Making Good Color Decisions
September 19, 2007 § 275 Comments
Lots of you are painting houses out there and want to know how to choose a color for the siding and trim. Hopefully, you’re finding some of the blog entries helpful. I am happy to answer your questions and offer a little advice and inspiration to get you started or over a decorating hurdle. But the limits of computer images and time prevent me from giving specific fool-proof color choices to you. I do make house calls, however, if you’re in New England. But don’t hesitate to ask at your paint store for a referral for a local decorator. Sometimes having another opinion (and one that’s based on good design experience) is just what you need.
Your Home & Color Coach 
Hi Barbara,
Very glad to have found your web-site-in the nick of time! We are bulding a new home and are in the process of picking brick and trim and I need your help!
Our house is in NC in an older tree filled area. The style is a traditional Georgian style house with 2 full stories, covered entry way with columns, dentil molding, 3 dormers in a hipp roof, porte-cochere (sp?) with brick and columns. We have alot of brick on the house. I want to go with an older looking brick, so have tentatively picked “woodburn antique” which can be viewed at www. statesvillebrick.com . This color is a red brick with brown undertones.
I can always go with the traditional off white trim and black shutters but am looking for something a little different that will still fit in with a very traditional neighborhood with older homes.
I am clueless as to what color to paint the trim/columns, shutters. We have not picked the roof color either. I also am not married to that particular brick color so would love your suggestions. I want an older look, with reddish colors. I do not like rust/orange bricks or brown and burgendy bricks, but prefer the red family.
Thanks for your help!
Jo Bishop
Hi Barb: I’m so releved to find your site. I have been having a dilemma as to what to do with our house.
It is a large, two storey with a light grey roof (shingles), brown cedar shakes on the top half and yellow vinyl siding on the bottom. There are dark brown shutters. I am thinking of painting the cedar shakes a creamy yellow and the shutters either black or a greyish green. The trim is white, including the edging of the roof. Should I paint the edging a light grey to match the singles on the roof or leave it white (there is a wavy Victorian design on the trim around the front porch which is white also)
Is grey for the shutters an option?
Thanks, Norma
Hi Norma,
I’d stick with white trim, even the edging along the grey roof. As for shutters, personally, I like black with yellow because there’s just more contrast. Gray and yellow are not my favoriate colors together. But a dark gray would work, if you want to go in that direction. Black would look sharp.
Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
We have recently put new siging and roof on our house, the house color is a tan with white trim and doors, we have also recently built a 24×32 unattached garage, we are looking to add some color to our house using shutters what color would go good with the existing siding and roof, our roof is a sienna brown…Thanks Ashley.
Hi Ashley,
Take a look at Ben Moore’s Copley Gray HC-104 and Cromwell Gray HC-103. They’re really not gray but a very sophisticated green and would like nice with your color scheme. You might also consider painting the front door so the shutters are not carrying all the house color.
See what you think.
Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Jo,
Well, since you want an older looking home, and with your choice of antique bricks, I would still stick with a dark gray roof. Staying true to the older Georgian colonials, I would also go with cream trim (your neighbors might have white, but the cream is much richer looking, I think).
I still like black shutters on brick, but if everyone else has that, you could go with dark green. If you do that, I would go with a shiny black door.
But if you do black shutters, which I recommend for your very traditional home, I would use the front door as an opportunity to depart from tradition. You could go shiny rich dark cobalt blue or a deep forest green or you could take a color out of your brick. But the front door will be your individual creative expression.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
We’re in the process of renovating our home. We are updating the exterior look from a neo-colonial to a shingle style home located on the water. We have a dark gray roof with dune color shingles on the top half, and the same color below in hardy plank. The accent pilars around the front porch are stone with a slate walkway and our front door is mahogany. Our dilemma is that we are stuck with the red brick foundation from the old exterior which we choose not to replace with stone to cut costs. It obviously clashes with all the new colors we are using.
My question is this — do we paint the foundation to match the siding or do we use a lighter shade. I basically want the red brick to disappear.
Thanks for your help!
Margo
Hi Margo,
I would go with a gray that will blend with your stone and slate, presumably darker than your siding color. It’s good to have a darker color on the bottom to give the foundation some weight. The gray will blend in so the focus will be on your mahogany front door and the various textures from the stonework and siding.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi…I need help! We just installed our fiberglass, solid double entry doors and don’t know what color to paint them. Our hight ranch house has vertical ceder siding and is painted dune gray (Cabots) with white trim. The color of the house look more tan than gray. My hubbie would love a color but I don’t know if we’re better off sticking to a white. The doors just look too boring! Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Diana
Hi Diana,
You could blend the door somewhat by going two shades darker than the siding color. That would be very pretty against the white trim.
Or you can create a big statement by going in a different direction with the front door. From shiny black or dark chocolate brown (the most formal look) to dark cranberry, plum, or forest green.
With a house that neutral, you’ve got lots of options.
Hope I helped at least a little. Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara!
I am so releaved to have found your site! I am in a dilemma. When I moved in this house my husband had just finished building it and put on hunter green shutters (the vinyl kind…not wood) and I don’t like them. I want a dark red door and he doesn’t really like red and I also don’t like the red with the green shutters (we have light tan vinyl siding)…it looks like a christmas tree!!! lol I ended up painting our new door (we recently did an addition on our home) a light sage green and it blends in with the house too much. I like color and want it to pop more. I would love to paint the shutters black, but I am not sure if you can paint those kind of shutters. Do you know? But there lies another dilemma…my husband doesn’t like black shutters. Ughhhh….what to do??? We have totally different tastes when it comes to the exterior of our home. He would be happy with the green shutters and a white door. Blah! And I want black shutters and a dark red door. 🙂 Any advice would be great!!!
And not sure if this info will help you, but our house is a ranch with tan siding and lots of windows out in the woods in New England.
