5 Stucco Colors for your Home
If you live in the southwestern or southern regions of the country, you’re probably very familiar with stucco colors popular for home exteriors. Stucco house siding is made from cement or lime materials, sand, and water, all mixed together to form a plaster.
Autumn Blend Shake on Tan Stucco House
Stucco has many benefits. It can be a low-cost, strong material with a durable finish. Additionally, there’s a versatility to stucco homes. The mixture can be applied over concrete, brick, wood frame, steel frame, or concrete masonry. Another advantage to a stucco house is that the material is fire resistant and retains colors extremely well.
Options for Stucco Colors
If you’re building a home and choose to have stucco siding, you can start by working with your builder to select the stucco colors of your choice — and there are many. A quick look at stucco paint colors available from a major retailer, like The Home Depot, shows there are dozens and dozens of stucco paint color options.
However, if you have a stucco house already, know that it’s also easy to refresh the color of your stucco exterior — or change it entirely! There’s an easy guide online from Family Handyman that gives you step-by-step details. A “Stucco House Painting Guide” in Improovy also provides the details you need to refresh your exterior colors. Now, what about those options for stucco colors?
White Stucco House Exteriors
Naturally, white stucco goes with everything. It allows you to add “pops” of color on your entry door, shutters, and trim. And, a white stucco house opens up the possibilities to all types of composite roofing options. You may select an Aged Cedar shake with a reddish tone, or a rich Black Oak in a cedar shake. The beauty is that the roofing color you choose is the color you get for the lifetime of the composite shake or slate product.
When selecting white stucco paint for your home exterior, take your time. Look carefully at different paint samples. Compare white paint chips to make sure you see the color and its undertone. Some whites are bright and clear. Other white stucco paint colors are grayed down a bit.
Most homeowners prefer a true white stucco house paint, or one that is slightly yellow. Steer clear of any whites that have a pink or blue undertone when you compare them with other whites. The reason this is important with stucco is that the textured nature of the stucco tends to make subtle undertones of the color you choose during different times of the day when the light changes. For example, even a hint of yellow or gold in your white stucco paint can make your home take on a slightly golden glow at sunrise or sunset. Thus, you lose the pure white look you may be seeking.
Grey Stucco House Exteriors
Sometimes white stucco can be too bright on the eyes in a sunny environment. As an alternative, grey stucco can “dim down” that brightness. Grey is also a favorite design color for the past several years — both inside and outside the home. There are quite a variety of “shades of grey” in the marketplace, so make sure to “try on” paint chip samples on your home exterior during different times of the day.
At DaVinci Roofscapes, we often recommend that homeowners take a “top down” approach when looking at a home exterior. That means starting with the roof. If you know you will have grey stucco paint on your home, make sure to select a deeper shade of grey for your composite slate or shake roofing tiles. Selections such as Weathered Gray, Castle Gray, and Slate Gray are outstanding choices to complement a gray stucco house.
Black Stucco House Exteriors
Modern and sleek, black is a terrific color for a stucco house. Especially if you accent the stucco exterior with white shutters and trim. Black is always elegant, and it shines through on a home exterior.
You can truly make a statement on your house when you use black. Stucco colors in shades of black offer richness to a home. And, best of all, black never goes out of style. This timeless color can be matched with a variety of color options on a composite roof. Consider a multi-width slate roof in a European blend of five colors — light, dark and medium grays, plus light and dark purple. Or, perhaps a Castle Gray blend in a single-width slate tile in a combination of light and dark grays.
If you’re stuck on which composite roofing color to choose that will accent your stucco house, I can help. Go to Ask an Expert! DaVinci Roofscapes customer care team and I work closely to offer free color insights to people considering a DaVinci composite roof.
Yellow Stucco House Exteriors
Yellow is another color often used when people are considering stucco paint colors. However, finding the perfect yellow or gold can be a bit tricky. Take time and always test out a large patch of the yellow stucco colors you like before giving the painters the go-ahead.
Yellow visually expands very quickly. You can go from the color that looked “just right” on the small stucco paint color you saw in the store to an entire home of yellow. Suddenly the yellow may seem too bold or bright. For that reason, when checking out stucco colors, look for a toned-down golden yellow or wheat instead of a bright, true yellow.
Can’t make up your mind on what yellow looks best? You’re not alone. Take time to learn more about colors in my article, “The #1 Biggest Challenge When Picking Home Exterior Colors.”
More Stucco Colors
The options for stucco colors abound. There is a rainbow of color choices, and it’s important that before making a selection that you truly understand the characteristics of paint colors. If you’re looking for a traditional color, consider a neutral tan or beige stucco paint. Again, accents in bolder colors on entry doors, trim, garage door, and shutters can work great with these neutral colors.
If you want to step out and try a non-traditional stucco paint color for the body of your home, consider hunter green, a deep navy blue, or even brick red. Just remember that a little color can make a big impression. Go too bright, bold, or strong and your stucco house color will feel overwhelming. Plus, it might not go over well with the neighbors! In reality, a hint of an unexpected stucco paint color (perhaps on just one wall or area of the house) will go a long way to adding personality to your home.
Accenting Your Stucco House Colors
When you’re ready to enhance your stucco house exterior, use one color on your stucco banding and trim (your soffits, fascia, door trim, and garage doors). Then, use a second stucco paint color on the front door to create a focal point. Consider this … a stained front door is a nice choice, while a painted front entry will have more contrast.
If there’s a color you love — whether it’s pumpkin orange or ocean blue — the front door is the place to share that color with the world. This “hint” of color shows your personality and puts the final touches on your stucco house exterior!
About the Author
Kate Smith is an internationally recognized color expert, consultant, and designer. She is a skilled colorist & a color consultant who for more than a decade has lent her expertise to DaVinci Roofscapes. Kate helps YOU select colors that you will love for many years to come.