Black Trim House Colors: Exterior Schemes That Work
Black trim looks sharp on light walls and quiet on dark ones. This page shows four complete exteriors, each with wall color, black trim, front door and shutter color, and a roof color. Every paint color was measured from a public-domain painting.
Quick answer
Use a light gray or tan on the walls for strong contrast, or a deep brown or olive for a softer look. Put near-black on trim, fascia and the garage door, and give the front door and shutters the accent color.
Every wall, trim and door color here was measured from one of these public-domain paintings.
4 complete exterior color schemes
Walls, trim, front door and roof together. Each scheme takes its colors from public-domain paintings, so the pairings are ones a painter already put side by side.
Gray Colonial
Walls #BCBCBC
Trim #191818
Front door & shutters #5B422A
Roof: charcoal
Light gray walls (LRV 50) with black trim, dark walnut brown door and shutters, and a charcoal roof suit a two-story colonial. The contrast is strong, so the windows and rooflines stand out clearly.
Warm taupe brown walls (LRV 19) with black trim, deep green door and shutters, and a brown roof give a long, low ranch a calm, earthy look. The colors are close in depth, so the house reads as one soft shape.
Deep olive brown walls (LRV 10) with black trim and muted gold door and shutters work on a farmhouse with a brown roof. The gold is the only light color, so it draws the eye to the entry.
Soft sand tan walls (LRV 54) with black trim, a deep teal blue door and shutters, and a black roof suit a craftsman bungalow. The blue adds a cool note against the warm walls.
Exterior paint is seen in much stronger light than a room. Full sun bleaches a color by a shade or two, while the shaded side of the house and overcast days pull it cooler and darker. Test a large sample on two sides of the house.
Color
Swatch
Full sun
Overcast
In shade
Golden hour
Light Stone Gray LRV 50
Warm Taupe Brown LRV 19
Deep Olive Brown LRV 10
Soft Sand Tan LRV 54
Try these colors on a house
Pick a color for the walls, the trim, the front door and the roof, and switch between house styles. Shadows and siding lines follow your choice.
Roof colors are typical shingle, tile and metal colors, not paint. Every other color comes from a painting on this page.
Colors for the walls
#BCBCBCLRV 50
Light Stone Gray
A light, neutral gray for siding or stucco that gives black trim crisp contrast. At LRV 50 it reads light, but full sun can push it paler. Measured from Portrait of a Man Wearing an Ivy Wreath at The Art Institute of Chicago; Sherwin-Williams SW 7668 March Wind is a near-identical match.
A mid-tone wall color with a warm yellow undertone, good for a ranch or any house with a brown roof. At LRV 19 it sits between light and dark, so black trim shows without a harsh edge. Measured from Early Morning, Tarpon Springs by George Inness; Sherwin-Williams SW 7514 Foothills is a near-identical match.
A deep wall color with a warm yellow undertone for a farmhouse with wood, stone or a brown roof. At LRV 10 it is close to black trim, so the result is moody and low contrast. Measured from Landscape: Window Overlooking the Woods by Édouard Jean Vuillard; Sherwin-Williams SW 9125 Oliva Oscuro is a very close match.
A light, warm tan for siding or painted brick that looks welcoming next to black trim. At LRV 54 it reflects light well, though strong sun can make it look paler. Measured from Dorothea and Francesca by Cecilia Beaux; Behr PPU4-14 Renoir Bisque is a near-identical match.
Sherwin-Williams SW 2828 Colonial Revival Tan
Very close
Valspar 3002-10A Warm Buff
Close
Farrow & Ball No. 213 Savage Ground
Close
Trim colors
#191818LRV 1
Soft Near Black
Use it on trim, fascia and the garage door for a clean outline around windows and rooflines. At LRV 1 it is very dark and neutral, with no clear undertone. Measured from Portrait of a Man with a Watch by Cornelis Jonson van Ceulen the Younger at The Metropolitan Museum of Art; no close commercial match was found, so test a near-black beside your wall color.
A deep brown with a warm red-orange undertone for a front door and shutters on a gray wall. At LRV 6 it looks rich, not harsh, beside black trim. Measured from Portrait of a Man Wearing an Ivy Wreath at The Art Institute of Chicago; Sherwin-Williams SW 6097 Sturdy Brown is a very close match.
A very dark green for a door and shutters when you want a quiet accent. At LRV 4 it sits near the black trim, so it suits a calm, low-contrast house. Measured from A Marine by George Inness; Behr S-H-760 Olive Leaf is a close match.
A mid-tone gold with a warm yellow undertone that stands out on a dark wall. At LRV 25 it is much lighter than the olive brown walls and black trim, so the front door gets noticed. Measured from Landscape: Window Overlooking the Woods by Édouard Jean Vuillard; Behr M300-6 Indian Spice is a near-identical match.
