18 Yellow Homes With Curb Appeal Ideas to Steal

It's no surprise that the color most often associated with happiness and optimism makes for an inviting exterior. Whether you have a laidback bungalow or a stately Colonial, we have the perfect yellow paints to enhance your home's curb appeal. No matter the weather, these sunny shades will make your home shine.

Paint colors: (house) Midday, (front door and shutters) Courtyard and (trim) Simple White, Sherwin-Williams

Location: Athens, GA

Built in: 2004

Paint colors: (house) Ginger Jar, Behr; (window trim) Evening Blue, Benjamin Moore

"The home’s curb appeal is what originally drew us in," say homeowners Sean and Kerry Hogan. "All we had to do was paint!" In addition to the sunny yellow siding, they went bold with the trim. "We painted two colors, white and indigo blue, around the windows. It’s a feature we saw on a number of old houses in town. It feels classic yet modern." Pierced corbels add a hint of gingerbread detail to this Victorian-inspired exterior, while staggered-height pickets are a fun take on a traditional white fence.

Location: Detroit

Built in: 1947

Size: 3,750 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Summer Cottage Yellow and (front door) Red Delicious, Glidden

“This was the old, ugly house on the block when we bought it," say homeowners Karen and Kevin O’Keefe. "The brick was painted bright orange! We did a total reno and changed the colors to match a cute home we spotted while visiting Mackinac Island up north." The O’Keefes replaced all the windows and purposely chose different sizes. The arched center window, which mirrors the shape of the portico ceiling, is the focal point.

Cone-shaped white blooms that turn pinkish are the signature of the peegee hydrangea that’s pruned into a tree shape. Every spring Karen fills the 7-foot-long flower box outside the large upstairs window with white and red geraniums, which thrive in the partially sunny spot.

Location: Alexandria, VA

Built in: 1937

Size: 2,204 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Golden Lab, (front door and shutters) Lafayette Green and (trim) Atrium White, Benjamin Moore

"Painted pale yellow, our house is warm and welcoming, like our neighborhood,” say homeowners Cynthia Westlund and Christopher May. The storm door’s multi-lite design echoes the windows. Its color was inspired by the Green Bay Packers, Cynthia’s favorite football team. Metal numbers with a wispy shape, mounted to the arch above the front door, fit the exterior’s storybook look.

“The sharp pitch of the roof makes our house look like a quaint English cottage, so we kept the landscaping informal," they say. Wanting to attract birds, butterflies and bees, the couple filled their yard with fragrant plants like bee balm, beautyberry and anise hyssop.

Location: Decatur, GA

Built in: 1928

Size: 3,200 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Anjou Pear, Sherwin-Williams; (front door and shutters) Hunter Green, Benjamin Moore; (trim) Ultra White, Valspar

“We may not be that far from downtown Atlanta, but the sunshine yellow color of our home and lush landscaping are an oasis,” say homeowners Loria and Brian Pollack. They painted the original one this rich green to ground all the yellow. “The arch makes it feel like you’re entering a place where special things happen,” says Loria. The stone mailbox may date back to 1928, but the fairy-tale vibes are as appealing as ever.

The emerald green planters that frame the arch play off the door and shutter color. Loria changes the flowers seasonally: “I plant something tall in the back and bright in the front, plus one thing that spills over.” The Pollacks’ front yard is a regular stop on neighbors’ daily walks thanks to cheery flowers (and their kids, who love to pet every dog). “I think of the beds as a painter’s palette where we dab colorful flowers,” says Loria. Greenery fills in the rest.

Location: Minneapolis

Built in: 1902

Paint colors: (siding) Sweet Chamomile, (porch ceiling) Fountain Spout and (trim) Ultra Pure White, Behr

Britt and Christopher Dougall repainted the exterior and rebuilt the porch on their Minnesota home. “Now they’re two of our favorite things about it,” they say. When the Dougalls renovated the wraparound porch, they added white fluted columns and railings with turned-wood balusters, which gave the Queen Anne–style house even more Victorian charm.

