08 Mar Black & White Exterior Colour Schemes: Tips & Traps
Should you paint your house black or charcoal? It’s a very stylish look that makes a statement, especially in a sea of light neutral houses, and we think the trend will continue. How do you make black & white exterior colour schemes a success? Here’s our thoughts.
1. Pair with crisp white on weatherboard houses
At Signature Painters, we absolutely love weatherboard houses. They lend themselves so well to the whole range of exterior colours, including the darker shades. Moody dark grey works well as a main weatherboard colour with a crisp white on trims, windows and features. This simple monochrome scheme is classic yet thoroughly modern and high-impact. It especially suits Queenslanders and heritage style homes as the strong contrast makes architectural details pop and highlights different substrates.
2. Team with green gardens and textured materials
Black is a good backdrop for green. In a garden or against natural surroundings, the facades of black houses recede and focus your attention on the green foliage, making plantings appear lusher. Black also contrasts well with many other materials, textures and hues, allowing the home to sit comfortably in its surroundings.
3. Accent with bold colours or rustic accessories
Black and white exterior colour schemes look sleek and contemporary when combined with a strong modern accent colour, like yellow, for doors or pots. However, you can also soften it to create a fabulous relaxed country style scheme with rustic materials, rattan pieces and weathered pots.
4. Choose the right ‘black’ and ‘white’
Choosing black and white colours may sound easy, but you need to make sure you view them together outside and identify their undertones. Some whites can appear creamy, while blacks may have a blue or red undertone that’s only noticeable when the colour is applied to large external walls. Colour consultants are trained to identify undertones and choose the best colour combinations, and Signature Painters offer a complementary colour consult with every full exterior repaint.
5. Consider climate and aspect
Black paint absorbs more light and heat than white paint. A light-coloured house typically keeps indoor temperatures cooler in hot summer months and the paintwork lasts longer, so this should be a consideration in Queensland. If your house has a west-facing aspect, dark colours may not be for you.
6. Use premium products
Black houses are more prone to fading and blistering, however you can mitigate this by choosing the right premium paint and by thorough preparation before painting. It’s also important to take note of the manufacturer’s recommendations as black paint is not suitable for some substrates.
7. Hire a professional painter
Black can be unforgiving and will accentuate any flaw, chip or gouge on an exterior wall so surfaces need to be especially well prepped. High contrast black and white colour schemes call for a professional painter with high attention-to-detail for both preparation and precision painting where dark and light colours meet.
Prefer a safer black and white colour exterior scheme?
Many homeowners prefer to adopt a less dramatic version of a black and white exterior colour scheme, by teaming classic white weatherboards with black accents. For a truly timeless and classic look, it’s hard to go past white for the main colour, with a black shade to highlight rails, gutters and architectural features. Black accents also serve to sculpt the house and make the understory recede.
Expert painting is a must
A black and white exterior colour scheme is definitely not a job for a homeowner or cheap painter. It is best left to the pros with the training, knowledge, experience and equipment to carry out a professional and long-lasting job.
Remember, the biggest part of painting is the preparation. Attempting to paint your own home or using a cheap contractor may actually COST you more in the long run, instead of SAVING you money.
Note that Signature Painters are QBCC Insured, Dulux Accredited, a Master Painters Association member and a heritage painting Award Winner. Take a look at the beautiful black and white houses we have painted at Clayfield, Tarragindi and Ashgrove, then call the team at Signature Painters to get a free quote.
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