The US Exterior Painting Magazine

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.

Featured US topics this month

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.

Benjamin Moore Front Door Paint Colors 2026: Top 15 Ranked Front Door Colors
2026-06-05 Hugo Dumoulin

Benjamin Moore Front Door Paint Colors 2026: Top 15 Ranked

The 15 best Benjamin Moore front door paint colors for 2026 are led by Caliente AF-290, Hale Navy HC-154, Wrought Iron 2124-10, Black Iron 2120-20, and Heritage Red HC-181, ranked by frequency of use on FacadeColorizer. Caliente AF-290 holds the #1 Benjamin Moore front door slot at LRV 9 with a saturated true-red signature; Hale Navy HC-154 is the most-used BM navy door at LRV 6; Wrought Iron 2124-10 and Black Iron 2120-20 anchor the dark accent category; Heritage Red HC-181 and Cottage Red HC-184 carry the New England heritage palette; Saybrook Sage HC-114, Bracken Brown HC-78, and Newburyport Blue HC-155 round out the soft-architectural picks. This 2026 guide is the full ranked list with LRV, hex, recommended Grand Entrance versus Aura Exterior formula, house-color compatibility matrix across 32 US combinations, and an 8-question FAQ.

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Dunn-Edwards Color Visualizer 2026: Limits + Best Free Alternative Tools & Resources
2026-06-05 Hugo Dumoulin

Dunn-Edwards Color Visualizer 2026: Limits + Best Free Alternative

The Dunn-Edwards Perfect Palette and the new Color Trends 2026 tool are free across web and mobile, but in 2026 the sticker-style overlay and West Coast catalog focus hold them back on real exterior photos. Here is the honest review plus the #1 free AI alternative that renders the full DE catalog including Tundra, Whisper, Mesa Tan, Foothills, and Adobe on your actual house in 30 seconds.

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Vinyl Siding Colors 2026: Top 12 Popular Options Plus LRV Rule Colors & Inspiration
2026-06-05 Hugo Dumoulin

Vinyl Siding Colors 2026: Top 12 Popular Options Plus LRV Rule

Vinyl siding color options for 2026 are governed by the LRV 55+ rule (the lighter, the safer for thermal warping). Top 12 popular colors include Sandstone, Light Gray, Cream, Linen, Pebble Clay, and a small group of darker shades engineered with heat-resistant pigments like Forest Green and Brick Red. Mastic, CertainTeed, and Alside each anchor a slightly different palette, and accent colors go on shutters and doors, not the field. Test any vinyl siding color on your house photo free in 30 seconds.

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LP SmartSide Paint 2026: Top 12 Colors, Cost & Uses Stucco & Siding
2026-06-05 Hugo Dumoulin

LP SmartSide Paint 2026: Top 12 Colors, Cost & Uses

LP SmartSide is engineered wood, not fiber cement, so the paint rules are different: only 100% acrylic latex (never oil), all six sides primed before install, and 7 to 10 year repaint cycles in the field. Top 12 LP-friendly colors for 2026 include SW Iron Ore, BM Hale Navy, SW Repose Gray, and BM Revere Pewter. Installed cost runs $7 to $12 per square foot in 2026. Test any LP SmartSide color on your own house photo free in 30 seconds.

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