How to Choose Exterior Paint Schemes

In this video, This Old House host Kevin O'Connor explains how to choose the right exterior paint schemes, with the help of some clever software.

Steps:
1. For this particular Queen Anne, preservation planner Sally Zimmerman advises choosing a three-color scheme. Large, elaborate Victorians can support up to seven different colors
2. Choose colors for three areas: the body (shingles or clapboard siding), trim (window and door casings, rake boards, fascias, etc.), and movable parts (including window sash, doors, and shutters)
3. Take a digital photo of your house and upload it to a computer with a paint-imaging software program. Here, we used Benjamin Moore's Personal Color Viewer software ($10)
4. Start by choosing a color from the software's palette for the house body; pick a color that blends with the color of your roof shingles
5. Next, select a trim color that complements the house-body color
6. Select a sash color to accent the trim color
7. Use the software program to change and manipulate the colors to create a desirable paint scheme
8. Buy quart samples of various colors and test on small sections of the house, trim and sash