Top 15 Benjamin Moore Exterior Paint Colors Trending in 2026

Benjamin Moore^® exterior paint colors in 2026 are dominated by one announcement and one trend. The announcement is Silhouette AF-655 as the 2026 Color of the Year. The trend is a clear pivot away from cool gray-greige bodies toward warm earth tones, deep navies, and saturated heritage hues. Across 13,611 facade simulations rendered on FacadeColorizer between July 2025 and May 2026, Benjamin Moore-equivalent colors represented 24% of all exterior tests, the second largest brand share behind Sherwin-Williams. We ranked the top 15 by combined 2025-2026 selection rate, Aura Exterior performance over 14 field months, and current designer specification frequency from the AIA Custom Residential survey.

This is the brand-wide ranking guide, not a deep dive on any single color. For the 2026 Color of the Year companion piece, see our pillar on Benjamin Moore Silhouette AF-655. For the Aura Exterior product review and the Color Lock dark-color performance data we used to rank dark shades below, see our Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior review 2026. For the single best-selling color of the decade, our Revere Pewter HC-172 exterior guide covers the greige #3 entry.

Why These 15 Colors and How We Ranked Them

The methodology behind this ranking matters because most "best Benjamin Moore exterior colors" lists are recycled designer favorites without any usage data behind them. We blended three inputs to land on a ranking that reflects what is actually being painted on US homes in 2026:

• FacadeColorizer selection rate (50% weight). Of the 13,611 facade simulations rendered between July 1, 2025 and May 20, 2026, we filtered to the 3,267 sims that picked a Benjamin Moore-equivalent body color, then ranked by frequency.
• Aura Exterior 14-month field performance (30% weight). Color Lock resin holds saturated and dark shades, but not every dark shade ages equally. We pulled the field test set we discuss in the Aura review and weighted up colors that resisted chalking, sheen drift, and ultraviolet fade.
• AIA Custom Residential 2025 specification survey (20% weight). Designer specifications, especially for darker and heritage palettes, lead consumer behavior by 12 to 18 months. The 2025 survey covers 412 custom residential projects.

Result: a list weighted toward warm earth tones and deep saturated colors, not toward the cool whites that dominated 2020 to 2023 ranking lists. For the broader 2026 outlook across all brands, see our best exterior paint colors 2026 roundup.

2026 Color of the Year: Silhouette AF-655 Deep Dive

The single most important Benjamin Moore exterior data point for 2026 is the Color of the Year announcement. Silhouette AF-655 is a deep espresso brown from the Affinity Color Collection, the first Affinity shade ever named COTY in the program's history, and the brand's explicit signal that warm dark earth tones are the next move for premium exteriors.

Why Silhouette and not another deep tone? Benjamin Moore's own framing positions Silhouette as "a grounding deep brown that frames a space the way a silhouette frames a figure," a deliberate move away from the soft pastel-leaning palette the brand championed through Raspberry Blush (2023) and Blue Nova (2024). The strategic read: Benjamin Moore is asking homeowners to commit to whole-house dark exteriors and saturated cabinetry envelopes, not just moody accent walls. National Association of Realtors data from the 2025 housing cycle shows dark-bodied exteriors (LRV under 15) recovered 2.1% more on average sale price than equivalent mid-tone exteriors across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, the data Benjamin Moore is responding to.

For the full 2026 Color of the Year deep dive (architecture fit, full trim recipes, interior applications, sample board protocol, cross-shop versus Cracked Pepper and Iron Ore), see our pillar guide on Silhouette AF-655 Benjamin Moore 2026 exterior. Ready to test AF-655 on your own facade right now? Upload one photo and render Silhouette free in 30 seconds.

The Top 15 Benjamin Moore Exterior Colors 2026 (Ranked)

Below are the 15 colors that dominated Benjamin Moore exterior selections in our 2025-2026 dataset. Each entry includes the official BM code, approximate HEX, LRV from the brand technical data sheet, the architectural style where the color outperforms, and the trim pairing we have validated on at least 40 rendered exteriors.

1. Silhouette AF-655

HEX #3B3530. LRV ~6. The 2026 Color of the Year, a deep warm espresso brown with a red-brown undertone. Selection rate: 11.4% of all Benjamin Moore exterior sims since the October 9, 2025 announcement. Best on Modern Farmhouse, Tudor revival, contemporary, and board-and-batten facades from 1.5 to 2.5 stories. Pair with White Dove OC-17 trim and a natural-wood or sage green front door. Avoid on north-facing primary elevations and vinyl siding.

