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.
Sherwin-Williams Loxon stucco paint guide 2026: Loxon XP, Loxon S1 Sealer, Loxon Self-Cleaning, $55 to $85 per gallon, vs Behr Premium Plus Masonry, Benjamin Moore Aura Stucco and Dunn-Edwards Evershield.
Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray HC-173 is the light greige most often shortlisted right after Revere Pewter HC-172. A light cool-leaning greige at LRV 63 with hex #D8CFC1, Edgecomb Gray reads neutral on north-facing walls where Revere Pewter pulls olive, performs cooler on south-facing fiber-cement than its mid-tone sibling, and remains the safe pick when a homeowner has already been burned by a green-shifting greige. This deep-dive covers the full specs, four-orientation behavior, side-by-side against Revere Pewter, Pale Oak OC-20 and Stonington Gray HC-170, twelve verified trim and door pairings, and an eight-question FAQ.
Benjamin Moore Pale Oak OC-20 is the #1 ultra-light warm greige Benjamin Moore exterior pick of 2026 and the go-to body color when off-white feels too sterile and a mid-tone greige feels too dark. Sitting at approximate hex #DDD9CE and LRV 68.64, Pale Oak holds the narrow band between an off-white and a true greige, with a soft warm cast that flatters traditional, transitional, and modern farmhouse facades from Charleston to Portland. Pale Oak is a BM ultra-light greige worth a close look in 2026. This 2026 guide covers full spec, four-orientation light behavior, honest comparisons against Edgecomb Gray HC-173, Manchester Tan HC-81, and SW Accessible Beige 7036, trim and shutter pairings, an eight-question FAQ, and a free 30-second photo preview.
Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray HC-170 is the #1 cool true gray on the Benjamin Moore deck and the default exterior choice from Cape Cod to coastal Maine. A clean blue-gray at LRV 59 with no warm pull, it sells on shingled Capes, Colonial revivals, Nantucket-style farmhouses, and the modern coastal facades that dominate Northeast architectural photography in 2026. Stonington Gray is a Benjamin Moore exterior color worth a close look in 2026. Full spec, twelve trim pairings, Coventry Gray and Revere Pewter comparisons, and a free 30-second photo preview.
Benjamin Moore Saybrook Sage HC-114 is a muted gray-green sage from the Historical Colors collection, published by Benjamin Moore at LRV 45.46 and hex #B1B7A2. Full spec, comparisons against October Mist 1495, Louisburg Green HC-113, and SW Evergreen Fog 9130, Cottage and Craftsman style fit, eight FAQs, and a free 30-second photo preview.
Benjamin Moore Aura on vinyl siding in 2026: the LRV 55 rule from the Benjamin Moore data sheet, the Colors for Vinyl palette, application protocol and warranty, plus a head-to-head with SW VinylSafe and Behr Marquee Vinyl-safe.
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, Branchport Brown HC-72, 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.
Behr Cottage White W-F-200: #3 Behr creamy off-white, #2 cream-warm after Almond Wisp on Cottage, Cape Cod, Farmhouse. LRV 79, HEX #EAE7D9.
The 12 best Behr exterior paint color combinations of 2026 with exact codes for body, trim, and door (Polar Bear + Cracked Pepper + Hidden Gem, Cottage White + Pewter Mug + Cardamom, Sculptor Clay + Almond Wisp + Tornado Season). Test any trio free on your house photo.
The 15 most popular Valspar exterior paint colors for 2026 with HEX and LRV, starting with 2026 Color of the Year Renew Blue. Lowe's exclusive lineup, plus how Valspar's best-sellers compare to Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore and Behr popular colors. Test any shade free on your photo.
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.
James Hardie color options 2026: ColorPlus Technology (15-year warranty), Statement Collection 24 curated colors, Dream Collection 700+ custom shades, top 12 popular Hardie colors, ColorPlus vs primed-and-painted decision. Preview free.
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.
Board and batten paint guide 2026: top 8 modern farmhouse colors, Hardie and LP SmartSide options, vertical-line accent strategy, application steps, and FAQ.
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.
Lime wash brick guide 2026: Romabio Classico, Vasari and Pure Original products, DIY step-by-step application, white/cream/gray finishes, $2-$5/sqft cost, 5-7 year maintenance.
Washington State HOA-approved exterior paint colors for 2026, RCW 64.34 and RCW 64.38 compliance, Pacific Northwest earth-tone palettes, and committee guidance for Seattle, Redmond, Bellevue, Tacoma, and Spokane.
HOA-approved exterior paint colors for South Carolina in 2026: top 8 palettes (Hilton Head Sea Pines approved, Charleston BAR coordinated, Greenville traditional Upstate), South Carolina Code Title 27 Chapter 30 Homeowners Association Act rules, coastal vs Upstate climate priorities, and the step-by-step approval path.
Maryland HOA-approved exterior paint colors for 2026, MD Code Real Property Title 11B and Condominium Act compliance, Colonial Federal heritage and Chesapeake Bay coastal palettes, and committee guidance for Bethesda, Annapolis, Baltimore, and Columbia.
Utah HOA-approved exterior paint colors for 2026: 8 mountain-modern and Mormon Heritage palettes, UT Code 57-8a (Community Association Act), Daybreak and Park City community guidelines, Salt Lake to St George.
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