Are you in LOVE with the white home exterior as much as I am?! Do you want to build a white house, but you worry it’s just a trend and will be out of style before you even finish building your house?!
If YOU are on the fence, keep scrolling down and I’ll let you know what I think about the longevity of the all-white house exterior at the end of this post … but first, let’s look at some gorgeous houses that will surely make your jaw drop! Be sure to PIN all your favs.
10 WHITE HOME EXTERIOR IDEAS YOU’LL SWOON OVER
One thing you’ll notice as you scroll through these photos is that I love (LOVE) board and batten! I have it on MY HOME, and it’s on 90% of the houses you’ll see below!
How stunning are these white home exteriors?! Seriously … STUNNING! Are they too trendy though?! THAT is the question! My opinion … ABSOLUTELY NOT!
The white home exterior is CLASSIC and it will always be in style! It may not always be the current trend, but it’s definitely not going out of style! If I were building today (in 2020), I would 100% build a white home … whether it be painted board and batten or painted brick. Just sayin’!
If you are on the fence, I say GO FOR IT! Build your dream house … with a white exterior!
One other question you may have … what COLOR of white should I use? Let’s work on this together :). First, download my *FREE* ‘Design Decision Guided Workbook’ and then start narrowing down your options by reading 10 White Paint Colors that Designers Love.
Hello Caroline,
Your site has inspired me! I am going to paint my house white to look very similar to the pictures above. I am concerned about choosing the correct white. Can you recommend any names of white paints out there? I want a soft white, not to stark white. Best, Abra Friess
Awesome! Your house will look great! White paints can be tricky. I love my soft white interior paint (Benjamin Moore ‘White Dove’), but it can have a yellow hue in some lighting. I would suggest two things: (1) read my post re: white paint https://carolineondesign.com/how-to-choose-the-perfect-paint-from-a-ridiculously-small-sample/ , and (2) find white houses you like online (or in person) and contact the home owner directly to ask them what paint color they used. Good luck!
[…] I’ve rounded up gorgeous white home exterior inspiration in 10 WHITE HOME EXTERIOR IDEAS YOU’LL SWOON OVER! […]
I LOVE the white houses too! We just painted ours a creamy white and now are wondering what next?!! We want to add some black but not too much. How can I put black around the windows without replacing them?
Are you able to paint your window frames black or is the window frame vinyl? I would suggest painting the window frames … although if your window grills are white, then that might not look great with black frames.
Hello Caroline,
Thanks for your post. Every white house I’ve loved has black windows with wooden accents. To give it that modern rustic charm which I love. I’m redoing my house but can’t afford black windows, do you think White House, white windows with wooden accents (black roof) would look good? Can’t seem to find any examples of this online. Thanks!
Hi Kim! Yes, white windows will look great too! Look at the M House Development example in this blog post … it has white windows. Also, have you tried to do a Pinterest search? I did a Pinterest search for ‘white house white windows’ today and saw quite a few (beautiful) examples. Good luck 🙂
Hey Caroline! I am planning on painting my house white with white trim. Do you recommend using the same shade of white for the trim and the brick?
Hi Alyssa! It’s hard to say for sure without seeing your front elevation, but I lean toward painting the house and trim the same white. xo, Carrie
Hi Caroline! I have onyx black shingles, my house is stucco but I would love to paint it white. What white would you recommend for a house that gets tons of natural light with the blankets of black shingles and the exterior is stucco. I’m concerned of looking to stark black/white combo. Thanks!
Hi Heather! I don’t have experience with stucco since it isn’t used AT ALL in home in my Midwestern city. I think my blog posts on white paint might help you narrow down some white paint choices. Start with 10 WHITE PAINT COLORS THAT DESIGNERS LOVE. Best of luck! xo, Carrie
Caroline, am so happy to have discovered your blog. I too love white houses but there are already three white house on our cul-de-sac (with different color shutters and doors but still . . .). In fact, there are white houses on either side of me so as I prepare to redo my siding, white is not an option. I was thinking of Benjamin Moore Navajo White for the siding, white for the trim and Benjamin Moore Hale Navy for the shutters. Do you think these colors are a good fit for a standout house? I want a combination that pops, not one that just passes muster. (The roof color is weathered wood.) Though gray is not a personal favorite, your house is absolutely stunning.
