Today I want to share the exterior transformation of our first flip, the colors we used and how we got there. This was our first time me painted the exterior of a house and I’m pretty happy with the result.
Choosing the color palette for the exterior of a house is very fun but challenging at the same time. Fun because you can see a dramatic transformation in a such a short time and improve the curb appeal of basically any house with only paint. And challenging, because sometimes we cannot see past the rough appearance of a house. It is hard to imagine how good it can be, especially when the house is in a really bad shape. Also, there are many small decisions to make before the house comes to life, and each of these decisions take time and energy.
I want to share today the colors we used on the exterior of our first flip and how we got there.
before transformation
The house was a small ranch home with a front porch and old awnings that made the house look sad and neglected.
The first thing we did was remove the awnings. This let more light inside the house and made the exterior look better. We also cleaned the roof and power washed the house.
When we bought it, the house was in a very bad shape and needed to be completely remodeled. The exterior needed a coat of paint to make if feel fresh, clean and a bit more fun.
inspiration
When you have to start from scratch, there are so many directions you could go color wise. In order to narrow down he choices, find inspiration pictures of houses that have a similar architecture style to yours.
This is already sounding complicated, but believe me, it’s not that bad.
From the beginning I knew it would stand out more if we gave it a color. After a few mock-ups in Canva, we decided to go with our inspiration house.
This house is on our aunt’s street and we often go for walks around the block, always admiring how cute this house is. Green exterior, warm white trim and black shutters.
Choosing the paint colors
I wanted to find the perfect green color, not too bright and with a warm undertone. After staring at the color fan for too long, I bought some paint samples to try out. I chose Sherwin Williams Rosemary and Retreat for the green and Snowbound and Alabaster for the trim.
We quickly decided I liked SW Alabaster for the trim because of the warm undertone. Exterior colors look much brighter than in an interior space because of the light outdoors. In this case SW Snowbound looked like paper white, with a grey undertone.
Both colors were very pretty, and I would have probably went with SW Rosemary if I would have made the decision on my own. But… I did a survey on Instagram, and the majority liked Retreat more. Because the house was resell we decided to listen to the opinion of the majority and went with SW Retreat which looks more like a sage green, with grey undertones.
Adding curb appeal
To make the windows stand out we (aka Mike) added trim around all the windows. We also replaced the front door and removed the storm door.
Disclaimer: I get a small commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
We also changed the outdoor light from the porch ceiling to the side of the house. I decided to pick a more modern black outdoor light and new black mailbox, to complement the black shutters that I had planned for the windows from Lowes.
We kept the porch which was in god shape, to save money but decided to paint it SW Alabaster and use a darker color for the porch floors.
exterior transformation
While looking for our next house to renovate, I am looking for the ugliest houses on the market. I am more convinced every day that every house can be transformed, even the ones that people seem to have given up on them. Can’t wait to find our next diamond in the rough!
Check out some of my other post:
Easy DIY tall wingback upholstered headboard for a cozy bedroom
5 Affordable throw pillow combinations for early fall
Thanks for being here for the exterior transformation of our first flip. I hope you enjoyed it and maybe got some inspiration for your next project.
Leave a Reply