For exterior commercial painting needs, the two most important criteria are durability and long-term protection…
Best Exterior Paint Colors for Commercial Buildings
Living in a city means being surrounded by buildings. However, while these buildings are part of everyday life, how often do you notice their colors? In most cases, building colors are drab and neutral, so whenever a building is bright and bold, it stands out more easily.
As a commercial building owner, the paint color you choose for the exterior can make a significant difference in your business. The right color can boost your profile positively, while the wrong color could turn off potential customers. But what’s the best exterior paint color for a commercial building? Let’s look at different elements and how they can influence the final result.
Factors to Consider When Choosing the Right Paint Color
Before working on any painting project, you must consider different factors and variables. While color psychology and color theory can come into play, a few other elements are more important, like:
Building Type
Are you painting an office building or a restaurant? Is it a multi-story property or a single unit? The property type can affect your painting project in a few unique ways.
- First, the size of the building can affect the overall cost, both for the initial paint job and long-term maintenance.
- Second, if you’re painting a mixed-use building, you want a color that works for each component and tenant.
- Finally, consider whether the building has accents or other elements that may require a different color. For example, some buildings may have window frames that can be colored uniquely compared to the rest of the structure.
Customer Base
As a commercial building owner, are you selling to customers directly or renting the building out to different clients?
Typically, when renting to multiple tenants, you want your building to be neutral. This way, as clients come and go, the color scheme doesn’t affect them too much.
Alternatively, if you use the whole building for your own business, you have much more flexibility regarding color and design. In this case, you can consider the types of customers you’re trying to attract.
For example, if you’re a family-oriented business, you may want fun and unique colors that grab attention. If you’re a restaurant, you want colors that match the cuisine and atmosphere inside. Alternatively, if you’re running an office, consider your brand messaging so the building’s exterior matches what you show to clients.
Maintenance and Upkeep
As a rule, lighter colors require more upkeep because they show stains and signs of aging faster. For example, a white building can start to look dingy and old a lot faster than a black building.
The size and shape of the building will affect maintenance costs, but also consider how easy it is to repaint the entire structure with the same color. If you use a unique hue, you might not be able to get it again in the future. If that happens, you’ll likely have to repaint the entire building so there aren’t patches of mismatched colors.
Popular Colors for Commercial Buildings
Gray
Many modern buildings are gray, either because they’re made of gray materials (e.g. steel and concrete) or painted that way. Gray is an excellent neutral color that doesn’t clash or draw much attention to itself.
Overall, gray is perfect for mixed-use and office buildings because it appeals to many businesses and clientele. Plus, gray is excellent for taller buildings and skyscrapers because it’s easy to apply and doesn’t require too much maintenance.
White
Because white is so bright, it brings a sense of brilliance and purity. White is also something of a luxury color because it requires more maintenance and upkeep than other hues.
White works well for high-end buildings because it showcases esteem and class. Think of white buildings in Greece and other Mediterranean countries. White delivers a certain sense of elegance and timelessness.
Brown
Brown is another excellent neutral color that can work for a wide range of business and clientele. Many modern brands like brown because it’s reliable yet earthy and natural. It can work just as well for a boutique restaurant as it does for a warehouse or distillery.
Darker browns are also relatively low-maintenance because they don’t show stains and other environmental damage.
Blue
Blue can be a very calming color, representing reliability and stability. However, the shade you use also matters. Bright blues can seem luxurious and exotic, while darker blues are more resilient and robust.
Blue can work well for restaurants or other exotic business types. It’s inviting and classy without being too overwhelming. Also, consider pairing blue with other accent colors. For example, blue and white can elicit feelings of the beach, while blue and green can evoke feelings of nature.
Red
Red is a very dominant color, so it’s pretty rare for a whole building to be painted red. Red triggers hunger, so it can work well for restaurants, but it can also be somewhat off-putting if it’s too intense.
Overall, red works best as an accent color or when complemented by another hue. However, be careful to avoid clashing colors or accidental Christmas connotations (red and green). Typically, red works best with a neutral color like white, black, or brown.
Get Professional Commercial Painting Services From Luke Kush Painting
Regardless of which color scheme you like for your building, it matters who you use to paint the exterior. Professional painting services ensure that the color will stay bright and brilliant for as long as possible, even during and after inclement weather.
Luke Kush Painting has been handling exterior paint jobs for commercial buildings for years. We’ve worked on buildings of all shapes and sizes, and we understand what it takes to get the job done quickly and reliably. Contact us today to get a quote and transform your building into something incredible.
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