I can’t really give you an answer off the top of my head because I would need to see all the colors together to really visualize how it would look. That is beyond the scope of what I do for readers bc it takes lots of time. With that said, I think the navy shutters would look great with this color combo!
Literally painting my house Snowbound by SW.
I’m also thinking dark grey/navy shutters. I love Calligraphy by Behr in a semi gloss.
Sounds beautiful, Jules! – Carrie
Sadly what this trend has done is whitewash entire neighborhoods to look either like military barracks or section 8 housing. That sounds shocking to the sweet little white farm house look. But what is actually happening is every new house and every refreshed house in neighborhoods are causing a white washed effect. White on wood is lovely, white on brick is a reflection. Consider what happens to your neighborhood when every single house on a street is white? What is special about your house when every house is the same color. It looks lovely on Greek hillsides and that is done because of salt water. Every one of these houses above are lovely. On their own. But when 5 or six houses on a street and entire neighborhoods paint their houses white, you don’t have a sweet white house anymore, you have a very boring neighborhood. I grimace to think when this trend is over what people will be forced to paint their houses. Paint on brick is simply NEVER a good idea. Spend the money, but the brick and stone and wood that give your house a personality, not the latest trend.
Yes, it always looks a little lackluster when every house on a street looks the same. We only have two or three white houses in our entire neighborhood so they look very cute! It just depends on where you live, I suppose.
Have you ever seen 12” vinyl board and batten on a house? I’m sure it doesn’t look like these gorgeous b & b homes but I’m wondering if it still gives a similar effect.
I don’t think I’ve seen 12″ vinyl board and batten. The vinyl products typically have a smaller gap between each piece.
I love the house design from Su Casa. From doors to windows, and up to the walls. Everything is very elegant.
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Can you give me color choices for roof shingles? I am going cross eyed trying to decide. I want to use alabaster for stucco house and a dark gray or even black composite shingle. I live in Texas, so it gets really hot in the summer!
Hi Elise! So sorry but I no longer do e-design services. I can’t help you out with roof colors. I recommend you talk to a local designer or roofing company to find out what your options are. Best, Carrie
I agree! I’d build a white house, too. These are beautiful, elegant, and stately homes. Plus, they remind me of my grandmother’s white house.
I love your choices! I especially love the black metal porch roofs. Would you happen to know if their metal roof are matte or glossy finish?
I’m sorry, Valerie, but I don’t have product info on these beautiful homes. I wish I could help you out :).
What is the best white paint color for a small house exterior? Also what finish do you use on stucco and trim when using white for everything?
Hi Patty! I have zero experience with stucco home exteriors bc I live in the Midwest … stucco isn’t used in the Midwest (other than a home here and there). As far as paint color, I can’t say which color is best for small house exterior. It all depends on the shade of white that YOU like. My suggestion would be to order some samples and try out several whites. I have a couple of blog posts that give you several highly used white colors. You could start with those blog posts. Best of luck! -Carrie
[…] 3. 10 WHITE HOME EXTERIORS YOU’LL SWOON OVER […]
Hi there,
I have a crabapple cottage style home (Southern Living floor plan) and it’s white with black shutters. My windows are needed replaced due to age of the home and I can’t decide between the traditional white frames or the contemporary black frames that are wrapped in vinyl. In all of the photos, the ones with black frames look great but none have shutters…will I regret having the black wrapped frame with the black shutters? Should I stick with the frames to keep it traditional?
Hi Michelle! My recommendation is to have a 3D rendering of your front elevation drawn. They can draw it with both of your window/shutter options so you can see what the final product will look like. With such a huge and expensive decision, I think the small cost of a 3D rendering would be well worth the expense. – Carrie
I love your recommendations. We just painted our house white and shutters a charcoal grey. I’m really having a hard time picking a door color. I’ve had red and I love it but looking for something different. Any suggestions? Thank you!