2. Hale Navy HC-154

HEX #44546A. LRV 6.30. The reigning "Goldilocks navy," dark enough to read sophisticated, blue enough to flatter brick and stone, never as harsh as a true black. Selection rate: 9.8%. Best on Cape Cod, shingle-style, coastal, and modern farmhouse facades. Trim: Simply White OC-117 or Chantilly Lace OC-65. Door: natural-wood, brass kickplate, polished nickel hardware. Hale Navy is also the most spec'd Benjamin Moore exterior on Houzz^® per the 2025 platform report. Single-color companion: Hale Navy HC-154 exterior 2026 guide.

3. Revere Pewter HC-172

HEX #C7C0B0. LRV 55.51. The single best-selling Benjamin Moore color of the last decade, a warm mid-light greige that shifts between "warm gray" and "light beige" in different light. Selection rate: 8.4%. Best on Cape Cod, Colonial, Craftsman, and modern farmhouse. Trim: White Dove OC-17. Door: Hale Navy HC-154 or Black Beauty 2128-10. Full guide: Revere Pewter HC-172 exterior 2026. Forward-looking comparison: Revere Pewter vs Edgecomb Gray.

4. Simply White OC-117

HEX #EFEFE3. LRV 91.70. The 2016 Benjamin Moore Color of the Year, still the most popular warm white exterior body color in the brand's history. Selection rate: 10.2% of all BM body sims (ranks #1 by raw count, but the COTY ranking weighting drops it to #4). Best on Modern Farmhouse, Greek Revival, Colonial, and any architecture where pure white reads too sterile. Trim and accent: Hale Navy HC-154 shutters with Black Beauty 2128-10 door is the Modern Farmhouse hero combination.

5. Cloud White OC-130

HEX #EEEAE0. LRV 85.10. Cleaner than Simply White, slightly cooler than White Dove, the warm white that designers reach for when Simply White reads too yellow. Selection rate: 5.6%. Best on Cape Cod, modern farmhouse, transitional, and contemporary facades with cool roofing (slate, dark gray asphalt). Trim: pure white feels redundant, use Cloud White as both body and trim with a Hale Navy HC-154 or Wrought Iron 2124-10 door for contrast.

6. Wrought Iron 2124-10

HEX #4C4D4A. LRV 6.16. A near-black charcoal with a soft green-gray undertone, the "dark exterior" choice for homeowners who find Silhouette too warm. Selection rate: 5.1%. Best on Modern Farmhouse, contemporary, mountain-modern, and Scandinavian-inspired facades. Trim: Simply White OC-117 or natural cedar accents. Door: natural wood or Heritage Red HC-181. Wrought Iron and Silhouette are the two BM colors most likely to be cross-shopped against Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore SW 7069.

7. Saybrook Sage HC-114

HEX #B8BDA8. LRV 47.45. A muted sage green with a slight gray pull, the breakout exterior color of 2025-2026 as the green trend matured. Selection rate: 4.9%. Best on Cape Cod, cottage, Craftsman, and coastal facades, especially Northeast shingle-style. Trim: White Dove OC-17 or Linen White OC-118. Door: Bracken Brown HC-78 or natural-wood. Saybrook Sage is also the most-requested "subtle green" on FacadeColorizer green color tests.

8. Boothbay Gray HC-165

HEX #88A1B0. LRV 41.32. The coastal blue-gray that splits the difference between "gray" and "soft blue," named for the Maine coastal town. Selection rate: 4.4%. Best on Cape Cod, shingle-style, Nantucket coastal, and Hamptons-inspired homes. Trim: Simply White OC-117 or Cloud White OC-130. Door: White Dove OC-17 or Hale Navy HC-154 (tone-on-tone with body, deep accent on door). Boothbay Gray is a top-three exterior choice on FacadeColorizer for ZIP codes within 20 miles of the Atlantic coast.

9. Bracken Brown HC-78

HEX #84715C. LRV 19.78. A warm cinnamon-brown from the Historical Colors collection, the "tree bark" earth tone that grounds Craftsman and bungalow facades. Selection rate: 3.8%. Best on Craftsman, bungalow, Spanish revival, and Tudor revival. Trim: Linen White OC-118 or Manchester Tan HC-81. Door: Heritage Red HC-181 or Saybrook Sage HC-114. Bracken Brown also works as a stand-in for stained cedar in regions where natural wood maintenance is impractical.

10. Caliente AF-290

HEX #AF3E36. LRV 9.10. The 2018 Benjamin Moore Color of the Year, a saturated brick-red that still dominates accent door selections in 2026. Selection rate: 3.5% (almost entirely doors, shutters, and accent walls, rarely body). Best as a front door against Revere Pewter HC-172, Simply White OC-117, or any warm white body. Caliente is the highest-impact door color the brand makes, the cinematic "red door" that pulls the curb appeal upgrade for under $80 in paint.

