Exotic

Spanish Colonial. The dark tile roof is prominent. Painting the house's body a dark color will only make the house look smaller, so stay light. Look to the desert Southwest for color ideas. This house's courtyard fence is accented with a deeper color. Accent fence, steps, or path structures near the house front because they become part of the landscaping. Don't highlight fences that surround your yard.

Georgian Colonial. This large house can tolerate a deep body color. Although the average house usually takes three colors, this colonial tolerates four because of the presence of decorative architectural detail. This color combination reflects historically correct colors with a contemporary edge. If you want the house historically accurate, you'll probably need to custom-mix colors based on your research. If you want just a hint of historical, look for premixed colors similar to historical colors.

Suburban Eclectic. Unify this choppy design by sticking to neutrals. Use a deeper neutral on the body and a slightly lighter neutral for the trim. Blend the prominent garage in with the body, and save your deepest color for the front door. Neutrals are also a sophisticated choice for a home that is obviously large and expensive.

Art Deco. This house style is usually set in warmer regions where it's OK to use bright colors. Painting the body a light neutral allows the brighter colors to accent architectural details, such as the stripes, window trim, porch railing, and bay window. If you painted this house in all neutrals, it would look like a big drab blob.