Southern Living: How to Choose the Right Siding and Trim Color Combination, According to Experts

Practical tips and professional advice to help you pick the perfect siding and trim color combo. By Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin for Southern Living Magazine.

How to Choose the Right Siding and Trim Color Combination, According to Experts

A firm handshake and a timely arrival. A well-turned out appearance. A thoughtful host gift or a prompt thank-you note. Confidence or a kind smile. There are lots of ways for a person to make a good first impression. But when it comes to the initial impact of your home, one of the easiest ways to generate curb appeal is the right paint color for your home’s siding. An exterior paint job or a complete siding overhaul is a big investment, though, which often turns a seemingly simple decision into a surprisingly tricky one. Even after you’ve settled on a siding color, you still have to consider the trim, which depending on your approach can drastically alter the overall aesthetic of your home.

Do you match your siding for a cleaner, elegant look? Do you stay within the same color family and paint the trim just a shade or two lighter or darker than the siding? Or perhaps a dose of high contrast is in order?

The possible siding-trim combinations are exponential (even the good ones), but you can avoid paralysis by analysis with this practical, expert-driven guide to choosing the right siding and trim color combination for your home.

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Meet the Experts

Leigh Misso is the owner of River Brook Design & Construction in Birmingham, Alabama.

Kirsten Schoettelkotte is the studio director at MHK Architecture in Charleston, South Carolina.

Patti Wilbourne owns interior design firm, PWD Studio, in Charleston, South Carolina.

Popular Siding and Trim Color Combos

Once a siding palette or main exterior paint is decided upon, there are three common approaches designers and architects often take toward trim color selection–matching, tonal, and high contrast. Explore all three approaches as well as popular color combinations in each category.

Match Your Trim And Siding

Sometimes less really is more and matching your trim to your siding can create a clean yet sophisticated look.

“Matching also feels more timeless to me,” says Patti Wilbourne of PWD Studio in Charleston, South Carolina. “I sometimes feel like the contrast between the siding and the trim, depending on the combo, can date your home.”

Expert-Approved Classic Whites

Leigh Misso (River Brook Design & Construction): ‍

Siding/Trim: Benjamin Moore White Dove, OC-17

^{To add contrast, try the shutters in}^{Benjamin Moore Pale Oak, OC-20}

Patti Wilbourne (PWD Studio):‍

Siding/Trim: Farrow & Ball All White, No. 2005‍

^{To add contrast, try the shutters at 50%}^{Benjamin Moore Mopboard Black, CW-680}‍

Siding/Trim: Sherwin-Williams Alabaster, SW 7008

Kirsten Schoettelkotte (MHK Architecture):

Siding/Trim: Sherwin-Williams Origami White, SW 7636

Siding/Trim: Sherwin-Williams Oyster White, SW 7637

Expert-Approved Dramatic Grays and Dark Blues

Kirsten Schoettelkotte (MHK Architecture): ‍

Siding/Trim: Sherwin-Williams Porpoise, SW 7047

Siding/Trim: Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore, SW 7069

Patti Wilbourne (PWD Studio):

Siding/Trim: Sherwin-Williams Needlepoint Navy, SW 0032

Expert-Approved Soft Grays

Patti Wilbourne (PWD Studio):

Siding: NuCedar shake in Intellectual Gray

Trim: Sherwin-Williams Intellectual Gray, SW 7045some text

^{Pro tip: Bronze windows and copper accents pair nicely.}

Opt For A Tonal Look

Adding just a touch of contrast to your home’s exterior by choosing siding and trim combos that are a few shades lighter or darker than each other or within the same color family allows you to subtly highlight your home’s unique architectural elements without committing to a more dramatic look that you might not love a decade from now.

Expert-Approved Classic Whites

Kirsten Schoettelkotte (MHK Architecture):

Siding: Sherwin-Williams Alabaster, SW 7008‍

Trim: Sherwin-Williams Egret White, SW 7570

Expert-Approved Dramatic Grays and Dark Blues

Kirsten Schoettelkotte (MHK Architecture):

Siding: Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore, SW 7069

Trim: Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black, SW 6258

Patti Wilbourne (PWD Studio):

Siding: Sherwin-Williams Porpoise, SW 7047

Trim: Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze, SW 7048

^{Pro tip: Copper accents, like the gutters, pair well.}

Siding: Sherwin-Williams Needlepoint Navy, SW 0032

Trim: 50% Sherwin Williams Needlepoint Navy, SW 0032

Expert-Approved Soft Grays

Kirsten Schoettelkotte (MHK Architecture):

Siding: Sherwin-Williams Dovetail, SW 7018

Trim: Sherwin-Williams Dorian Gray, SW 7017

Siding: Sherwin-Williams Worldly Gray, SW 7043‍

Trim: Sherwin-Williams Pure White, SW 7005

Play With Contrast

If you aren’t afraid of a little drama, dialing up the contrast between your trim and siding paint colors is an easy way to highlight your home’s best architectural features.