1. Breaking Down the Color Wheel
The color wheel is a great tool to help you find the perfect color scheme for your project. Colors are separated by their hues. With cooler colors like blues and greens on one side and with warmer colors like reds and oranges on the other. Many people choose to stay on one side of the wheel to create cohesive palettes, while others look for contrasting schemes by pulling colors from opposite sides.
Adobe has an excellent color wheel to help you find analogues, complimentary, triad and other color harmonies to help you get inspired for your project.
Click here to try out the Adobe Color Wheel
2. Choosing Your Palette
Choosing a color palette for your project is going to involve quite a few different options. The easiest way to get started in choosing your palette is to examine the property and surrounding area. What types of colors seem to fit best within the community? What types of colors will work best with the landscaping on the property itself?
Once you have a general idea of which color families to use, you can then start narrowing down specific color palettes using color harmonies from a color wheel, examining the latest color trends related to regions and choosing a balance between neutral and bright colors, depending on your personal taste.
Ultimately finding your color palette is about choosing the colors that best fit your landscape, your personality and your lifestyle.
3. Focus on the Details
Sometimes small details are overlooked, and we see those areas as opportunities to make a statement within a design. Using a different color for trim is a great way to add a little something different to a design. You can either use a contrasting color for a unique combination or stick to the same color palette with different hues.
Helpful Tip: If you choose to stay in the same color family, we recommend using darker colors at the base of a wall to draw the eye up.
4. Check Your Lighting
Different times of the day or even times of the year can play a huge part in the appearance of your metal’s color. When choosing a color palette, you will want to think about how the color will be affected in different lights. Natural light can cause colors to look lighter in direct sunlight, while darker when the sun is casting shadows or when the sun is setting.
Helpful Tip: In interior spaces, you will want to consider how much glare you might see from reflections in both natural and artificial lights.
5. Test Multiple Colors
We’ve all been there, when we receive our product and it's not even close to what the picture online or in the magazine looked like. We don’t want it happening to you, especially with a major decision like the design of your home or office.
Don’t be afraid to order multiple metal color samples to test in your environment. Make sure to move around to test different lights at different times of the day to ensure there are no surprises.
Shop our color and panel samples here!
6. Choose Your Finish
One last thing to remember is how important the finish of your metal is. From glossy to matte and textured to smooth you will want to look at all the options to find the best finish to complement your space whether it’s inside or out.
Matte – With a matte finish, you are getting a surface with little to no shine. This finish is popular for its natural, unfinished appearance.
Gloss – This finish is just like you would expect, a shiny, smooth surface. One thing to consider is the reflective properties of this finish when used on interior or exterior spaces.
Textured – This is unique with a little sheen, but not your typical smooth surface. Adding a textured finish can create visual interest when combined with smooth surfaces or with other building materials.
With so many different colors and finishes available for metal roofing, siding, and accent panels, it can be difficult to choose the right color for your project. Whether you’re aiming for modern, industrial, rustic, contemporary, or another type of style, the color you choose plays a huge part in helping you achieve your desired aesthetic. Here’s how to choose the right color metal panels for your next project.
#1 Determine Your Style
One of the best ways to narrow down the many color and finish options for your metal panel project is to determine the actual style you are aiming to achieve. Do you want a classic, rustic look with warm, neutral earth tones? Or maybe you want a more modern look with darker, bolder hues? There are tons of different styles out there, and some can even be mixed and matched.
If you’re unsure of which style you like or what would fit your general taste, a super simple way to look at a variety of home styles is by downloading Bridger Steel’s Color Trends Guide. It’s full of different color palettes that help homeowners achieve tons of different aesthetics. From farmhouse to craftsmen styles, it’s a great way to get inspired, find styles that you like (and don’t), and then you can begin selecting the right color for your project.
You can also check out our Design Gallery to see tons of different styles of projects we’ve done in the past!
#2 Choose A Few Color Options
After you’ve decided on the general style you want to achieve, you can begin choosing colors that fit into that specific style. It’s important to remember that certain colors are only available for certain style panels and gauges, so you should always talk to your Product Specialist before committing to any specific color to be sure it’s available for your chosen panel.
If you’re aiming for a modern look, you may want to opt for dark neutral hues like grays, blacks, or dark browns. If you’re going for more of Mediterranean style, you may want some warm, neutral colors like tans, off-whites, or soft oranges.
Narrow down your choices to a few colors that you really love. Aim to have about two to five color choices so that you can really see the differences between them and ensure they’re fitting into your style. This is especially important if you’re choosing different shades of the same colors (like grays, off-whites, etc.). You can use the Bridger Steel Color Visualizer to get an idea of what different colors would look like on an exterior project with adjustable colors for siding, trim, and the roof! After you have a couple choices in mind, you can move to the next step of ordering samples.
#3 Order Some Samples
The team at Bridger Steel always recommends ordering samples of your desired color or colors before making a final decision. Getting samples can help you see the exact shade rather than just viewing it online. It’s important to look at samples for your project in different lighting and during different times of the day so you can ensure your color is exactly what you’re looking for! You can order color samples right here.
#4 Make a Final Decision
Once you’ve checked out your samples, it’s time to make a final decision and order your metal panels! Talk with a Bridger Steel team member to work out any final details, as well as get any of your final questions answered. This is the exciting part — your vision is about to come to life.
Other Factors to Consider
There are many other factors that can affect your color choice, and here are just a few:
- Environment — It’s important to factor in your environment because you may want to either blend in or stand out. If you live in the mountains, a bright, bold red roof can really pop, while a stunning forest green roof can make you look like you’re a part of the space. Your environment can play a pretty crucial part in determining a general color palette.
- Neighborhood — Of course, your opinion on the color you choose is the most important one. However, checking out the styles of homes and building in your neighborhood can also help you decide if you want to blend in or stand out. You can see what types of color palettes other people around you are using to really see what you do or do not want.
- HOA — Some HOA’s have restrictions, so you should also check with them before moving forward with any color choices if you live in a neighborhood with an HOA.
- Complementary Colors — You also may want to consider the colors already on your structure or on your other outbuildings such as garages or sheds. Choose a roof color that complements your siding or vice versa. Be sure those structures in and around your home in mind.
If you’re ready to take the next step with your metal panel project, connect with one of Bridger Steel’s Product Specialists today. Our team can help you decide on what the best color or finish for your project is if you need recommendations. Get a Quote today or contact us!