Walk through almost any new-construction neighborhood right now and you will see the same look on repeat: a white house with black accents. It is the dominant exterior trend going into 2026, and it is far from the only one worth knowing about.
We asked Tina Brehob, the color consultant Target Painting partners with, what is moving on exterior homes this year. She has a background in design and psychology and has helped homeowners across the Boston area choose color since 2021. Her take is less about chasing whatever is popular and more about choosing color that fits your specific house.
Lead with white and black accents
The big one first. The white-with-black look is, in Tina’s words, “super popular, honestly,” and it shows up most on modern and new-construction homes where the white body gets black added “in certain areas.”
What makes it easy to live with is where the black goes. The black tends to land in small, sporadic places rather than wrapping the whole house, which means a homeowner can change course later without a full repaint. “Trends are nice, and it’s easily, once the trend is over, able to be changed because they just do it sporadically,” she says. If you love the look, it is a safe bet. If you are unsure, it is also a low-commitment one.
Pair natural stains with color
A quieter trend is gaining ground alongside the high-contrast look. Homeowners are combining a natural stain with paint color, letting wood tones carry part of the exterior while paint handles the rest.
“A lot of natural tones are coming into houses as well, where they have a natural stain in combination with color,” Tina says. “That’s a nice one to see.” It reads warmer than stark white and black, and it suits homes that want to feel connected to their surroundings rather than set against them.
Let the house’s style lead
Ask Tina for a single trending color and she redirects to the house itself. Style drives the right choice more than any color of the year.
A colonial leans traditional, and traditional is a reliable, safe direction for that kind of home. A modern or contemporary house wants a more uniform treatment, with less contrast between trim and body. And a relaxed home in a relaxed setting earns some freedom. “If you’re on the ocean and you have a bungalow, let’s have fun with it,” she says. The same trend can be right on one house and wrong on the one next door.
Respect historic homes and New England rules
The Boston area is full of historic homes, and they come with their own considerations. On older houses, Tina thinks less about color and more about color placement, drawing out the molding and architectural features homeowners already love.
There is also a practical layer. Many New England towns have a historical commission with rules about exterior colors, and homeowners in those areas often already know the boundaries they need to stay within. Her go-to is a manufacturer’s historical collection. “Those are safe. You don’t have to worry about those.” It keeps the home period-appropriate without a guessing game. Our in-home color consultation walks through how she handles these case by case.
Choose colors that fit the land
For homes on wooded lots or winding roads, Tina pulls toward the setting. She looks for colors with an earth or nature relation so the house settles into its surroundings instead of fighting them.
It is the same instinct that makes her cautious about a color that ignores its context. A shade can be lovely on its own and still feel off if it has nothing to do with the trees, stone, and light around it.
Embrace an easy-to-change trend
The reassuring thread through all of it: exterior trends move, and most of them are simple to update later. Because the boldest looks go on in small doses, a homeowner can follow a trend now and adjust in a few years without a major project.
That lowers the pressure on the decision. Choose the look you will enjoy living with, weigh resale if you expect to sell soon, and remember that exterior color is one of the more changeable things about a house. For a full walk-through of how to land on the right exterior color for your home, see what happens during a color consultation, or hand the project to Target’s exterior painting team. When you are ready to start, request a free quote.
About the expert: Tina Brehob is a color consultant Target Painting partners with on in-home consultations. She holds a degree in design and psychology and has worked with Target since 2021, helping homeowners across the Boston area choose exterior and interior colors that fit their home and their setting.
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