Every exterior paint color, stain, and finish we chose—and why.
A quick Reference
If you're simply looking for our exterior paint colors, here's everything in one place. I'll dive into why we chose each one—and everything we learned along the way—below:
Element |
Selection |
House |
Benjamin Moore Simply White |
Shutters |
Benjamin Moore Great Barrington Green |
Fence & Mailbox post |
Sherwin Williams Charleston Green |
Exterior Door Stain |
Special Walnut on Mahogany |
Foundation |
Egret White Sherwin Williams |
Bermuda Shutter |
White powder coat |
Choosing Exterior Paint Is Nothing Like Choosing Interior Paint
If there's one thing this renovation taught me, it's that exterior paint is an entirely different world.
A color that looks perfect on a tiny paint chip can feel completely different once it's covering an entire house. Add changing sunlight, mature landscaping, neighboring homes, cloudy days, reflections from the grass, and Charleston's unique coastal light, and suddenly that little swatch doesn't seem so trustworthy.
We painted directly on the house in multiple different locations.
We stood up close and we stood across the street.
We looked in bright afternoon sun, early morning light, heavy shade, overcast skies, and golden hour.
If you're choosing exterior paint, my biggest piece of advice is simple:
Don't trust the paint chip. Trust the house.
The House
Benjamin Moore Simply White
Simply White wasn't actually where we started.
Like many people, I worried it might lean too creamy outdoors or feel too warm in Charleston's bright sunlight. We also tested White Dove, Chantilly Lace, and several others that we absolutely loved individually.
But once we looked at everything together—the landscaping, the shutters, the wood doors, and the overall feeling we wanted—Simply White quietly became the obvious choice. It never demanded attention. Instead, it allowed everything around it to shine.
The white feels crisp without ever feeling stark, warm without reading yellow, and timeless in a way I hope will still feel beautiful decades from now.
If I were building this house all over again, I'd choose it without hesitation.
The Shutters
Benjamin Moore Great Barrington Green
This may be my favorite color on the entire exterior.
From the very beginning, we knew we wanted shutters that felt rooted in the landscape rather than standing apart from it. Charleston is filled with beautiful historic homes, and our hope was that ours would feel as though it had always belonged—not as if it was trying to make a statement.
Great Barrington Green has that quiet confidence. It's soft without feeling muted, never overly saturated, and it changes beautifully throughout the day as the light shifts. More than anything, it feels like an extension of the garden—a subtle layer of green that lets the landscaping shine.
One decision we spent a surprising amount of time researching was the shutter material itself. Initially, I assumed we would choose solid wood. Throughout much of the Charleston area, particularly within historic districts, wood shutters are often required to meet preservation guidelines. Although our little corner of Mount Pleasant isn't subject to those historic regulations, I still wanted to make sure we were choosing the right material.
After comparing the appearance, longevity, and maintenance of both, we ultimately chose composite louvered shutters. For our home, they offered the look we wanted with the added confidence of a material that's well suited to our coastal climate and built to stand the test of time.
We worked with Lowcountry Shutters, and I truly can't recommend them enough. I initially started down the path of ordering shutters online, but I'm so grateful we didn't. Functional shutters are far more technical than I ever realized, and measuring them correctly is truly a science. Their team came to our home, guided us through every decision, custom-built each shutter, painted them, and installed both the front shutters and the Bermuda shutter on the side of the house. The quality, craftsmanship, and attention to detail were exceptional, and they were an absolute pleasure to work with.
The Fence
Charleston Green
This was probably the design decision I was most nervous about.
Charleston Green often reads almost black, and I worried it would make our relatively small backyard feel enclosed or boxed in. Instead, the exact opposite happened. Rather than becoming the focal point, the fence simply disappeared.
Charleston Green mimics the deepest shadows already present throughout the landscape. Because our eyes naturally read those shadows as part of the garden, the fence quietly recedes into the background. Instead of noticing where the yard ends, your attention stays on the plants, the flowers, and the layers of greenery. The garden actually feels larger because your eye isn't constantly interrupted by a man-made boundary.
It's one of those design decisions that completely transformed how the space feels, and it's something I would choose again without hesitation.
Pro tip: If you're local, stop by Sherwin-Williams and ask for Charleston Green from their Historic Charleston Collection. I was completely confused at first because I couldn't seem to find it anywhere online or in the standard color displays. It turns out it's a bit of a hidden gem, but they'll know exactly what you're talking about.
The Front Doors
One of our goals throughout the renovation was to balance painted surfaces with natural materials.
There's something about real wood that immediately brings warmth and character to a home. Rather than painting the doors, we chose to stain them, allowing the natural grain of the mahogany to remain visible and become part of the architecture itself.
Against the Simply White exterior and Great Barrington Green shutters, the wood adds richness and depth without competing with the surrounding landscape. It creates just enough contrast while still feeling timeless and understated.
We chose mahogany not only for its beautiful grain but also for its durability and stability, making it a wonderful choice for an exterior door—especially in our humid Lowcountry climate.
Living along the South Carolina coast also means every renovation decision is weighed against hurricane season. We chose impact-rated glass for all of our windows because protecting our home during storms was a priority from the beginning.
For the doors, however, we made a different decision. Upgrading custom mahogany doors to impact-rated glass would have significantly increased both the cost and the lead time. Since our front doors are well protected beneath the deep front porch roof, we felt comfortable choosing traditional insulated glass instead. It was one of those decisions where we balanced risk, performance, budget, and timeline—and for our home, it felt like the right compromise. (Knock on wood.)
Sometimes the most beautiful finish is the one nature has already created.
Details
Wood species: Mahogany
Stain: Special Walnut
Front doors: Stroud Supply
Rear French door: Guy C. Lee Building Materials
The Bermuda Shutter
Many people have asked about the oversized Bermuda shutter at the end of our porch.
For us, it solved several challenges at once.
It provides shade from the afternoon sun, adds privacy without making the porch feel closed in, and introduces another layer of architectural interest. We chose to have it powder-coated white so it quietly blends into the porch rather than becoming the focal point.
Because of its size, Lowcountry Shutters recommended fabricating it in aluminum rather than wood. It offers the strength and durability needed for a shutter of this scale while maintaining the timeless look we were after.
Like many of our favorite design decisions, its greatest value isn't simply how it looks—it's how it improves the way we live. It makes the porch more comfortable, more functional, and more enjoyable to use throughout the day.
It's one of those features we now can't imagine the house without.
Sources
House Paint: Benjamin Moore Simply White
Shutters: Benjamin Moore Great Barrington Green
Fence: Charleston Green Sherwin Williams
Front Door Stain: Minwax Special Walnut
Wood Species: Mahogany
Foundation Color: Egret White Sherwin Williams
Bermuda Shutter: Lowcountry Shutters
Front Doors: Stroud Supply
Back Doors: Guy C. Lee Building Materials
Painters: Jokas Painting and Construction - 843.934.3881
Mailbox: (Coming soon in our Exterior Sources Guide.)
Exterior Lighting: (Coming soon in our Exterior Sources Guide)
Door Hardware: (Coming soon in our Exterior Sources Guide)
Coming Next
Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing every plant we selected, our complete landscape plan, how we created privacy on a small lot, the hardscape decisions that changed everything, and eventually a complete guide to all of our exterior furnishings, lighting, hardware, and sources.
Thank you for following along. I hope this guide saves you a little time, a few paint samples, and maybe even a few sleepless nights standing in your front yard wondering if you chose the right white.
Live beautifully,
Jordan