Hi Tiffany,
Here are a couple of options:
Have you tried a rust color out on your husband. Maybe he just doesn’t like red-red. The rust would go well with the green and really would not look like Christmas if the red is rusty-brown enough.
You could go with a dark green door (to match the shutters) and then put a giant colorful wreath on the door. You won’t even see the dark green. It will be a backdrop to the colorful wreath, which will really make the front door pop.
As for painting the vinyl shutters, you can do that, but it sounds like your husband would not participate. So that probably won’t happen.
If you want to paint the shutters, you might try dark brown. They would blend with the house color and allow you to have your rich red door (that is if your husband finally caves on those two issues).
Good luck with that.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Okay so I talked to my husband and I might have him convinced to paint the shutters a lighter green….like a sage green and then do a dark red/burgundy door. Now my question is….what kind of special steps do I need to take to paint the vinyl shutters? Do I have to some special type of paint? What do you suggest? And what do you think of those color combos? Thanks!
Hi Tiffany,
Well, congratulations. You can paint vinyl with the proper primer. I would check at your local paint store for the details.
Now to the paint colors. I’m not sure you’d like the light sage for the shutters as there would be no contrast between the house and the shutters and it would look a little blah. Unless they’re a slightly darker shade of the house color. That would blend. But to introduce another color at the same value as the house color might look like a mistake. (We don’t want that…)
I would suggest taking all the shutters off and painting the front door first. Then decide a) if you want or need the shutters at all, or b) what color would look best. At least you’ll have your red door at that point and can go from there.
Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara
I am so happy to find this web site. We recently moved to Michigan from Massachusetts and I miss all of the beautiful New England exterior color combinations.
We live in a beautiful colonial built in 1935. Originally, the house was 3/4 brown brick with the top 1/4 in white siding. Somewhere along the way someone painted the whole exterior white, with dark green shutters (almost black) and a we have a beautiful half glass wood door wiht a medium stain (but very worn). There is also a nice, white, federal pediment surrounding the door frame (white pediment on white brick).
I am planning to power wash the house before it gets too cold and would also like to freshen the shutters and front door. Our roof (newer) is light green/grey) and I am thinking of keeping the dark green shutters, just applying a fresh coat (considering one of the Ben Moore dark green colors). Do you have any specific color recommendations for the dark green shutters and what about a front door color? We have blue/grey flagstone for the front walkway. I am thinking red for the front door, but which red? I think a matching green door might be too monochromatic. Is there a way to send you a photo?
Thank you and looking forward to your thoughts on color.
Best wishes,
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
Wow, that house has been through some transformations. I would love to see a photo before offering my thoughts. You can just attach a link to a photo website where you store your photos, like snapfish or one of those. If you scroll around this blog you will see what other people have done to send photos. It’s very helpful! Look forward to seeing your home.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara,
Having a tough time with this one: new roofing shingles. We have a small 2-story house in CT, originally built as 1-story in the 40s. The key is there is a full-width section of the original gable roof running between the first and second stories. As if the entire second floor was a shed dormer.
We have cedar clapboard stained deep rich brown, which we love. But the worn-out asphalt shingles are cement gray. The window trim and shutters are white, but adding to the “middle” roof situation, the facias and eaves are all stained cedar, so visually the roofing material is right up against the siding.
Wife would like to replace roofing with a medium brown shingle, lighter than the siding but not “tan”. I’m not so sure… I’m used to plain charcoal gray in this area (not that I like it).
There are surprisingly few dark/med brown houses in surrounding neighborhoods, and the few I’ve seen are split levels with little inspiration in design or color scheme. Any suggestions or direction would be highly appreciated!
Hi Andrew,
I know what you’re saying — roofs are traditionally charcoal gray– but I think your wife is right on this one. The lighter shade of brown for the roof (actually a roofing material that has many shades of brown) will blend the roof with the cedar and make the house look bigger. A gray/black roof will cut the house in half visually since there’s so much roof showing anyway.
I love the light brown, multi-shaded roof idea. Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara —
We have a Georgian-style two-story, with older looking brick that has an orange-rust cast, like you often see in Williamsburg-style brick. It has a dimensional shingle on the roof, in a “weathered wood” color (a brownish medium gray). The trim is light, somewhere between cream and a very light tan.
We just moved in, but I’m dying to paint the front door. It is painted a deep hunter green, which I really dislike. I’d like a dark gray or gray-black color. Would that look too stark against the warm tones of the brick, trim and roof?
Also, we don’t have exterior shutters but I would like to add them. We have one window that is very close to the garage’s hip roof, so it doesn’t have room for a shutter the entire length of the window. What would you suggest on that window?
Hi Jayne,
I LOVE your house. I would definitely go with the black door. It will look super with your brick and trim. I would also do black shutters. Don’t worry about the odd window. Just leave it without a shutter. The other larger more traditional windows should carry the look.
Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara:
I have been reading about using your house’s color on the garage doors and have a couple of questions relating to that. Does that idea apply to brick homes, as well, or just to homes with siding on the front?
We are moving into a small, dark-red brick ranch-style home. The several windows on the front of the house don’t have shutters on them; we want to add shutters but don’t know what color. What color shutters are right for a small, dark-red brick house?
The garage doors (there are two single doors instead of one double-wide door) in the front of the house are white, as is the trim on the house. They are vinyl; should we paint them to blend with the brick — how closely should we try to match the brick color?
There are several areas of wood paneling on the front of the house, also, and we aren’t sure what to do with that. Right now this wooden panelling-type trim is a horrible peach color.
I have no idea how to bring this all together to help this little house look the best it can. The clerks in the store haven’t been too much help, and I haven’t gotten too much inspiration from the brochures — the houses are all grand and don’t reflect the look of this little house at all.
Can you help?
Thank you.
