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You might not be able to change your home’s architecture so easily, but its color is totally in your control—and we aren’t just talking about painting your front door black. Out of the homeowners who have invested in exterior accents to enhance their curb appeal, 31% focused on updating the trimwork, according to Houzz’s 2024 outdoor trend study. “I cannot believe the difference it makes,” Kirsten Blazek, the interior designer behind A1000xBetter and author of A Rebel by Design, once told us. “It never ceases to blow my mind.” The top trim color? Twenty-eight percent of homeowners said they chose white for their exterior trim, followed by black (22%) and green (13%). Blue surprisingly came in last with only 2% of votes, and only a mere 6% suggested picking yellow or brown to accent their facade.
While white trim pretty much goes with any siding color, material, and style, that also makes it a safe choice. If you aren’t the type of homeowner who goes along with the rest of the neighborhood for the sake of blending in, consider these alternative ideas.
Black on Blue
Seeing that white is also the most popular color choice for exterior walls, we aren’t surprised black is the second go-to choice for trim: It makes doors and windows pop. But instead of going for the traditional modern farmhouse look, consider pairing it with an equally inky navy blue, like Beth Birkett did at her family’s L.A. home.
Green on White
As long as a house isn’t, say, bright purple, Blazek will try to save money by just touching up the trim. For this ranch-style home, which was white to begin with, she applied olive green to the French doors and then painted the previously white shutters and door black for added definition.
Red on Brick
By leaning into brick’s red undertones with crimson steel doors and windows (they’re painted in RAL’s Ruby Red), this London home’s facade became anything but traditional.
Yellow on Yellow
Butter yellow is having a moment, and it turns out it’s not only perfect for throw pillows and ceramics, but also your entire facade. A creamy pale yellow paired with a sunny siding shade lends a modern touch to this 1875 Charleston, South Carolina, home.