The Best Exterior Paint Colors, According To Designers

To find the best exterior paint colors, we asked the experts—Southern interior designers. And it came as no surprise that creamy whites and refreshing shades of green dominated their picks...there's just something about a classic white farmhouse or cozy cottage that will never go out of style.

Whether you're looking to repaint your entire home, tired of a red brick exterior, or just want to touch up the details to boost your curb appeal, designers say you can't go wrong with these 17 paint colors. From white and green to almost black and pale pink, these are the best exterior paint colors according to designers.

For The Just-Right White

“My advice with painting a white house is to go creamier than you think because lighting plays such a huge role in it,” says Houston, Texas, designer Lila Malone of Lila Malone Interiors. For white exterior paint, Malone’s go-tos are Sherwin-Williams’ Shoji White (SW 7042), Sherwin-Williams’ Alabaster (SW 7008), and Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace OC-65. 

“For a house with a lot of shade, you can go with a little bit of a brighter white, but if it’s going to be completely sun facing, it can look like primer really fast. You want to make sure you have enough creamy or gray undertones to keep it really soothing and not too stark white or looking too builder-grade,” she says.

Benjamin Moore’s Edgecomb Gray HC-173

“I always use Edgecomb Gray for off-white brick,” says Bambi A’Lynn Bratton of Bambi A’Lynn Interior Design in Austin, Texas. “It is the most beautiful combination of warm greige—everyone who sees it stops to ask about the color.”

Benjamin Moore’s Timid White OC-39 

For a creamy off-white, try this designer favorite. “It’s the perfect warm white color,” says Bratton, who often uses it for stucco facades. 

Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee, OC-45

“If it’s going to be white, I love Swiss Coffee,” says Birmingham based designer Mackin Thompson of Mackin Thompson Interiors. “I think ultimately, if someone is going to paint their house they typically choose white because it’s easy.”

Farrow & Ball’s All White, No. 2005

If you’re looking for a pure white, this is the shade for you. “This is the best for a true ‘white white’ house exterior,” says Bratton.

Benjamin Moore’s White Dove OC-17

This designer go-to is not only a top choice for the exterior, but also often used throughout the interior of homes. “It’s great for a softer white house,” says Bratton of the classic.

Behr’s Tibitan Jasmine M310-1

“My favorite white for exterior is Tibitan Jasmine. It is the perfect warm white that doesn't skew yellow, gray or blue in different natural light,” says Atlanta designer Mallory Mathison of Mallory Mathison Inc., who painted her own home with the hue. “It’s the color that Ralph Lauren paints the inside of most of his retail stores and it evokes a sense of familiarity and warmth, but also recedes and does not compete with other colors, materials, or architectural elements.”

For A Pop of Green

Farrow & Ball’s Calke Green, No. 34

“This is a color that I go back to again and again,” says Mathison, who used it on the home seen above. “It is fresh, crisp, timeless, and looks beautiful with exteriors clad in warm white paint on brick or siding, most natural brick, or with a pale straw yellow.”

Farrow & Ball’s Bancha, No. 298

“I think if you’re going to have a white house, having color in the shutters is a good way to make it a little different,” says Thompson. “Adding a big pop in the shutters with something like Bancha helps put your personality into it. It’s a really pretty green.”

Farrow & Ball’s Castle Gray, No. 92

“For shutters and exterior doors, this a classic and remarkably interesting color,” says Mathison. “It's that elusive green-gray, slate blue color that depending on the light and surrounding colors can feel historic or contemporary.”

Benjamin Moore’s Essex Green HC-188

“I love exterior colors that tie into the landscape, so my favorite and most used exterior color is Benjamin Moore’s Essex Green,” says Kentucky designer Isabel Ladd of Isabel Ladd Interiors. “ I used it for the siding at my cabana (seen below) because it feels like it's part of the surroundings, and further sets the tone for outdoor living.”

For Almost-Black Accents

Benjamin Moore’s Black Forest Green HC-187

Ladd is also drawn to this shade that is slightly deeper than Essex Green and used it on the trim (seen above) to highlight the details. “It doesn't compete with the landscape,” she notes. 

Benjamin Moore’s Waller Green CW-510

Meet the do-it-all-green. “Benjamin Moore’s Waller Green is the perfect shade of dark green for exterior accents like shutters or a front door,” says Atlanta-based interior designer Laura Jenkins. “It is dark enough to look black at first glance, but in the sunlight it gives off the perfect green tint. Think of it as that classic ‘Charleston Green’ color that looks great with white, yellow, or really any great base color."

Fine Paints of Europe’s Hollandlac Brilliant 98 in Black 0029 

Bratton suggests this high-performance paint for dark exterior accents, especially black doors. “It is a tried and true black with the most pristine lacquer finish,” she says.

For An Unexpected Burst of Color

Sherwin-Williams’ Nearly Peach (SW 6336)

A hint of pink might not suit every home exterior, but if you’re looking for something a little out-of-the-box (whether for the siding or just accents), Thompson recommends this cheerful hue. “If I had a cute, cottage-y house that could pull it off, I would paint the whole thing Nearly Peach with white shutters,” she says.