Larissa
Oh my goodness, Larissa, you could have a lot of fun with a colorful door on your white house. I think a light powdery blue looks really pretty on white homes. I would do a Google or Pinterest search to see what door colors you really like on white houses. – Carrie
We just sold out beautiful white house. I originally wanted blue but it was as the peak of the blue fad and too many homes in our neighborhood were blue. We built our all white home before the trend and a few years later it blew up! We are building again and I really want to do white again. I was just so happy with how clean it looked and how beautiful all our landscaping was against the white. I even loved the white house in the snow which was a big concern because… We live in a ton of snow… So now I want to do white again but our new neighborhood has a ton of white homes… 🙄😬 Do I move on or stick with it cuz it is a classic and the style will last forever?
Hi Valerie! I would go with whatever makes you happy! If it’ll bother you that there are other white houses in your neighborhood, then choose a different color. If that doesn’t bother you, then go with exactly what YOU want … white!
I have always loved the houses with white exterior. What color of trim do you recommend? Looks like black and dark grey are your preferences.
Hi Kathryn! Are you referring to window trim? If so, then I definitely prefer dark trim :).
I am going white! After mentioning board and batten and painted brick, what are your thoughts on the maibec white cedar shingle shake that we are going to paint from yellow to white?It’s a 1900 converted barn, in an open area in the middle of a wooded area. Would you go black or white window? Lastly, trim suggestion? So many questions. Thank you
Hi Jo! I don’t have the time or bandwidth to help all of my readers with personal design dilemmas. I highly recommend that you contact a local designer for even just a one-hour consultation to get feedback and support on designing your home exterior :).
Hi Carrie,
We’re about to paint our exterior white, but are unable to have black/dark windows. They’re all white, some with between-the-glass panes, which we can’t change. I’m worried because nearly all the houses I see and love with the white/black color scheme have black windows. What do you suggest? Thanks!
It doesn’t sound like you have much of a choice, Marcie :). We have a gorgeous painted white brick home going up in my neighborhood and it has white windows. It looks great!
I have wanted a White House ever since we painted our last house a dark grey 6 years ago, literally painted it and said, “We should have done white”! Anyway, would you recommend painting the trim and house one color or perhaps painting the trim a bright white and the house a warmer white? I am NOT a fan of black trim…we have thick wood trim, if it was thinner…I definitely would not it’s too thick and I’ve seen it done and man. 😬
Hi Jamie! I have to be honest … I don’t like to mix and match whites. It can get so tricky when one white might have more yellow than the other white. I recommend you have a local interior designer help you out with this decision. It’s a huge decision and you want to do it right! Another option is to get 3D renderings of your home exterior with a mix of two white colors vs. all one white color. I do think that having all one color (i.e. siding and window trim) won’t allow much depth in your exterior and might look a little ‘blah’. Just being honest :).
I have ranch style house with verticals siding. I like white with black windows but my vinyl windows are white. If I paint the wood trim around the windows black with “charcoal roof” will it look to busy? Think I’m gonna leave the facia while.
Hi John! I’m not sure that painting your window trim black would look ‘too busy’. However, black wood trim would make your white windows really stick out. I recommend that you do some research on Pinterest or Google to find other homes with black trim and white windows to see if you like the look. Best!
Hi! I am building a new house and wanted to get your opinion if you think a white cedar shingle home would go with white brick around the covered porch area (around door) and then a warm tone stone for bottom of house and exposed chimney?
I’m so sorry, Rhonda, but I don’t offer personalized design feedback because it’s difficult for me to visualize without photos. I recommend that you meet with a local designer :).
Hi,
Hoping for your general advice! Have a painted white brick home ( white duck) with vinyl white windows. I now need to paint the gables as well as trim. Should the gables as a general rule be the same color as the main house color or the same as trim? Im thinking the white for the trim that matches the vinyl windows , so essentially a creamy white with white windows and trim …. thoughts? Door and decorative accents are black. Thank you for any general thoughts!
A picture would be really helpful to what style of house you have. Here’s a before and after that may help your decision.
https://mariakillam.com/all-white-makeover-from-an-exterior-masterclass-student-before-after/
Hi. Love all the advice. For those who cannot replace white vinyl windows, I’ve seen where black is added to frame around the white exterior vinyl window, thus giving impression the windows are black vinyl. Just saw it on House Hunters episode. I’m thinking of doing that. Small white vinyl ranch that is just too plain vanilla. Looking for ideas.