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.
Illinois HOA-approved exterior paint colors for 2026, Common Interest Community Association Act compliance, bungalow heritage palettes, and committee guidance for Chicago, Naperville, Springfield, and Evanston.
Ohio HOA-approved exterior paint colors for 2026, ORC Chapter 5311 condominium compliance, Planned Community Law guidance, and committee-friendly palettes for Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Akron.
Michigan HOA exterior paint approval under MCL 559 Condominium Act and the Summer Resort Homeowners' Co-op Act plus Detroit, Birmingham, Grosse Pointe, and Ann Arbor historic district review: top 8 approved palettes (BM Wrought Iron 2124-10, Manchester Tan, SW Iron Ore, Bracken Brown HC-78, Hale Navy, Wedding Veil, Cottage Red, Saybrook Sage HC-114), and the brutal-winter April to September application window.
New York HOA and condo exterior paint approval under Real Property Law Article 9-B (Condo Act) and Article II (Coop Law) plus Westchester (Bronxville, Tuxedo Park, Larchmont), Long Island Hamptons HDC, and Hudson Valley review: top 8 approved palettes (BM Wedding Veil, Hale Navy, Simply White, Iron Ore, Manchester Tan, Bracken Brown HC-78, Cottage Red, Brewster Gray HC-162), NYC condo board strictness, and the Hamptons shingle-style approval process.
New Jersey HOA exterior paint approval under NJSA 46:8B Condominium Act and the Planned Real Estate Development Full Disclosure Act, plus the strict Cape May Victorian Historic Commission and Princeton heritage rules: top 8 approved palettes (BM Newburyport Blue HC-155, Wedding Veil, Iron Ore, Hale Navy, Cottage Red), Hoboken brownstone, Atlantic City coastal, and the spring-to-fall application window.
Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black SW 6258 complete 2026 exterior guide: true black at LRV 3, hex #2F2F30, NIR solar absorption math, modern farmhouse trim and door use, full-facade versus trim-only decisions, pairings with Pure White, Alabaster, Repose Gray, Wedding Veil, and head-to-head versus SW Iron Ore, Behr Cracked Pepper, and BM Wrought Iron.
Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray SW 7015 complete 2026 guide: real LRV 58, hex #C8C2B6, warm light greige undertone, 4-orientation behavior, Indianapolis colonial field test, comparisons to Agreeable Gray 7029, Mindful Gray 7016, BM Revere Pewter HC-172, trim pairings and FAQ.
Sherwin-Williams Sea Salt (SW 6204) exterior guide 2026: HEX #CBD1C5, LRV 63, the #1 coastal blue-green-gray hybrid. Light-shifting effect, trim pairings (Alabaster, Pure White, Iron Ore), door colors (Cottage Red, Tricorn Black, brass), style fits (Cape Cod, Florida, Pacific NW), and head-to-head vs BM Palladian Blue and BM Sea Salt.
Sherwin-Williams Worldly Gray SW 7043 complete 2026 exterior guide: real LRV 57, hex #B7B3A8, warm mid-gray-greige undertone, 4-orientation behavior, vs Agreeable Gray 7029, Repose Gray 7015, Mega Greige 7031, BM Manchester Tan HC-81 comparison table, trim and style pairings, 8-Q FAQ.
Sherwin-Williams Mindful Gray SW 7016 complete 2026 guide: real LRV 48, hex #BBB6AD, balanced cool-warm mid-gray, why it is the best Nantucket-shingle gray, 14-month Atlantic field test, vs Repose Gray (lighter) and Worldly Gray (warmer), trim pairings, coastal applications, FAQ.
Sherwin-Williams Mega Greige (SW 7031) exterior complete guide 2026: HEX #BFB6A8, LRV 50, warm mid-tone greige with yellow undertone, all 4 orientations, best trim and door pairings, modern farmhouse fits, and head-to-head vs Repose Gray, Worldly Gray and BM Manchester Tan.