Location: Montclair, NJ

Built in: 1893

Size: 1,800 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Wasabi, (trim and shutters) Frostine and (front door) Chambourd, Benjamin Moore

“People tell us our house looks like it belongs at the beach," say homeowners Eileen Sweeny and Jay Beckner. "In a town filled with large Victorians, it proves smaller homes can be beautiful, too.” The upper balcony adds tons of charm, and Eileen painted the door deep purple to complement the siding’s citron hue. Since Eileen and Jay don’t have a big porch, they placed a bench on the grass to the right of the door.

The couple chose low-maintenance bushes and flowers, including a barberry bush, lambs’ ears and purple coneflowers. Yellow and red celosia grow tall in pots at the bottom of the steps.

Location: Lyme, CT

Built in: 1865

Paint colors: Try (house) Stuart Gold and (shutters) Windsor Green by Benjamin Moore for a similar look.

A traditional combo of golden yellow and deep green suits this historic home. Bright white trim highlights the classic architecture and brightens the whole facade.

Location: Charlotte, NC

Built in: 1938

Size: 2,800 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Crowne Hill Yellow and (chimneys and trim) White Opulence, Benjamin Moore; (front door) Ravishing Coral, Sherwin-Williams

“We’re only the second owners of this corner-lot charmer, which we painted yellow shortly after moving in,” say Susie and Jerry Jernigan. With so much yellow siding, “the house needed a door that would stand out,” says Susie. She and Jerry liked this deep coral so much, they painted the storm door the same color. Wrought iron embellishments decorate the chimneys. Susie believes they are S’s for the original owners’ last name.

“We especially love our non-gardener’s yard of easy-care plants.” Because mature water oak trees shield the yard from sun, the Jernigans stuck to shade-loving plants, including autumn ferns, hostas, dusty millers and red impatiens.

Location: Sacramento, CA

Built in: 1931

Size: 3,200 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Banana Cream and (trim) Pure White, Sherwin-Williams; (front door) Forbidden Red, Behr

“Our Georgian Colonial looked kind of plain at first, though we loved the symmetry," say homeowners Janet and Jim Cassie. "We leaned into its traditional style by adding a portico, painting it yellow and replacing the louvered shutters with paneled ones.” A gable roof portico makes the home stately. Says Janet, “Our neighbors across the street told us that one reason they bought their house is because they love looking at it!”

To play up the yard's formal look, they planted a neat row of boxwood with impatiens in front and hydrangeas in back, and put in an elegant brick path. Tall planters filled with yellow dahlias give the entrance even more presence. “We often clip off blooms to use in bouquets,” says Janet.

Location: Rocky River, OH

Size: 1,600 sq. ft.

Paint color: (house) Belvedere Cream, Sherwin-Williams

Laureen and Ron Nowakowski had their eye on this cute little cottage when they retired to their home state of Ohio after living and working in New Jersey for years. This quaint yellow-and-blue color scheme is carried throughout the house.

Location: Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ

Built in: 1920s

Paint colors: Try (stucco and siding) Cuddle, (shutters) Tomcat and (front door) Molten Sulphur by Valspar for a similar look.

“It was the little quirks — like the offset windows on the front door and the brick detail under the chimney — that made us fall in love with it,” say homeowners Melanie and Christopher St. Pierre. The original arched front door contrasts with the house’s peaked rooflines. The St. Pierres repainted their house and replaced the porch light with a black one to match the color of the shutters. Now the brick chimney stands out against the yellow stucco.

The yard is kept simple with easy-care ornamental grasses, azalea bushes and assorted shrubs. The holly bush and weeping tree behind the front shrubs add height to the design. The curved walkway is made of bluestone pavers.

