A façade is seen in sun, rain and low winter light, from across a street, and next to someone else’s house. A colour that looks good on a chart has none of those things to deal with. Start from the roof and the walls, which are the parts that are hardest to change.
A schematic. It shows which way the surfaces shift, not how your room will look. Render or painted areas are shown in the safer suggestion, deep green.
Choose whatever you already have, and the analysis starts from there.
Next decision: roof
Daylight on an elevation changes through the day and differs by direction. The compass shows the direction of the effect in the northern hemisphere, and in the southern hemisphere north and south swap.
The ring is neutral. A bar outside it shifts colour warmer, and a bar inside it shifts it cooler. Lengths are an ordinal comparison, not a measurement.
Rough, absorbent materials darken and deepen when wet, since water traps more of the light that would otherwise scatter back. In a rainy climate, the wet colour is a large part of the year’s appearance. Test by wetting a sample or an inconspicuous patch.
| Surface | Bright daylight | North sky | Cool LEDs | Warm evening lamps | Wet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red brick | |||||
| Honey stone | |||||
| Pale render |
These swatches show direction only, not how a given brick or render will change.
Surrounding brick, roofs and planting are part of the scheme, whether you choose them or not. A colour that picks up something from the street usually looks more settled than one that ignores it.
Listed buildings, conservation areas, leases and some estates can restrict exterior colours. The rules vary by country and by local authority, and Colourwise cannot tell you what applies to your property. Check with your local planning authority or managing agent before you start.
Colours inside and out can talk to each other. See planning a whole home.