Hi Barbara,
My wife and I just bought our first house, a red brick cape with white siding on the dormers and garage. The front door and shudders are dark green. My wife isn’t sure about the green especially on the door. Also, the garage is a 2 car and is almost the same size as the house. Since its white and the house is brick your eye goes more to the garage than the front door. Is there any way to tone down the garage and make the front door more of a focal point?
Thanks,
Patrick
Barbara:
I have a 50s ranch with hip roof. Home is smaller with an attached single car garage. It currently has light beige vinyl siding with brown shutters and mauve door.. yes I know!
I am having a new white carriage house type garage door installed to up the character quotient. Can you offer suggestions for paint color for shutters and door please? I thought of painting both black, with door glossy black. front door has a white trim surround. Want to install a new storm door as well. what color do you think for the storm door?
Any ideas you have would be appreciated.
Thanks,
John
Hi Lydia,
You might consider using the grout color (usually a tannish taupe) as the garage door color (and the extra wood trim). You might like a cream color instead of white for the actual trim color, but white would be okay too. Then use black shutters.
You could also use the taupe for the shutter color if the black and dark red brick together are just too dark. But I like black with brick.
Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Patrick,
Consider introducing the grout color as your garage door color. It should blend a lot better than white. Or you could choose a brick red for the garage door but make sure it’s really the brick color, more brown than red. That would make your whole house bigger.
As for the front door and shutters, I like black.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi John,
Personally, I do like black for the shutters and door. Most people get a storm door to match the trim, in your case, white. Make sure it’s a full-view glass door so you can actually see the front door.
Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara, I had no idea I would find a site like yours, this is great!
We recently had a hail storm and are in the process of repairing. We had our roof reshingled with a dark brown shingle. It is the same color as our facia and soffet. Our home is currently a beige/light taupe neutral color that is typical of the split levels built early 2000’s. Our windows and garage doors are also a light neutral color. The insurance company just informed us that they can not match our siding, so I have the option of picking a new color. I like red. In this brand of siding it is called “Firebrick” (see link)
http://www.norandexreynolds.com/WhatsNew_DesignerCollection.aspxhttp://www.norandexreynolds.com/WhatsNew_DesignerCollection.aspx
We live in small neighborhood in the middle of a cornfield and I am tired of neutral. We built a playhouse that I painted red and I just love it. We also have a small barn that matches the house and is a light kacki color with brown roof and trim. I have received mixed opinions on the brown/red combo. Tell me…is this mix a good or bad choice??? Thank you so much!
Heather
Minnesota
The link I included does not seem to be working, could you replace it with this one?
http://www.norandexreynolds.com/WhatsNew_DesignerCollection.aspx
Heather
Minnesota
Hi Heather,
I LOVE it! What a great way to spice up the neighborhood a little bit. Go for it!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
Happy Halloween!
We are in the process of updating our house with hope of moving it away from the boring look of a 70’s brown bungalow. The house curently has a light brown roof and 2/3 brown brick with 1/3 charcoal/dark-gray brick mixed in. The current window frames are white with brown trim and the soffit, fascia and gutters are also white. We are replacing the soffit, fascia and gutters and are thinking of going with a dark gray or black to pick up the darker brick. Do you think this will work? We realize the roof will be brown for a while yet (only 5 years old), but will evenually change the shingle colour too.
The gable end on the front of the house is planked with dark-stained cedar, and we are thinking of replacing that with a dark-gray stained/painted stucco to match the soffit and fascia.
Or should we just do everything white (soffit, fascia, gable end)?
Thanks for your assistance!
Craig
Hi Craig,
Picking the trim color out of the brick color or grout is the way to go. You can go with whatever shades of gray or tan/brown are either in the brick or grout. That will blend all the colors together without outlining them in white.
If you’re unsure, get out your colored pencils and try a couple of options. The gray may actually accent the browns in the roof and the brick more than a more earthy tone.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I have a split-level, yellow-ish home and I was wondering what color would be good for the shutters? Right now they are white, which seem to make the house look bland. We have a lot of dark green bushes around the house, and I was thinking a red color for the shutters. Thanks!
Hi Caitlin,
A dark orangey red would work — I would stay away from the purpley reds. But I prefer black shutters with a yellow house as it seems to dress it up quite a bit. And a shiny black door just tops off the look.
See what you think.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color coach
Boy am I glad I found you! I need help with exterior colors for a house we just purchased. EVERYTHING is wrong with this house for me! I love an open house with lots of windows/stucco….I guess you could call my taste “country french”. This house is definately Not my style, but the price was a BARGAIN! Here is my problem….the cedar plank siding is in great condition( here is a link http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x206/KARACAMILLEMASSEY/IMG_8622resize.jpg ) I want to get rid of the UGLY color of the brick…would love to stucco over but money is a factor at the moment. Would you paint the brick the same color as the siding for now? I will add shutters under the porch, remove the skinny columns and replace with fewer (larger) ones, install a new leaded glass door to open the house up a bit and paint the trim a lighter color. In the future I would like to remove the short windows under the porch and extend the length of them. SO…for now ….if I paint the bricks and add the shutters…what color would you suggest for the brick, shutters and trim to go with the color of the siding? I love traditional colors…I really love black front doors and/or shutters. How would I extend the “look” of the two windows…someone suggested adding long shutters almost to the ground and under the windows adding a square piece of wood that has a square design routed on it(kind-of like a LARGE square medallion of some sort) This would give the appearance of a longer window. Thanks for any suggestions…YOU ARE GREAT!
Hi Camille,
You’ve got some great ideas for sprucing up the curb appeal.
I like the idea of black shutters — very classic — and I think the longer variety would give your home some height. But you’ll have to balance the house by putting shutters on all the front windows, not just the ones on the porch. I’ve seen the long shutters with a panel beneath the window. It’s a good compromise until you can change out the windows.
I would also suggest removing the horizontal hedge under those other two front windows as it just adds to the long flat feel of the house. A variety of smaller shrubs of various heights will update the house.
