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Collection by Heather Corcoran

Would You Live in a House With a Colorful Exterior?

With their bold and unusually colored exteriors, these six houses put a new spin on curb appeal—and give Roy G. Biv a run for his money.

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The Premaydena House by Misho+Associates was designed as a "box within a box," in which two interior structures—an open-plan living space and two en suite bedrooms—sit within an exterior envelope. Inspired by the region’s fiery orange lichen and the indigenous waratah shrub’s bright flowers, the colorful exterior panels are made of heavy-duty galvanized steel to guard from Tasmanian winds, which can reach up to 60 miles per hour.
The Premaydena House by Misho+Associates was designed as a "box within a box," in which two interior structures—an open-plan living space and two en suite bedrooms—sit within an exterior envelope. Inspired by the region’s fiery orange lichen and the indigenous waratah shrub’s bright flowers, the colorful exterior panels are made of heavy-duty galvanized steel to guard from Tasmanian winds, which can reach up to 60 miles per hour.
Arango's 1,000-square-foot home in Amherst, Massachusetts is run entirely by solar power. He uses the home as an example in the class he teaches on renewable energy.
Arango's 1,000-square-foot home in Amherst, Massachusetts is run entirely by solar power. He uses the home as an example in the class he teaches on renewable energy.
When it came to color, the Esers didn't want to limit themselves. Rather than settle for a single hue, which might not age gracefully, they painted their home with Valspar’s Kameleon Colors, an innovative line of paints that appear to change color based on the position of the sun and the viewer. For the facade, they selected Dusty Rose, which looks bright green in the early morning light.
When it came to color, the Esers didn't want to limit themselves. Rather than settle for a single hue, which might not age gracefully, they painted their home with Valspar’s Kameleon Colors, an innovative line of paints that appear to change color based on the position of the sun and the viewer. For the facade, they selected Dusty Rose, which looks bright green in the early morning light.
"How would a kid draw a house?" architect Per Franson asked himself when designing the Olivero-Reinius family home. The simple prefab structure’s unusual color comes from a traditional source: falu rödfärg, the historic mineral paint that gives the region’s famous barns their red color.
"How would a kid draw a house?" architect Per Franson asked himself when designing the Olivero-Reinius family home. The simple prefab structure’s unusual color comes from a traditional source: falu rödfärg, the historic mineral paint that gives the region’s famous barns their red color.
The blue porcelain tiles covering the house’s exterior are typical of commercial buildings of earlier decades. “It was intended to invoke nostalgia of the past and newness at the same time,” lead architect Akio Nakasa says.
The blue porcelain tiles covering the house’s exterior are typical of commercial buildings of earlier decades. “It was intended to invoke nostalgia of the past and newness at the same time,” lead architect Akio Nakasa says.