When you’re painting the exterior of your home, it can be tempting to use an accent color for your garage door. However, Faye from the Wayzata Hirshfield’s has some expert advice — don’t! “Your garage door is likely not the most interesting thing you can draw attention to,” she says, “and an accent color should highlight the most attractive parts of your home.” Instead, be sure to remember the accent ratio: 60% should be body color, 30% trim, and 10% accent color.

Here are some examples of how to properly incorporate accent colors on the exterior of your home.

Front Door

You may have heard this before, but the front door is a great place to use an accent color. You can use a bright color, like green, for a great pop of color.  Grand Entrance®, from Benjamin Moore, is a paint designed specifically for doors.

 

Or, you can never go wrong with a classic like black.

 

Iron Mountain is a popular choice for exteriors — a rich warm gray with a brown undertone that even I can see.

Window Boxes or Shutters

This is another popular place to use an accent color, and it works really well with the accent ratio. Be sure to choose a color that goes well with both the body color and the trim, and again, you can’t go wrong with a classic.

 

Your Garage Door

Yes, your garage door may be a great place for an accent color, but there’s a catch. You only want to draw attention to your garage door if you have a beautiful garage door.

One more tip — never use an accent color to highlight an access door outside of your garage. For safety reasons, make sure to paint that door the same color as the body of your house.

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