Should You Paint Your House Black?

(courtesy: AD HousePlans Content Hub)

Should you paint your house black? From traditional navy to charcoal and black, we’re being asked more and more questions about this seemingly new bold and daring trend! Dark exterior colors have been around for a centuries, having roots in Scandinavia where tar was used for sealant and darker colors helped insulate homes from long winters by absorbing light. First Early American designs also adopted to the style.

And then there is, specifically black. Today, black is probably not a first choice color you’d consider when looking for the best color to paint the exterior of your home. Perhaps for accent areas like for trim, windows, gutters and other detailing, sure, but for the whole house? Black can be a great color for the outside of a home, especially on modern and contemporary styles. Black also stands out and is unique, capturing the vision and imagination of many!

It used to be that folks would either like or not like it and there was no middle ground, but that’s changing as a black house brings other benefits other than just the outside aesthetics. In general, light colors make a house appear larger and more inviting, as well seem more structurally forward if set back away from the street. Dark colors, meanwhile, can make a home appear a little more interesting, solid and significant as in more valuable. When darkening a home’s lower portion it can suggest stability and permanance.

Here are some of ideas and key points to consider if you’re thinking of painting your homestead black.