*My posts may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link! Thank you for supporting my website!*
Last updated on February 28th, 2024 at 10:50 am
Wondering whether your gutters should match the trim or your house? Look no further because I have your answer!
Traditionally, gutters have matched the color of the house. However, it is becoming more common to have gutters match the color of the trim to create a crisp, framed-out look to the house. To keep it traditional, match the gutters to the house. To modernize your home, match the gutter to the trim.
When we were updating the outside of our home, I fell in love with the crisp lines that white trim with matching gutters created on the dark siding.
This is the trend that’s showing up on more modern homes, and I knew it was the way I wanted to remodel the exterior of our home!
However, the more traditional look of matching the gutters to the color of the house is still sleek and very much in style.
So to help you decide if one of those two choices or another option is right for you and your home, let me break down all three style options and general gutter color rules of thumb for you below.
Also, this article is filled with different examples of gutter colors on houses so you can easily see what I’m talking about and make your own decision for the gutter color on your house.
Let’s dive in!
Quick Navigation: Matching Gutters To The Trim vs The House
- Gutter Color 101: Rules Of Thumb
- Look At The Colors Of Your Home
- Choose Which Features To Match
- How To Paint Gutters To Match The Trim Or The House
- Other FAQs About Choosing The Best Gutter Color
- Final Thoughts
Gutter Color 101: Rules Of Thumb
First off, we need to discuss some general rules of thumb when it comes to choosing a gutter color. These rules include:
- Gutters should blend in and/or complement the house colors
- Stick to neutral colors
Rule One: Gutters Should Blend In Or Complement The House Colors
The first rule of thumb for gutter colors is to choose a color that helps the gutters blend in or complement the colors already existing on the outside of the house.
Ideally, you want people to focus more on other aspects of your home. This includes the landscaping, shutters and door color, and any other decorative accents besides the gutters on your home.
This rule is also why many people choose to match their gutters to the house color (siding color) rather than the trim.
There are some benefits to matching the trim though that we’ll discuss below!
Colors on the outside of the house that gutters can match:
- Siding/brick color
- Roof color
- Trim/Fascia color
Rule Two: Stick To Neutral Colors
The second rule of thumb for gutter colors is to stick to neutral colors.
These colors can include but are not limited to:
- White
- Brown
- Beige
- Gray
- Black
The reason behind this goes back to rule #1: you want your gutters to blend in!
And oftentimes, your home colors are already neutral, so you’ll want to continue that color trend into the color of your gutters.
Now that we’ve got those two rules out of the way, we can break down exactly how to choose the best gutter color for your home. (And we’ll discuss what color choices are popular amongst more modern homes!)
Step One: Look At The Colors Of Your Home
The first step to choosing the best gutter color for your home is to look at the existing colors of your home.
(Or if you’re updating the colors on your home, then look at the new colors you’re changing to.)
You need to consider your siding/brick, roof, and trim/fascia colors as we’ve discussed.
Write them down because you’re going to need them for step two.
Our Real Life Example: Original House Colors
When we bought our home, the house colors were as follows:
- Siding Color: White
- Roof Color: Orange/Brown
- Trim/Fascia Color: Brown
Now, we weren’t a big fan of our home’s orange/brown color scheme, so we decided to change it to update the exterior.
Because of this, I got to pick a new gutter color!
Our Real Life Example: New House Colors
Our new house colors are going to be as follows:
- Siding Color: Dark Gray With White Corner Trim
- Roof Color: Dark Gray/Black
- Trim/Fascia Color: White
Now that I’ve got my list of colors to choose from (and you’ve got your list too), let’s move onto the second step!
Step Two: Choose Which Features To Match
The second step to choosing the best gutter color for your home is to choose which features you want to match.
Since we’ve got our list of colors and features (siding/roof color, etc), all you have to do is pick which one you want the gutters to match!
Before you choose though, let me discuss some of the benefits of each choice to help you further narrow down your selection. (And yes, all of these options tick both boxes on our two rules of thumb!)
Matching Gutter Color to The Siding/Brick Color
Traditionally, the most popular feature to match the gutters to is the siding color.
You’ll see this choice, especially in homes with a standard siding color like white or brown, because the standard (and usually the cheapest) gutter colors are white and brown.
This choice is often made because it’s the feature on the house that the visible part of the gutters touches the most.
Visually, you see the entire downspout attached to the side of the house, and even the horizontal run of the gutters looks like it blends in with the top of the siding.
However, if you have a brick house, then you might have a harder time choosing a “siding” color to match. Since brick has several various shades of colors within it, the gutters won’t be able to blend in as perfectly as other siding options.
No worries though, you can always choose one of the other features to match!
Matching Gutter Color To The Roof Color
Another popular home feature to match the gutter color to is the color of your roof.
This option typically isn’t as popular because roofs usually have various shades of colors much like a brick home does (and often those colors are darker than standard gutter colors come in).
