Should your Interior Colours flow with the Exterior of your House?

This was the question asked by the couple that hired me to pick the colours for this house a few years ago.  They said the new dramatic, rich colour we chose drew all the neighbors over to look while it was being painted (sorry the scan didn’t come out very clear).

  Colours by Maria Killam Colour & Design

This was what the house looked like before [below]. A washed out white with blue shutters.  Going back to my post on exterior trim colours – remember what I said the trim of a white house should always be?  Well here’s a perfect example of what NOT to do!!  And I can say this because the owners inherited the house with these colours.  Notice the roof and gutters were replaced and the fence was also painted the same colour.

Back to the main question here.  Should the outside colour flow with the inside?  Yes it should!  However, if your house is dated inside but you are painting your exterior first; then the answer is no. In this case you would ignore the inside because you always want to be moving forward in design.  Understanding this little design tip will help you in making all kinds of design and colour decisions in your home.  This statement determines what you ignore and what you work with everywhere in your space!

I always make a point of touring a house inside before I finalize exterior colours so that I get a feel for the space and can accurately assist in making the best colour decisions!  In the house above, this couple had completed a renovation inside and their home was filled with rich and warm colours throughout, making the final colour we chose for their exterior a natural extension of their interior!

If you would like to schedule an on-line Exterior Colour consultation please email me at info@mariakillam.com or call 604.318.9725.

Related posts:

The best Exterior Trim Colours—NOT Cloud White

The Right way to Create flow using Colour