Victorian homes are some of our favorites to paint but they can be a real challenge when it comes to color selection. Oftentimes, Victorian homes feature multiple colors and decorative elements. This can make choosing the right color scheme and determining color placement difficult. We love making color selection simple and easy so we’ve compiled a list of our top 5 favorite Victorian-inspired color combinations. For this list we are keeping things fairly traditional with the Sherwin Williams Victorian collection but if you’d like to see some modernized Victorians we’ve got you covered. Our favorite Denver painter, Kind Home Solutions has an awesome exterior gallery if you’re looking for more inspiration.
Top 5 Exterior Victorian Color Combinations
Downing Slate SW 2819, Renwick Beige SW 2805, Rookwood Terra Cotta SW 2803, Rookwood Amber SW 2817, and Classical White SW 2829
Victorian Color Combination #1 – Playful and Warm
Here we have a great warm option that plays up a lot of the details on this home. Beige has been making a comeback and this victorian classic, Renwick Beige SW 2805 is a great option. To create some visual interest and contrast we do use both Classical White SW 2829 and Downing Slate SW 2819 on the trim. This helps draw attention to the details in the gable and brings a playful element to the home. Leaning into the warmth, we chose to use Rookwood Terra Cotta SW 2803 and Rookwood Amber SW 2817 as alternating colors on the shake shingle as well as on the porch details.
This is a really visually interesting take on a victorian that still feels different from a lot of the homes you see. The beige mixed with the warm earth tones are very on-trend and we love the bit of gray-blue sprinkled throughout with Downing Slate. We especially love this option if the homes around you feature blue or are darker in color to help your own home stand out.
Rookwood Dark Green SW 2816, Renwick Olive SW 2815, Rookwood Antique Gold SW 2814, and Downing Straw SW 2813
Victorian Color Combination #2 – Green with Envy
A lot of homeowners have been going green so we thought we’d include an earth green victorian scheme on our list. This is a very deep and dramatic exterior color scheme but thanks to the golden brown tones it feels quite grounded. Our base is this deep, rich green Rookwood Dark Green SW 2816. Since this color has a lot of depth to it, it helps the home feel intimate and cozy. To create some contrast we’ve added Rookwood Antique Gold SW 2814 on the trim as well as around the windows. For our accents, we kept things really clean and easy by using slightly lighter variations of our body and trim colors. Renwick Olive SW 2815 is the lighter green seen around the suns, on the window sills, and layered on the gable shingles. Downing Straw SW 2813 is our lightest color and this is used throughout to lighten things up.
Since this scheme only has four colors it’s actually one of the simplest schemes featured on this list. We love how classic this color combination is and how woodsy the home feels.
Renwick Beige SW 2805, Renwick Rose Beige SW 2804, Rookwood Terra Cotta SW 2803, and Rookwood Red SW 2802, and Rookwood Dark Green SW 2816
Victorian Color Combination #3 – Really Red
Proof that green and red don’t have to remind you of the holidays. Here we have a showstopping red home. Red homes are pretty polarizing in that people either love them or hate them but we think Rookwood Red SW 2802 here is the perfect body color. The trick to finding a good exterior red is to make sure your red isn’t too vibrant or bright. We chose to keep the contrast pretty low with this scheme but you could absolutely go with lighter colors on the trim. Instead, we use Rookwood Terra Cotta SW 2803 and Rookwood Dark Green SW 2816 on the trim. To make sure things weren’t too simple or heavy, we added Renwick Rose Beige SW 2804 and Renwick Beige SW 2805 as our accent colors. This helps lighten things up and highlight the details of the home.
To keep things from looking to Chris Cringle we did choose to keep almost all of our accent colors within the same color family as the red body. This helps to create harmony and visual interest with the exterior. If you love red this might be a great option for you!
Downing Sand SW 2822, Downing Stone SW 2821, Downing Earth SW 2820, and Downing Slate SW 2819, and Downy SW 7002
Victorian Color Combination #4 – Modern Neutrals
This exterior victorian color scheme uses traditional colors in a modern way. By using Downy SW 2822 on the body, you create a contemporary and cohesive look that differs from some of our other options. The creamy body color is contrasted with a warm gray trim in Downing Stone SW 2821. This color combination is soft and sophisticated and we love it on all kinds of homes. We still wanted to play up the details on this home so we’ve incorporated Downing Slate SW 2819 as a nice accent that creates a small pop of color. Downing Earth SW 2820 on the window trim helps bring some depth to the scheme while Downing Sand SW 2822 complements and contrasts the body color as a small accent on some decorative pieces.
This is a great option if you want a more modernized and updated take on a victorian color scheme. This can also be a great option if you have very busy victorian homes around yours and you’d like to change things up a bit.
Downing Slate SW 2819, Classical White SW 2829, Rookwood Red SW 2802, and Naval SW 6244
Victorian Color Combination #5 – All American
Rounding out our list of victorian exterior paint schemes we have this classic red, white, and blue combo. This is somewhat similar to the previous color scheme in that it’s not as detailed as some of the others and it only utilizes four colors. What we really love about this scheme is the use of Downing Slate SW 2819 on the body of the home. It’s very calming and soothing and since blue is the most common popular color, we see blue houses quite often. Classical White SW 2829 on the trim offers a nice contrast while Naval SW 6244 is a nice pop of color on the corbels, accents, and window sills. We feel it’s really important to have an additional color family on your home, especially when there’s a lot of detail. So, because of this, we have included Rookwood Red SW 2802 as a final accent color, and the warmth of the red helps contrast the coolness of the blues.
This scheme could be changed up by doing the alternating colors on the gable shingles if you are looking for something a bit more complex. We would not recommend this scheme if your home is next to any other blue homes because it won’t allow your home to stand out. If this is the case for your home, try using blue as the accent rather than the dominant color.
Best Paint Colors for Victorian Color Schemes
Oftentimes, the best first step to choosing paint colors for a victorian style Denver home is to determine whether you prefer a traditional look or a more modern take on colors. This can really help keep you focused and narrow down those options. For this particular list, we did pull most color options from the Sherwin Williams Victorian colors which can be found in their historical collection. Using collections like this can help ensure that you choose colors that are appropriate for your home and that honor the history of your home. To get more exterior color scheme inspiration, be sure to follow us on Pinterest.
