Exterior Paint Visualizer: Upload Your House and Try Colors

Exterior paint is a big, messy job to get wrong. Upload a photo of your house below to see a new body or trim color on your own home before you buy a single can, then read what three published sources say about light, trim, samples and sheen.

Upload your house photo See siding colors

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Before and after examples

Example images are AI-generated: both the sample houses and their redesigns. Results change from render to render, so treat them as concepts, not exact product matches.

AI-drawn generic stand-in of a two-story house with tan horizontal siding, white trim and windows, a white front door under a small porch, a white garage door and a gray shingle roof — Example 1 (prompt 1 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): the tan siding is now deep forest green on every wall, and the white trim, the white door and the garage door were kept. This is a picture of one color, not a real paint chip, so it will not match a color you buy.

The same house with the siding painted deep forest green on every wall including the garage wall; the white trim, windows, doors and gray roof kept — Example 1 (prompt 1 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): the tan siding is now deep forest green on every wall, and the white trim, the white door and the garage door were kept. This is a picture of one color, not a real paint chip, so it will not match a color you buy.

AI-drawn generic stand-in of a one-story ranch house with light gray horizontal siding, white window frame and trim, a white front door and a white garage door under a dark gray shingle roof — Example 2 (prompt 2 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): we asked for warm greige siding with charcoal trim. The window frame, gable trim and fascia came out charcoal as asked (the garage door frame also turned charcoal, which we did not ask for), but the siding came out a warm tan, more yellow than greige, so the color we typed was not the color we got. This is why you should check the result and then test a real sample.

The same house with warm tan siding, and charcoal black window frame, gable trim, fascia boards and garage door frame; the white front door and white garage door kept — Example 2 (prompt 2 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): we asked for warm greige siding with charcoal trim. The window frame, gable trim and fascia came out charcoal as asked (the garage door frame also turned charcoal, which we did not ask for), but the siding came out a warm tan, more yellow than greige, so the color we typed was not the color we got. This is why you should check the result and then test a real sample.

AI-drawn generic stand-in of a two-story house with red-brown brick on the ground floor, white siding on the upper floor, dark red shutters, white trim and a brown garage door — Example 3 (prompt 3 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): only the upper-floor siding changed and the brick was kept, which is how the sources treat brick as a fixed element. The sand came out more golden than beige, and the dark red shutters were kept even though we did not mention them.

The same house with the upper-floor siding painted a golden sand beige; the red-brown brick, the dark red shutters, the white trim and the garage door kept — Example 3 (prompt 3 below; the before is an AI-drawn generic stand-in house, not a real photo): only the upper-floor siding changed and the brick was kept, which is how the sources treat brick as a fixed element. The sand came out more golden than beige, and the dark red shutters were kept even though we did not mention them.

What the AI can and cannot do

It can repaint the walls, the trim, the fascia or the doors in your photo in a color you describe while usually keeping the shape of the house and the parts you tell it to keep, so you can judge a palette before you buy paint.

It cannot match a real paint color or show sheen. In our second example we asked for greige and the siding came out a warm tan. Check the whole image, name every part you want repainted and test a real sample afterwards.

What paint sources say

The points below come from three published sources: The Color Concierge, "Choosing Paint Colors for the Different Parts of a Home's Exterior" (by Michelle Marceny, March 2025; a paint color consulting firm that sells consultations and peel-and-stick samples); Aboff's Paints, "How to Choose the Right Exterior Paint Color" (August 2023; a paint retailer that sells exterior paint and color samples); and Let's Talk Color, "18 Must-Know Exterior House Painting Tips From Experts" (by Max Ruthven; a color consulting business). All three sell something, so treat them as design opinions, not rules.

Question	What the sources say
Where do I start?	Aboff's: build the palette around fixed features such as roofing, brick and stone. The Color Concierge: pick the body color after brick or stone.
How many colors?	Aboff's: about 60 percent body, 30 percent trim, 10 percent accent. The Color Concierge: one body color, an optional second for gables, one trim color. Let's Talk Color: body, trim, and door or shutters.
Sun and shade	Aboff's: sun can give paint a green or blue cast, so lean warmer, and shade mutes colors. Let's Talk Color: off-whites can look stark outdoors, gray can turn bluish, and colors look lighter in direct sun.
Trim	The Color Concierge: use one trim color, avoid dark trim on white windows and use lighter trim with black windows. Let's Talk Color: keep a clear contrast between body and trim, and use a neutral white without pink or yellow undertones.
Fascia, soffits, doors, shutters	The Color Concierge: match the fascia to the trim or windows, treat the front door as the accent, and match shutters to the door, the roof or the trim with enough contrast against the body.
Sheen	Aboff's: glossier resists dirt but shows imperfections, matte hides flaws but is harder to clean, satin and eggshell fall between. Let's Talk Color: test the sheen too.

