Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Inspiration Newsletter

How to Coordinate Colors for your Outdoor Home

Posted: 01 May 2011 07:04 AM PDT

If you are challenged in choosing exterior colors for your home, join everyone else who thinks the same as you do! Unlike your interiors that depend on your mood, furnishings, and adjacent finishes, your outdoor home has many factors to consider as well. Factors like adjacent neighboring homes, natural habitat and surroundings, can be a challenge when trying to coordinate colors and choosing trim, accent and main colors for your home. While paint manufacturer's and home improvement web sites may be helpful, don't overlook observing the existing environment for helping you coordinate exterior home colors.

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Draw inspiration from nature: Walk around your home and see what colors occur naturally around your home. A house located in the mountains with evergreen trees in the vicinity will be a different inspiration from a home that's situated on the beach with sand and water as the backdrop. Coordinate colors of your home to mimic nature, or to compliment it. Homes in the mountains do well with rustic tones of browns, deep burgundy, and greens. While homes near water do well with inspiring blues, sandy beiges and soft yellows. Get inspired by nature, it will never lead you astray when choosing coordinating colors.

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Get help from professionals: Depending on where you live, local paint manufacturer's and exterior home designers can help you choose the perfect mix of colors for your exterior home. Most manufacturers websites will feature paint combination’s for your main home, accent colors for shutters, and trim, and even suggestions for color families that will coordinate well with the colors that you may or may not like. Decide if you want your exterior home to match in the same color families as your neighbors, or if you want to be a rebel and go totally opposite!
Visit other neighborhoods: While you can get inspiration from your own backyard you can also get inspiration from visiting different neighborhoods, vacationing and searching the internet for inspiring exterior color combination’s. If you see a home you like, and you can talk to the owner, ask them what coordinating color combination’s they used. Many homeowners use resources from architects and designers that are pre-selected and are featured in designer lines and features. While some people come up with coordinating colors from their 'eye' of good home inspiration.

house color pink How to Coordinate Colors for your Outdoor Home

Color your home with what YOU love: Whether you like the color of the setting sun or you enjoy the blue of a perfect cloudless day, color your home with inspiration from your life. Many of us get caught up in the latest trends from designers or what your neighbors are doing, instead, be original and love your home. Exterior colors should reflect your own personal style, and make you feel good every time you pull into your driveway. When coordinating your exterior colors, also consider coordinating them with your life!

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Whether you are building a home, or have decided to change the exterior colors on your 100 year-old home, coordinating exterior colors should be enjoyable and purposeful. Ask your family members and friends for help if you are having troubles deciding. Visit your local home improvement store and ask for trial size paint quantities in the shades you are considering. Go home, and paint a small area on your exterior home, and let dry, and observe the different shades. This will help you decide before you make a commitment. Go ahead, be bold and feel confident now in picking out your coordinating colors for your exterior home.

Freshome readers do you find it a challenge to choose exterior colors? Do you have any suggestions for those that do?

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Waterfront Living: Fantastic Seaside Home in Sweden

Posted: 01 May 2011 12:53 AM PDT

waterfront homet18 Waterfront Living: Fantastic Seaside Home in Sweden

Welcome to an incredible waterfront home that takes in the beauty and peacefulness of the nature reserve it neighbors. Found on Skeppsholmen, the project consists of an imposing building which serves as the main living area and two other small constructions. The main building offers a stunning kitchen with wood furnishings, marble countertops and a breathtaking fireplace. Dining takes place in the glass veranda with spectacular views over the water. Two living rooms, up to six bedrooms, three lavish bathrooms and a dressing room make up the main residence, a perfect place for family gatherings. To top it all, there is a lovely pier on the property and a fascinating lighthouse for a genuine near-water experience. Have a look at the photos below and raise your hand if you are a fan of living in waterfront homes.

waterfront homet17 Waterfront Living: Fantastic Seaside Home in Sweden