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How to choose an exterior colour scheme

When warmer weather approaches, why not turn your attention outside and make a change to your home’s exterior? Here are some helpful tips on how to choose a home colour combination to transform the exterior of your home.

Hamptons style exterior home

Exterior

Mt Hikurangi

Mt Hikurangi is a beautiful delicate blue grey that is popular for exteriors. It is ideal when paired with a crisp white such as Ōkārito or St Clair Half and dark grey-blues such as Caroline Bay and Boulder Bay.

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Exterior
Mt Hikurangi
Trim
St Clair Quarter
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Mt Hikurangi is a beautiful delicate blue grey that is popular for exteriors. It is ideal when paired with a crisp white such as Ōkārito or St Clair Half and dark grey-blues such as Caroline Bay and Boulder Bay.
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Where to begin

Refresh your colour scheme or a tired paint job to take your home from drab to fab. The only question is — what colour will you choose?

When you pick your home’s exterior colour, don’t forget to consider an accent colour for the front door, letterbox and window frames, and a contrasting trim colour for eaves, pergolas, fretwork, railings, fascia and gutters.

It’s also important to think about the kind of surface you are painting. Natural materials like wood and clay in brown and terracotta hues are best suited to warmer tones. Whereas concrete materials in greys and blues are better suited to cooler tones.

Choose whether you want to go tonal, complementary or contrasting with help from our colour wheel or get some inspiration from our Popular Outdoor Schemes.

Bright Whites

A classic choice that’s perfect for coastal, suburban or city chic. A striking all-white exterior will keep your home looking fresh and elegant, and make it stand out amongst the crowd.

But which white is right? White paint colours have undertones, which you will notice when placed alongside other colours, surfaces or even the plants in your garden. It’s important to test your chosen white using either a sample pot or colour swatch, to make sure it appears as planned.

Exterior of the Three Birds Renovations home with white exterior

Exterior

Mt Aspiring Quarter

Mt Aspiring Quarter is a bright crisp white that is perfect for opening up a space and using on walls, windows and trims. It pairs well with Mt Aspiring as well as soft neutrals such as Ōpononi Half and Haast Half. Mt Aspiring Quarter is one of our most popular whites.

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Exterior
Mt Aspiring Quarter
Close
Mt Aspiring Quarter is a bright crisp white that is perfect for opening up a space and using on walls, windows and trims. It pairs well with Mt Aspiring as well as soft neutrals such as Ōpononi Half and Haast Half. Mt Aspiring Quarter is one of our most popular whites.
Image Credit: Three Birds Renovations
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Dark and bold

Be bold and daring and select a dark colour. Moody greys, blues and greens can help your home look regal and really make a statement. Moody greys, blues, reds and greens will help your home look solid, grounded and really make a statement. Try choosing a contrasting accent colour that pops for doors, windows and trims.

Dark exterior style house with Dulux Rāwene and Castlecliff colours and a green garden.

Exterior

Rāwene

Rāwene is a popular dark charcoal with a subtle bluish undertone. It works well as a contemporary feature colour on exteriors such as a front door. It can also be used as a dramatic interior colour such as in a bedroom, theatre room or studio space. It pairs perfectly with whites such as Mt Aspiring and Ōkārito as well as soft browns and grieges such as Ōpononi.

Weathershield® ColourGuard™ Rāwene

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Exterior
Rāwene
Exterior
Castlecliff
Close
Rāwene is a popular dark charcoal with a subtle bluish undertone. It works well as a contemporary feature colour on exteriors such as a front door. It can also be used as a dramatic interior colour such as in a bedroom, theatre room or studio space. It pairs perfectly with whites such as Mt Aspiring and Ōkārito as well as soft browns and grieges such as Ōpononi.
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Two Tone

If your home is built from different materials, is split over multiple levels or has some clear division lines, painting in two tones is a modern, fresh way to add colour. Whether it’s contrasting colours or a monochrome palette, two tones can cleverly shift focus and play with perspective.

A Two story home exterior built from multiple materials with a Two Tone colour scheme

Exterior

Castlecliff

The popular grey-green charcoal of Castlecliff makes it an ideal feature wall, accent colour or exterior house colour. It is a softer alternative to pure black and can be paired with soft greys such as Manorburn and Grey Lynn, crisp white Mt Aspiring Quarter and soft green Ngātaringa Bay.

Explore colour-->
Exterior
Castlecliff
Exterior
Rāwene
Exterior
Midhirst
Close
The popular grey-green charcoal of Castlecliff makes it an ideal feature wall, accent colour or exterior house colour. It is a softer alternative to pure black and can be paired with soft greys such as Manorburn and Grey Lynn, crisp white Mt Aspiring Quarter and soft green Ngātaringa Bay.
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Pop of colour

Add wow factor with bright hits of colour on specific architectural details like doors, pot plants and railings. It can feel like a big change without the commitment of painting the whole house so be brave and choose something bright and bold.

Weatherboard exterior house with Southern Alps coloured fence and house trims, Ti Point coloured weatherboards and High Blue coloured Door.

Fence

Ōkārito

Ōkārito is a crisp, fresh white that goes with almost anything. It is perfect as a main wall colour for exteriors as well as windows and trims. Ōkārito is a versatile white that suits almost any style of home. It is also the most popular white in the Dulux Colours of New Zealand range.

Explore colour-->
Fence
Ōkārito
Wall
Manorburn Double
Door
Lake Taylor
Close
Ōkārito is a crisp, fresh white that goes with almost anything. It is perfect as a main wall colour for exteriors as well as windows and trims. Ōkārito is a versatile white that suits almost any style of home. It is also the most popular white in the Dulux Colours of New Zealand range.
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Services & support

Make confident decisions about your project needs with support from our wide network of colour and product specialists, tools, programs and apps — or chat to one of our expert consultants now.

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Dulux Colour Design Service

Imagining how a space will feel in a new colour scheme is hard. Save time and gain colour confidence the smart way with personal guidance from an expert Dulux Colour Consultant.

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Customer Service

Our expert support team can help with everything from choosing colour, what product is the most appropriate for your job or troubleshooting when something hasn’t gone your way.

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Don't risk tinting your favourite colours with other paint brands

Only Dulux pigments mixed into Dulux Wash&Wear® and Dulux Weathershield® are designed to create our iconic colours shown here every time.

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