1. Begin your color story with your home's architecture. Your permanent landscape features — patios, planters, retaining walls, fences and other structures — should coordinate with your home's facade. Select your signature color to match or echo the paint, stain or natural finish of your home's exterior. The outdoor space featured here uses beautiful stone that includes a gray-taupe color, similar to the house's shingles at its core, but expands and warms the palette in a natural and organic way. Similar neutral hues are used for the countertops and furniture. Pale blue as an accent color adds just the right amount of interest without disrupting the overall sense of calm. A neutral plant palette of silvery blue is easy to replicate, especially in areas with lots of sunshine. Most plants with gray or blue foliage thrive in full sun, but the colors — reminiscent of water and ice — are visually cooling. Think succulents, grasses and herbs.