Picking a house color is basically an exercise in high-stakes anxiety. You’re standing in the aisle at Home Depot, staring at three dozen swatches of "off-white," and suddenly you can't remember if your roof is gray or brown. It’s a lot. Honestly, most people end up panic-buying a safe beige because they’re terrified of being "that house" on the block. But Behr exterior paint colors have shifted lately. We aren't in the era of "everything must be Revere Pewter" anymore.
If you’ve been paying attention to the 2026 trends, things are getting a bit moodier. We’re moving away from the stark, high-contrast "modern farmhouse" look that dominated the early 2020s. You know the one: blinding white siding with pitch-black windows. It’s starting to feel a little... dated? People are craving depth now.
Why Hidden Gem is the Color You Didn’t Know You Needed
Every year, Behr drops a "Color of the Year," and for 2026, they went with Hidden Gem (N430-6A). It’s a smoky jade. Not quite green, not quite blue. It’s got this weirdly calming energy that works surprisingly well as a neutral.
I’ve seen it on a few Craftsman-style homes recently, and it’s a total game-changer. Most people assume they have to stick to forest green or brown for those homes, but Hidden Gem feels fresh without looking like a neon sign. Erika Woelfel, the VP of Color at Behr, calls it a "new neutral," and she’s kinda right. When you pair it with a creamy trim like Swiss Coffee, it looks sophisticated.
If you’re feeling bold, try it on your front door. It’s a low-commitment way to see how the light hits it. Speaking of light, this color is a shapeshifter. In the morning, it looks like a soft teal. By sunset? It deepens into a rich, moody forest tone.
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The Real Deal on One-Coat Coverage
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Behr Dynasty.
Behr markets Dynasty and Marquee as "one-coat" paints. If you talk to a professional painter who’s been in the game for thirty years, they’ll probably scoff. They’ll tell you to do two coats no matter what. And they aren't entirely wrong.
While Dynasty is an absolute beast when it comes to thickness and hide, that "one-coat" promise usually only applies if you’re using specific colors from their curated palette and painting over a surface that’s already in good shape. If you’re trying to cover a dark navy with a pale yellow, you’re doing two coats. Period.
That said, Dynasty is worth the extra few bucks for an exterior project. It’s an enamel-based formula, meaning it dries harder and resists dirt better than the cheaper stuff. If you live in a place with high humidity or lots of dust, that "non-stick" surface is the difference between your house looking great for five years versus ten.
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Modern Palettes That Actually Increase Resale Value
You might love a bright turquoise, but your real estate agent probably hates it. If you’re painting with an eye toward selling in a year or two, you have to play the "Quiet Luxury" game.
Natural Bark (N170-6) is currently killing it in the suburbs. It’s a deep, earthy brown that feels expensive. It’s replacing the flat charcoals we saw a few years ago. Browns are back, but they aren't the muddy tans of the 90s. They’re cooler, more refined.
Check out these combinations that are trending for 2026:
- The New Classic: Body in Blank Canvas (a warm, inviting white), trim in Cracked Pepper (a soft, matte black), and an accent door in Hidden Gem.
- The Earthy Modern: Body in Smoked Tan, trim in Adirondack Blue, and natural wood accents.
- The Moody Ranch: Body in Nocturne Blue with Polar Bear white on the eaves to keep it from feeling like a cave.
Honestly, the "All-Black" house trend is still hanging on, but it’s evolving. Instead of a true black, people are using Peppery or Baronial Brown. It gives the same "cool" factor but doesn't absorb quite as much heat, which your AC bill will thank you for.
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What Most People Get Wrong About Sheen
You’d be surprised how many homeowners mess this up. They pick a great color and then ruin it with the wrong finish.
For the main body of your house, stay away from anything with a high gloss. It shows every single imperfection in your siding. If your wood is a little older or your stucco is uneven, gloss will make it look like a Funhouse mirror. Stick to Flat or Satin.
Satin is the "Goldilocks" of sheens. It has just enough luster to resist moisture and dirt but doesn't look plastic. Save the Semi-Gloss or High Gloss for your front door and maybe the window shutters. It makes the color "pop" and makes those high-touch areas easier to wipe down when the neighborhood kids decide to use your door as a home base for tag.
Don't Skip the Sample Phase
I know, you want to get it over with. But paint looks different on a 2-inch swatch than it does on a 20-foot wall.
Buy the tiny $6 sample cans. Paint a big square on the north side of your house and another on the south side. Look at them at 10:00 AM, 3:00 PM, and 8:00 PM. I once saw a guy paint his whole house a "soft gray" that turned into a "bright violet" the second the afternoon sun hit it. He was devastated. Don't be that guy.
The Actionable Roadmap for Your Exterior Project
If you’re ready to dive in, don't just grab a roller and start. Follow this sequence:
- Test the "Big Three": Get samples of a white (Swiss Coffee), a mid-tone neutral (Stone Brown), and a "personality" color (Dragonfly or Hidden Gem).
- Check Your Roof: If your shingles are "warm" (red/brown), stick to warm paint. If they’re "cool" (gray/black), go with cool tones. A cool gray house with a warm brown roof looks like it’s wearing a tuxedo with flip-flops.
- Prep is 90% of the Work: Power wash the siding. Scrape the peeling bits. If you're using Behr Ultra or Dynasty, they have "Paint and Primer" in the can, but if you're dealing with bare wood or raw masonry, use a dedicated primer like Behr Multi-Surface Primer & Sealer (No. 436) first.
- Weather Window: Check the forecast for a 48-hour dry spell with temperatures between 50°F and 90°F. If it's too hot, the paint "flashes" (dries too fast) and leaves ugly streaks.
- Finish Strong: Start with the gables and work your way down. Do the trim last. It feels counterintuitive, but it’s easier to touch up trim drips on the body than vice versa.