Exterior Paint Colors, Specifically for Row Houses

I have met people who would rather MOVE than repaint the outside of their row house. As a realtor, I have heard it more times than I can count, "We have been meaning to paint but just couldn't decide on a color." Picking exterior paint colors can be paralyzing! So, I thought I would share some of The JLC Team's tried and true, before and after, row house exterior paint combinations.

Porch Front

Before

AFTER

To create this sophisticated look, we used all Benjamin Moore Colors:  Chelsea Gray HC-168 (flat) for the body of the house, Edgecomb Gray HC-173 (eggshell) for the trim, Wrought Iron 2124-10 (flat) for the slate roof, and Sulfur Yellow 2151-40 (semigloss) for the front door. The windows themselves are brown vinyl and Chelsea gray works well with browns since it is an earthy gray. It is also a great color to use if you have lots of vegetation surrounding your home. Note, that the base of the columns was originally natural brick. This distracted from the overall look. It creates a much more cohesive abode if the columns are painted the same color as the body of the house.

Petite Victorian

BEFORE

After

This Sweet Victorian had quite a face lift! The body of the house, brick, was painted Sherwin Williams Classic French Gray SW-0077 (flat), the trim Sherwin Williams White Heron SW-7627 (eggshell), and the front doors Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue HC-143 (satin). The windows are a pure white factory finish. I rarely ever recommend pure white trim, it usually comes off looking harsh on an exterior. 

Grand Victorian

Before

After

Choosing row house exterior colors is often complicated by the fact that these homes are connected to other houses, so, it is important that the colors compliment one another. In the case of the Grand Dame above, the house is flanked by dark red homes therefore, a lighter hue seemed a natural choice. We picked Benjamin Moore's Bone Black CW-715 (flat) for the brick, White Dove OC-17 (eggshell) for the mullions above and below the windows and the roof line trim, Wrought Iron 2124-10 (eggshell) for the trim, and Wrought Iron 2124-10 (satin) for the front door.

Stucco Farmhouse

BEFORE

After

The style and materials a house is built with also influence color choices. I have always admired this charming Capitol Hill Farmhouse. It has a pebble dash stucco exterior. However, the stucco made the color selection a little tricky. We tried several darker colors (I really had hoped a blue would work) however, none of them looked quite right. So, we returned to one of our favorites, Benjamin Moore's Bone Black CW-715 (flat) for the stucco, White Dove OC-17 (eggshell) for the trim, Woodlawn Blue HC-147 (flat) for the porch ceiling, and Moroccan Spice AF-285 (semi-gloss) for the front door