Homeowners are looking for ways to incorporate color on their homes’ exteriors, and roofing and siding manufacturers are rising to the occasion.

Alli Romano, Freelance Writer

March 20, 2023

4 Min Read
Owens Corning TDDuration in MidnightPlum
Owens Corning

For 2023, the only rule for exterior colors is that anything goes. More homeowners are going bold with shingles in eye-popping, lively shades of purple, blue and green as an alternative to tried-and-true browns, blacks and grays. Where siding is concerned, classics like white and gray remain popular, but some brave homeowners are experimenting with jewel tones, blues and even black.  

Get ready for colorful roofing 

When it comes to asphalt roofing, one emerging trend is deep-colored shingles. That includes Owen Corning’s 2023 color of the year, midnight plum, which combines deep purple, rich violet and slivers of silver. Inspired by the “tones that emerge after dark,” Owens Corning said the color is versatile enough to pair well with white, beige, gray or blue siding.  
GAF Timberline HDZ shingles in Cedar Falls Harvest Blend color

Across the country, contractors say customers are more willing than ever to experiment with roofing colors. In Wisconsin, for instance, First American Roofing & Siding reports some customers are trying out blue shingles, including denim, navy and sky blue, and green hues like forest, moss and hunter. 

Manufacturer GAF expects homeowners to try varying their asphalt shingles to create a more detailed look, such as alternating gray, brown and bold earth tones from the “Harvest Blend” collection. Classic black is also making a comeback. GAF also produces vinyl and fiber-cement siding. 

DaVinci Province Slate shingles in European color

DaVinci Roofscapes is predicting similar and is filling the need for a more detailed, colorful look with its colorways for multicolored shingles, including its Aberdeen, Brownstown, European and Vineyard collections for its composite slate shingle lines.  

Blue, gray and white siding top charts 

Many homeowners are ready to boost their exterior style with bold colors. In a survey commissioned by James Hardie conducted by Wakefield Research, dark blue was the most popular siding choice, with 46% of homeowners opting for a blue exterior, followed by gray (45%), dark green (39%) and light blue (39%). 

To create its latest colors, fiber-cement siding manufacturer James Hardie partnered with home renovation mavens Joanna and Chip Gaines to launch The Magnolia Home James Hardie Collection. The inaugural collection features 16 options in earthy greens, blacks and oatmeal hues with natural names such as “Peppery Ash” and “Dried Eucalyptus.” The siding is available in classic plank, shingle and board-and-batten styles. 

The Magnolia Collection by James Hardie

A home’s style can also help guide color choices, according to L&L Contractors in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. To complement craftsman-style homes, its clients are interested in siding in greens, browns and beiges, while farmhouse owners prefer blues. Finally, the company says gray is the new white.  

“Gray siding has become the latest craze in the remodeling market,” the company noted. 

But bold isn’t for everyone. In another survey, siding manufacturer Alside predicted that off-white and cream would be this year’s top color choices. Of homeowners surveyed, 20% said they wanted off-white and cream siding, followed by white (14%), light gray (12%), light brown (11%) and medium blue (9%).  

"The farmhouse trend is driving more of the preference of homeowners choosing white and light colors,” said Chase Creighton, Alside’s business director of vinyl and composite cladding. 

With white or beige siding, homeowners can complement the clean, neutral look with colorful shingles or give a pop of color with the windows and trim.  

Alside ASCEND in Riviera Dusk with Glacier White trim

Classics hues still popular 

Whether replacing a roof or siding, homeowners must make a significant investment, and budget-conscious clients want to make wise spending decisions, said Matthew Malczewski, CFO for DMG Exteriors in Valparaiso, Indiana. As a result, he said many homeowners are playing it safe and opting for classic black, charcoal or brown shingles and earth-toned siding. 

“Long-lasting products seem to be the interest again after the last decade of people planning on changing every five years,” he said. “I am seeing a lot of continued interest in natural-looking products and colors.” 

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About the Author(s)

Alli Romano

Freelance Writer

Alli Romano is a Denver-based freelance writer, editor and content manager. She has more than 20 years of experience as a journalist and copywriter for media companies and brands and is a skilled digital content producer and social media manager. 

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