I Let ChatGPT Choose My House Colors and the Results Were a Total Surprise

I don't think we've kept this a secret, but the pink paint isn't staying. Coral Reef is out. Settling on a replacement paint scheme for the exterior of the house is something we've been taking very seriously. On a whim, I decided to let ChatGPT paint the house and I have to say, I am very pleasantly surprised.

Would ChatGPT be up for the task?

I have dabbled in asking ChatGPT questions before, or asking it to generate images. It's always been a good starting point for me when asking for outlines, but I have been non plussed by it's attempts at image generation...i.e. these photos where I asked it to provide a "winding, three story Victorian staircase."

Physics be damned.

The Prompt

So I uploaded a photo of the house and asked it to provide me a color-scheme that wasn't as bright, preferably something in green and earth-tones, and a scheme that would be period correct for our 1890 Queen Anne. I also asked it to incorporate haint blue into the porch ceiling. I let it know I was also open to alternative suggestions in the spirit of period correctness.

What happened next was a personalized response that genuinely surprised me!

The Color Recommendations

ChatGPT first agreed that the current body color does dominate the house, and agreed that a richer, earthier palette would really "let the architecture sing." It then suggested three different color schemes inspired by turn-of-the-century "polychrome" practice and by the olive tones I provided as a starting point. While the mock-ups aren't perfect, they do give us a pretty decent starting point for picking a direction for the exterior paint color.

Scheme One: Moss & Cream

The first scheme provided by ChatGPT uses a soft moss green shade for the main body color. It suggests Sherwin-Williams Clary Sage SW 6178. However, I found that the online swatch of this color isn't particularly close to the mockup.

If you forgive the changes in house structure, it isn't a bad mockup!

Sherwin Williams Clary Sage

Scheme Two: Cedar & Sage

The second scheme suggested uses a muted cedar-brown for the body color, suggest shade Fawn Brindle SW 7640.

Brown wasn't even a main body shade I would have considered before seeing the mockup.

The swatch is much less olive than the mockup would lead me to believe

Scheme Three: Cypress & Charcoal

The third scheme uses a "weathered cypress green" shade, suggesting Oyster Bay SW 6206.

Again, the swatch doesn't really match the color suggestion.

Additional Notes

ChatGPT also provided the following for consideration.

Why these work

• Period correctness: Late‑Victorian pattern books encouraged earth‑derived hues—olive, tan, russet—layered to emphasize depth changes. Bright white was avoided; cream or stone keeps glare down.

• Three‑tone discipline: Each scheme has a mid‑value body, a light trim, and a dark accent to outline the profusion of mouldings without making the house look “striped.”

• Subtle accent pops: A razor‑thin line of red‑oxide or ochre on the gable sunbursts or porch brackets echoes original “lining” practices without looking carnival.

• Haint blue ceilings: Any of the suggested pale gray‑blues will read as sky, bounce light upward, and nod to Southern folklore.

Practical tips for execution

1. Test large swatches on all sides—the green body colors will shift warmer in full sun and cooler in shade.

2. Sheen strategy:

• Satin for body and major trim (historic look, hides lap lines).

• Gloss for door, window sashes, and accent lining to add crispness.

3. Porch lattice & foundation skirting: Paint these the dark accent color to visually ground the house.

4. Sample proportions: If you’d like a digital mock‑up before you commit, send me a frontal photo taken mid‑day and I can overlay these palettes.

How I think ChatGPT did...

I think I would give ChatGPT a solid B to B- for the overall package. I think it did pretty well at mocking up the color options and in choosing a color scheme. I think it did an excellent job at providing additional tips for execution. I think it did a poor job at physics and swatch matching.

Final Thoughts

Opting for AI assistance in choosing the exterior paint colors was an interesting little experiment, but I do think it gave me some solid guidance on how to progress in the direction we were already heading. (Scheme three is VERY similar to what I've been imagining for our house!)

I'm curious about your thoughts. Would you ever ask AI to pick you house colors? Which of the schemes did you like the most? And how do you feel about the additional guidance they provided?

My favorite bit of the whole experiment was the closing line provided by ChatGPT.

"Good luck painting and happy haunting."

Does ChatGPT know something we don't?