By Kim Palmer
There are 10 million colors visible to the human eye, but only a tiny fraction are visible on homes in many communities.
In fact, in many neighborhoods, you'll find just a handful of hues: white, off-white, gray, taupe and beige.
"I call them baby pablum colors," said Russell Versaci, a Virginia architect and author of "Creating a New Old House" (Taunton Press, 2003). "It's sort of the default option for builders."
In fact, "builder beige" has become such a norm that people comment on models that deviate from it, according to Minneapolis builder and developer Todd Bjerstedt, president of Todd Allen Homes.
But homeowners, too, help create the tone-on-tone palette in many communities. And increasingly, they're getting veto power over their neighbors' color choices, as more developments are regulated by associations and covenants.
Covenants are only part of the monochromatic story, however. Even homeowners with the freedom to choose anything on the color wheel usually opt for soft, light neutrals.
Why so much beige?
Human beings have a deeply ingrained desire to blend in with their tribe, said Leatrice Eiseman, director of the Pantone Color Institute and author of "The Color Answer Book" (Capital Books, 2003). Inside our homes, we're using color as a way to express our individuality, she said. "But the outside still has to say, 'I'm one of you.' "
Homeowners who defy their community's color norms are viewed as outsiders or nonconformists, she said. They may face disapproval from neighbors who think that an unusual hue threatens property values.
And, in an increasingly mobile society, people view their houses not just as dwellings, but as financial assets. An unobtrusive color is considered an easier sell than a distinctive color that might turn off buyers. That's why communities popular with relocating buyers are more likely to have a monochromatic look.
Economic trends influence color choices, Eiseman said. "When the economy gets dicey, there's a trend to neutrals." They're practical because they're classic, more timeless than colors easily identifiable with a particular period, she said.
Color preferences also vary by region, according to Eiseman, with neutral exteriors especially popular in the Midwest.
"In the South and Southwest, where you get a lot of sun, you can use more vibrant colors because they don't appear as bright. The sun dilutes some of the power of the color."
And Midwesterners tend to be cautious about embracing new color trends, she added.
Exterior color trends, like all trends, are cyclical, said Versaci, who sees signs that we may be entering a more colorful era. The New Urbanism movement, with its return to Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) features such as sidewalks, front porches and community spaces, also is bringing greater color variation, he said.
"Color is a prominent feature (in many such developments) and becomes a point of pride."
In some such communities, covenants are used not to limit - but to ensure - color variety.
"Once you choose a color, it's a personal statement, and it takes your personality away from you" if the house next door is the same color, said Shelly Tompkins, vice president with Contractor Property Developers Co.
Most covenants are vaguely worded and don't require or exclude specific colors, said attorney Shanna Strowbridge of the Minneapolis firm Winthrop & Weinstine, who specializes in real estate law. But many do require homeowners to submit their color choices to a committee. Such covenants are relatively new to Minnesota, she added, although they have a long history in other parts of the country.
Covenants are controversial in the architectural world, Versaci said. "It's the gated-community phenomenon. People do it to protect investment value, but it does tend to dumb down creativity."
Manufacturers are doing their part to help architects, builders and owners get creative with color by offering more choices. Vinyl siding and stucco, for example, are available in deeper colors that manufacturers used to avoid because they faded so quickly. With acrylics and UV ray-blocking technology, deep colors can be long-lasting.
"For several decades, nobody would touch avocado or olive," Eiseman said. "Now we're seeing those colors in siding. There's a new appreciation for green because there's a new connotation - today it's associated with being environmentally friendly."
While color is coming on strong in some new developments, the beige standard is deeply embedded in our color consciousness and is expected to continue, particularly in communities developed by large-volume builders. But the color momentum appears to be building. "My sense is the tide will shift," Versaci said. "Strong color resonates."
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