11. Edgecomb Gray HC-173

HEX #D6CFC1. LRV 63.09. The lighter cousin of Revere Pewter, a warm greige that reads slightly more beige in northern light. Selection rate: 3.3%. Best on Cape Cod, Colonial, and transitional facades where Revere Pewter reads too dark or too gray. Trim: White Dove OC-17. Door: Hale Navy HC-154, Wrought Iron 2124-10, or Black Beauty 2128-10. Forward comparison: Revere Pewter vs Edgecomb Gray.

12. Linen White OC-146

HEX #ECE5D2. LRV 78.27. A creamy off-white with a clear yellow undertone, the warmest trim white Benjamin Moore stocks, ideal for Craftsman and Spanish revival. Selection rate: 2.9% (split between body on Craftsman and trim on darker bodies). Best as trim with Bracken Brown HC-78 body, or as body with Hale Navy HC-154 shutters on a low-pitched cottage. Linen White is the most common trim partner for Bracken Brown and Saybrook Sage in our dataset.

13. Heritage Red HC-181

HEX #A14640. LRV 11.34. A muted heritage brick-red from the Historical Colors collection, slightly cooler and more "barn" than Caliente AF-290. Selection rate: 2.6%. Best as accent on Colonial, Federal, farmhouse, and shed-style outbuildings, or as a feature door on a Linen White body. Heritage Red is the most-spec'd Benjamin Moore exterior accent in the AIA Custom Residential 2025 survey for "agrarian and farmhouse" project tags.

14. Manchester Tan HC-81

HEX #DDCAA9. LRV 63.69. A warm sandy tan from the Historical Colors collection, the Colonial and Federal exterior body color that has held its specification frequency for 20 years. Selection rate: 2.4%. Best on Colonial, Federal, and Georgian facades, especially in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast where warm tan reads as historically authentic. Trim: White Dove OC-17 or pure white. Shutters: Wrought Iron 2124-10 or Black Beauty 2128-10. Door: Heritage Red HC-181 or Caliente AF-290.

15. Hawthorne Yellow HC-4

HEX #EBC994. LRV 65.13. A soft buttery yellow from the Historical Colors collection, the under-the-radar comeback color of 2025-2026. Selection rate: 2.1%. Best on Cape Cod, Federal, Greek Revival, and cottage facades, especially in coastal New England and the Carolinas. Trim: White Dove OC-17 or pure white. Shutters: Hale Navy HC-154 or Boothbay Gray HC-165. Door: White Dove or natural-wood. Hawthorne Yellow is the only yellow that consistently scores above 4.5 on our designer panel ratings.

Style-Match Cheat Sheet: Which Color For Which House

The single most useful filter is architectural style. The 2026 ranking spans five centuries of US residential vernacular, and the same color can flatter one style and sink another. Use the table below as a starting filter before testing on your own photo.

Cross-checked against AIA Custom Residential 2025 survey style tags and 60+ FacadeColorizer rendered exteriors per architectural category. For cross-brand comparisons see the Sherwin-Williams vs Benjamin Moore exterior comparison.

Trim and Door Pairings For Each Color

A trim mismatch can sink a $14,000 repaint faster than a body-color mistake. The rule of thumb on Benjamin Moore palettes: warm bodies need warm whites (White Dove OC-17 or Swiss Coffee OC-45), cool bodies tolerate clean whites (Simply White OC-117 or Chantilly Lace OC-65). Below are the trim and door recipes we tested on at least 30 rendered exteriors per body color.

Pairings validated on 30+ AI-rendered exteriors per body color, July 2025 through May 2026. For broader 2026 combination ideas across all brands, see our roundup of exterior house color combinations 2026 and modern farmhouse exterior paint colors 2026 top 15.

Product Tier Recommendations

Benjamin Moore sells three exterior tiers. The color you pick should drive the product line, not the other way around. Our 14-month Aura Exterior field test (south-facing wall, 8 colors including Silhouette AF-655 and Hale Navy HC-154) confirms the practical guidance below.

• Aura Exterior ($99 to $119 per gallon) for any color with LRV under 20, any south-facing or west-facing primary elevation, and any forever home. Color Lock mineral-acrylic resin holds saturated and dark shades 3 to 5 years longer than Regal Select. Full review: Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior review 2026.
• Regal Select Exterior ($79 to $99 per gallon) for mid-LRV neutrals (Revere Pewter, Edgecomb Gray, Boothbay Gray) on north and east elevations, and as a value pick for transitional or starter-home repaints. Companion: Regal Select Exterior 2026.
• Ben Exterior ($45 to $55 per gallon) for white and warm-white bodies (Simply White, Cloud White, Linen White) on shaded elevations and detached outbuildings only. Not recommended for any color below LRV 50 or any south-facing primary elevation.

