Exterior Paint and Finish Guide... Farrow & Ball Style

Exterior paint is not interior paint

Outside, colours look lighter, brighter, and more saturated. The same shade that feels moody inside can look washed out on a sunny day. That’s why exterior paint choices fail so often — and why Farrow & Ball-style palettes need a different approach outdoors.

This guide shows you how to choose colour and finish for exteriors, how to prep properly, and how to avoid the most common outdoor repainting mistakes.

Step 1: Expect colours to look lighter outside

Daylight outdoors is far brighter than indoor light. That means colours shift upward in value and lose depth. A mid-tone can look pale. A dark shade can look mid-tone. This is why many exterior schemes feel “thin” or washed out.

The fix is simple: choose one step deeper than you think you need. This mirrors the advice in the light behaviour guide, but amplified for exterior conditions.

Step 2: Choose your undertone family first

Exterior colours are still governed by undertones. A warm stone neutral can look inviting and classic, while a cool greige can feel sharp and modern. Mixing undertones across doors, trim, and walls usually looks disjointed.

Use the same undertone logic as interiors: pick one family and stay consistent. The neutral palettes guide is the fastest way to choose an undertone family that will hold up outdoors.

Step 3: Understand exterior finishes

Finish choice outside is about durability and surface conditions. But it also changes how colour reads. Here’s the practical breakdown:

If you’re unsure, use matt for masonry and eggshell for woodwork. The finish cheat sheet explains how sheen changes colour perception.

Step 4: Prep is even more important outdoors

Exterior paint fails early because of poor prep. Most issues — peeling, bubbling, patchy gloss — come from moisture, dirt, and unstable surfaces.

If you want the premium finish, follow the full prep and application guide. It applies outdoors too.

Step 5: Use a simple exterior palette

Exterior schemes work best with restraint. Too many colours makes a house look busy. Farrow & Ball-style exteriors typically use:

• One main body colour
• One trim colour
• One accent (front door or shutters)

Keep all three in the same undertone family. If you want to deepen the scheme, make the door or trim a darker shade of the same undertone rather than a new colour. This creates depth without clutter.

Step 6: Choose colours with the landscape in mind

Exterior colour doesn’t just sit next to your trim — it sits next to brick, stone, roof tiles, hedges, and neighbouring houses. This is why neutral and muted colours tend to look more “expensive” outside.

If your house has warm brick, avoid cool greys that fight it. If your house has cool stone, avoid yellow-leaning neutrals. The material matching guide applies here too.

Step 7: Test your exterior paint properly

Exterior tests should be bigger than interior ones. Paint a large sample board and view it from the street, the path, and the interior looking out. Morning light, midday glare, and evening shadow all change the result.

Follow the sample testing guide but extend the time window. Exterior colours can look very different at dusk.

Common exterior mistakes (and how to avoid them)

• Choosing too light: The colour washes out in bright sun.
• Too many colours: The facade loses cohesion.
• Ignoring finish: Sheen highlights flaws outdoors.
• Skipping primer: Leads to early peeling and patchiness.
• Testing on a tiny patch: Scale effect hides the true colour.

Every one of these leads to repainting. A careful test and clean prep prevent all of them.

The reality check

Exterior paint is harder, but the rules are simple: choose a slightly deeper shade, keep undertones consistent, use the right finish, and prep properly. Do that and you’ll get a Farrow & Ball-style exterior without the premium price tag.

Start with the A–Z index for colour inspiration and the best dupes list for reliable matches.