Explore a dark purple exterior paint color palette featuring Benjamin Moore Tulsa Twilight and Benjamin Moore Ashwood Moss.
It’s not every day you get to work with dark purple exterior paint. In fact, in all my years of working as a color consultant, I’ve rarely had a client request a purple exterior.
Still, when I designed an exterior color scheme for my house in 2012, I knew I wanted purple exterior house paint to be part of the palette. Today, I’m using that palette to prove that a purple house is not only doable – it’s beautiful.
This project was the first I ever did as a color consultant, and it turned out gorgeous! When I eventually sold the home in the Denver foothills, the exterior color scheme was a major selling point for the buyers.
This palette taught me that you don’t need to stick with neutrals for a modern look. In fact, neutrals usually time out, and colors are timeless. For example, the popular beige colors from 2012 would look dated today, and this purple exterior color scheme still looks current! Keep reading to learn more about using purple as an exterior paint color and explore the color scheme.
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Is Purple Exterior Paint a Good Idea?
When we ask our clients which colors they want to paint their house, they almost always say no to purple. Back in 2012, my former Denver neighborhood had an HOA and when they saw the purple in the palette they really freaked out. I had to show them my color tests so that they could see it wouldn’t look bad. The HOA representative was actually kind of impressed, and they approved it.
Today, I think the tide might be turning for purple exterior paint. Purple is really having a moment right now and it can be a really lovely exterior paint color.
In 2024, we saw big paint brands embracing purple hues. Benjamin Moore’s 2025 Color of the Year Cinnamon Slate (Color Review Article), for example, is a muted, warm purple color. Sherwin-William’s 2025 Color Capsule of the Year (Color Review Article) also includes a purple hue, Mauve Finery (Sample).
As with any paint, purple isn’t the culprit in a bad color scheme. It’s just the purple that might be used the wrong way. When used strategically and selected carefully, purple exterior paint can be beautiful!
Project Spotlight: Dark Purple Exterior Color Palette
Like with any paint color consultation, when I started designing my own exterior color scheme I needed to consider the environment and the neighborhood. At the time, our neighborhood had a lot of earthy beige houses, which also made sense with the Denver foothills nearby.
The house was in the Colorado foothills, which aren’t full of super-lush foliage. This area is essentially a high-altitude plain, which is very dry. In the summer, we water our lawns and plantings, so it looks much more lush. This home had beautiful green, purple and other colorful landscaping around it, which looked gorgeous with the palette.
The key to designing this purple exterior color scheme was to find colors that were muted enough to flow nicely with the mountains in the background and the rest of the neighborhood.
While it is colorful, the final palette is also very organic, with dark green siding and surprising purple accents. On the color wheel, these two colors are opposite (and therefore complementary to each other).
Explore the full exterior color scheme below.
Benjamin Moore Ashwood Moss Siding
Benjamin Moore Ashwood Moss (Sample) is a gorgeous, deep green-gray paint color with warm undertones. It’s very dark and muted but colorful enough to show its green hues in the bright sunshine.
We used Ashwood Moss for the siding and garage door.
Benjamin Moore Tulsa Twilight Accents
We chose a very dark purple exterior paint for this palette: Benjamin Moore Tulsa Twilight (Sample). Purples can be very interesting to work with. They can be really bright and neon, which is what we didn’t want here. One more hint about purples – make sure that you look at the manufacturer specifications, because there are a lot of purples that are not recommended for exteriors. There isn’t an exact Sherwin-Williams equivalent, but SW Quixotic Plum is similar.
Purples can also have red undertones or blue undertones. In this case, Tulsa Twilight has blue undertones. This muted, earthy purple looks fantastic with all the plantings in the garden and the other colors in this palette!
The gorgeous color in the photo of the home’s front door below is one of my favorite front door paint colors (Article).
I used Tulsa Twilight for the stucco gables, front porch stucco, front door, back porch railings, and chimney.
I picked purple for the stucco around the front porch because I’m an avid gardener, and I wanted the landscaping and flowers to contrast with the purple stucco.
Benjamin Moore Ballet White Exterior Trim
As with most exterior color palettes, I needed to find the right exterior white trim. In this palette, I opted for Benjamin Moore Ballet White (Sample).
Ballet white is creamy and beautiful, with warm green undertones that pair beautifully with the other colors in this palette. Indoors, it’s one of the best white paint colors for dark rooms (Article). Outdoors, it has enough pigment, with an LRV of 72, that it won’t wash out even in the Colorado sun.
I used Ballet White for the fascia, soffits, window trim, corner trim, front porch ceiling, and front railings.
Many builders paint front porch ceilings and soffits the same color as the siding. However, a color scheme usually (with some exceptions) looks more high-end when the fascia color is wrapped around the soffits. It creates a very nice contrast with the siding.
The front porch is much lighter and more comfortable, with a white ceiling. The added benefit is that white reflects into the house, brightening the interior.
Sample This Purple Exterior Color Palette
We always recommend that you test paint colors on 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 click the button below to buy samples.
Key Learning Points
Dark purple exterior paint may not be the most popular choice for homeowners, but it can truly be beautiful!
- Choose a dark, muted purple exterior paint that won’t look neon in the bright sunlight.
- Pair purple with other muted paint colors. In this palette, Benjamin Moore Ashwood Green siding was the perfect foundation for BM Tulsa Twilight accents.
- When choosing exterior paint colors, pay attention to the other colors in your neighborhood and surrounding landscape. Because most of the homes in my neighborhood were neutral, and my home was in the Denver foothills, I chose a palette that featured organic paint colors.
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 in our paint matching guide.
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 in our color testing guide.
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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, please consider purchasing a color consultation. Thank you for your understanding.
