Fading is a pigment problem. Organic pigments — most deep reds, bright blues and vivid greens — break down under UV far faster than inorganic oxides. On a west elevation in the Inland Empire that difference is visible within three years.
Darker colours also absorb more heat, which raises surface temperature, which accelerates both fading and substrate movement. A very dark body colour on a large stucco elevation is a maintenance decision as much as an aesthetic one.
This is not an argument for beige. It is an argument for choosing saturated colours where the exposure is gentle — north elevations, shaded entries, front doors and shutters — and letting the big sun-loaded walls carry a more stable pigment.
Ask for the manufacturer's fade-resistance data for the specific colour, not the product line. It varies enormously within the same line.
