Historic-appropriate color combinations for siding, shutters, doors, and trim. Benjamin Moore + Sherwin-Williams. From a 23-year CT contractor.
Colonial homes are Connecticut's signature housing stock — and the easiest to get color wrong on. The good news is that the color combinations that work on a CT colonial are largely solved problems. Here are the palettes we recommend most, what to combine them with, and where each works best.
BM Simply White (siding) · BM Hale Navy (shutters) · BM Black (door). The most-requested CT colonial palette and for good reason — it works on virtually every colonial home from 1750 to 2026. The key is Simply White over Pure White; Pure White reads cold against navy.
BM Wythe Blue (siding) · BM White Dove (trim) · BM Black (door). The Williamsburg Foundation classic. Reads more period-correct than the white-on-navy palette and unusually well-suited to Greenfield Hill, Ridgefield Main Street, and Newtown center colonials.
BM Hawthorne Yellow (siding) · BM White Dove (trim) · BM Salamander or Black (shutters). The "Federal yellow" classic. Brighter than people remember from old photos but historically correct.
BM Swiss Coffee (siding) · BM Iron Mountain (trim) · natural mahogany door (Sikkens stain). The "modern farmhouse" pivot. Dramatic but sophisticated.
BM Revere Pewter (siding) · BM White Dove (trim) · BM Wrought Iron (door). The most-requested transitional palette. Reads upscale without committing to a strong color.
BM Onyx (siding) · BM White Dove (trim) · BM Carriage Red (door). Bold. Excellent on small to mid-size colonials with strong trim detail. Not recommended on south-facing field walls in full sun.
Always paint at least 12"×12" sample swatches on the actual home — north and south elevations both — and look at them in morning, midday, and late-afternoon light before making a final call. Colors read 30–40% lighter outdoors than they do on a fan deck inside a paint store. We provide free color consultation as part of every General Painting Co. estimate, including drive-by review of swatches before contracts are signed.
Soft white siding with navy shutters and a black door is the most universally successful palette. Variations on yellow + white + black/green also work well on period colonials.
Yes — but choose Onyx or another premium black, not a budget jet-black, and consider whether the south-facing walls get direct sun (heat absorption is real). Black homes look spectacular on Tudor revivals and modern colonials.
BM White Dove. Slightly warmer than Pure White, plays well with virtually any siding color.
Both have similar palettes. The bigger driver is the paint line — choose Aura Exterior or Emerald regardless of color. Then pick the color you love.
Free on-site estimate within 48 hours. No pressure, no pushy sales — just an honest written quote you can take to other contractors.