Location: Cleveland

Built in: 1962

Size: 3,671 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Prairie Grass Gold, (front door) Red Geranium and (trim) Antique White, Glidden; (shutters) Rock Bottom, Sherwin-Williams

“We’ve always liked this neighborhood’s history. Our small cul-de-sac was built on former castle grounds. We were thrilled to score this American Colonial charmer and painted it yellow and red to make it even more inviting,” say homeowners Meg and Pat Duffy.

The Duffys’ carved wood door dates back to the early 1900s. Inspired by a Colonial Williamsburg tradition, the couple hung a faux-fruit arrangement on the pediment above it. The pineapple in the center is a symbol of hospitality. Meg painted a pair of unfinished teak rockers the same color as the front door and paired them with gingham pillows to complete the look.

Location: Montgomery, AL

Built in: 1926

Size: 1,661 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Milkyway and (trim) Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore

Arches on the porch of this Craftsman immediately drew in homeowners Kay and Bobby Hassett. “They’re a rare find in the neighborhood — they make our house unique,” says Kay. Matching gables create eye-pleasing balance, as do the three arches on the left opposite the three windows on the right. A centered chimney also highlights the home’s symmetry. Clapboard siding painted creamy pale yellow stands out against the brick at the base of the house.

A well-kept flower bed was one of Kay’s top priorities. She planted taller greenery — the tea olive shrub between the windows and star jasmine vine on the left — behind lower-lying plants and flowers, like sunpatiens, coral drift roses and caladiums.

Location: Des Moines

Size: 2,145 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Waterbury Cream, (trim) Linen White, (accents) Kingsport Gray, Benjamin Moore

“Our house needed a full makeover when we bought it — gray paint, blue trim and an enclosed porch did nothing for it. There wasn’t even landscaping," say homeowners Cory and Shawn Konrad. “Opening it up made our house look like an actual Craftsman,” says Cory. "Look at it now!" Earthy yellow paint helped revive the exterior, but the original oak door remained. "The wood has a few cracks, but I wouldn't change it for the world," says Cory.

The couple roped in a landscape architect to make their yard come alive. Fluffy arborvitae and short boxwood create lushness on the left, while spiky flame grass brings height on the right. White Annabelle hydrangea next to wild-looking purple coneflower totally catch the eye.

Location: Rhinebeck, NY

Built in: 1863

Size: 2,000 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Soleil and (trim) Mascarpone, Benjamin Moore; (shutters) Iron Ore and (porch floor) Black of Night, Sherwin-Williams

“My last house was a new build, the complete opposite of this 145-year-old home," says Beth Gershuny. "Because of its decorative trim, quaint shutters and dreamy yard, I now understand what character means.” Decorative corbels are a classic element of Folk Victorian homes like this one. Beth painted the house a soft yellow to make these seem less formal. The front door is made of a fiberglass composite and stained to look like wood.

When Beth revamped her yard, she planned it around the existing hydrangea bush and Japanese maple tree. “From the start, I loved the way they flank the house like pillars, welcoming everyone inside,” she says. Between them, she planted perennials and flowering bushes. Beth picked the planters for their curvy shape. Filled with bright yellow flowers, they create an inviting entry.

Location: Dallas

Built in: 1925

Size: 2,334 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Concord Buff, (trim) Dover White and (window trim) Black Swan, Sherwin-Williams

"We used to live three doors down and were lucky enough to get this home before it hit the market," say homeowners Amber and Kevin Edwards. "The sweet yellow exterior made it our favorite house on the block.”

Although some of their neighbors have enclosed their arched porches, the Edwardses prefer the quaint original look and have kept theirs open. Rattan armchairs with a cool wingback shape look stylish on the front porch, especially when accented with patterned pillows. A local garden center helped them fill the pots on the porch with a mash-up of coleus, sweet potato vine, celosia and dusty miller. Red, pink and white begonias, which thrive in the sunny front yard, bloom in beds on either side of the walkway.