This post is in partnership with Sherwin-Williams®.

After over two years of putting this house through the ringer with constant renovations, we were set to tackle the very last project: the front exterior. We always knew it would be the last thing we did because with such a large number of work crews coming in and out of the house the porch was bound to take a beating, and why bother polishing it up so pretty if it’s just going to get roughed up right after? But with everything on the inside of the house finally done, we were ready.

When we went to choose our paint color palette, we knew we’d need four colors: one for the siding, one for the doors and shutters, one for the trim, and one for the porch. We also have some classic New Orleans Victorian corbels, columns, and rail that would be getting different combinations of each of the colors we selected.

We’re not big on design rules, but for exterior colors, the only colors our neighbors have to see and live with every day, we wanted to follow some basic etiquette, like sticking to colors that fit the style of the home and would look appropriate for the neighborhood. Every city is different, and in our vibrant and quirky New Orleans neighborhood not much would be off limits, except for maybe a stark white or rich black exterior.

We started with our siding color. When we first toured the home we loved that it was a subdued and calming green color. We decided to use a similar color, just a shade or two brighter and lighter to make for a fresher appearance. That’s when we found Sherwin-Williams Rookwood Jade SW 2812, a near perfect match to the original color in terms of warmth, but slightly lighter.

We love homes that have multiple tones of similar colors, where the contrast is just enough to make the different architectural features pop while still allowing the homes as a whole to feel cohesive. Rookwood Dark Green SW 2816, with its gorgeous olive-toned warmth, was an easy selection for the doors and shutters.

Once we had the two greens, which would be taking up the majority of our front porch real estate, it was time to pick a trim color! The trim color would be the same color as the columns and rail / spindles, so we wanted to stick with a nice creamy white. Given the warmth of both greens, any white that didn’t lean warm would potentially feel a little jarring, so we opted for the gorgeous Grecian Ivory SW 7541, which is still nice and bright but also warm and inviting. Finally it was time for the porch color, and we chose Rookwood Shutter Green SW 2809, a deep green that is the one cool-toned paint color in the palette, giving it an almost blue appearance which provides fantastic contrast for the rest of the home and also makes for easy cleaning.

As for the paint product itself, we used Sherwin-Williams Emerald® Exterior on the siding, trim and shutters. Emerald Exterior provides a quality sheen, protects from peeling and fading, and has a mildew resistant coating. Exterior paint can often contain high levels of VOCs, but we love using Sherwin-Williams Emerald Exterior paint because it meets the most stringent VOC regulations.

We’re thrilled with how our home looks. After two years of living with the “before” we both commented that it almost doesn’t even feel like our house, but in a good way! The paint colors just feel so right for the home and the neighborhood, and most importantly, for us! We absolutely love it. Let us know if you have any questions about choosing out your own paint color palette or on any of the Sherwin-Williams products!

Thanks for stopping by the blog :)

xoxo Beau & Matt & Fox & Barley & Rye

Our New Orleans Home Exterior Paint Palette