Beach House Colors: Best Exterior Paint & Design

Owning a beachfront property can be a magical experience. Salty ocean breezes, gorgeous skies, and the soothing sound of the ocean playing its natural lullaby as you fall asleep every night.

There is something deeply soothing about the beach, and communities by the beach have a vibe that entices you to put on some flip flops and relax all day.

Every beachfront property has a way of showcasing a style that says, “there is no stress on these shores.” I’ve come to learn that beach house colors are one the easiest and most eye-catching ways to add your style while giving homage to the salty breezes. However, it is important to remember that:

You don’t need to have a beachfront property to have a “beachy” house style & design!

For example, I’ve spent most of my life in coastal states, one on the west coast and one on the east coast, and I can’t stop myself from adding beach decor to all of my designs. Some of my neighbors have also intentionally painted their homes to showcase their nautical themes.

I believe that coastal colors do really well on home exteriors and they are worth the investment. 

Coastal Colors for your Home Exterior: The Why

Home exteriors are perfect for giving guests a taste of what lies within the interior of a home. Home exteriors, when done well,  have the ability to improve curb appeal while increasing property value. If you live near a coastal area, then you know that property values increase by the beach. Many homebuyers are craving a home that feels like a vacation spot– no stress, rest all-day, and high-end exclusivity.

By adding beach house colors to your exterior, you will be able to naturally attract various buyers who are intentionally moving to be closer to the beach. Also, if you don’t live directly on the beach, you can still add coastal colors/decor to your home which screams, “comfort is here, and the beach is close by!”

Homeowners have been able to add a variety of shades and character to their homes to give off a “beachy-vibe” which has translated into more interested buyers! Here are some of my favorite beach house colors!

10 Best Exterior Paint Colors For Coastal Homes

#1: Light Blue & Salmon

This first home brings a gorgeous light blue tone to its exterior that mimics the sky and gives an overall light and airy look to the property. The white shutters and white railings also compliment the light tones of the house, while being easy on the eyes. The pastel salmon-colored door adds a pop of color that really brings this home together as a cohesive unit. 

Blue Raindrop by Valspar is a pretty close match to the light/airy colors of the house above. Other options include: Columbia Blue, and Azureish white!

The gorgeous pop of color found on the door above is a close match to the “Reef Coral” colors by ICI paints. Other options include: New York Pink, Light Coral, and Ruddy Pink! 

#2: Deep Blue and Light Wood

On this property, the beach house colors are super simple yet elegant! The house adds a dynamic look by uses matching wood shingles to compliment its dark blue siding. My readers would know that I am obsessed with dark-blue tones so this house style/design is totally up my alley! 

The light wood elements mimic a sandy beach while the deep blue tones call in the majestic ocean. This home is a perfect mix of variety, texture, and beach home perfection!!

The dark blue color of the siding above is actually quite common. You can get a pretty close to exact match with Pantone 2187. However, other options include: Blue Fjord, Georgian Blue, and Atlantic Schooner 

#3: Light Grey and Light Blue

It is hard to deny that this beach house is absolutely jaw-dropping. The two-toned beach house colors, seahorse decor, and gorgeous pool makes this a seaside property  found only in dreams! Both the grey tones and light blue colors compliment one another, without being too over-powering on the eyes. 

Everything on this beach house exterior comes together perfectly and there is balance and tranquility here! Who wants to dive in?

The first floor of this beachfront property is a similar shade to Benjamin Moore‘s Excalibur Gray. Other similar colors include: Cadet Blue (Crayola), Soft Mauve, and Yukon Sky.

The second floor of this beachfront property is a similar shade to Behr‘s Lavender Night Light. Other similar Beach house colors include: Deja Vu, Sunday Sky, and Dim Sum.

#4: Light Yellow and Light Blue

There are some beach houses that scream summer, and this beachfront property is one of them! Some people find yellow t0 be a pretty extreme pop of color, but on the beach with white sands and blue horizons, yellow can be the perfect way to standout as the #1 place to relax! 

This property uses colors that remind me of a sunny day with clear skies and fluffy clouds which is everything I think about when picturing the beach!

If you want to incorporate beach house colors that grab peoples attention, then go with this style and color!

Dunn-Edwards Moonstruck is one of the most perfect and bright color choices for your beach home! Moonstruck usually comes in an interior use only, but you can take the color code and have it applied to exterior paint as well! Other options include: Fun in the Sun, Sun Drenched, and Meringue! 

#5: Dark Grey and Black

Most beach homes try to go for a light and airy look, but this house embraces grey in a way that is absolutely stunning. The exterior of the home with its rustic wood decor and white trim creates a high-level of sophistication and beauty. 

