Choosing the Right Paint Color When You Can’t Change Everything
Before we talk shingles, brick, or river rock… let’s start with the most important step.
Step One: Always Test a Sample First
We don’t care how confident you are. We don’t care how good it looked at Sherwin-Williams. We don’t care how perfect it looked on Pinterest.
Paint it on your house first.
Colors change dramatically based on: Sun exposure, Shade, Time of day, Surrounding materials, and lets not forget about your neighbor’s bright blue siding.
A color that looks “soft and warm” in the store can look “why is my house yellow?” by 6:30 pm. Put up a large sample. Move around it. Look at it in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Make sure you like it on a cloudy day too. South Dakota skies are not always sunny and forgiving. Test swatches are cheap. Repainting your entire house because you rushed a decision is not. Now that we’ve covered that… let’s talk about working with what you already have.
Most homeowners in Sioux Falls already have:
Gray or brown shingles
Red brick
River rock
Tan or brown windows
A yard full of green
Concrete driveways and patios
Black or bronze light fixtures
Replacing or changing those things? Expensive.
So instead of fighting them, let’s work with them.
If You Have Gray Shingles
Gray shingles lean cool. If you go too warm with siding, things can start arguing.
Safe and strong options:
SW 7029 – Agreeable Gray
SW 7015 – Repose Gray
SW 7043 – Worldly Gray
SW 7005 – Pure White
Avoid heavy yellow beiges. Gray roof + yellow siding is not the “contrast” you’re hoping for.
If You Have Brown Shingles
Brown shingles are warm. Your siding needs to respect that.
Great pairings:
SW 7036 – Accessible Beige
SW 6106 – Kilim Beige
SW 7551 – Greek Villa
SW 7508 – Tavern Taupe
Cool grays can make brown shingles look dated overnight. Stay in the warm family and you’ll be much happier.
If You Have Red Brick
Red brick isn’t going anywhere. And it shouldn’t. It’s character. Your paint should support it, not compete with it.
Best choices:
SW 7008 – Alabaster
SW 7014 – Eider White
SW 7037 – Balanced Beige
SW 7069 – Iron Ore (great for trim or accents)
If you try to outshine red brick, red brick will win.
If You Have River Rock
River rock usually contains gray, tan, and brown tones. Your siding needs to bridge those colors.
Safe options:
SW 7042 – Shoji White
SW 7030 – Anew Gray
SW 7022 – Alpaca
SW 7044 – Amazing Gray
The goal is harmony. Not “why does that look disconnected?”
If You Have a Large Green Yard
People forget this one. If your house sits in a sea of green grass and mature trees, that green becomes part of your palette. Deep green siding + green yard can feel heavy fast.
Great with lots of landscape:
SW 7005 – Pure White
SW 7636 – Origami White
SW 7029 – Agreeable Gray
SW 7031 – Mega Greige
Let the yard bring the color. Let the house bring the balance.
If You Have Brown or Tan Windows
You can’t repaint vinyl windows. So you need to design around them.
Colors that flow well:
SW 7036 – Accessible Beige
SW 7030 – Anew Gray
SW 7551 – Greek Villa
SW 6105 – Divine White
Cool, icy whites can make tan windows look more yellow than they actually are. That’s not a fun surprise after installation.
The Big Rule
Your roof, brick, stone, and windows should drive your paint decision — not trends.
Pinterest is inspiration.
Your house is reality.
When you choose paint that complements what you already have, your home looks intentional, polished, and cohesive.
And again, before you commit…
Test it.
On your actual house.
In your actual lighting.
Because the only thing worse than choosing the wrong color is realizing it after 40 gallons are on the wall.
If you’re unsure what direction to go, we’re happy to help you test samples and make a smart choice the first time.
Replacing paint is a lot cheaper than replacing shingles.