Good idea about the columns. Either make them fewer and chunkier or remove them altogether.
As for the color, it’s okay to paint the brick the house color. That will again balance the house and make it look bigger. I would go with either cream or white for the trim and columns to lighten up the look.
I think that’s it. Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara!
Happy upcoming Thanksgiving. I found your site and am most interested in your opinion. The website I listed is to pictures of my house in Arlington, VA. The house has been white alum. siding for over 20 years. I wanted to change color, but can’t find a green that I like. I’ve gone thru numerous sample quarts of paint, all various shades of green. Now, I’m thinking of vinyl just to save the cost of painting. I like white, and now that most new homes are in color, the white is unique and classic., but I’ve had it for 20 years, and I really am ready for a change. And if we stay with white, what would your recommend to paint the porch to make it “pop.” BTW, we are getting a new roof, in architectural shingles, red! Another color combo that I like is “snow” a very pale shade of grey, with white trim. Or I could go with a designer color in vinyl, I like both the Ivy Green and Cypress, with “sand” trim (Certainteed, Monograham http://tiny.cc/PjZNM ). Your input is most appreciated. regards, Jean
Hi
My house has pale blue-grey vinyl siding and white shutters. It is rather boring. So I paint the front door a burgundy red to add some interest. I’m wondering if I should paint the shutters the same colour. Would there be too much contrast between the red and pale siding? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Sarah,
You can certainly paint the shutters the red color. A lot of people do that and the look is okay. Very traditional. I think if I were you, I would keep the white shutters and focus all the color on the front door, which you have already done. You might want to play up that color in your spring plantings as well to add more color to your front area. It should look terrific.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
We are going to redo our roof, siding, soffits, eaves, fascia, battens… put only for aesthetic reasons. We were thinking about an Ebony Black roof (http://www.roofroc.com/products.html) with Charcoal Grey siding (http://www.royalbuildingproducts.com/products/siding/colorscapes/colors.html). I do not know if these will look good (complimentary) together. If they work together do we go with White fascia, soffit and eavestroughing? White gable end vents? What do we do with the gable ends (different color, vertical siding…)? We also were thinking black trim (batten) around all the white vinyl windows. The only other colors we have are the cedar fence, earthtone deck with brown railings, charcoal grey stamped cement patio and charcoal grey brick flower beds with 10 large evergreen trees. If these colors do not work what are your ideas keeping in mind that we live on Main Street so our current colors show dirt from the road. Our photo site is http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc234/xmcd/.
Hi Chris,
What a project! The roof color is fine. The siding color is a bit dark (there isn’t much contrast between roof and siding) but I understand that you want a darker house because of the dirt factor. With that in mind, I would stick with white (or very light gray) trim around the white windows and doors. That will lighten the place up a bit. As for the vertical siding areas, I would stick with house color. There’s enough roof as it is. Gutters should be gray. Everything else would be white or light gray.
Hope that helps.
Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi, I am debating over what brick color to pick, I have to make the choice by friday. I have picked an autumn color stucco for the 3 sides of my house. And it is a brick front. The house design can be seen on orleanshomes.com under millstone river preserve in middlesex county, nj…. Eaton Elite with 4 coulmns and bridge/deck thing in the front. Its a traditional home. I have picked black shutters, and probably a black door with decorative windows and transom. The stucco is like a creamy white. I picked antique white trim, and weathered gray roof. The two brick colors i am debating over are provincetown and lafayette. They can be found on http://www.glengerybrick.com/index.html;jsessionid=aCqUp6YXJmqe5vMsOA
under rolled edge/ pink
thankyou very much for your help
nick
the community is very wooded, with a long drive to the entrance of the community
Hi Nick,
You’ve done a great job selecting all the components of your beautiful home. As for the brick, they are similar and should both go well with the autumn colored stucco on the other 3 sides. But I do like the provincetown better than the lafayette because it’s less variegated. I find the big black bricks in the lafayette kind of distracting and busy. But that’s really a matter of personal preference. Either one will work with the rest of your scheme.
Good luck.
-Barbara.
Hey, Barbara
We are worried that the provincetown might be to dull, and my mom feels that it might make a brand new house seem old? She feels the lafayette brick might give it a new feel? What’s your take on that? Also should we go with that black door or a different color door, we def want to go with black shutters. As for the roof, do you think we should go with weathered gray or charcoal black, and do you think or stucco choice is good? Sorry, for bothering you again, we just feel the exterior makes or breaks the house. Thank you very much.
Hi Nick,
The lafayette brick is fine. It is a bit punchier than the provincetown and will make the house look newer. (A lot of people want their new houses to look old and established and pick old-looking brick, but it’s really a matter of personal preference.) I would go with a black door and the charcoal black roof will go great with the lafayette, tying in the black bricks.
As for the stucco, I pulled up the color on-line and it seems to be a nice neutral tone. It also will look better with the darker roof.
Hope that helps. I know how hard it is to make all those important decisions at the same time. You can’t really go wrong with any of the choices you’ve made so far. It’s going to be beautiful.
Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara –
We just bought a brick ranch home & need to replace our roof, shutters & front door. The brick color is an orange-tone & the house trim is white (which we would like to keep). We are having a problem deciding whether to go with a black roof with black shutters & black door or going to a teak color (taupe/brown) with some other color combination for the shutters & door. The house has a formal look with a brick-walled courtyard.
We thought that black with the orange might look too halloweeny, but were concerned that the teak might also look too casual for the formal style of the house. Also, what color would you paint the garage door? Thanks so much.
