Do you want your home to stand out and create an outstanding impact in your neighborhood? Choosing the right home color is one way to achieve this.
If you’ve chosen to install James Hardie® fiber cement siding from an Elite Preferred contractor like our team at American Home Contractors, then the next step is choosing the right colors for your exterior to elevate its look.
Different Types of James Hardie Siding Colors
James Hardie offers two color options for its siding materials. The boards come either pre-primed or coated in the company’s patented ColorPlus® Technology. Preprimed boards’ advantage is that you can choose virtually any color of paint to apply to the boards. However, ColorPlus boards have outstanding benefits that keep your home looking fresh for years.
These ready-to-install siding planks also boast a wide array of color options to match your desired home aesthetic. James Hardie selected specific colors to match popular trends in home design and has curated their ColorPlus boards to flow perfectly with HardieTrim® and HardieSoffit® colors.
Have a James Hardie siding replacement contractor install your ColorPlus boards for the best results possible.
Let the Color Wheel Guide You
We begin learning colors in elementary school. Little did you know, this is the start of choosing the right home color. It takes something as simple as what you learned as a kid, coupled with an understanding of the color wheel, to give your home an elevated feel. Here are some color schemes to consider.
- Analogous— This color scheme pulls from colors that appear next to one another on the color wheel, such as green mixed with blue.
- Complementary— Colors in this scheme should complement one another, meaning they appear directly across from one another on the wheel.
- Split Complementary— Split complementary is a great option for homes as it follows the rule of threes. The main color is coupled with the colors directly adjacent to its complementary color, creating a triangle on the color wheel.
- Monochromatic— For a more simplistic home feel, the monochromatic color scheme chooses three tones of the same color.
- Triadic Colors— The color triad also follows the rule of three and selects three colors that are equidistant from one another on the color wheel.
Use Light Colors to Enhance and Dark Colors to Hide
There are going to be features of your exteriors that you want to accentuate and portions you want to hide. Light attracts the eye and draws whatever it covers forward. Lighter colors should therefore be used on items you wish to accentuate such as trim, gables, shutters, or interesting architectural features.
Utilizing dark colors helps to push items into the background and hide what you may not want to stand out. However, a dark color does not indicate you dislike what it is covering. You might use a striking darker tone to help elevate and accentuate the lighter-colored portions of your home by providing a beautiful base.
Understand and Implement the Proper Undertones
Every color possesses an undertone that will make the color warm, cool, or neutral. These undertones often get overlooked during color selections, which is why colors that seem like they should flow together end up clashing. The masstone of a color is the portion of the color that clearly defines it. It’s what makes a blue a blue and what makes a green a green. Undertones are the most dominant underlying color comprising the masstone.
Pay close attention to undertones and keep them consistent for the best flow of color.
- Cool tones have an underlying blue, red, or pink.
- Warm tones contain underlying yellow or golden hues.
- Neutrals tend to be a combination of these underlying colors.
If you find a siding color that contains red undertones, keep your color selections consistent by selecting trim with pink or red undertones.
Seek Inspiration
Sometimes, getting the perfect color selection for your home just right takes finding the right starting point. You can seek color inspiration from a variety of places.
Environment
Where is your home located? Your surroundings can provide the perfect inspiration for your color selection. If your home is situated in a neighborhood with large trees, pull from the natural landscape. If your home is closer to a more urban area, draw from the more modern aspects of the surrounding city. Choose colors that will complement your environment.
Architecture
Seek inspiration from your home itself. The very style or age of your home may lend to a specific color palette. If you live in a craftsman, maintain the muted, more earthy tones of that style. If you live in a new building, more modern and clean colors may be a good match.
Pictures
Magazines, Google searches, your James Hardie siding contractor’s website, or social media pages can all have pictures boasting houses with carefully curated colors. Draw inspiration from the images you like to help you make the right color selections.
Neighboring Homes
Pull from the homes in your neighborhood. Working with the existing color palette to complement the houses near you. They can also be a great inspiration for colors that work in your setting.
Climate
The New Jersey climate should be a consideration for your color selection. Remember that sunlight makes colors appear brighter. Dust can be hidden with certain lighter colors, while dirt and mud are better hidden by dark colors, so consider what your home may need.
Keep Your Siding Color Looking Its Best with James Hardie Siding
Once you find that perfect color combination for the exterior of your home, you want it to continue with the same impact and vibrancy for years. Our team of James Hardie Elite Preferred contractors will not only help you install the lasting and durable James Hardie Siding, but our team can aid you in selecting colors that will make all the difference.
As a siding replacement contractor, we have invested our time to become certified in installing James Hardie products to bring your home only the best. Let us help you create a detailed plan for your exterior. Contact us for a free inspection and quote.