What Color Should My Eavestrough and Downspout Be?
When you’re updating your exterior paint colors, a question that ALWAYS comes up in my online color consults is “what color should I paint my eavestrough | gutters and downspout? Should they be white to match the windows or the same color as the house or something else?
The short answer is ….. it depends on the look you’re going for.
Traditional White Eavestrough | Gutters | Downspouts
Traditionally, downspouts, gutters and eavestroughs used to be white to co-ordinate with white windows and trim. It was a clean look but sometimes a white downspout or eavestrough could stand out if it was a stark contrast to the exterior body color as in the picture below.
Photo: Hometalk.com
In our picture above, it was very common to paint the downspouts the same color as the windows and trim, but as you can see in our picture above, its looks out of place and is a distraction to the overall appearance of the house. In our house above, they would have been better off to paint the downspout, the same color as the brick.
Photo: HeartsideKC.com
You still have home with white gutters and downspouts like in our home above, but it isn’t an afterthought like in our previous house. This home has white trim which hides the gutters and downspouts. They don’t stick out like a sore thumb here. However, the black windows stick out lol since the black is not repeated in the exterior paint colors other than on top of the garage with a small overhang. The home would look more cohesive if the windows were white OR if black was more prominent like in having a black front & garage door.
Eavestrough | Gutters | Downspouts Same Color as your Exterior Paint or Siding Color
If you want your eavestrough and downspouts to blend into your house exterior color palette and not to become an accent statement , matching these elements to your house exterior color will hide them and become part of the house. They will not be noticed and make a negative statement.
Photo: Pinterest
Photo: Hometalk
In our house above, the homeowner has different colors for the downspouts and eavestrough | gutters. The downspouts are painted to match the siding color, whereas the eavestrough | gutter matches the under siding of the house to blend in. It works here to have two different colors because both colors are blending in with the current existing exterior paint color palette.
Photo: Hometalk
This house above has copper eavestrough | gutters |downspouts which is becoming a trend in house exteriors. It compliments the house beautifully as it blends with the exterior paint color. However, we will see below that copper easetroughs and downspouts are starting to trend in their own right and can make quite the statement in the right environment!!!
Eavestrough | Gutter | Downspouts same color as your trim
A trend that has become popular over the last few years, is to paint your eavestrough, downspouts | gutter, the same color as the trim accent color.
Photo: ubsoloutions.org
In our house above, the homeowners has made the eavestrough and downspouts as part of the design by matching their colors to the trim color. It compliments the house beautifully and is not overpowering.
Bold Eavestrough | Gutter Downspouts Colors that Make a Statement
A new trend for eavestroughs and downspouts | gutter colors is to paint them a bold color to make a statement. One of the most popular colors for this bold look is black. Gray and copper are also popular colors to make this look fun and dramatic. If you decide to go for this look, be careful to make sure that the bold color you’re introducing is already part of the exterior color scheme and/or repeated elsewhere on the exterior for a cohesive look.
Photo: Residential.Keim
This house above makes a bold contemporary statement with its black eavestrough and downspout. Notice how the black is repeated in the roofing to repeat the color on the exterior.
Photo: DesignIndulgence.blogspot.com
Another bold and contemporary statement above with matching windows, trim, eavestrough and downspouts all being in bold and beautiful black. Notice again, how the black eavestrough and downspouts pick up the existing black colors in the exterior.
Read: 7 Steps to Choose the Best Exterior Paint Colors for your House
Read: Exterior Paint Color Trends
Copper Eavestrough | Gutters | Downspouts
Copper eavestroughs, gutters and downspouts are on the upswing for a variety of reasons. However, if you’re thinking of adding copper elements to your house, do it with intention. The copper elements on the left are a natural fit with the red | orange brick that it compliments. The copper also compliments the green siding on the right of the house.
However, the copper on the house on the right feels out of place. It doesn’t coordinate with the other colors and is not part of the overall design. The bronzed roof, copper elements, white trim, and gray siding have nothing to tie this look together to bring the exterior feel harmonious. If you’re adding copper, do it with intention and make sure the rest of your house exterior colors will compliment this look.
Hopefully you know have some ideas of what colors to paint your eavestrough | gutters and downspouts. If you’re not sure, pick a part of the house that is not visible to others and test your colors out. This will help you finalize the look and feel that you are going for.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
Do you need some help picking out paint colors for your exterior? Perhaps you’re looking at updating your whole exterior including the front door, trim, garage door etc and you need some direction. I offer several different color consult, design packages & staging packages. I guarantee my work. I will make sure you’re happy. Let me help you take the stress out of choosing a paint color for you.
Click here to learn more about my online e-design, color & staging consults.
Hi! I’m Debi Collinson. Designer. Color Consultant & Real Estate Investor.
I conducted my first color consult at the age of 7, for my father for one of his design | build projects. I’m an Interior Designer, a Double-Certified Paint Color Expert, with advanced training in kitchens + bathrooms!
Since 2006, I have helped hundreds of clients, just like you, to style their house to make it a stunning retreat, that is functional for the family AND that they love and enjoy their home. I was one of the first stagers in the industry when staging just started out, and I have helped hundreds of clients make money beyond their expectations when they sold their house. Throughout this time, I bought, renovated and flipped 9 “fixer uppers” for a healthy profit.
In 2020, I moved my design business online. Sign up to receive my e-mails on my awesome design + color tips to create a home that you will love and enjoy and increase the value of your home as well!