White trim makes most exterior colors look sharper. These four schemes use the same soft white trim, a very light green-tinted white, and change the wall and door colors, so you can see how each one reads.
Quick answer
Use #DBE2D3 trim with walls from dark charcoal to soft white. For a classic look, add a warm gold or blue door; for a modern one, use a deep green door.
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.
El Greco Charcoal
Walls #413D38
Trim #DBE2D3
Front door & shutters #7C6C57
Roof: black
Charcoal walls with soft mint white trim and weathered bark shutters under a black roof. It is bold and sharp on a two-story colonial.
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
Charcoal Brown LRV 5
Warm Chalk White LRV 75
Rich Chestnut LRV 8
Sage Stone LRV 45
Soft Mint White LRV 74
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
#413D38LRV 5
Charcoal Brown
A very dark neutral at LRV 5 for bold siding that makes white trim stand out. It comes from Portrait of an Old Man by El Greco.
White trim works with almost any wall color, but the contrast changes the look. Against a dark wall like #413D38, with an LRV of 5, the trim is strong and graphic. Against a light wall like #E5E0DC, the trim is quiet and the house looks soft.
Mid-tones such as #B0B4A4 give a balanced result. At LRV 45 the sage wall is light enough to stay friendly and dark enough to show the trim clearly.
Warm earthy walls like #664728 give a classic look, especially on farmhouses and older homes.
If you cannot decide, pick a wall with LRV 40 to 50. It is the least risky range because it never looks too stark or too faint.
What does white trim really look like?
The trim in these schemes is #DBE2D3, a very light white with a green undertone and an LRV of 74. It is not a stark white, and that is on purpose: it looks fresh against green and brown walls without glaring in sun.
If you want a cleaner white, compare your options next to the wall. A bright white can make a muted wall look dull, and a warm white can look yellow beside a cool one.
For the best result, choose the trim last. Place samples of three whites next to the wall sample, and look at them in both sun and shade.
Also check the garage door, fascia and window frames. They should usually match the trim for a tidy look.
How do I choose a door color?
With white trim, the door can be the main accent. Golden ochre #C08B44 is warm and cheerful on a sage house. Slate blue #6C8595 adds a calm cool note to a white house.
Deep olive #3F4427, at LRV 5, is almost black and looks rich against chestnut walls. Weathered bark #7C6C57 is quieter and suits shutters on a dark house.
Think about the roof too. The schemes use black and brown roofs, which suit all four doors.
A good rule is to keep the door either clearly lighter or clearly darker than the wall, not close to it. Close tones look muddy from the street.
How do I test exterior paint?
Paint samples on large boards and move them around the house. Check them in sun and in shade, because exterior colors look lighter in sun and cooler in shade.
Hold the trim sample next to the wall sample at the same height they will be on the house. Step back to see how they look from the street.
The nearest paint matches in the data include Sherwin-Williams SW 7675 Sealskin for #413D38 and SW 7077 Original White for #E5E0DC. Use them as starting points.
Look at your samples in the morning and the late afternoon. The same color can read quite differently at each time of day.
FAQ
What exterior paint colors go with white trim?
Almost any, from charcoal to sage to chestnut. These four schemes show a dark, a light, a warm and a green option.
What is the best white for exterior trim?
A soft white with a slight undertone, like #DBE2D3, is gentler in sun than a stark white. Test a few next to your wall color.
What door color looks good with white trim?
Golden ochre, slate blue or deep olive, depending on the wall color.
Should a modern house have white trim?
Yes, a charcoal wall with white trim looks modern and crisp. Use a deep green or black door to keep the look clean.
Does white trim make a house look bigger?
Light trim defines edges and can make a house look more structured. Against a light wall, it makes the house feel softer.
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 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.