For climate-specific paint selection (hot dry Southwest, humid Southeast, freeze-thaw Northeast), see our best exterior paint for hot climates 2026 guide. For dark-color heat absorption, vinyl warranty implications, and substrate temperature on south-facing walls, see the Aura review. Or skip the spec sheets and test the colors directly on your house photo.

How to Test These Colors on YOUR House

A fan-deck chip is roughly 2 by 3 inches. A house body is 1,500 to 3,500 square feet of cladding. Color reads dramatically darker at scale, and warm colors warm up further in direct sunlight. Two tests we recommend before committing to a repaint:

Test 1: AI photo preview (15 minutes, free)

1. Take one straight-on photo of the front of your house on an overcast day around 10 AM or 2 PM. Avoid harsh sun (blows out shadows) and golden hour (warms everything artificially).
2. Upload to the free FacadeColorizer exterior paint visualizer. No signup required.
3. Pick three to five candidates from the 15 above using our Benjamin Moore color visualizer, or enter the approximate HEX values manually.
4. Generate one trim variant per body color (use the cheat sheet above to pick the trim partner). The free tier renders one HD plus three watermarked previews per session.
5. View the renders on your phone outside in daylight, not just on a desktop monitor. Screen calibration matters less than verifying the result feels right against the actual landscape behind your house.

Test 2: Physical sample board (3 days, ~$30 per color)

1. Buy a Benjamin Moore Color Sample pint for each finalist (~$10 each) and one 24" x 36" piece of primed white foamboard per color ($8 to $12 each).
2. Roll two coats of each color on a separate board. Wait 24 hours between coats for accurate color reading.
3. Tape each board to the actual elevation you plan to paint, at about 5 feet up where most of the wall will sit.
4. Photograph the boards at 9 AM, 1 PM, and 6 PM. The winning color should read "right" in all three lights. If one reading is wrong, drop that color from the finalist set.

Cross-Brand Considerations

Benjamin Moore is the designer's choice, but a Sherwin-Williams store on every commercial corner is hard to ignore for the 2026 repaint cycle. The four-page comparison we maintain is the Sherwin-Williams vs Benjamin Moore exterior comparison, with side-by-side renders of the most common cross-shops. The short version:

• Silhouette AF-655 cross-shop: SW Iron Ore SW 7069 (LRV 6, cool gray-black) or SW Tricorn Black SW 6258 (LRV 3, true black). Iron Ore is the closest LRV match; Silhouette is warmer.
• Hale Navy HC-154 cross-shop: SW Naval SW 6244 (LRV 4.6) or SW Anchors Aweigh SW 9179 (LRV 7.5). Hale Navy is brighter and slightly less green than Naval.
• Revere Pewter HC-172 cross-shop: SW Agreeable Gray SW 7029 (LRV 60) or SW Repose Gray SW 7015 (LRV 58). Revere Pewter is the warmest of the three.
• Simply White OC-117 cross-shop: SW Alabaster SW 7008 (LRV 82). Simply White is warmer.

For absolute color fidelity, stay in the Benjamin Moore product line. Spectrophotometer matches between brands run 95-97% accurate on neutrals and 90-94% accurate on saturated colors, which is enough for a single can but not enough for a multi-can full-house repaint where lot variance matters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bottom line. The 2026 Benjamin Moore exterior palette splits neatly into three groups: the Color of the Year (Silhouette AF-655) and its deep-tone peers (Hale Navy, Wrought Iron, Bracken Brown), the warm greige and beige core (Revere Pewter, Edgecomb Gray, Manchester Tan), and the warm whites and pale neutrals (Simply White, Cloud White, Linen White, Hawthorne Yellow). Pick by architecture first (use the style cheat sheet), validate on a photo of your actual house, then sample-board the final two finalists before you order full cans. Sources: Benjamin Moore 2026 Color of the Year press release (October 9, 2025), Benjamin Moore Affinity and Historical Color Collection technical data sheets, AIA Custom Residential 2025 specification survey (412 projects), FacadeColorizer simulation dataset (13,611 sims, July 2025 to May 2026), National Association of Realtors 2025 housing color study, Pinterest Predicts 2026 report. External references: official Benjamin Moore exterior color collection at benjaminmoore.com/en-us/color-overview/find-your-color/exterior-colors, HGTV's "Best Benjamin Moore Exterior Paint Colors" feature at hgtv.com/design/decorating/color/benjamin-moore-exterior-paint-colors, and Better Homes & Gardens "Top Benjamin Moore Exterior Picks" at bhg.com/decorating/color/paint/benjamin-moore-exterior.