Our Relocatable Reno requires a full transformation when it comes to the exterior colour. The project list includes a new roof, repainting the house’s exterior, new baseboards, new front entrance, new fence and new deck. This means we can decide on every colour for every exterior surface!

After spending time with the expert paint team from Guthrie Bowron, we created our exterior colour scheme:

• Weatherboards: Berger Solarscreen Semi Gloss in Moongod
• Roof and Gutter: COLORSTEEL® Gull Grey
• Windows and Doors: DULUX Aquanamel Gloss in Okarito
• Fence and baseboards: COLORSTEEL® Grey Friars DULUX Timbacryl
• Deck and Entrance: Cabot's Aquadeck in New Rustic Oak
• Railings: Berger Solarscreen Timber Low Sheen in White

There aren’t set guidelines when it comes to exterior colour scheming, because there is so much variation in the exterior makeup of individual houses. For example, consider the street that you live on, even if most of the neighbourhood has villas, you will see variations in roof lines, entrance ways, some will have verandas or sunrooms. There are differences with fretwork, decorative mouldings, baseboards and the front doors. Not to mention the roof itself and fencing around the property. When you approach exterior colour scheming, it is important to understand there are a lot of colour options and many colour schemes will work well for your exterior. With that said - here are a few suggestions to help you with your exterior colour scheming.

Start by walking the street that you live on, not just to get inspiration, but also because your colour scheming will impact the houses around you. If all the houses in the street have a similar colour scheme, I would highly recommend doing the same. If every house on the street is different, I would recommend ensuring your house is unique and not matching your next door neighbour.

Consider what colours in your exterior you won’t be changing, for example your roof and joinery, as you need to work within the hues of the colours you already have. Identify the colours you will keep and make sure they are considered as you colour scheme.

Take photographs of your property and talk to a colour expert at Guthrie Bowron. They can help you select a few colours to do a sample test on your exterior. Paint 2 coats of the sample colours on either some spare weatherboards or a large piece of plyboard, hold it up to various places in your exterior throughout the day to see how the colour looks. My approach to making a decision from samples is to go with the colour you are drawn to first.

Painting your exterior is a long-term colour commitment, so deciding on a colour scheme you love that won’t date as colour trends change is important. Browse through images for inspiration, seek advice, spend plenty of time with sample colours and remember first impressions last, so make a good one with the exterior of your house.