EXTERIOR COLOUR COMBINATIONS
Build a colour scheme around the brick, roof and gutters you are keeping.
A coordinated repaint starts with the fixed materials, then adds painted surfaces in a deliberate order. Use the combinations below to develop a shortlist for your own property. Each is an illustrative design direction, not a guaranteed match or a documented client project.
Jump to: Fixed materials · Four scheme ideas · Roof and gutters · Testing · Colour schedule
Map the finishes that will remain
Walk around the property and separate the materials you are keeping from the surfaces you want painted. Include the main roof, gutters, face brick, mortar, stone, windows, garage door and paving. The most noticeable finish is not always the largest wall: a strong roof or a wide garage door can set the direction for the whole frontage.
Use physical samples where possible and treat photographs as a record rather than an exact colour reference. Phone cameras, shadow and reflected light can change the apparent colour. If you know the manufacturer’s roof or window reference, record it, then compare it with the actual installed finish.
A practical order of decisions
- Confirm the finishes and repairs that are outside the repaint scope.
- Choose the main painted wall or cladding direction.
- Set the relationship between walls, eaves, fascias and gutters.
- Choose an accent only if the scheme needs one.
- Approve samples and record the final products, colours and sheen levels.
Four exterior colour combinations to explore
These digital palette tiles show relationships between colour families. They are not exact paint swatches, tint formulas or product recommendations. Use our ten-colour exterior shortlist when you are ready to compare named manufacturer samples.
01 · STARTING POINT
Warm brick with soft neutral trim
Retained warm brick
Soft neutral trim
Deeper accent
For a home with red or orange face brick, begin by comparing a soft neutral with the brick and mortar. Keeping the brick gives the scheme an established warm element; the painted trim can either soften it or create a sharper outline. A limited deeper accent can provide definition without adding another strong wall colour.
Check before choosing: Test the trim beside the mortar as well as the brick face. A very cool white may make existing cream windows or warm paving stand out more than you intended.
02 · STARTING POINT
Light cladding with a dark roof
Retained dark roof
Pale cladding
Quiet trim
Where the roof is already dark, a pale cladding direction can keep the walls visually separate. Decide whether the fascia should echo the roof or move closer to the wall colour. Keeping the trim relatively quiet can help a busy roofline feel more resolved.
Check before choosing: Stand at the street and consider the garage door, window frames and shaded eaves together. Several slightly different dark greys can look accidental if their undertones do not work together.
03 · STARTING POINT
Earthy render with timber or stone
Stone or timber
Warm rendered wall
Muted accent
A warm neutral can provide a starting point beside timber, sandstone or warmer pavers. If you want another colour, compare a muted accent in a small area rather than expanding the palette across every surface. Let the retained natural material remain a clear part of the scheme.
Check before choosing: Check whether the stone contains cool grey, yellow or pink tones. “Natural” materials vary, so one beige or earthy paint will not automatically coordinate with all of them.
04 · STARTING POINT
A restrained facade with a coloured entrance
Quiet main colour
Coordinated trim
Blue-green entrance
If the main walls and roof already work together, the entrance may be the only element needing a stronger identity. A blue-green door is one direction to test. Haymes Awe Inspired is a named sample to explore; Haymes specifically suggests it for an exterior front door.
Check before choosing: The entrance needs to connect with nearby windows, porch flooring and any screen door. Confirm the appropriate door coating and available sheen rather than ordering wall paint for a different surface.
Should gutters match the roof, fascia or walls?
Choose according to the outline you want to emphasise. Echoing the roof can give the roof edge continuity. Moving a fascia closer to the wall colour can reduce a strong horizontal band. Matching every component is not compulsory; the important step is to view the whole roofline rather than choosing each piece separately.
For gutters that are staying, use their actual installed colour as a reference. If you plan to repaint them, include preparation, access and the coating system in the scope. A factory steel finish and a repainted finish can differ in texture and sheen even when their colour names correspond.
Roof tiles, sheet roofing and cladding may have their own colour or heat restrictions. Check the applicable manufacturer requirements before selecting a substantially darker finish. Colour selection and surface suitability need to be resolved together.
Keep unpainted brick in the comparison
You do not have to paint face brick simply to create a more coordinated appearance. Start by testing changes to trim, painted panels and the entrance. If the brick is to remain, check every finalist beside it rather than hiding it behind sample boards.
If painting the brick is part of your plan, have the masonry and any moisture or coating issues assessed first. That changes the preparation, products and future maintenance. It is a separate decision from selecting the right trim colour.
Test the whole scheme before committing
- Shortlist: choose two or three combinations, not a large collection of unrelated colours.
- Sample: use the manufacturer’s samples and prepare a representative painted sample as recommended.
- Place: compare walls, trim and accent together beside the retained materials.
- Observe: view them in sun and shade and at different times of day.
- Review: step back to the normal street view, then check close-up transitions around windows and doors.
- Approve: confirm the exact brand, colour reference and sheen before the full application.
If you like the main wall but dislike the scheme, change one supporting colour at a time. Replacing every sample at once makes it difficult to understand which relationship caused the problem. Keep a simple photograph and written note of each option, using the real samples for the final decision.
Create a surface-by-surface colour schedule
A short written schedule reduces uncertainty between colour selection and the painting quote. Separate the colour from the product: the same colour reference may be specified in different coatings for different materials. Procover uses Haymes, Wattyl and Taubmans, with the system selected for the inspected surface.
- Surface: for example, weatherboards, eaves, fascia, gutter, front door or garage door.
- Included faces: specify which sides and edges are part of the job.
- Colour: record brand, full name and reference code where available.
- Finish: confirm sheen and the approved sample.
- Coating: list the product and preparation requirements in the painting specification.
- Retained elements: identify the roof, windows, brick or other finishes that will stay unpainted.
Before approving the work, resolve repairs, access requirements and any strata, estate or heritage restrictions that apply to the property. Colour advice cannot establish whether a coating is suitable for damaged or incompatible existing surfaces.
Common exterior-scheme questions
How many exterior colours should I use?
Use as many as the architecture needs, but give each one a purpose. The existing roof, brick and windows already contribute colours, even if they are outside the repaint. A main painted colour, coordinated trim and a limited accent can be a useful starting framework.
Will a different brand match my existing roof colour exactly?
Do not assume it will. Ask for a proposed matching reference, then approve a sample against the actual roof or metalwork. Surface texture, sheen and lighting can reveal a difference that was not obvious on a screen.
What if the front and back look different?
Compare the samples on both elevations before approval. Different light and surrounding materials can change the appearance. Decide whether one scheme works throughout or whether a carefully defined variation is needed.
Bring a clear colour plan to your quote
Send Harry facade photos, details of the materials staying in place and your shortlisted combinations through our quote enquiry page. See our exterior painting service for help assessing the repaint scope across Newcastle and surrounding areas.
Sources and colour notes
Manufacturer references include Taubmans exterior inspiration, Wattyl exterior colour advice, Haymes Awe Inspired and COLORBOND® physical colour references. The four schemes above are illustrative suggestions to test on your property; they are not manufacturer-approved complete specifications or Procover project records.
