Color – The Key to an Exterior Home Refresh

(BPT) – From the paint on your front door to the pillows on your porch swing, your home’s exterior provides a canvas for colorfully expressing your style. But a big opportunity to leverage the power of color is often overlooked. Representing as much as 40% or even more of a home’s exterior, your home’s roof not only protects against the elements but can serve as a defining design element—particularly when color is considered.1

Today’s shingle colors go well beyond conventional shades of gray, brown and black. For example, new color palettes in the Owens Corning TruDefinition® Duration® Designer Shingle range include a rich, sensory blend of hues evoking nature’s elements, food and libations, and textiles ranging from leather to metallics. Paired with other exterior elements like paint, siding, landscaping and lighting, roof shingles can pull together a vibe reflecting diverse personal styles.

A good example of this versatility can be seen in Midnight Plum, the 2023 Shingle Color of the Year. Inviting and intriguing, the shingle blends inky blues with regal violet shades and elegant touches of silver to achieve a hue that is distinctive yet versatile. Before you say, “my home’s roof can’t do purple,” let’s look at three examples of how Midnight Plum complements different exterior styles.

Modern Farmhouse. A curated style board available at OwensCorning.com reinvents the familiarity of Farmhouse style. The design board sets shades of charcoals against a rolling green landscape, bringing an element of edginess to traditional design. A subtle hint of lilac softens the look and enhances the violet undertones in the shingle.

Traditional. Like coming home, the traditional style feels classic and welcoming. Set against the airy brightness of a pop of coral, Midnight Plum’s elegant purple tones bring an optimistic blush to the exterior. Combining clean, time-honored shades of blue and gray, Midnight Plum brings a current day accent to a look firmly grounded in tradition. Homeowners can find more ideas to inspire their own take on traditional style with a curated style board for traditional homes on the Owens Corning site.

California Bungalow. Location doesn’t limit this look named for the American Craftsman style that was nearly exclusive to California in the 1920s and ‘30s. The sloping roof of the bungalow provides a ready canvas for Midnight Plum to bring a cozy contrast to mellow neutrals and sweet purples. An inspiring style board shows how Midnight Plum complements the stone, tile and landscaping that make the California Bungalow style both elegant and homey.

Along with curated style boards, Owens Corning offers other color tools to help inspire your home’s exterior. For example, the Design EyeQ® visualization software allows you to upload a picture of your home and virtually “try on” new roof colors. And calling 1-800-GET-PINK allows you to order free color pairing brochures.

Spotlighting Style

While your home’s roof is an ideal focal point for a color refresh, other elements also support beautiful exteriors. Light fixtures, landscaping and even the color of your porch furniture can all complement a home’s style. Similar to fashion, exterior color trends are always evolving. With versatility in mind, Owens Corning shingles are infused with a dimensional blend of colors to coordinate easily with exterior updates.

While fashion and design trends can come and go, the ultimate vote of confidence when it comes to a home’s style comes from homeowners. Since 2018, Owens Corning has been awarded the Women’s Choice Award®, as America’s most recommended roofing material brand.

Explore and get inspired by a range of shingle and color pairings at www.roofingfashioncolors.com.

1 Roofing & Home Value Research, online survey of female homeowners and real estate professionals conducted by Repass Research, October 31 thru November 9, 2016.