Hi Chris,
Unless the brick is really pumpkin orange without much variegation, I would still go with the black. There’s nothing like black to dress up a house, and I think it will be beautiful.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
We just bought a two story dutch colonial. The foundation and first floor are brick and the second floor is a cream colored wood siding. We need to replace the roof. While the roofer was at our house my husband and I chose a dark brown roof, but now I’m having second thoughts. Light and dark grey seem to be standard for brick houses, but we thought that with the siding on top, our house would look nice with the brown. Also, my husband really likes to be a little different and just slightly non-traditional. The website I listed should take you to a picture of the house. Any thoughts?
Erin,
Dark brown will be just perfect. With a two-tone house, you have more options. And dark brown roofs are much warmer than gray. Good choice.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara,
Thank you so much! How nice to hear such validation of our decision. Do you have any thoughts on the siding color and/or the trim if we repaint in the spring? I’ve photoshopped the photo to show the roof in brown. Hopefully your monitor will be able to display the new photo.
http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=162680446/PictureID=4358211162/a=100655860_100655860/t_=100655860
Hi Erin,
I would beef up the siding color a little so there is less contrast between the top of the house and the bottom half. Maybe a darker camel color. A creamy trim (as opposed to white) would also make the house look warmer. The camel with the brown roof will look spectacular.
Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara –
Writing from Ontario, Canada here. My husband and I are building a new house ourselves, evenings and weekends, and desperately need your good advice for exterior choices, we have to decide soon.
Front elevation: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v640/mudgirl2005/frontelev.jpg
Thinking of brick & stone combo, with stone in the front porch floor to ceiling, then a few course of stone on bottom and brick on top. Thoughts? I LOVE a red brick & grey/putty stone together. Windows white or putty? Trim? Front door and columns will be wood.
Thanks so much – I’ve tried the local suppliers, but had no help.
Andrea
Hi, this is Nick again, I messaged you once earlier if you want to look at the message you could scroll up. We went with used brick range from glengerybrick.com, with autumn stucco on the sides, and antique white trim. We picked Old Colonial Red 8ft double doors, with black caming in the decorative glass windows, and sliver door handles; and we have black shutters. Our house is the Eaton Elite if you want to refresh yourself at orleanshomes.com. We are debating over whether to go with the charcoal roof or weathered gray. Any advice would be helpful, thank you.
-Nick
Hi Nick,
I would go with whichever is the darker roof color. That will set off the black shutters and other black accents nicely.
Sounds like the house is really coming together. Congratulations.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Andrea,
I like the idea of the stonework entryway with brick elsewhere. If you decide to mix the two finishes on the same surface, I would put the heavy brick on the bottom to ground the surface and the lighter stone over the brick.
But since your home is one-story (at least in front), I would not mix the brick and stone on the same surface. I would use the stone for the entryway and the brick everywhere else.
Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
One last question, should we go with autumn or antique white stucco for the siding?
Hi Nick,
Autumn will add more color and will contrast with the antique white trim. I think you’ll like autumn better.
Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi,
I have been agonizing over the color choice for siding for our house. We have to let our contractor know tomorrow (1/9/08), so I’m not sure that gives you enough time to give use advice. The house is an 100 year old mill house in Pittsburgh, PA. I want to choose a color for the house and trim (there will be very little trim, just the windows and doors) that will complement the very dirty yellow/orange brick porch and the charcoal grey porch roof. I have considered painting the porch, that would eliminate the stress over what color siding to choose. I have included a link to a picture of our house. I was considering Alside’s cape cod gray and tuscan clay for siding and trim, respectively. Can you help?
Rachel
A house that I was looking to purchase is a 1979 ranch, but I do not like the roof color, siding color, or shutter color. There is not enough money in the budget to change anything other than painting the siding and shutters which are both vinyl. The roof is a rust color, the siding is a bright yellow with green shutters. Do you have any suggestions on how I can improve the look of my house without it costing me too much money? Thank you in advance for your help.
Hi Rachel,
I didn’t get the photo but I think you’re on the right track. You’ve chosen a grey which will blend in the grey porch roof. the tuscan clay should blend with the brick (if the bricks aren’t too yellow). And the porch should kind of go away except for the obvious texture difference between brick and siding.
Worst case? Paint the porch either the grey or the trim color when you’re all done with the house.
Good luck.
-Barbara
PS If you want to send the photo again, I’ll take a look.
Hi Pamela,
Well if you’re planning to paint the siding and shutters, you can virtually pick your favorite colors and they’ll look better than the bright yellow and green with a rust roof. Obviously, painting is cheaper than replacing the vinyl although you might want to just get new shutters instead of painting them. For the siding, I would pick an earth tone that will compliment the rust roof. Anything in the beige/brown/taupe family would work. Or you can go a light to medium historic green. Then try either rust or dark brown shutters. They should compliment the roof nicely as well and you’ll have a pulled-together house.
Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello, Barbara!
This site is stimulating and educational. My question is regarding door color and trim color. We have a 50s ranch-style brick home, with the brick being rust, gray, and maroon primarily. My husband recently selected blue siding, saying it matched the brick perfectly. Well, it is bluer than he thought! I’m thinking a maroon door will help blend in with the brick better. As for window trim, we have many new Andersen windows which have white trim. Should we keep the white trim, or paint the trim a taupe/tan color to blend in with the grout? This is really an update for our house!
Many thanks. (I love the photo at the top of your website.)
My husband and I just purchased a 1961 ranchstyle home that we are in the process of renovating. My HUGE dilemma is the brick is a funny light pink color. The garage door and trim (including 4 posts on the porch) are currently white. I’d like to tone down ‘pink’ look, but what color should I do? I’d like to add shutters as well. This is making me crazy! Thank you for any help!!
Hi Laura,
Sorry for the delay. Busy weekend.
As for your house, yes, I think the maroon door will tie into the brick better. You kind of have a red/white/and/blue theme going (maybe it wasn’t intentional) but because of that, I would stick with the white trim. It should all come together as soon as you add some blue accessories around the front. Like a wreath ribbon or some blue flowers.
Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color coach
Hi Kara,
I would keep the white posts on the porch and the white trim although you can dull the white a bit toward the grout color if it’s too perky. Then I would add a shiny black door and black shutters. It’s a classic look, but one I really love with the pink brick. You can do nickle door handle and lights or black. Either way. Black will show up better.
Sounds great.
Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hey, I was wondering do you think used brick range from glengerybrick.com would go with autumn stucco on the sides with a charcoal roof and antique white trim? We are debating wheter or not to go with a different stucco color. Thank you.
Also do you think an all brick front face would fit with stucco on the sides? I would like to email you a picture of how the house will sort of look on the front, where can I email it to?
Hi Nick,
For the stucco color, I would suggest either a coordinating warm color, like the autumn, or an olivey green to contrast with the brick. I would stay away from other colors that are not in the brick (blue).
You can certainly send a photo. Just put a link right in your blog response and I’ll get it or email me directly at bmeglis@yourhomeandcolorcoach.com.
I know you’re building a huge house and you want to make all the right decisions. It’s good to ask around and get other people’s opinions. But ultimately I hope you pick something YOU like for your home.
Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hey, I sent you a reply to the email I recieved from you, with another picture or two attached. We have to decide to, and we are def putting the brick color in one of the pics that we sent to you. Most likely we are going to put a black roof because it looks nice with the brick and black shutters. However, will autumn stucco on the sides go with the black roof or would we need a weathered gray roof for that, and will the autumn stucco go with red brick. Or should we put antique white stucco with the brick, it might go better with the brick and black roof. We are going to leave the bay window in, as you said it doesnt make the front too busy. We just have to let them know the stucco and roof color. Thank you.
Hi Nick,
I saw the photos. I’m not sure exactly what autumn stucco looks like, but if it’s a gold color, I would choose it over the antique white for the sides of your home. Gold would be much warmer than the white and would definitely go with both the brick and the black roof. Use black wrought iron lights and accents and you should be all set.
Go with the autumn and black.
Hope you get this.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I have an old Victorian home that has pale yellow John Mansfield siding, black shutters and front door and white trim otherwise including the porch trim.
We moved in 4 years ago and want to paint the concrete porch a deep brick red to give it some pazzaz in the front but from doing some research, I think we might be better off with either black to match the shutters and door or grey.
Unfortunately the roof shingles are a light red/brown colour (would have preferred black)
Do you have any suggestions to paint the concrete porch floor and stairs??
Thanks for your help!
Hi James,
I would suggest painting your concrete porch floor and stairs a medium-dark grey– it will not accentuate the porch floor like black would and it will not clash with the roof like the red might.
BUT to jazz up the front entry area I would definitely add the brick red accents that you mentioned: a big pot of red flowers (or a red pot of white flowers), a wreath on the door, maybe a red outdoor rug in front of the door. I think using red as an accent color will give your house pizzazz without going over the edge too far.
Good luck. Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I have enjoyed reading your suggestions and sure hope you have one for me.
I go back and forth on my opinion about things and now it’s down to the wire, and I have to decide.
I have a two story cape cod style home (two dormers on second floor……no shutters on the dormers, though) with a huge front porch. The house is taupe/tan with a brown roof and off white trim. Shutters are in porch area, on the side and a couple in front rather close to where the roof ends. The foundation is brick (a multi-color that is a good match to the roof. I LOVE black shutters and a black door! We just put up black shutters, and I think they look good, though I’m wondering if it’s an odd match for a brown roof. To be honest, I’m not a fan of brown shutters. The ones that were there were green, and I was happy to get rid of them! The new door is being installed today, and I’m hoping I’m making the right decision in painting it a glossy black to match the shutters……eventhough the roof is brown and very visable from the street. The multitude of trees surrounding the home are without leaves right now, so I’m suddenly focusing on the now very visible roof. Do you think black shutters and doors are okay with a tan house/off white trim/brown roof? I’m hoping you say “Yes, of course!. It will look gorgeous!” :o)
Hi Lee,
You really cannot go wrong with black shutters and a black door. I know you’re glad to hear that. The roof will blend in with the house and not be very striking, perhaps, but that’s okay. The shutters and door will stand out more since the roof is not black, but that’s okay too. You WANT them too.
Not a problem at all.
Good luck with the rest of your project.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I’ve read most of the color postings here and would like your opinion on my house. Since the roof has a hint of red and the front door will be mahongay in a few weeks, what color would you paint the house, shutter and/or the portico.
It seems out of balance.
thanks,
Kevin
The pics are on the HGTV site.
http://ratemyspace.hgtv.com/SNC/viewitem.aspx?pguid=6db6be3f-1720-4ba3-a081-999042c09b6b&itemGuid=885416ba-9040-4541-a7c0-b96686980596
Hi Kevin,
There’s a reason your house seems out of balance (but don’t worry, we can help). Your house is asymmetrical as you look at it head-on. The windows are kind of skewed toward the left. Also the portico is a bit big for the house. BUT, like I said, not to worry.
I suggest you select a color from a historical palette (Ben Moore’s is good, but most paint lines have colors that are very tasteful). A medium blue or green would be great or virtually any color that fits into your neighborhood. Then choose your shutter color by going a couple shades either lighter or darker but within the same color. What that will do will be to blend the windows in with the house color and make them less pronounced. But I would paint the columns (and railing if you can) white. The portico makes a beautiful entry especially with your new wood door.
The other thing I would suggest is symmetrical landscaping around the portico to give the illusion that the house is perfectly balanced.
Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
In desperate need of some advice. We are covering our 1930s cape cod-like house in Florida with hardie plank. I have chosen paint colors but am having a hard time deciding which siding colors should go where (we will be painting our two large gables a different shade within the same blue green family). There will be a cream colored trim seperating the two bodies. Is it best to have a lighter color or darker color on your gable? See attached construction pics via your e mail address.