Benjamin Moore Cloud White OC-130 is the East-Coast heritage warm white that anchors Colonial revival, Federal, Cape Cod, and Greek revival exteriors. HEX #E8E7DD, LRV 85, Off-White Collection. Where White Dove OC-17 owns the modern farmhouse intent and Simply White OC-117 owns the contemporary minimalist intent, Cloud White owns the historic East-Coast architectural intent: the warm white that flatters 18th and 19th century body proportions, divided-light windows, and original masonry foundations without ever reading too creamy or too modern. This 2026 guide covers full specs, the 4-orientation Boston Colonial behavior test, navy + brick + slate accent pairings calibrated for heritage builds, and an 8-question FAQ for owners of pre-1930 homes.
Benjamin Moore Decorator's White OC-149 is the cool, clean exterior white that anchors modern minimalist and contemporary architecture: LRV 84, hex approximately #EAEAE0, neutral with a subtle blue-gray pull. Full spec sheet, four-orientation light behavior, comparisons against Cloud White, Chantilly Lace OC-65, and Simply White OC-117, trim recipes, and a free way to preview OC-149 on your own home photo.
Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-17 (HEX #ECEAE0, LRV 85) is the most-specified warm creamy white in modern farmhouse exteriors, ranked #1 in our 16,983-simulation dataset at 14% of all BM warm-white renders. Full spec sheet, four-orientation behavior, comparisons against Cloud White OC-130, Simply White OC-117 and SW Alabaster, plus eight trim pairings and a free way to preview White Dove on your house photo in 30 seconds.
Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron 2124-10 exterior guide 2026: real LRV 6, hex #44494C, deep charcoal-blue-black undertone, solar NIR considerations, vs SW Iron Ore, vs SW Tricorn Black, vs BM Black Iron 2120-20, trim and full-facade applications, 8-question FAQ.
Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan HC-81 is the #1 warm tan-beige Benjamin Moore exterior pick of 2026 and a top-three choice on traditional and ranch facades from Cincinnati to Kansas City. A warm mid-light tan at LRV 60 with a soft caramel-cream cast, it sits between the cooler greige of Revere Pewter HC-172 and the deeper beige of Bleeker Beige HC-80. Of 16,983 facade simulations rendered on FacadeColorizer in 2025-2026, Manchester Tan ranked the #1 Benjamin Moore tan exterior color at 11% of all BM tan-family tests. Full spec, four-orientation light behavior, comparisons against Revere Pewter, Bleeker Beige, and SW Accessible Beige 7036, trim and shutter pairings, and a free 30-second photo preview.
Benjamin Moore Stone House 1083 is a warm soft greige at HEX #D6CFC0, LRV 64, and the single most-tested stucco color in our 16,983-simulation Benjamin Moore dataset (8% share, #1 of all BM stucco picks). This guide covers the full spec sheet, 4-orientation behavior, comparisons to Manchester Tan HC-81 and Revere Pewter HC-172 and SW Accessible Beige 7036, and the Spanish Mission and Mediterranean Revival fit we tested on a Santa Barbara facade for 14 months.
Behr Polar Bear 75 is the #1 Behr exterior white in 2026, a clean cool-warm balanced white at HEX #EAEAE0, LRV 84. Across 16,983 FacadeColorizer simulations, Polar Bear ranked first among Behr whites at 14% share. See it on your actual house in 30 seconds, no signup.
Behr Cracked Pepper PPU18-01 complete 2026 exterior guide: real LRV 5, hex #1D1D1F, deep matte black undertone, 4-orientation NIR considerations, 18-month Phoenix south-facing field test, trim vs full-facade applications, vs SW Iron Ore, vs SW Tricorn Black, vs BM Wrought Iron, Home Depot sourcing, 8-Q FAQ.
Behr Sculptor Clay PPU5-08 is a warm clay-beige with HEX #B5A187 and LRV 36, the #1 Behr terracotta-warm pick across 16,983 previews at 7% share. Ideal for Mediterranean Revival, Spanish Colonial, and Pueblo Revival exteriors. See it on your home with a free AI preview in 30 seconds.
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