A red or terracotta roof stays the same while the walls, trim and door change. These four schemes were measured from museum paintings, and each is built around a terracotta tile roof.
Quick answer
For the safest choice, use sand #D4C2A7 walls with #DDDED8 trim and a dark brown #5F3D23 door. For a bold look, use #393832 walls with a green or tan 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.
Dark Colonial
Walls #393832
Trim #DDDED8
Front door & shutters #89795A
Roof: terracotta tile
Near-black walls with soft white trim and an olive-brown door and shutters give a two-story colonial a strong frame under the terracotta roof.
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
Andiron Dark Body LRV 4
Java Brown Body LRV 7
Sand Beach Body LRV 55
Peristyle Brass Body LRV 27
Fleur Trim White LRV 73
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
#393832LRV 4
Andiron Dark Body
A very dark warm color with an LRV of 4, near-black, for a bold house under a terracotta roof. It comes from Jean-Francois Millet's Retreat from the Storm, ca. 1846.
A light warm sand with an LRV of 55, the lightest wall here and a classic partner for a red roof. It comes from Jan van de Cappelle's A State Yacht and Other Craft in Calm Water, ca. 1660.
Sherwin-Williams SW 7666 Fleur de Sel
Near-identical
Behr N200-1 Moth Gray
Near-identical
Valspar 7006-18 Blizzard Fog
Near-identical
Farrow & Ball No. 277 Dimpse
Very close
Front door and shutter colors
#89795ALRV 20
Verde Marron Door
A mid-tone olive-brown with an LRV of 20, a soft door and shutter color for a dark house. It comes from Jean-Francois Millet's Retreat from the Storm, ca. 1846.
A very dark red-brown with an LRV of 6, a classic door and shutter color on a sand house. It comes from Jan van de Cappelle's A State Yacht and Other Craft in Calm Water, ca. 1660.
How do you choose wall colors that go with a red roof?
The roof is the strongest color on the house, so choose walls that work with it. Terracotta has a warm red-orange tone. Warm walls agree with it, and cool walls make the red look stronger.
The sand #D4C2A7 is the easiest match, with an LRV of 55 and a warm yellow undertone. The tan #A68A62 has an LRV of 27 and looks natural on stucco. The brown #654631 has an LRV of 7 and sits close in tone to the roof, so the house looks like a single warm mass.
The near-black #393832 gives the most dramatic contrast. Its LRV of 4 makes the terracotta stand out as the only warm note. Use it on a larger house, or one with plenty of trees, where the dark wall does not look heavy.
Which trim and front door colors work with a red roof?
Trim is simple: all four schemes use the soft white #DDDED8. With an LRV of 73 it outlines windows and corners and separates the walls from the roof. A neutral white also stays quiet beside a strong roof color.
For the door and shutters, choose one of two approaches. The first is to echo the roof. The cayenne #CD4829 repeats the red and works best on a dark brown house. The second is to contrast with it. The forest green #425224 sits opposite the red and suits a tan house.
For a quieter result, use a deep brown such as #5F3D23, which is traditional with sand walls, or the olive-brown #89795A, which softens a dark house. Use the same color on the door and the shutters so the house looks planned.
How do these colors look in sun and shade?
A terracotta roof changes through the day, from bright orange at noon to deep red at sunset. The walls change with it. The sand #D4C2A7 can look almost white at midday and golden in the evening light reflected from the roof.
Outdoor light makes colors look lighter and cooler in shade, so choose one step darker than you think. The tan #A68A62 looks richer in sun and a little duller in shade.
The dark colors are the most stable. The near-black #393832 and the brown #654631 hold their depth in any light, though they can look flat on a house with no shade or detail. Look at your house in the morning, at midday and in the evening, and check how the roof and wall look together from the street.
How do you test exterior paint next to a red roof?
Paint a large sample board, at least two feet square, with two coats. Hold it up where it will actually go, with the roof in view. A sample indoors will look different from the same color against terracotta.
Place the trim and door samples beside the wall board. Look at all three from the street, and from a distance, at several times of day. The roof will tint nearby colors, so a gray wall may look slightly green beside it.
The paints listed with each color are the closest measured matches. Some of the dark colors list only a close match, so you may want to ask a store to mix from the hex. Take photos, wait several days and avoid choosing on a single sunny afternoon.
FAQ
What color house goes with a red roof?
Warm sand, tan and deep brown walls all work. The four schemes on this page use these, plus a near-black wall for a bold look.
What exterior colors go with a terracotta roof?
Sand #D4C2A7 with soft white trim and a dark brown door is the safest choice. A forest green door gives more contrast.
What color should the front door be with a red roof?
Either echo the roof with a red such as #CD4829, or contrast with a deep green such as #425224. A dark brown is the quiet choice.
Can I paint my house dark with a red roof?
Yes. The near-black #393832 and the brown #654631 both work, as long as you keep the trim light.
What trim color is best with a red roof?
A soft neutral white such as #DDDED8. It separates the walls from the roof without competing with it.
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, The Art Institute of Chicago, 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.