Thanks for your help in advance 🙂
Candice
Hi Candice,
Darker colors tend to recede and lighter colors tend to advance, at least in this application, so painting the lighter color on the gable will accentuate the depth between the two areas. Sounds very pretty. Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
We are building and found some creamy off white windows at a discounted price. Is it appropriate to put white trim with them? Help! L. Please reply at bccsmiller@comcast.net
We have a 1960 ranch style home with the wider plank cedar shingles. Our roof needs to be replaced as well. Since we are basically starting over with roof and shingle colors, I am having a difficult time deciding on color choices that would look best on the house. I’m leaning toward a darker brown roof using architectural shingle, but I also like the look of a dark hunter green roof. Finding the right color for our home is also challenging. Is there a color that makes this shingle style look less dated? We also have a problem with mildew (we live in a heavily wooded area) and lighter colors on the house show the black mildew more easily. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Lisa,
I like the look of cedar shingles (in cedar color) with dark green trim and either a dark brown or dark green roof. It’s rustic Adirondack-looking, but perfect for your wooded lot.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara!
No pressure, but I’m counting on you having the answer to all of my questions! We live in what I like to call, Plantation on the Canyon. Our lot sits on a canyon edge that is surrounded by great pine trees. My husband and I both love the “rustic, natural” look and think our very light gray house with orangish brick and white pillars stands out like a sore thumb in its surroundings. I would like to change it to a warmer, more natural looking color. (We are planning to paint the brick the same color as the main house color.) I am having trouble finding a warm color that will work with the dark charcoal shingles. I would love to hear you suggestions for a house and trim color?
I would love to send you a picture of the house, but am not sure how to do that!
Hi Kris,
Try Ben Moore’s Richmond Gold (HC-41) with a dark forest green trim. Although the combination looks best with a dark green or brown roof, I’ve also seen it with dark charcoal. It’s the Adirondack cottage look and it’s perfect for wooded areas as the house blends right in but doesn’t disappear completely.
Sounds like a great place to live! Enjoy.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
PS If you’d like to send a photo, you can insert a link to a photo that’s up on a site like snapfish (or just scroll up and see how others are sending their photos).
Hello Barbara!
I just need a little help picking out a color for our front door.
Our house has grey-blue siding (very light in color) and white trim. Our shutters are green(which they used to be white but it got too boring so we painted them green, which turned out terrible, I don’t like them at all) The door is white.
I was thinking of just painting the shutters white again but painting the front door a different color. Our roof color is a light grey(not very dark)
Any suggestions for the door..?
THank you!
After I posted my question I realized I should have told you that we also have a pretty big size porch which is also white too. Our house is a 2 story and I want to go for I nice country look. I am wanting to hang window boxes with wave petunias on the 2nd story windows…our roof is pretty much right under the windows so the flowers would probably grow and reach the roof…I’ve never seen window boxes hung on the 2nd story before that would cause the flowers to hang onto the roof… I was wondering if you think it would be a good idea to kind of add to the country theme?
Hi SarahL,
Window boxes are wonderful accessories and definitely will contribute to your country theme. I’ve seen plenty of examples of second story window boxes but none where the flowers reach the roof. I suggest mixing your wave petunias with vines that will hang down over the boxes for a lush look.
As for front door color, I suggest using the petunias as your inspiration. Choose a door color that’s a dark version of either the pink (the door would be a dark rose) or purple (the door would be a dark grape). Either would look spectacular with your grey-blue siding and would look especially fantastic during the window box seasons.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
thank you very much for the ideas! I love your website!
thanks! : )
We live in an older more matured neighboorhood. The homes surrounding us are brick or neutral in color. We have recently replaced the hunter green awning over the front door with an impressive portico. We are now in the process of choosing exterior colors. Currently the home is pale yellow retro-colonial with hunter green accents. I’m a New Englander and love color. I want to go bolder with the exterior and paint it red with black shutters. Keeping the trim and portico white. The trouble I am having is what shade of red to paint it. Deep posh red or one from the brown family of reds. I want it to punch but not shock. Any assistance you can offer would be greatly appreciated. I have just recently stumbled upon your wonderful site.
Oops it is not retro-colonial. It is a colonial revival home. Thanks!
Hi Thereas R,
I’m with you. I love red! But you know when you see a red door that’s really bright tomato that a little bit goes a long way. So I suggest a brown red. Take a look at the historic or exterior color choices from both Ben Moore and Sherwin Will. In both cases, the reds they offer have a brown undertone. I think you’ll be very pleased with the result if you go in that direction. With white trim and black shutters, your house will be spectacular!!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara,
I would like to get your opinion on a lighter color choice for everything but the brick on a house we’re considering buying. The house has a brownish multicolored brick. Also, what color should the door be? Here’s the link for the picture: http://www.robflorida.com/Fayetteville_AR_listings/2F032AE0-0004-C48D-8338D02809607DDC.shtml#
Thanks so much!
Audrey
Oh, and if we add shutters, what color should they be?
Audrey
Hi Barbara,
Not sure if this is where I can get advice.
I am replacing my roof and shutter and possiblly front door.
My house is a colonial with ivory aluminum siding. The color sometimes look like darker yellow ivory and sometimes look a little peachy. The trims are white. White window, door and two pillars. currently it has a light brown roof with dark brown shutter. I am trying to change to a more earth tone color combinations.
The roofer gave me two choices which are the Timberline weatherwood and heather. He said the weatherwood would go with any color. THe heather is brown.
I have decided on the roof color. One of thought is to go with weatherwood and clay shutter. What do you think? Please give me some comment and suggestions. I like to make it look attractive but is clueless about color combination. We would like to make it look nice for the neighbourhood and also to have a roof color that can go with other colors in case the next owner may like a different combinations.
Please advice on roof, shutter and door colors.
Thank you very much.
Eunice
Sorry, I meant I have NOT decided on the color of the roof yet. Please give suggestions on color combinations that will go with both roof colors.