However, the big advantage of matching your gutters to the roof color is that looks like an extension of your roof.
So the horizontal run of the gutters will blend in with your roofline and the downspouts will look like a trim/accent along the sides of your home. (Or potentially still blend in if your siding is similar in color to your roof!)
Matching Gutter Color To The Trim/Fascia Color
Finally, you can match your gutter color to the trim/fascia color on your home.
This option is becoming more popular in modern homes (and also my personal favorite).
The big advantage to matching the gutters to the trim/fascia color is that the gutters will blend in seamlessly with the piece of the home that they directly sit on.
Plus, matching the gutters to the trim will make it look like an extension of the trim and help it frame out the house better.
This trend is becoming more popular in modern homes because many of them are going with darker siding and trimming the windows, doors, fascia, soffit, and corners of the home with bright white to make the siding really pop.
(Just like white trim and molding within the interior of the house makes the wall color stand out better.)
Now that we’ve discussed all of the features, let me walk you through our two real-life gutter color examples.
Our Real Life Example: Original House Features Matched
With the original color scheme of our home, the best choice for the gutter color was either brown or white.
This is because the gutters blended in with either the trim/fascia (brown) or the siding (white) and also complemented the roof color (orange/brown).
Also, brown and white are neutral colors (while the orange room most certainly is not haha!), so that helped narrow the color choice down.
That being said, the brown gutters (while not my favorite) ticked both boxes for the gutter color rules of thumb!
Our Real Life Example: New House Features Matched
Now that we are updating the exterior with more modern colors, I got to choose new features to match!
With our new color scheme, my two best gutter color choices were either dark gray or white (because those are the only two colors that will be on my home moving forward).
Since I LOVE the crisp lines that bright white trim makes against the dark siding, my choice was easy: white gutters to match the white trim/fascia!
Also, we used white siding corner pieces so the white gutters blended in seamlessly with the siding as well.
And finally, white complements the dark gray/black roof and dark gray siding, and white is the ultimate neutral color, so my new gutter color choice ticked both boxes as well.
How To Choose Your Own Gutter Color
It’s time to look at your own color options. Typically, you’ll only have 2-3 colors to choose from so really, all you have to decide is which feature to match.
If you like a more traditional look then go for gutters that match the house (siding). However, if you’re looking for a more modern look, then choose a gutter color that matches the trim/fascia or roof.
That’s it! Now you can confidently choose a gutter color and take action!
How To Paint Gutters To Match The Trim Or House
Sometimes the existing gutters are in perfectly good shape, but the color is just not matching our new color scheme. (Yes, I’m talking about the brown gutters not fitting in with my dark gray home anymore haha!)
When that happens, there’s no reason to dump $1,000+ into new gutters. Instead, how about you dump $100 and a day’s worth of your time painting your gutters to match your new color scheme?
That’s exactly what we did! And you can check out my tutorial on how to paint your own gutters and downspouts here.
It’s incredible how much of a difference a fresh coat of paint can make on a home. Try it out for yourself, and see the magic happen in your own home!
Other FAQs About Matching The Gutters To The Trim Or The House
To help you better choose whether to match the gutters to the trim, house, or roof, here’s a few frequently asked questions!
Can Gutters And Downspouts Be Different Colors?
Gutters and downspouts should be the same color to help them blend into the home (instead of standing out). Matching gutters and downspouts will also help the home color scheme stay cohesive and allow the viewer’s eye to be attracted to other more visually appealing parts of the home (such as landscaping).
What Is The Most Popular Gutter Color?
The most popular gutter color is white. This is because white is a neutral color that blends in with or complements most home exterior color schemes (such as siding, trim, or fascia color). White is also one of a few standard colors that can be bought in stores at a lower price than custom colors.
What Color Should Gutters Be On A Brick House?
The best gutter color for a brick house is a neutral color that matches either the roof color, the trim/fascia color, or one of the neutral color shades within the brick itself. Those colors can be white, brown, almond, beige, etc. The most popular brick gutter colors are beige or white.
Is Black Guttering Cheaper Than White?
Black guttering is a similar price to white guttering. The range in price of guttering is typically in the material that the gutters are made out of, not the color of the gutters. However, some custom colors can be more expensive than standard gutter colors.
Final Thoughts On Matching The Gutters To The Trim Or The House
There you have it! Now you can confidently determine whether the gutter color should match the trim, the house, or the roof.
No matter which you choose, you can’t go wrong. It’s more a matter of personal preference. Your home will look stunning with any of those choices!
By Christine
Christine is a blogger and DIYer who tackles home renovation and decorating projects alongside her husband, Adam, for their personal residence and rental properties. Although she successfully tackles large renovation projects to avoid expensive contractor fees and bring her vision to life now, her path to success was not easy.
Go here to read her story, “From a Clueless First-Time Homebuyer To A Confident DIYer Creating Her Dream Home One Project At A Time“.
Popular Posts
DIY With Christine is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.