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.
Virginia HOA exterior paint rules 2026: Property Owners Act, 8 VA-approved palettes, NoVa and Williamsburg specifics, plus a review playbook.
The 8 best Midwest farmhouse exterior paint colors for 2026 with Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore codes, weather-tested combinations for Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
The best Craftsman paint colors for Seattle and Portland in 2026: 8 PNW-correct body, trim, and door colors, cedar shingle integration, and damp-climate finish picks.
Cape Cod paint colors by coastal sub-region for 2026: Nantucket gray-shingle, Martha's Vineyard navy + white, Coastal Maine red shingle, NJ Shore Victorian, and Outer Banks NC weathered driftwood palettes.
Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint vs Emerald exterior 2026: real 14-month split-shed test, price, MPI rating, warranty, durability and color access compared. Find out when SuperPaint is enough and when Emerald earns its premium.
Cabot is the oldest wood-stain brand in the US (Samuel Cabot, 1877), now part of Valspar and Sherwin-Williams. Its four exterior lines (Australian Timber Oil, Semi-Transparent, Semi-Solid, Solid) cover everything from new IPE to gray cedar. The most popular 2026 shades are 1480 Cedar, Redwood, New Cedar, and Driftwood Gray. Test any Cabot color on your deck photo free in 30 seconds.
Is Dunn-Edwards Evershield worth $60-75/gal in 2026? Honest review of West Coast pros' favorite exterior paint: Arizona UV testing, MPI 311 spec, LA County wildfire compliance, vs Sherwin-Williams Emerald on stucco, and the 2026 Color of the Year Midnight Garden DE5657.
Sage green house with white trim and black door: 5 tested SW and BM trios for Craftsman, Cape Cod, English cottage, and modern farmhouse. Preview free on your home.
Valspar Duramax vs Reserve exterior paint, tested at Lowe's in 2026: which tier is worth it, real $45-75 per gallon prices, lifetime warranty fine print, MPI ratings, plus how Valspar stacks up against Behr Marquee, Sherwin-Williams Emerald and Benjamin Moore Aura on durability and color.
Olive green house with white trim is the 2026 Mediterranean revival look. Top 5 olive-white pairings tested (SW Olive Grove, BM Mediterranean Olive) with style fit, accents and roof advice.
A yellow house with black shutters is the most charming Federal and Colonial-Revival pairing in 2026. Top 5 yellow + black combinations with exact SW and BM codes, plus where it goes wrong.
Tan house with green shutters 2026: 5 Williamsburg-Colonial pairings with exact SW and BM codes for Federal, Cape Cod, and traditional homes. Preview free.
Condo exterior paint approval 2026: what unit owners can paint (front door, balcony interior, mailbox), what they cannot, top 5 approved door colors, and major-market condo board rules.
Your HOA denied your paint color? Step-by-step dispute resolution playbook for 2026: written denial, ARC appeal, mediation, state ombudsman, lawsuit. Win-rate 35-45% with documented precedent.
Behr Ultra Exterior 2026 is the mid-tier value sweet spot at ~$40/gal: real stain-blocking primer, MPI listing in all sheens, and 85% of Marquee's performance at roughly half the price gap over Premium Plus. The deliberate mid-tier compromise that wins on most suburban repaints.
Beige house with brown shutters 2026: 5 pollen-resistant SW + BM pairings tested on Midwest and Southeast suburban tract Ranches and split-levels built 1960 to 2010. Preview free.
Benjamin Moore Arborcoat is the dealer-only premium deck stain line, available in transparent, semi-transparent, semi-solid, and solid opacities at $55-75 per gallon. Top 2026 colors include Natural 328, Black Forest Green, and Carrington Beige. Test any Arborcoat shade on your own deck photo free in 30 seconds.
Is Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior worth $75-90/gal in 2026? Color Lock, dark color fade, lifetime warranty, vs Regal Select & SW Emerald.
Benjamin Moore Regal Select Exterior is the brand's best-selling mid-premium tier at $55 to $70 per gallon, a 100% acrylic with a soft-touch finish, dirt-pickup resistance, and a limited lifetime warranty. Full spec sheet, MPI 38 detail, price and availability at authorized BM dealers, application tips for siding and trim, head-to-head with Aura Exterior, and 8 FAQs from a tester who tracked Regal Select across 16,983 facade simulations.
The 6 best blue house exterior paint colors with white trim for a 2026 coastal look: Hale Navy HC-154 + Simply White, SW Naval 6244 + Pure White, Newburyport Blue + Cloud White and 3 more, with salt-air durability tips. Test free in 30s.
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