Need ideas for Tudor house exterior paint colors? Explore our recent paint color consulting project featuring a Sherwin-Williams Web Gray modern Tudor house exterior.
Choosing exterior paint colors can be a daunting task. When you’re choosing colors for a Tudor exterior, it can be even trickier.
While Tudor houses are beautiful and classic, they have lots of unique architectural features. It can be hard to know what paint colors to use to make these features stand out while also creating a cohesive Tudor color scheme.
Keep reading for our best tips about choosing Tudor exterior paint colors and to explore our client’s Sherwin-Williams Web Gray exterior color palette.
*This post contains affiliate links for products I use and love. If you click on some links and purchase, I will get a small commission at no cost. This helps pay for the costs of the blog so I can continue to offer great content to our readers.
Understanding Tudor Exteriors
Much like other historical homes (such as Victorians (Article)), Tudor-style exteriors pose a unique challenge for choosing paint colors thanks to their architectural details.
Elements of Tudor Architecture
While every Tudor home is different, some of the most common architectural features you’ll see include:
- Steep gables
- White stucco or plaster with timbers
- Partial brick or stone features
- Tall glass windows surrounded by timber features
- Houses can be palatial or cottage-like
- Medieval elements
What is the history of the Tudor style of houses?
The House of Tudor was in power as English rulers from 1483 to 1605, and included Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. What we now recognize as the Tudor style of architecture became prevalent in England and Wales during this era.
Tudor architecture mixed elements of Renaissance architecture with elements of a late English medieval style called Perpendicular Gothic, which included bold, vertical lines.
In the United States, Tudor-inspired homes were incredibly popular by the 1920s, often seen as a symbol of wealth and sophistication. Today, Tudor-style homes are just as beautiful as ever!
Sample SW Web Gray
We always recommend that you test paint colors (article) in your home because lighting can completely change a color, both on interiors and exteriors.
In the old days, this meant we painted a large poster board with sample pots and a huge mess.
Now we have a better way to test paint, with Samplize Peel-and-Stick samples!
- Samples pre-painted with 2 coats of real paint from the manufacturer.
- Large 9” x 14” samples to see the color better in the lighting.
- Delivered overnight
- Colors are accurate
- Less expensive than painting a large poster board with sample pots
- No mess, and no toxic paint to dispose of
I use these in my color consulting practice for exact results. Discover Samplize peel-and-stick paint samples and sample Sherwin-Williams Web Gray (Sample) via the link below.
Project Spotlight: Sherwin-Williams Web Gray Exterior for Tudor Home
The project we’re featuring today is a modern suburban spin on Tudor architecture. It still has a creamy white stucco, like many classic Tudor homes. But instead of the traditional brown trim you often see on Tudor homes, we painted the timbers, window trim, and garage doors a beautiful and rich blue-gray called Sherwin-Williams Web Gray (Sample).
Even though the photos are taken in the coolness of winter, you can see how beautiful this modern color scheme (Article) is!
What Color is SW Web Gray?
Sherwin-Williams Web Gray is a gorgeous, dark blue-gray paint color with an LRV of 13. Inside, it can look almost black in rooms with low light, but when used on this modern Tudor exterior it really shines!
We actually originally designed this house with Sherwin-Williams Cyberspace (Article) for the timbers instead of Web Gray, but the HOA turned it down as too dark. I actually like Web Gray much, much better!
It looks fantastic with the brick on this home!
What are the undertones of Web Gray?
Web Gray has cool, blue undertones. When used in the bright sunlight outdoors, these undertones are especially clear. I really think of this as a blue-gray paint color (Article).
Sherwin-Williams Web Gray Color Scheme
This Tudor-style exterior home was originally painted with a darker color palette.
While the colors were similar overall, including a medium gray stucco and white trim, the palette didn’t really highlight the beauty of this home’s architecture. Combined with the brick, the dark stucco made the home feel a bit heavy.
When we designed a SW Web Gray exterior color palette for this home, we switched the placement of the colors, using dark gray for the trim and white for the stucco.
Sherwin-Williams Web Gray Trim and “Timbers”
We painted the timbers, window trim, and garage doors all with the beautiful and rich SW Web Gray. The roofline fascia is also Web Gray.
Although we usually recommend framing white vinyl windows with white trim (Article), with this style of house, you can surround the white windows with darker trim.
Sherwin-Williams Oyster White Stucco
We gave this home a creamy white stucco as the foundation of the palette, painted with Sherwin-Williams Oyster White (Sample). This warm white paint is one of our favorites to pair with red brick exteriors and also worked well with the cool Web Gray trim. We also used Oyster White for the soffits as well as the front porch ceiling to keep it light and bright.
