The Best Exterior Colors for your Craftsman Home
- Sep 13, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 21
Choosing the Perfect Exterior Colors for Your Craftsman Home with Benjamin Moore
Craftsman homes are known for their charming architecture and detailed craftsmanship. Selecting the right exterior colors can enhance these features and reflect your personality. In this blog post, we'll explore various color schemes using Benjamin Moore paints to transform your Craftsman home into a neighborhood standout.
Lifetime Remodeling Systems has been designing and remodeling craftsman exteriors for over 25 years in the Portland metro area. Installing new siding on your Portland craftsman home also gives you the opportunity to choose a new paint scheme. We spend the time with our clients to ensure that they have all of the resources needed to select a great exterior color set for their newly sided home.
When you're ready to bring your craftsman home's exterior back to life.
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Understanding the Craftsman Style
Before choosing colors, it’s important to understand the key features of a Craftsman home:
Low-pitched gable roofs
Overhanging eaves
Exposed rafter tails
Decorative beams or braces
Porches with thick square or round columns
Stone or brick details
Highlighting these elements with the right color scheme maintains the authenticity of the Craftsman style.
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Traditional Craftsman Color Schemes with Benjamin Moore
Option A: The "Forest Floor" Palette
A quintessential PNW scheme that embraces the moss and evergreen environment.
Body: Gloucester Sage [HC-100]
Why it works: This is a brownish-green that is absolutely bulletproof in Oregon. Unlike brighter greens, it doesn't fight with the natural Douglas Firs; it blends with them.
Trim: Manchester Tan [HC-81]
Contrast: A khaki-beige that offers a soft definition to the pillars and eaves without the harshness of white.
Accent (Door/Sashes): Garnet [AF-295] or Deep Reddish Brown [2132-30]
Note: A nod to the historic "Cherokee Red" often found in FLW and Craftsman architecture.
Option B: The "River Stone" Palette
A sophisticated blue-grey scheme that echoes the Willamette River on an overcast day.
Body: Knoxville Gray [HC-160]
Why it works: Do not let the name fool you—this is a complex, teal-based charcoal. In flat light, it reads as a rich slate; in direct sun, the green undertones warm it up.
Trim: Edgecomb Gray [HC-173]
Contrast: A "greige" trim keeps the look fluid and muddy (in a good way), avoiding the "blue house/white trim" cliché.
Accent (Door): Silhouette [AF-655] (2026 Color of the Year)
Note: Using this year's deep sultry brown on the door adds a modern touch to a traditional body.
Option C: The "Historic Bungalow" Palette
A lighter, warmer option for homes under heavy tree canopy that need brightening.
Body: Briarwood [HC-175]
Why it works: A timeless taupe that leans toward brown/gold. It counteracts the blue tint of PNW daylight, ensuring the house looks welcoming, not cold.
Trim: Navajo White [OC-95]
Contrast: A yellow-based cream that looks like aged parchment. It makes the intricate millwork pop.
Accent (Door): Tarrytown Green [HC-134]
Note: A blackened pine green that anchors the entry.
Modern Craftsman Interpretations with Benjamin Moore
Option A: The "Silhouette" Monolith (2026 Trend)
A bold, fashion-forward look for Portland remodels. This scheme minimizes white trim to create a unified, sculptural form.
Body: Silhouette [AF-655]
Why it works: As the 2026 COTY, this luscious deep brown/charcoal changes throughout the day. It’s softer than black but just as dramatic.
Trim: Black Beauty [2128-10]
Contrast: Minimal. By painting the fascia and gutters black (or a shade darker than the body), you modernize the Craftsman silhouette instantly.
Accent (Door): Natural Cedar or Fir (Clear Stain)
Note: Let the natural wood be the "color." The warmth of the wood against the dark body is stunning.
Fog & Iron Palette
Option B: The "Fog & Iron" Palette
High contrast, crisp, and airy. Perfect for a "Modern Farmhouse" take on a Craftsman.
Body: Seapearl [OC-19]
Why it works: In the PNW, bright white can look blinding. Seapearl has a grey/pearl undertone that softens the glare but still looks crisp and clean.
Trim & Sashes: Kendall Charcoal [HC-166]
Contrast: Using a dark slate grey for the window sashes and thick barge boards defines the geometry of the house.
Accent (Door): Aegean Teal [2136-40]
Note: A calm, approachable blue-green that bridges the gap between the modern grey and the garden.
The Urban Slate Palette
Option C: The "Urban Slate" Palette
A moody, mid-tone grey that feels architectural and sleek.
Body: Amherst Gray [HC-167]
Why it works: A true neutral grey that doesn't turn purple in our damp light. It feels substantial and expensive.
Trim: Chantilly Lace [OC-65]
Contrast: The cleanest, crispest white Ben Moore offers. This high contrast highlights the pillars and porch details sharply.
Accent (Door): Wasabi [AF-430] or Citron
Note: A "shock" of acid green or yellow is a major trend for 2026 modern exteriors, playing off the mossy surroundings in a deliberate, artistic way.
Tips for Choosing the Paint Sheen For Portland Homes
Body: Use Low Lustre (not flat) to shed rain and resist algae growth.
Trim: Use Soft Gloss or Satin.
Decks: Never use solid paint on horizontal decking in Oregon; it will peel. Use a translucent or semi-solid stain.
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Elevating Your Craftsman’s Legacy: Final Thoughts
Selecting the right exterior palette for a Craftsman home is more than a maintenance task; it is a stewardship of architectural history. In 2026, we are seeing a shift toward palettes that honor traditional earthy foundations while integrating "new-classic" Benjamin Moore hues that provide a sophisticated, modern edge.
Whether you are leaning toward the deep, rooted tones of the forest or a crisp, updated slate, the right Benjamin Moore scheme will accentuate the intricate rafter tails, tapered columns, and handcrafted details that define your home's character. Take the time to see these colors in changing light; the perfect palette doesn’t just add curb appeal—it restores the home’s soul.
Lifetime Remodeling Systems: Portland’s Craftsman Design & Renovation Experts
At Lifetime Remodeling Systems, we exclusively recommend Benjamin Moore paints for our Craftsman restorations. Our clients demand incredible durability and fade resistance that can withstand the Pacific Northwest climate, and the Benjamin Moore palette offers the specific historical accuracy required for high-end exterior remodeling.
When you partner with LRS to reside your home, you aren't just getting new siding and flashing; you are gaining access to an award-winning design-build team. As the 2024 and 2025 Oregon Home Structure + Style Winner for Remodeling, we specialize in the "LRS Way"—a process designed to eliminate the guesswork of home renovation.
Our Tech-Forward Design Advantage:
In-House Color Consultation: Work with our specialists to navigate the Benjamin Moore palette to get the exact color scheme you've always dreamed of.
Digital Renderings: We can provide photo realistic digtial renderings of your exterior so that you can see the new siding and color set you have chosen before work begins.
Ready to see your Craftsman in a new light? Let’s design a home exterior that you’ll fall in love with before our crews even arrive on-site.
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