# Why farmhouse-white houses are fading

> Homeowners ditch farmhouse-white exteriors for personal color palettes as they stay in homes longer.
- Title: Why farmhouse-white houses are fading · Straight Arrow
- Summary: Homeowners ditch farmhouse-white exteriors for personal color palettes as they stay in homes longer.
- Keywords: farmhouse-white, exterior paint, homeowners, color trends, u.s. bureau of the census, home depot, zillow, houzz, ace hardware, marcell painting, divine design center, new york
- Source: Straight Arrow — https://san.com/cc/whats-behind-the-move-away-from-all-those-farmhouse-white-houses
- Published: 2026-11-06T11:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: farmhouse-white, exterior paint, homeowners, color trends, u.s. bureau of the census, home depot, zillow, houzz, ace hardware, marcell painting, divine design center, new york
## Farmhouse white fading
Homeowners have stopped choosing traditional white houses for at least two years, according to Frank Bomhack.

> I haven’t had a call for a traditional white house, the whole house white, for at least two years.
## Longer home stays
The typical homeowner now lives in their house for 16 years, up from 10 years in 2020, per U.S. Census Bureau data.
## Resale focus shifting
Homeowners are moving away from resale-driven neutrals toward personal color preferences for their homes.

> People are making fewer decisions based on resale. The farmhouse movement made everything neutral and stark.
## Muted color trends
Homeowners are using latte and lace shades like cream, ecru, beige, greige, taupe, and tan for their exteriors.

> Beige, greige, taupe and tan hold up better in the desert dust than glaring white.
## New color combinations
Homeowners are using deeper shades of gray, espresso, and post-Colonial green with blue undertones for accents.

> Green is also the fresh choice for window and roof trim, gutters and foundations, but not your mom’s 1980’s hunter green.
## AI design tools
Artificial intelligence-fueled sketchboards help designers create multiple color combinations for homes.
## Budget cuts
Homeowners cut exterior spruce-up spending by 20% while focusing on smaller, targeted projects.

> A survey conducted last year by house renovation social media platform Houzz found that while 58% of renovating homeowners included exterior paint and trim as at least part of their projects, they also cut their spend on exterior spruce-ups by 20%.
## Black doors boost value
Homes with black front doors sell for about $6,450 more than similar homes with less powerfully-toned doors.

> Black front doors deliver about $6,450 more than similar houses with less powerfully-toned front doors.
## Personal style focus
Homeowners are using their properties to express personal style, especially in front porches and backyards.

> I’ve seen outdoor chairs neutral on the front side of the house, but on the back side, people will paint their chairs bright red.
## Generational shifts
Younger homeowners prefer muted versions of colors from their childhood, like olive instead of forest green.

> Younger millennials, now in their late 30s, grew up with the forest greens, burgundies and golds of the 1990s.
## Key takeaway

Homeowners are shifting from resale-focused white houses to personal color choices after living in homes for 16 years.