How to See Exterior Paint Colours on Your House Before Painting

You've finally decided to repaint your house. You've saved a few colour ideas, looked through paint catalogues, and maybe even found a house online with the perfect shade.

But there's still one question.

Will this colour really complement your home?

It's easy to love a colour in a photograph. The hard part is visualizing it in your own exterior walls, beside your roof, windows, doors and anything else you may not be able to change.

The results of an exterior colour choice are different to the results of an interior colour choice and one mistake can be costly, particularly if it involves a large exterior.

Therefore, before purchasing gallons of paint, here are a few ways to have a better idea of what your home will look like.

The reason why the colors appear different on real houses.

Have you ever selected a colour off a paint chart and asked yourself why it didn't look the same on a wall?

No, you're not imagining it.

One colour which seems to be a soft beige in small swatches can actually be quite close to white on a large exterior. A low light green may look much brighter in direct sunlight.

The surface is also important.

The appearance of paint will vary according to the texture of the plaster, stucco, brick or wooden siding. The same shade can look different throughout the day as a result of shadows cast by balconies, trees, and roof overhangs.

Hence, selecting an exterior paint from a small colour card isn't always sufficient.

It is important to check the colour throughout the entire house.

Match the parts of your house that won't change.

When considering paint shades, first examine your roof, window frames, stonework and driveway.

There are colours for these elements already.

Visualise a house with a dark grey roof and warm brown brickwork.

The cool blue-grey exterior may be to your taste, but may not look well with brick warmer colors.

Soft greige or warm off white may make for a better mix.

Don't pick a favourite colour first, consider which colours will run with the fabrics that are already available.

This simple tactic can eliminate several paint options that are not viable before you even begin opening a paint catalogue.

Don't Judge Exterior Colours in Just One Lighting Condition

Imagine a lovely white home on a sunny afternoon.

Now imagine the same house on a cloudy morning.

The colour may show a significant change.

Exteriors need a lot of sun to help exterior paint. Especially whites, creams, greys and darker colors.

A warm white may appear clean in daylight, but yellowish in the evening. The charcoal grey colour may be a lighter shade and looks much more substantial in strong light.

When testing physical samples of paint, test them at different times of the day.

If possible, view the colour from two different sides of your house, particularly at places where the amount of sunlight varies.

That will help you to get a better idea of the colour you are thinking of.

What if you could see the colour before you paint?

Here's where the process becomes easier.

Don't guess what a colour will look like on your exterior, you can now see it virtually on screen.

An AI exterior paint visualizer lets you see various exterior paint colours on a photo of your home.

For instance, you have a choice of warm white, light grey and muted sage green.

All three may be good looks in a catalogue.

However, when it comes to your real home, one may accentuate your roof perfectly, while another may make your whole house look dark.

When you see these combinations side by side, you can get a better idea of your options prior to buying the paint.

It is possible to consider the overall appearance of the entire house instead of evaluating each individual colour.

Exterior painting will be a breeze with the help of Nirwana AI.Nirwana AI makes exterior painting a breeze.

We understand the challenges of making a decision when working with a small colour sample and a large outdoor wall area at Nirwana AI.

This AI paint visualizer allows you to test out paint colours with a photo of your own home.

You can upload a photo of your home, browse through the various shades of paint and see how different shades will look on the outside of your home.

With AI capable surface mapping, colours can be assigned to the house's visible surface while maintaining all the necessary information like shadows and architectural features.

This allows you to compare colours without having to repaint the walls.

The same experience can give paint brands and retailers the confidence to show customers various shades to help them pick the right one for their home or office.For paint brands and retailers, it can help customers make an informed choice when they request a paint sample or buy a paint for their home or office.

But then, digital previews are just a beginning: they are not colour guarantees. The final results may vary due to screen settings, weather, surface texture and real paint finish.

When in doubt, test your final choices on the wall.

Once you've located a colour you like in the digital preview, do not miss the physical trial.

Select 2-3 of the shortlisted shades and apply reasonable amounts of test patches to your exterior.

Examine them in the morning sunlight, in the afternoon light and at night in the shade.

Keep in mind the color appearance when it's next to your roof, trim, and front door.

After viewing the digital sample and the actual painted samples, you will have a much better understanding on which to base your decision.

Before you paint your home, ensure your house feels right.

Don't make all of your decisions about exterior painting based on the best guesses.

You have a unique home design, context, lighting and materials. What is a beautiful color on someone else's house may not be the same for your house.

Shop around, play with various samples and don't be rushed.

The colour that you better love in the catalogue is not the best exterior colour. It's the one that fits your real home.

Looking for some tips on exterior paint colours before choosing?

Explore Nirwana AI to learn how an AI exterior paint visualizer can assist in previewing your paint options before you start painting!