor adds a rustic element and further warms up the exterior palette.
11. Be Daring
Rather than combining various colors, why not create contrast with different shades of the same paint color?
This 136-year-old home uses three different shades of purple that are at least two shades apart to create a visible contrast and ensure a depth change. Crisp white on the front door, trim, and porch area brightens the color palette and unifies the facade.
12. Take the Neutral Route
You don’t need bright colors to add interest to your exterior color palette. Accenting an all-neutral exterior color scheme with hints of black makes a home look particularly polished.
Here, black window shutters give this gray exterior a more sophisticated feel. White on the trim, pillars, and railing helps make the look clean and crisp rather than one-note.
13. Add Personality
This cottage-style home has distinct woodwork and stonework that lends itself nicely to a white and pink exterior color palette. The color contrast emphasizes the home’s simple design, with the brick pillars adding a patterned element to the dreamy facade.
Numerous florals on the front porch, door, and window give the home a modern, organic touch while complementing the two-tone color scheme. A lush green lawn and small boxwood hedges liven up the pastel exterior palette and boost curb appeal.
14. Paint the Brick
Update your home’s brick or stucco exterior with a fresh coat of cream paint and create a refreshing contrast with a light sage-painted front door and window shutters.
The sage green adds depth without appearing stark and pairs nicely with the small rustic awning that adds rustic charm to this small southern-style home.
15. Create a Balanced Look
Brown, gray, and white accents break up the color scheme and balance the visual weight of the pastel-pink exterior of this farmhouse-style home.
A black door juxtaposes the pink exterior with a contrasting hue, pairing with the dark gray roof and lush surroundings for a more layered outdoor space.
16. Embrace the Unconventional
A general rule of thumb whenever selecting an exterior color palette is to use at least three colors. Most people think these colors need to be distinctly different, but the colorful house above proves otherwise.
Blue, pink, and purple pastel paint colors modernize the classic exterior of this Victorian-style home and streamline the cluttered facade. White on the door and window frames provides a subtle contrast and echoes the pastel paint colors’ cool tones.
17. Make a Statement
The warm yellow-beige front door warms up the light blue-green siding of this home.
The striking duo combines with white and gray on the trim, garage, and roofing for an unexpected exterior color palette, creating the perfect balance of cool and warm tones. Brick accents add a bit of depth and personality to the design.
18. Bring some Purple Brilliance
Consider purple, blue, and white for a beautiful exterior color palette that celebrates traditional style. This versatile trio will look striking whether on a contemporary new build or a classic historic-style home.
Take inspiration from this Victorian-style home and coordinate your color scheme with decorative elements such as lush greenery and rustic exterior pendant lights to boost curb appeal.
