Large Victorian-style homes shouldn’t have all the fun when it comes to exterior paint colors. In fact, a small and simple bungalow or cottage can provide the perfect canvas for more unusual colors. Because this style of home is not immense in size or detail, you can use fun color to dress it up. We used photo-rendering software to show what a modest bungalow might look like in different color palettes.
Photo by David Sawyer, Flickr
The Existing Home
This traditional bungalow, while small in size, is big on charm. It’s also big on windows. And because of the plentiful and large-size windows, only small expanses of exterior siding remain for color application. This creates an opportunity to go bold or unusual with color, because it will be visually broken up and therefore less overwhelming to the eye than a bigger home with larger swaths of siding. Let’s see how it looks with a few virtual tweaks.
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1. Darkest Navy
Using photo-rendering software, we colored the siding an inky blue-black hue. We kept the trim a bright, neutral white but introduced a few happy tones via the leafy green color for the door and the soft sky blue on the porch ceiling.
Jennifer Ott Design
The result is a dramatic and slightly edgy exterior that still feels welcoming. And notice how cladding the attic vent and its surrounding trim to match the siding gives it a cleaner, more modern look.
Get the look: Siding in Blue Note, trim in Ice Mist, front door in Cedar Green and porch ceiling in Soft Chinchilla, all from Benjamin Moore.
2. Pretty in Purples
This rendering is softer than the previous palette but still packs a punch with some unusual exterior paint colors.
While gray remains a popular exterior paint color, there are signs folks are growing weary of gray everything, everywhere. Thing is, there are many, many different tones of gray you can turn to, such as this lovely lavender-gray hybrid.
Jennifer Ott Design
Of course you could go more to the gray side if this is too purple-forward for you. As long as there is a good amount of gray in your shade, it likely can work well as a “neutral” siding color. Paired with a bold purple door and clean, crisp white trim, it’s a colorful yet harmonious combination.
Get the look: Siding in Purpled Gray, trim and porch ceiling in Crisped White and front door in Passion Purple, all from Dutch Boy.
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3. Flirty Burgundy
If the previous two examples left you cold, here’s a decidedly warmer palette that is still colorful and bold. This super-saturated burgundy hue on the house provides the perfect contrasting backdrop to the greens in the landscaping.
Jennifer Ott Design
With such a dark siding color, it’s nice to offset it with the glimpse of fun and flirty coral pink tones on the door and porch ceiling. In large doses these two hues might be too much, but used in small, somewhat hidden bits here, it’s a delightful dash of color. Plenty of warm white for all of the trim keeps the vibe happy and bright.
Get the look: Siding in Ancient Burgundy, trim in Du Jour, porch ceiling in Warm Pink and front door in Poppy Field, all from Valspar.
4. Blue-Gray With a Teal Twist
Here’s another “gray” option for the siding, but this time it’s a soft blue-green gray, not too dissimilar from the original siding color. Here we paired it with a handsome darker accent color for the columns.
Jennifer Ott Design
Between the siding, column and trim colors it’s a tasteful neutral palette, and therefore the perfect canvas for a vibrant hue on the front door. The tropical blue-green door gives the house an I’m-vacationing-on-the-water vibe. This is a great palette for those seeking a calm, cool and relaxed look for their house.
Get the look: Siding in Tradewind, columns in Riverway, trim and porch ceiling in Snowbound and front door in Tantalizing Teal, all from Sherwin-Williams.
Read more stories on exterior color palette options
Jennifer Ott Design
5. Trimmed in Deep Green
We couldn’t let the siding or the front door get all the fun-color treatment. If you have beautiful windows that you want to stand out, clad them in a fetching color, such as this herbaceous green. Rather than fight with the bolder window color, the siding is tinted a super neutral taupe.
Jennifer Ott Design
Here the porch ceiling gets a fun dose of pistachio, but you could also go with the warm white used on the columns if you prefer a more toned-down palette.
Get the look: Siding in Rockport Gray, columns in Icicle, porch ceiling in Light Pistachio and trim and front door in Sweet Basil, all from Benjamin Moore.
Your turn: Do you have a favorite here or do you prefer the original? What other color schemes would you like to see? Tell us in the Comments.
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