We also painted the soffits Oyster White (Color review article) to add some more depth to the roofline and used Oyster White on the front porch ceiling (Article) to brighten up the entry.
Sherwin-Williams Habenero Chile Front Door
We added a gorgeous pop of color to the SW Web Gray color scheme with a red front door painted with Sherwin-Williams Habenero Chile (Sample). The front door was buried in shadows, but this bright red paint is a stunning addition!
Together with the Oyster White porch ceiling, the bold front door (Article) creates a warm, welcoming entry to the home.
Sample The Paint Colors in this Modern Tudor Exterior
- Sherwin-Williams Web Gray (Sample)
- Sherwin-Williams Oyster White (Sample)
- Sherwin-Williams Habenero Chile (Sample)
Choosing Tudor Exterior Paint Colors
Consider a historically accurate color scheme
Tudor-style homes are a classic, historical design. So it can be nice to go with a historically accurate color scheme. Typically, this includes white stucco or plaster with dark brown timbers, often painted a shade of brown.
If you want to create a more modern Tudor exterior like we did for our clients, pairing a white stucco with a deep gray or blue is a beautiful choice.
You can also create mirrored color schemes with dark stucco and white or lighter timbers…but that is a story for another blog post!
Coordinate, but don’t match, your neighbors
Consider the colors of your neighbors’ homes when choosing your own paint colors. It’s important that your home doesn’t stick out with colors that don’t align with the neighborhood, but you don’t want it to be an exact match either.
If your neighborhood has an HOA, make sure to review their recommended colors before choosing and submitting your proposed palette.
Consider your roof and brick or stone
The color of your roof and the type of brick or stonework on your Tudor home exterior is also important to consider. You’ll want to make sure that all your paint colors work well with red brick – or whatever stone you have.
Pick white paint colors carefully
Remember that paint tends to look 4-5 times lighter outdoors than it does indoors. This is especially true when picking white paint. Opt for a darker, creamier white that won’t look too stark outdoors.
SW Oyster White, like we used above, is a great choice. Other options include SW Alabaster (Color review article), SW Greek Villa (Color review article). Explore all our favorite exterior white paint colors here (Article).
Don’t Forget to Sample Your Paint Colors
Our favorite way to test paints is to purchase Peel-and-Stick paint samples from companies like Samplize. Their colors are consistent, they use real paint in an eggshell sheen, and there is no mess.
Compare them to your trim, stonework and even your landscaping!
Visit the Samplize website for samples of a broad range of paint colors and more exterior color palette ideas and inspiration.
Samplize offers peel-and-stick samples made with real paint, so you can easily test any color in any space in your home.
Buy 8 samples and get 2 free – no coupon code required! Order today and get samples tomorrow!
Key Learning Points
Choosing a modern Tudor exterior color scheme doesn’t have to be complicated. Remember these key tips when building your palette.
- White stucco is a classic yet modern look for a Tudor-style home. Choose a warm, darker white that won’t look washed out outdoors.
- Don’t be afraid to choose a non-traditional color for the timber and trim work on a Tudo home. Sherwin-Williams Web Gray is a gorgeous option!
- Pay attention to color placement to ensure your color palette properly highlights the unique architectural details of your home.
Remember: NEVER, EVER use paint matches from a different brand than the one specified. Results are poor and there are no standards for the sheens. Even though your painter may truly believe it can be done, don’t do it. See results from paint matching here.
No matter what, always test your paint colors. It’s a standard best practice. Whenever I test my paint colors, they are perfect, and when I don’t test they turn out wrong. Learn how to test your paint colors here.
Online Color Consulting
Don’t want to create a color palette by yourself? Discover our Online Color Consulting Packages.
Related Posts
- Historic Home Exterior Color Palette (Article)
- Victorian Home Exterior Color Palettes (Article)
- Best Blue Exterior Color Palettes (Article)
- Best White Paint Colors with Red Brick Homes (Article)
- Best Black Paint Colors for Red Brick Homes (Article)
- Best White Exterior Trim Paint Colors (Article)
About the Author
Hi, I’m Michelle Marceny, founder, owner, and Principal Color Designer at The Color Concierge. I believe a fresh coat of paint can completely transform a space. The Color Concierge was born out of my drive to help clients fall back in love with their homes. My clients trust me to help them find the perfect paint color for their home – whether it’s a whole-house paint color scheme or ideas for a single room.
Since The Color Concierge was founded in 2017, we have completed over 3000 color consultations, both online and in-person. I am a Certified Color Expert with 7 years of experience creating interior and exterior color palettes throughout North America.
We love your comments! Please note that the blog is meant as general advice, and it is not possible to give out specific answers to your paint questions. If you want more specific advice, our Online Color Consultations will help you pick your paint colours. Thank you for your understanding.
