Cedar siding is an elegant and earthy addition to any home. If you’re planning to stain your cedar siding, you can be fairly confident that the color will stay consistent. However, many stains can fade over time.
Unstained cedar siding offers a different challenge. As cedar siding weathers from a warm reddish brown to a mish-mash of silver and gray, the colors that match it effectively will obviously change.
It’s also a good idea to think about texture when choosing the trim paints to go with your cedar siding. Cedar is rough.
While the installation pattern may be fairly consistent, the overall look of a cedar sided structure includes a lot of variety.
You want colors that are on the bold side to match this visual draw. You also want to be sure that the lumber used on your trim is smooth enough to accept a semi-gloss or satin paint.
If not, you’ll want to use a flat finish.
Here are my choices for paint colors that go with cedar siding in all stages of weathering.
Also included are the RGB and Hex codes for each paint color.
- Alabaster
- Blackberry
- Cinnamon
- North Sea Green
- Richmond Green
- Seaweed
- Red Bay
- Indigo Batik
- Dress Blues
1) Alabaster
Alabaster from Benjamin Moore is a terrific and rather complex shade of cream that could work with both stained and natural cedar.
Alabaster would also be a wonderful buffer for a strongly contrasting color. If your cedar siding is red, Seaweed (listed below) would be a great choice for your front door and you could use Alabaster on the door surround.
By the numbers, this color is warm. Luckily, there’s enough green in the mix to add a touch of smoke or soot to the color. It will recede in prominence against stronger shades.
It will also give you a clean, defining line and a visual break between 2 stronger colors.
RGB: 242, 238, 231
Hex Code: #F2EEE7
2) Blackberry
If your eventual plan is to allow your cedar siding to go gray, Blackberrry from Sherwin-Williams is an excellent choice. This strong burgundy offers many benefits to a mottled or variegated gray finish.
First of all, this color is rich. If your trim is smooth and will tolerate a bit of sheen, you can easily use this in a semi-gloss to reflect a bit of light.
There’s enough blue in this color to make your gray cedar “pop” and create even more visual interest. Best of all, there’s enough green in this color to subdue the red in the mix.
Blackberry is extremely stable and won’t lean toward red, even if your weathered cedar has a lot of blue in it.
RGB: 83, 54, 64
Hex Code: #533640
3) Cinnamon
Whether or not you plan to stain your cedar siding, Cinnamon from Benjamin Moore will work well with it.
However, it would be a good choice to add another shade to your trim palette if you’re going to put Cinnamon on your larger trim.
For example, if you want to put Cinnamon on your shutters, consider using Alabaster on your window trim.
A lighter shade will create a space or visual resting area and lessen the contrast should you plan to let your cedar siding age naturally.
RGB: 152, 79, 59
Hex Code: #984F3B
4) North Sea Green
North Sea Green from Benjamin Moore is a bold choice and would pair beautifully with both stained and natural cedar. This is also a wonderful transition color if you have to make any repairs to your cedar siding.
Weathered cedar is gray and new cedar is red. If you’ve got patches of new siding that are a bit obvious because you’re waiting for them to go gray, use North Sea Green on your trim, window boxes and even your shutters.
It’s a strong shade that will stay consistent until your new cedar siding weathers.
RGB: 35, 109, 115
Hex Code: #236D73
5) Richmond Green
If your cedar sided home is located in a forest, Richmond Green is a terrific trim choice. It’s also a strong and stable enough color to work well with other dark neutrals.
For example, if your current siding has been allowed to weather, consider incorporating black into your trim color palette.
While black shutters could be a bit much, a black window surround with Richmond Green trim against gray cedar siding could be quite striking.
RGB: 95, 146, 83
Hex Code: #5F9253
6) Seaweed
Seaweed from Benjamin Moore is another strong green that calls the forest to mind. Because this green contains a lower percentage of red than Richmond Green, you can use this effectively on areas of your home that don’t get a lot of natural light.
For example, trim on a shaded porch, up to and including the porch rail and even the Adirondack chairs would look terrific in Seaweed.
Either black or white neutral trim would suit this color well. For those who love to use a medium gray in their trim palette, this color will hold strong beside it.
RGB: 19, 105, 56
Hex Code: #136938
7) Red Bay
For those who love the country look of a rugged barn, Red Bay from Sherwin-Williams is a terrific trim choice. By the numbers, this color is quite a bit more complex than it first appears.
The interesting number to note is the percentage of green in this blend. While this red is quite strong and leans toward rust, the percentage of green in this color gives it a smoky or sooty quality.
This would be a terrific color to pair with weathered cedar and will work with stained cedar, though you may prefer it with a black or dark gray buffer to create a gap between rust paint and red cedar siding.
RGB: 143, 58, 61
Hex Code: #8F3A3D
8) Indigo Batik
Indigo Batik by Sherwin-Williams is hands down my favorite color in this listing. The blend of this shade gives it a uniquely chalky flavor that can work beautifully both with stained and natural cedar.
One of the challenges with trying to find a matching trim color for cedar siding is that cedar siding is textured.
This lumber is ridged and rough, creating a unique shadow tone every time the sun shines on it. Chalky trim paints can add a lot of color without adding shadow tones.
Because Indigo Batik is a rich, saturated color, that chalky quality adds even more visual interest while remaining stable against the shifting shadows of your cedar siding.
RGB: 62, 80, 99
Hex Code: #3E5063
9) Dress Blues
If you love green plants, Dress Blues from Sherwin-Williams is a terrific choice for your trim and even your front door. Your cedar siding will pop against this beautiful blue.
Dress Blues will work beautifully with a crisp white or a clean line of black trim. Unlike the chalky Indigo Batik, Dress Blues in a gloss or a semi-gloss would be a lovely touch on a smooth piece of finish trim.
It will serve as a lovely foil both for a red stained cedar siding or a weathered gray finish.
RGB: 43, 67, 96
Hex Code: #2B4360