Anyone who thought various shades of grey wouldn’t work on a beach home haven’t seen this beauty! Even the outdoor deck looks like it came off of an old ship! 

If you are looking for an exact match of the grey above, then you will need to go with Gray Pinstripe by Pantone. 

Otherwise, Behr’s Orion Gray is a solid more commonly found option! Other options include: Curtain Call, Prairie Smoke, and Zuli.

#6: Sand & Teal

Everything about this house is perfect! I feel like I am walking into a house owned by the human-form Ariel from the “Little Mermaid.” The light blue tones of the door, stairway, and interior accents are like crystal clear ocean waters.

Then, the tan exterior siding behind the gorgeous palm trees is like an invitation to run onto picturesque beach sands. Beach house colors can be creative and fun, and this home does a perfect job of bringing creativity with its immaculate costal flair! 

If you have a home with a neutral existing color, you can still add a touch of the beach by using an accent color to create a splash of vibrance to your home!  

Most home improvement stores offer a form of tan colored siding for homes. In various neighborhoods around the world, tan colored homes are super popular as they do not heat up as quick in the sun, and are a nice neutral color for the eyes. 

However, if you are looking to paint your home I would recommend Swiss Cream by McCormick. Other options include: Swiss Cream by Vista (yep, same name!), Brown Teepee by Behr, and the most fitting name– “Beached” by Graham & Brown. 

I am obsessed with this shade of blue, but if you want the exact color on the door above, I would go with this paint.

However, a more commonly found color would be Ebbtide from Sherwin-Williams. Other options include: Peacock Feathers, Kingston Aqua, and Betsy Ross House Blue.

#7: Light Green

Usually you will see green-tinted homes near areas of lots of shrubbery and hiking trails. However, if you have seen the color “sea-foam” then you know that it has green as its base color, and many people use it as inspiration to paint their homes. 

Also, not all beach homes are directly located on the shoreline, and some are actually on lakes and ponds! There are popular beach house colors for every kind of home, and the house above does a great job of bringing natural outdoorsy materials to their exterior.

If you want a light color that is at equilibrium with the natural world, then use these paint colors as your inspiration:

#8: Natural Shingles

You might recognize this glorious beach house from the TV show Grace and Frankie! I’ve watched every episode of the popular Netflix show, and every season I can’t help but admire this stunning beach house. 

Now, I couldn’t write a blog post about beach house colors and not include one of the most iconic and common beach house designs: wood shingles! Shingles on the exterior of homes adds the perfect wood element that also ages well with time. 

If you want to age with Grace, then go with wood shingles (did you catch what I did there?)!

Cedar shingles are the most common form of wood shingles used on the exteriors of beach homes. Cedar is used because it has built-in weather resistance, and because it is easy to repair. 

Many cedar exteriors are now painted or stained for extra protection before installation. Therefore, you can select from a variety of colors when deciding what you want to add to your exterior. 

#9: Lavender & White

The house above is a Victorian-style beach house located in San Francisco. 

However, you can find Victorian houses all over the US from Kentucky to essentially all of New England. The charm and design of Victorian homes are full of character, and they look stunning in a variety of exterior paint colors. The light purple tones of this house with the clean white trim allows the house to flow naturally with the hues and tones of the horizon.

I would also bet that the bushes lining the foundation are hydrangeas, which would bloom with gorgeous bluish-purple tones to bring the entire picturesque landscape together. You can mimic the gorgeous colors of this beach home with a nice coat of this exterior paint–

I think it is fitting that Benjamin Moore has a paint color called “Victorian Trim” that matches the Victorian home above! 

However, if you want other similar paint tones, you can also go with: Petal Soft, Safe Haven or Bridesmaid Dress.

#10: Black & Dark Wood

Modern beach homes have become quite popular because of their clean designs and use of large windows. The dark tones of the 1st level mixed in with a centrally located white 2nd floor, creates a design that is unique, artistic, and high-brow. 

Many homes use white exteriors with black trim, but this beach house uses white to focus in on the darker elements, like the gravel, garage, and front door.

Modern designs tend to be more expensive, but they also bring modern amenities and the convince of space and design. By tying in a stained wood element to this home, you get beach house colors through the decor while you also get simplicity and structure from the design. 

If you are looking for a nice dark color that goes well with wood elements, try out Vista Paint‘s In the Dark. Other options include: Onyx, Blackboard and Blue Dusk

If you are looking to add some dark wood elements to complement your dark paint colors, then use a stain! 

Minwax has many stain options! If you want a similar tone to the house above, then I would recommend Jacobean and Dark Walnut (the last two boards in the image).