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.
Is Manchester Tan HC-81 warm or cool? See its real undertones, LRV around 64, best rooms and trim pairings, plus how it reads in north vs south light.
Is Aegean Teal 2136-40 blue or green? See its real undertones, LRV 24, best rooms, trim and pairings, plus how it reads in north vs south light.
Is Benjamin Moore Acacia Haze 1484 too gray or too green? See its real undertones, LRV around 38, best rooms, trim and how it reads N/S/E/W light.
Is Boothbay Gray HC-165 blue or gray? See its real undertones, LRV around 42, best rooms and trim pairings, plus how it reads in north vs south light.
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 8, 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.
Upload a photo and see the result in 30 seconds. 1 free HD simulation with 3 variations (magic wand), no sign-up required.
Upload my photo nowFree - no credit card required
