Oh, I forgot to say that the dark blue would be the main color.

Oh, I forgot to say that the dark blue would be the main color.

How many dark blue houses have you seen? Not many, if any, and there's a reason for that.

A dark blue is going to fade a lot faster than a gray blue or a light blue. Which is why most blue houses are some flavor of gray with an edge of blue, or a blue-gray, or some version of a medium or light blue. Those colors of blue will last a whole lot longer than a dark blue.

So blue per se is an issue, but so is the factor of "dark". Dark anything exterior collects energy from sunlight and that energy ends up as heat. Essentially dark colors cook in the sun. The color cooks and whatever the color is applied to cooks. Lighter colors applied exterior lend a longer life to exterior products because lighter reflects that energy and allays roasting in the elements.

It can be surprising to learn that you can't color however you want to exterior. The truth is that only a percentage of the colors at the paint store can go outside. Not many people know that or think of that when they are choosing colors. It sucks when you are far along in the choosing and sampling process and have your heart set on a color scheme and then learn that your pretty palette is pretty but not functional exterior.

If you were my client and truly had your heart set on a dark blue exterior we would do this:

We would come to the conclusion that BenM's Aura Exterior is the best product for this project. We would chose a dark blue, like BenM's Hale Navy, and have it mixed in Aura. Aura is 100% acrylic as are its colorants. That makes a difference because 'regular' paint uses glycol colorants. Factors of the glycol colorants in combination with the colors (or pigments) needed to mix a dark blue, and the amount of colorant needed all combine to make dark blue unstable for exterior use.

Aura Exterior could be a solution because its colorants are 100% acrylic. Not glycol. That will help with stability (fading) exterior.

The only way I'd paint the body of an exterior a dark blue would be using Aura Exterior paint. There are ready-mixed blues that can go outside, but I'm pretty sure all of them are high gloss. High gloss with the intent of their being used on small areas like doors or shutters.

I can virtually color-style the house for you. Need to know if you still want the body dark blue? Give me some time to get it done. I never forget when I commit here, it's just I'm not always super quick.

Thank you so much for that information! I had no idea!
I do love the darker hues, but had considered a gray instead. I'm just not sure now! Do you have any suggestions for a substitute that would coordinate with the other choices? Perhaps the lighter blue as the main color? Would it be possible to pull in the darker blue on some of the trim without it looking out of place? I want to maintain that bright green somewhere in the look.

I appreciate the input so much! I seem to be able to follow my intuition on the interior and have it turn out, but I'm pretty lost on the exterior.

If you wanted dark blue, you should do some more homework. Find two or three 'real' paint stores close by. Ideally one will be a Ben Moore store for the Aura idea. Go talk to the manager or the colorist/tinter. Get their opinions too. They may have more to contribute, suggest other options.

A dark blue house is more feasible today than it was two years ago. If you are comfortable with and understand what you'd be signing up for with a dark blue house, I think it could totally be fun, stunning, tasteful and unique. I'd SO want to do it.

Don't discard the idea. Just look into it more.

The pic you posted won't enlarge. I can't make a virtual out of that size pic I need something larger. We'll get a couple different color schemes up.

Here's a house that is somewhat, kinda similar to yours. This one started out pink and they wanted it to stay pink. Point is your current colors aren't bad, the previous owners just didn't know what to do with 'em.

Oh yes, I agree about the house color, I'm just baffled by the placement. I'm not really a pink person, but it has been fun for the past 8 years to say, "we're in the pink house" and everyone always says how much they love it. The retro kitchen is also pink.

I will think further on the color. If it's not too time consuming for you, I think I'd still like to see the dark blue as the main color. My second choice would be the aqua (medium) color.
Please let me know if I can pay your for your time, as this is something I've wanted to see for a long time now.

Please let me know if I can pay your for your time

Absolutely not. My forum time is my forum time and anything outside of this is COMPLETELY separate. I never mix business with pleasure. A surprising number of the people who hire me out there in the real world aren't the DIY types in any way shape or form. Sometimes I do try to explain or direct them to a thread that might be helpful, but they have no clue what it means when I tell them I'm funcolors; they don't do the forum thing looking for help and information and have no idea worlds like this forum exist. It's weird -- like dual realities.

But it was nice of you to mention it. âº

Multiple colors aren't a big issue.

I just need a better picture to paint if you've got one. The one on flickr is too small. Nice shot, just too small.

What is your title, funcolors?

In other words, what type of professional does one hire to help choose exterior colors?

Architectural Color Consultants or Color Consultants. I use the title Color Strategist because I can. No one else wants to call themselves a Color Strategist or use the term Color Strategy because it just drives traffic to sites they don't own.

Color Specialist has kinda caught on since I did an interview on the blog Colour Me Happy -- I'm seeing that title out and about in color world for the first time ever; some people have switched to Color Specialist from Color Expert.

Color Expert as a title is a long story. In certain circles it's viewed as tainted, watered-down, obsolete. It used to mean something, and in regard to a select, very few individuals it does apply. Of that select, very few most of them are dead or they are the more experienced and widely respected and proven individuals in Color World.

Thing is anyone can call themselves a Color Expert if they want to -- and that's the problem. It's not a term or a title consumers or industry can just automatically trust any more. When you see "Color Expert" you should be suspicious and ask a lot of questions about valid experience and real qualifications.

Just like everything else, if there's a possibility to make a buck, there will be shady individuals in there looking to see how they can ride the coattails of those who did the work and just fake their own 'expertise', scam, and take advantage of the naive and unsuspecting.

But not everyone is shady. There's also the percentage who THINK they are color experts. Maybe in their own mind they are. What I know for sure is if they get out there in Color World very much, it's only a matter of time before the reality of color catches up and causes them to reevaluate what it is they thought "Color Expert" meant -- and that's one heck of an Aha! moment I don't wish on anyone.

Thanks, funcolors. I will look for such a person around here.