A deep blue with a cool undertone for a front door and shutters against warm tan walls. At LRV 16 it is dark enough to feel grounded and still reads as color next to black trim. Measured from Lucie Berard (Child in White) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir; Sherwin-Williams SW 6495 Great Falls is a near-identical match.
Sherwin-Williams SW 6495 Great Falls
Near-identical
Valspar 5009-9 Ocean Soul
Very close
Behr M470-7 Blue Stream
Very close
Farrow & Ball No. 288 Vardo
Close
How do you choose wall colors for a black trim house?
Start with what cannot change. A roof that is staying, brick, stone and a driveway all have their own color, and the walls have to sit comfortably beside them. Hold a wall sample next to the roof shingle or brick before you decide.
Match the roof to the scheme. Charcoal and black roofs suit the light gray and tan walls here. A brown roof suits the warm, yellow-leaning walls, such as the taupe brown and the deep olive brown. If your roof leans another way, pick the scheme whose undertone is closest to it.
Black trim works with many wall colors, but the wall sets the mood. A light wall at LRV 50 or higher gives a crisp, graphic look. A mid-tone wall at LRV 19 feels softer. A very dark wall at LRV 10 feels moody, and the trim blends into the walls. Decide how much of the house you want to stand out, then choose the wall.
How much contrast should trim and the front door have?
Black trim is the strongest contrast you can give. At LRV 1 it sits far from a wall at LRV 50 or 54, so windows, fascia and the garage door read as clear outlines. Use the same black on all of them so the house looks tied together.
On a light wall, the front door can be quiet or bold. The deep brown at LRV 6 is calm against gray. The deep blue at LRV 16 is easier to notice against the light tan.
On a dark wall, the gap between wall and trim is small. A wall at LRV 10 or 19 sits close to black trim, so the front door does the work. The muted gold at LRV 25 stands out clearly against the olive brown wall. The very dark green at LRV 4 is a subtler choice and gives a quiet, low-contrast house.
Shutters usually take the door color. Keep fascia and the garage door black so only the door and shutters carry the accent.
Why do exterior colors look lighter in sun and cooler in shade?
Outdoors, the sun is far brighter than any room light. Full sun makes exterior colors look lighter and often a little warmer. A paint chip that looks right in the store can look pale on a sunny wall.
Shade works the other way. A wall on the north side or under a porch roof looks cooler and darker. Gray and blue colors can look cooler still, while yellow-leaning colors tend to hold their warmth.
That is why it helps to choose one shade darker than the one you like on the chip. The color will lighten in full sun, and a slightly deeper choice lands closer to what you wanted. This matters most for the light walls here, the gray at LRV 50 and the tan at LRV 54, which can drift toward white in strong sun.
Very dark colors need less adjusting. A wall at LRV 10 is already deep, and black trim at LRV 1 stays dark in any light. Check the dark colors in shade to see if they look flat.
How do you test modern exterior colors with black trim?
Test on the house, not on a small chip. Paint a sample at least two feet square, or use a large board you can move. Place the wall color next to the real roof, brick or stone if it stays.
Test two sides of the house. A sunny south or west wall and a shaded north or east wall will show different results from the same paint. Look at each sample in the morning, at midday and in late afternoon, and again on a cloudy day.
Test the black trim too. Paint a board with the trim color and hold it beside the wall sample. Put the door color on a separate board so you can judge all three together from the street.
Leave the samples up for a few days. Stand at the curb, since that is how people will see the house. Choose the wall first, then the trim, then the door.
FAQ
What color house looks best with black trim?
Light gray and soft tan walls give the strongest contrast with black trim. Mid-tone taupe brown and deep olive brown walls give a softer, moodier look.
What are good modern exterior house colors with black trim?
Four schemes on this page show gray, taupe brown, olive brown and sand tan walls, each with black trim, a door and shutter color, and a roof color. Light walls feel crisp and graphic, and dark walls feel quiet and low contrast.
What front door color goes with black trim?
On light walls, try deep walnut brown or deep teal blue. On dark olive brown walls, a muted gold door stands out, while a very dark green door gives a quieter look.
What roof color goes with a black trim house?
Charcoal and black roofs suit light gray and tan walls. Brown roofs suit warm taupe brown and olive brown walls. Hold a wall sample next to the shingle before you commit.
What paint matches the black trim color?
No close commercial match was found for this near-black, which measures LRV 1. Ask a paint store for a near-black and test a large sample next to your wall color in sun and shade.
Save these colors
A card with these house color schemes: walls, trim, front door and roof. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Painting images: The Art Institute of Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, public domain (CC0).
Colors measured by Light & Pigment. Paint names belong to their brands and matches are approximate. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.
