US exterior painting trends, color guides, costs per sq ft and HOA-friendly palettes. Articles written by US-based contractors covering Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore and Behr, with region-specific tips for Sun Belt, Pacific Northwest and New England climates.
Exterior painting & siding: cost per square foot across Los Angeles, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, Denver and Seattle. Hardie board vs vinyl siding vs stucco repaint comparisons.
US paint brands in depth: Sherwin-Williams Emerald, Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior, Behr Marquee, PPG Timeless - paint sheen guides and climate durability from Sun Belt heat to Pacific Northwest rain.
HOA, permits & climate: HOA-approved palettes, city permit requirements, and picking exterior colors that hold up in Florida humidity, Arizona sun, or New England winters.
Sea Salt SW 6204 indoors: the blue-green-gray that shifts between sage and spa-blue, its LRV, the rooms it flatters, lighting behavior, and trim pairings.
Evergreen Fog SW 9130 decoded: its gray-green-gold undertones, LRV 30, the rooms it transforms, how light shifts it, and the trim and metal pairings.
Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black SW 6258 indoors: LRV 3, a true neutral black with no undertone, the best rooms, how it behaves in light, and trim pairings.
Sherwin-Williams Pure White (SW 7005) indoors: LRV 84, cool-neutral undertones, the best rooms, lighting behavior, and trim and cabinet pairings.
Shoji White SW 7042 decoded: an LRV 74 warm off-white with greige and taupe undertones, the rooms it suits, how light shifts it, and the trims that pair best.
Snowbound SW 7004 indoors: the pink-warm off-white decoded. LRV 83, undertones, best rooms, lighting behavior, trim and cabinet pairings, plus how to test it.
Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze (SW 7048) indoors: LRV 9, warm brown-bronze undertone, the rooms it flatters, lighting behavior, and trim and decor pairings.
Sherwin-Williams Creamy SW 7012 decoded: its soft yellow undertone, LRV 81, the rooms where the warmth works, and the trim and decor that pair best.
Natural Linen SW 9109 decoded: soft warm-beige undertones, LRV 66, the rooms it flatters, the green flag to watch, and the trim and decor that pair best.
Dover White SW 6385 decoded: a soft warm white at LRV 83, its yellow-cream undertones, the rooms it suits best, and the trim and decor that pair with it.
Clary Sage SW 6178 indoors: a warm gray-green sage with an LRV of 41, the undertones to watch, the rooms it suits, lighting behavior, and trim pairings.
Sherwin-Williams Dried Thyme (SW 6186) decoded: LRV 21, its sage-gray-olive undertones, the rooms it flatters, lighting behavior, and the trim that suits it.
Pewter Green SW 6208 indoors: the deep gray-green that anchors cabinets and studies. Its undertones, LRV 12, best rooms, light behavior, and pairings.
Drift of Mist SW 9166 indoors: the soft warm gray with a whisper of green, its LRV, how light flips it gray or greige, the rooms it suits, and trim pairings.
City Loft SW 7631 is a warm greige off-white at LRV 70 that shifts taupe, pink or purple by the light. See its undertones, best rooms, and trim pairings.
Dorian Gray SW 7017 is a deep warm greige that can flash green or blue. See its undertones, LRV 39, best rooms, and the trim that keeps it grounded.
Is Sherwin-Williams Emerald interior paint worth the premium in 2026? Honest review of coverage, washability, sheens, best rooms, and Duration vs Aura.
Hale Navy HC-154 indoors: a deep grayed navy at LRV 6, its real undertones, the rooms it flatters, trim and decor pairings, and how to test it.
Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace (OC-65): LRV 90 crisp white, undertones, best rooms, trim and cabinet pairings, how it compares to White Dove and Simply White.
Benjamin Moore Simply White (OC-117): LRV 91.7, warm yellow undertone, best rooms, lighting behavior, trim and decor pairings, and how to test it.
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