12 Paint Colors That Pair Beautifully With A Black Roof (And One We'd Avoid)

Curb appeal does more than just put a smile on your face when you drive home at the end of the day. It can also have a big impact on your home's value. Along with regular landscape maintenance, whether you have wood siding, brick, stucco, or shingles, it's important to occasionally repaint your home to protect it and keep it looking its best. When you want to update your home's exterior, you need to pick a paint color that complements your roof instead of clashing with it. And unless you've invested in expensive Spanish tiles or metal panels, your roof is probably covered in black shingles. They're a timeless, classic, and affordable option. From classic white and light yellow to contemporary hues like navy and charcoal, we've narrowed down 12 paint colors that pair beautifully with a black roof (and included one that you should probably avoid).

The experts say you should repaint your home every five to 10 years, so we carefully considered what major paint brands have to say about current and upcoming color trends while making our selections. We reviewed Color Of The Year picks from companies like Behr and Benjamin Moore, in addition to considering which classic exterior paint color combinations design experts recommend. Before a color made our list, we also researched the overall impact it has on your home's resale value according to real estate experts. Read on to find specific paint color recommendations, including complementary hues that work beautifully on trim, shutters, and doors.

Black and white is a classic combo that can make your home look chic and elegant year after year. Whether you choose a color like Sherwin-Williams expert pick, White Snow, or an off-white like Benjamin Moore's most popular exterior hue, White Dove, white paint will always pair beautifully with a black roof and your surrounding landscaping. To keep the overall aesthetic cohesive, paint your shutters black to match your roof. If you want to add a playful and fun focal point, look to unconventional colors for your front door, like green apple or aubergine.

If you love a moodier look or want to accent both your home's black roof and exterior stone siding, try charcoal gray. One of the most powerful neutrals, dark grays can add drama to interiors or exteriors. Zillow reports that using the moody color may even make your home more valuable, but picking the right hue can be tricky. Try to closely match a color in the asphalt or ceramic granules in your shingles, or one of the unique hues of any exterior stonework. Behr's Color of the Year 2024, Cracked Pepper, is a versatile option. 

Pairing a light, sun-washed yellow with a soft black roof can look great whether you live in a beachy hideaway, remote farmhouse, or subdivision home. Although some experts think you should never paint your house exterior yellow, if you avoid bright or garish hues in favor of pale tones, the result can be fresh yet classic. Yellow is tricky to get right. Pay careful attention to matching the undertones in your roofing material and any brickwork on your home's exterior. Consider using a lighter tint of the yellow color you choose for any window trim or fascia.

Pink is having a moment, and there are dozens of pink paint shades that will add a dreamy splash of color to your home's exterior. Experts say deeper pinks like terracotta and mauve will look on trend in 2025. No matter which hue you choose, it's another exterior color where undertones really matter. When you're pairing pink with a black roof, the look is beautiful with white trim and black shutters. If your roofing material is warmer, choose a reddish tone like Sherwin-Williams Rojo Dust. For neutral or cooler roofs, we like Cabbage Rose from Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines.

It turns out beige is anything but boring. Neutral browns and taupes are coming back into style as we head into 2025. Pantone and Benjamin Moore's Color of the Year are both an ode to warmth, comfort, and ease. Unless you want a more contemporary look, deep brown tones may offer too little distinction from your black roof, creating a flat effect. Instead, try mid-tone colors like Farrow & Ball's Jitney. Black shutters offer the right kind of contrast, but avoid harsh white trim in favor of creamier colors on your garage, window sills, fascia, and soffits.

Are you in your maximalist era? Color is making a comeback in a major way, and it's good news if you want to paint your home so it stands out from the crowd. The pros at Glidden say we should stop asking ourselves, "What will the neighbors think?" and start leaning into jewel tones like their 2025 Color Of The Year, Purple Basil. The Sherwin-Williams 2025 Color Capsule also features bold hues that pair perfectly with black roofs, from a tropically bright Chartreuse to the organically golden Bosc Pear.

Silvery gray is another color that looks classic and timeless against a rich black roof. Think carefully about both your existing landscaping palette and sun exposure throughout the day before choosing this exterior color. Forgetting to consider how much light your home receives is one of the mistakes everyone makes when choosing a paint color. Balance out a southern exposure with cooler gray tones like Covered In Platinum from Dunn-Edwards. If your home is in the woods and receives little sun, warm things up with a lighter tone like Benjamin Moore's Barren Plain.

Few exterior trends are as long-lasting or iconic as a red barn. Some theorize that the look was intended to imitate brick, a sign of wealth. Others say that rust would be added to the linseed oil used by farmers to protect and seal their wooden structures, turning them a deep scarlet. In either event, if you're longing for the farmhouse look or want to know which color to paint your new barndominium, you cannot go wrong pairing a rusty red like Home At Last from Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines with a bold black roof.

Gardeners across the country love the easy-to-grow Blue Cornflower, also known as Bachelor Button, thanks to its true blue color and prolific blooms. Several major paint companies have been inspired by the meadowland hue that's a perfect companion for your black roof. Benjamin Moore's Dusty Cornflower pairs beautifully with shutters in the company's Fernwood Green, which pulls out its slightly green undertones that work well in lush settings. Valspar's Cornflower Blue has a slightly lower light reflectance value, making seashell gray or cloudy whites the perfect choice for shutters or trim in more coastal or lakeside areas.

Organic and earthy, sage green is an ideal color for any exterior. Available in as many tints and shades as there are verdant hues in nature, almost every paint company has named sage green its color of the year during the last decade. The trend shows no sign of stopping, and experts say it's a safe choice if you want to increase your home's value. Pair it with black shutters and white trim for a classic look, but make sure you select a creamy color that has icy blue or green undertones, like Behr's Frost.

There are some important things to consider before painting your house black. But if you want to make a serious statement, go Gothic, or bring out unique architectural details, it's time to pick up that paintbrush. To get the look just right, make sure your roof is at least as dark, if not darker, than the paint color you select. Otherwise, your roof may look gray in comparison. Farrow & Ball has a number of outstanding black hues to choose from, each with a unique undertone that can complement your roof and landscaping. 

Navy blue is a classic neutral that never goes out of style. If you have a black roof, there are several ways to use the color to create a lot of curb appeal. Pair a maritime-inspired hue like Benjamin Moore's Hale Navy with a bright white for a look that's shipshape. For a more modern take, consider using navy paint on your trim, garage doors, or front door. The versatile color looks stunning against red brick, white siding, or even wooden shake shingles.

Are there exterior house colors you should avoid using at all costs? Maybe not. Because black is the ultimate neutral, if you stay mindful of your roof material's undertones, aim for the right amount of contrast, and use a consistent color palette on the exterior walls, trim, and architectural details, it's easier than you may think to get the look right. But we recommend avoiding dingy or muddy pastel tones. And, make sure you don't use any accent colors that clash with your main exterior paint selection (or your neighborhood).