Two-Tone Brown Exterior House Colours: Cream, Beige and Brown Pairings

How do you pair two-tone brown exterior house colours?

To pair two-tone brown exterior house colours, use a pale shade such as cream or beige as the main wall colour, use a dark brown as the accent on the parts that should look solid, such as the ground floor, columns or a feature wall, and finish the trim in off-white. The two shades should share one undertone: both yellow-leaning, both red-leaning or both grey-leaning. This guide is part of the collection of house painting guides from Phuket Pro Painters. The pairings are described in words and no manufacturer's colour codes are quoted.

In Thailand a "two-tone" house is one painted in two wall colours, normally a pale and a dark shade from one colour family, with a third colour for the trim. Brown is a warm family that settles easily into Phuket's landscape, because brown blends with the colours of earth, timber, stone and tiled roofs. Houses and villas surrounded by green gardens use brown tones a great deal.

Which shades does the brown family offer?

The brown family is wider than most people think, running from almost white to almost black. Knowing the name for each band helps when talking to a painter or a paint shop.

Each brown also has its own undertone. A yellow-leaning brown feels bright in a seaside way, a red-leaning brown feels warm like fired clay, and a grey-leaning brown feels calm and contemporary. Choose two shades with the same undertone.

Which two-tone brown pairing suits which house?

On a house that already has real timber, treat the timber as one of the two tones. There is no need to add dark brown paint on the walls as well. Choose a cream or beige wall colour with the same undertone as the timber and the house already has a balanced two-tone scheme.

Which part of the house takes light brown and which takes dark brown?

Which shade should the main walls take?

The main walls are the largest area and should take a pale shade: cream, beige or sand. A pale shade reflects more heat, and after several years of sun the fading of a pale shade is harder to notice.

Which shade should the ground floor and base take?

The ground floor, or a band along the base of the house, suits mid to dark brown. Rain splashes soil up onto this part of the wall, and brown hides soil marks better than almost any other colour.

Which shade should columns, beams and frames take?

Projecting columns and beams can take dark brown to bring out the frame of the house. Mouldings, window surrounds and eaves soffits take off-white. Avoid a blue-leaning white, which looks hard and separate from the warm walls.

Which shade should boundary walls and fences take?

A masonry boundary wall takes the main colour of the house or one step darker, so that the wall and the house look like one set. Steel fences and gates are usually dark brown or black.

How do the roof and timber affect the choice of brown?

The roof is a large area of colour that is hard to change, so the roof should be the starting point. A brown, brick-red or terracotta roof goes with red-leaning and yellow-leaning browns. A grey roof goes better with a grey-leaning brown. Hold the colour samples up under the eaves. If the wall colour and the roof colour compete for attention, tone the wall colour down.

Outdoor timber such as slats and doors usually darkens or fades with age. If the timber is due to be re-stained, choose the stain first and the wall colour second.

How do strong sun and a green garden change brown?

Phuket's midday sun makes cream and beige look paler, almost white, and makes a yellow-leaning brown look more yellow. A shade that looks soft in the shop can look strongly yellow on a south-facing or west-facing wall, so choose a shade slightly more muted than the one you like.

Trees and lawn reflect green light onto the lower part of the walls. Green and brown occur together in nature, so a brown-toned house in a garden looks settled. A cream with a strong yellow undertone, however, can look greenish beside shrubs. In the evening, orange light makes a red-leaning brown look darker and redder still.

How do you test two-tone brown colours before painting?

1. Start from the colours of the roof, the timber and the paving around the house, and choose a brown undertone that leans the same way.
2. Choose two or three pale shades and two dark shades.
3. Paint large sample patches on the real wall, with the pale and dark shades side by side and close to the roof edge or the timber.
4. Paint patches on a wall that takes sun and on a wall in shade.
5. Let the paint dry, then look in morning, midday and evening light.
6. Look from the front of the house and choose the pair in which the two tones are still clearly different.

What needs particular care on a brown-toned house in Phuket?

Brown and cream walls show green-black algae clearly on damp, shaded sides, so use an exterior paint with mould and algae resistance and wash the walls from time to time. Very dark brown absorbs heat and does not suit a wide wall in full afternoon sun.

Owners who feel that warm tones make a house look too hot can read the guide to cool-tone house colours to compare the effect. Owners who are still unsure which direction the house should take will find a decision method from the beginning in the guide on how to choose a colour that suits the house.

How is the cost of a two-tone paint job worked out?

A two-tone job involves cutting a line between the colours and uses two shades. The total cost depends on the wall area, the height, the surface preparation and the paint grade. Estimated rates are on the painting prices in Phuket page.

How can Phuket Pro Painters help with a brown-toned house?

Phuket Pro Painters surveys and measures the site free of charge and issues a written quotation before work starts, every time. The customer can buy the paint or have the paint included. The scope of work is described on the exterior house painting service page. For holiday homes with a pool and garden, see the villa and pool villa painting service.