A good exterior colour scheme for an Auckland house usually has three parts: a main colour for the weatherboards or cladding, a contrasting colour for trims, windows and fascias, and an accent for the front door. Let the style of the house lead. A heritage villa in Grey Lynn suits a different scheme from a 1970s brick and tile or a new build in Hobsonville. Before you choose, check two things: whether your cladding maker limits how dark you can go, and how the colours look on your own wall in Auckland's strong light. Your painter quotes the job once you've chosen, as part of exterior house painting.
How do you choose an exterior colour scheme?
Start with what you can't change: the roof, the brick or stonework, the joinery and the landscape. Pick a main colour that works with those, a trim colour that is clearly lighter or darker, and a front door colour as the one accent. Look at the house's age and style, and at the street. Then test the colours on the actual walls before deciding.
A simple way to build it:
- Fixed elements first. Note the colour of the roof, any brick and the window frames.
- Main colour for the largest area, the cladding.
- Trim colour for fascias, barge boards, window facings and corner boards.
- Accent for the front door, used once.
- Test all three together, outside, at different times of day.
Resene's guidance is to try your selections with testpots or A4 drawdown swatches before you buy the paint. Its A4 drawdowns are screen-printed samples, and testpots are 60 ml sample pots.
What colours suit a heritage villa or bungalow?
Heritage villas and bungalows usually suit schemes that respect their age and detail: a main colour on the weatherboards, a different colour picking out the trims and fretwork, and a strong front door. Many owners choose heritage-style colours, while others go modern with a single colour on boards and trim. The detail on a villa is what makes a two-tone scheme work.
If your house is in one of Auckland's special character areas, the Auckland Unitary Plan has its own rules for changes to the outside of the house. Check with Auckland Council before major exterior work. Painting a heritage home also usually means dealing with old lead-based paint, so read lead paint on heritage homes before anyone starts scraping.
Can you paint a house a dark colour in New Zealand?
Yes, but dark colours absorb much more heat, which can make timber move, paint fail sooner and some claddings move. Resene recommends care with dark colours on old previously painted timber and in exposed spots. Its CoolColour technology makes dark shades reflect more heat. Many cladding makers set a limit on how dark a colour can be on their product, so check before you choose.
The limit is usually given as a light reflectance value, or LRV: how much light a colour reflects, from 0 for black to 100 for white. Resene points out that LRV only describes how a colour looks, not how hot it gets. It says most councils and cladding suppliers accept its alternative heat reflectance figures for CoolColour shades. Ask your painter or the cladding supplier for the limit on your house.
Which white is right for the outside of a house?
The right white depends on your light and the colours around it. Bright, cool whites can look glaring in Auckland's strong sun, while warmer whites and off-whites look softer against timber, brick and planting. Whites with a hint of grey, beige or green suit different roofs and gardens. Test two or three whites side by side on your wall, in sun and in shade.
White and off-white trims also help a darker main colour stand out, and light colours keep the timber cooler.
What colours make a house look more expensive?
The schemes that tend to look most expensive are the simplest: one main colour, a well-chosen trim, and a front door that stands out, all suited to the style of the house. Deep, muted colours with crisp trim, or soft whites with a dark front door, tend to look considered. What looks cheap is usually poor preparation, patchy coverage or too many colours.
Where can you get help choosing exterior colours?
Paint companies offer colour help. Resene runs colour consultations covering an interior or an exterior scheme, either in a ColorShop or as a visit to your house, and offers a free virtual consultation where no consultant is available nearby. Fees vary by location. Your painter can also show you how colours have looked on similar houses and talk you through what suits your cladding.
Frequently asked questions
What colour is not recommended for the outside of a house?
Very dark colours are the ones to be careful with, especially on old painted timber, in exposed spots and on claddings whose makers set a darkness limit. They absorb more heat, which can shorten the life of the paint and stress the timber. Resene's CoolColour versions of dark shades reflect more heat. Check with your cladding supplier before you choose.
What is the hardest colour to paint over?
Strong, dark and bright colours are the hardest to cover with a light colour, and often need a primer or an extra coat. A dark-to-light change is one of the things that adds to a painter's quote. Tell the painter the current colour and the new one when you ask for a price, so the extra coat is included.
What two colours look good together on a house?
A main colour and a trim colour that are clearly different in lightness usually work best: a mid or dark main colour with a white or off-white trim, or a light main colour with a dark trim. Pick both to suit the roof and any brick. Add a single accent for the front door. Always test them together on the wall.
Do I need consent to change my house colour in Auckland?
It depends on the property. Houses in special character areas or with heritage protection can have extra rules for changes to their outside, under the Auckland Unitary Plan. If your property has one of these overlays, check with Auckland Council before you change the colours or the outside of the house. If you're not sure, look up your address on the council's GeoMaps viewer, or call the council helpline on 09 301 0101.