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 Saybrook Sage HC-114 Exterior 2026: The #1 BM Sage Pick
Color Inspiration
2026-06-05 Hugo Dumoulin

Benjamin Moore Saybrook Sage HC-114 Exterior 2026: The #1 BM Sage Pick

Benjamin Moore Saybrook Sage HC-114 is the #1 muted-sage Benjamin Moore exterior pick of 2026. A balanced gray-green sage at approximate hex #A4AA92 and LRV 36, it sits between the brighter Boxwood Green CC-554 and the deeper Saratoga Sage HC-119. Of 16,983 facade simulations rendered on FacadeColorizer in 2025-2026, Saybrook Sage ranked the #1 Benjamin Moore sage exterior color at 5% of all BM sage-family tests, riding a Pinterest-confirmed +47% growth in sage exterior searches year over year. Full spec, comparisons against Boxwood Green CC-554, Saratoga Sage HC-119, and SW Evergreen Fog 9130, Cottage and Craftsman style fit, eight FAQs, and a free 30-second photo preview.

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Benjamin Moore Aura Vinyl Siding Paint Guide 2026
Paint Brands & Reviews
2026-06-05 Hugo Dumoulin

Benjamin Moore Aura Vinyl Siding Paint Guide 2026

Benjamin Moore Aura on vinyl siding in 2026: the brand-specific LRV restrictions, the vinyl-approved color palette, application protocol and warranty, plus a head-to-head with SW VinylSafe and Behr Marquee Vinyl-safe.

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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 across 16,983 facade simulations 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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Behr Exterior Paint Color Combinations 2026: Top 12 Trios
Colors & Inspiration
2026-06-05 Hugo Dumoulin

Behr Exterior Paint Color Combinations 2026: Top 12 Trios

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.

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Popular Valspar Exterior Paint Colors 2026: Top 15
Colors & Inspiration
2026-06-05 Hugo Dumoulin

Popular Valspar Exterior Paint Colors 2026: Top 15

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.

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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 Guide 2026: Top 12 Colors, Cost & Application
Stucco & Siding
2026-06-05 Hugo Dumoulin

LP SmartSide Paint Guide 2026: Top 12 Colors, Cost & Application

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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Hawaii HOA-Approved Exterior Paint Colors 2026 (HRS 421J Guide)
Regulatory Compliance
2026-06-05 Hugo Dumoulin

Hawaii HOA-Approved Exterior Paint Colors 2026 (HRS 421J Guide)

Hawaii HOA exterior paint approval under HRS Chapter 421J: top 8 approved palettes (Plantation Heritage white, Hawaiian native red and blue, coastal modern sea salt), Honolulu, Maui, Kauai, and Big Island variations, plus Pacific salt-air and tropical UV product specs.

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