For color ideas by part of the house, see exterior trim colors, front door colors and shutter colors.

How to test the color for real

Use a big, dry, double coat. Aboff's suggests a patch of about 4 by 4 inches in a discreet spot, two coats, left at least 24 hours.
Look at it through the day. Aboff's says to check the patch at different times of day, and Let's Talk Color says to paint samples on two sides of the house.
Keep samples apart. Let's Talk Color says not to paint a sample over an existing color or right next to another sample.
Test the sheen. Let's Talk Color suggests a quart rather than a sample pint so you can test both the sheen and the color.

Three paint changes to try

The examples were run directly on an image model, not through the tool above, so your results will look different.

One deep color on the body. Example 1 turns a tan house forest green and keeps the white trim.
Body and trim together. Example 2 changes the siding and paints the window frame, trim and fascia charcoal. The siding came out tan, not greige.
Siding only, brick kept. Example 3 repaints the upper floor and leaves the brick alone.

How to try paint colors on your house

Photograph the front in daylight, straight on, from far enough back that the whole house fits in the frame.
Upload it in the tool at the top of this page, or open the exterior designer, choose a style and click generate.
Name the parts and the colors and list what must stay the same, like the prompts below.
Check the whole image. Look at the trim, the doors, the shutters and the roof, and run it again if something moved.

The exact prompts behind the examples

These are the edit prompts used for the three examples, word for word. Change the parts, the colors and the list of what stays to suit your house.

Prompt 1: deep forest green on every wall

Change only the wall paint color: repaint the tan clapboard siding on every wall, including the garage wall, a deep forest green. Keep the white trim, the white front door, the garage door, the roof, the lawn, the driveway and the camera angle exactly the same.

Prompt 2: warm greige siding with charcoal trim

Change only the paint colors: repaint the light gray siding on every wall a warm greige, and repaint the window frames, the corner trim and the fascia boards charcoal black. Keep the front door, the garage door, the roof, the lawn, the driveway and the camera angle exactly the same.

Prompt 3: warm sand on the upper floor, brick kept

Change only the paint color of the upper-floor siding: repaint the white siding on the upper floor a warm sand beige. Keep the red-brown brick on the ground floor and the garage wall exactly as it is. Keep the white trim, the front door, the garage door, the roof, the lawn, the driveway and the camera angle exactly the same.

Before you buy paint

Test real samples. Look at the color on your own house in your own light, wet and dry.
Check the roof and the brick. Make sure the new color works with the parts you are keeping.
Check your HOA or town for exterior color rules.

Who this is for

Homeowners and buyers planning to repaint, or to repaint before a sale, who want to see a body, trim or door color on their own house before they buy paint or hire a painter.

More exterior ideas

See the home exterior visualizer, siding colors and house colors with a brown roof for colors by house, and two-tone house exterior ideas for combining two colors.

Frequently asked questions

Can I try exterior paint colors on a photo of my own house?

Yes. Upload a photo of the front of your house in the tool at the top of this page, say which parts to repaint and what color, and list what must stay the same. Free accounts get 2 free renders in most countries; free renders are watermarked.

Will the color match a real paint color?

No. The AI draws a color from your description, and a screen and the light in your photo change how a color looks. In our second example we asked for greige and got a warm tan. Use the picture to narrow your choices, then test real samples on your house.

How should I test a paint color on the house?

Aboff’s Paints, a paint retailer, suggests a double-coated test patch of about 4 by 4 inches in a discreet spot, left to dry for at least 24 hours, and checked at different times of day. Let’s Talk Color says not to paint a sample over an existing color or right beside another sample, since neighboring colors change how you see them.

Should I pick a warmer or deeper color than I want?

The sources say sunlight changes exterior colors. Aboff’s says sun can give paint a green or blue cast and suggests leaning warmer, especially for whites. Let’s Talk Color says colors look lighter in direct sun and suggests going one to two shades darker than the chip for dark colors. Test in your own light.

How many colors should an exterior have?

Aboff’s suggests a split of about 60 percent body color, 30 percent trim and garage doors and 10 percent accent such as the front door and shutters. The Color Concierge suggests one primary body color, an optional second for gables, and one trim color. Let’s Talk Color suggests three coordinating colors: body, trim, and door or shutters.

Should I keep brick or stone when I repaint?

The Color Concierge says to pick the body color after brick or stone, and Aboff’s says to build the palette around fixed features such as roofing, brick and stone. Example 3 on this page repaints only the siding above red-brown brick.

Which paint sheen should I use outside?

Aboff’s says glossier finishes resist dirt and clean easily but show imperfections, matte hides flaws but is harder to clean, and satin and eggshell fall in between. Let’s Talk Color says to test the sheen as well as the color, because sheen changes how the color reads. The AI picture does not show sheen.

Try it on your own house

Upload your house photo

Free sign-up with email or Google. You get 2 free renders in most countries; free renders are watermarked.