Thank you.
Hi Audrey,
I suggest taking a lighter color directly from the brick on the front of the house and using that for your siding color. Then you can use the grout color (sand or cream) for a trim color. As for shutters, you don’t really need them with that style of window, but you can go with a brown (to go with the roof) if you’d like. For the front door, I would choose a dark rusty red, again, a color that comes from your brick.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara~
We just bought a country style house and I desperately need help finding the right color. Here’s my dilemas- It has a metal roof. (not a colored one, just silver I guess) I tend to lean toward warm colors like taupe with almond trim and rustic red accent. Maybe throw in a little black somewhere. I just don’t know if that would look okay with a silver roof. I read on your site that if your roof is grey or silver shingles then go toward the blues. ARGH!!! I definitely am not a blues person. 🙂 I hope that you can help.
Hi Eunice,
I like the weathered wood roof with your siding. I couldn’t pull up the clay color for the shutters but since the weathered wood is variegated with many colors in it, as long as you pick one of those colors for your shutters, you’ll have a great look. I wouldn’t go too light because you’ll want some contrast between the siding and the shutters, but with your house color, you can pick ANYTHING in the earth-tone family.
Hope that helps a little.
-Barbara.
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Joy,
Not to worry. I suggest going on the dark side of taupe with your almond and rust accents. But instead of using black as an accent color for lights, etc., why not try brushed nickel or one of the silver-toned metals. With a darker taupe, the silver will pop off and tie in with your roof.
Just a thought.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I bought a home that needs a lot of work on the exterior. It has aluminum siding, that is a dirty white. It has brick on the front of the home that looks like a very dingy off-white. If you are near it, you can see that it actually is white, with many orange flecks. Unfortunately from the road it isn’t appealing. I painted my shutters and garage door a deep orange to match the orange flecks in the brick. They do not bring out the orange, but they do look really nice. Is this a good match? I really want to know what color of siding and what color of a roof to put on? Please help me. Thank you!
Hi Barbara,
Thank you for your advice on the historic red color choice for our colonial revival. Although, I.m from New England we are currently living in coastal NC. Lately, I have noticed folks are painting their homes in many different shades. Mostly the homes in this neighborhood are sill the neutral tones. There are not many two story red homes so I will be one of the first in this neighborhood. With this color scheme of deep brownish red, black shutters, and white trim would a mahogany fiberglass door and side lites look right? I realize this color home in this area may be a little shocking at first but I think it will also look spectacular. Thanks again.
Hi Barbara,
I am in a real quandry here and just stumbled onto your website. We have a house with cedar siding stained a light gray. There is stone around the front entry door and on the chimney that has lots of grays, golds, browns and even black. The front walkway and stoop are brick. Our trim is cream and currently the front door and shutters are a barn red. A new fiberglass front door is about to be installed and I don’t know what color I should paint it. The sidelights have a wrought iron grill. I thought this would be a perfect time to change out the shutter color as I think the barn red looks a bit dated. Although we would love to change the color of the siding from light gray to a warm tan, we can’t afford it at this time.
Should I go with a black door and shutters or should I try something like a deep golden, mustard – which looks great against the stone surrounding the front door but I’m not sure how it looks against the gray siding. I’m so confused because I think there are alot of colors already involved.
Should I send you a photograph?
Thanks
Kristin
We have a small, single-floor ranch house where the roof slopes straight down in the front and back. The exterior is linen with white trim. There are some brick posts around the small front yard and several tall redwood trees and one huge, eucalyptus tree on the left side of the house. We are replacing the roof and are unsure what color to choose. Our top two choices are Slate (http://www.gaf.com/Content/GAF/RES1/ROOF/timb-photo-slate.html) or Birchwood (which is a lighter, grayer version of the Slate). Any recommendations for the roof color and a new front door color are greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much!
Oh, I should add that I’ve read your recommendations above and I would love to have a black roof, door, and shutters but the door and windows are too close to each other for shutters and the front roof receives direct afternoon sunlight. Summer temperatures are in the 90s and 100s.
Thanks again.
Hi Barbara,
Similar to others in the above postings I am not sure what color siding to put on our home. I have attached pictures in the following file along with a close up shot of the brick simply because I cannot get close to the house because of the snow. The brick on our home is a sand or buff color and it currently has white siding, brown shutters and brown shingles. The front door is currently white but will be replaced after we find an appropriate siding color, we are also prepared to change the color of the shutters. I have been looking at Ivory’s, Ochre and Tan and wondering what you would recommend. Also what color would you suggest for our garage doors? In the pictures you cannot see the garage but it is connected to the house and is fronted in brick with a white door which eventually will be replaced but in the meantime we would like to paint it to compliment the rest of the house. I am feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to make all the textures and colors work so that they are complimentary to each other.
Thanks and I appreciate any help you can give me.
Brenda M
Hi Kristin,
Sorry for the delay. Honestly, I would stick with black. It will allow you to change your siding color at some point (if you want to) and will dress up the house without adding another color since you have the brick and the stone colors already. Just add some colored pottery or a bench with a bright pillow and let your landscape add the color. For now.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Laura,
The orange sounds great! There’s nothing wrong with white siding, but freshening it up would help the overall look. The brick can be painted the same as your trim color. Sticking with that color combination, I suggest a charcoal gray roof. Perfect with the white and it will allow you to change the doors and shutters anytime you want to.
Hope that helps a little.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Theresa,
Sorry for the delay. Although the mahogany doors are gorgeous, you won’t get much contrast with the red. Also the black shutters are just crying out for a shiny black door with a brass kickplate and brass handle and white sidelites. I think that traditional English look that we see from Virginia to New England would start a new trend in NC.
Just my thoughts. Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Ann,
I like the slate — it looks green on my screen but I like the variegation and I think that would look great with your cream-colored house and all your vegetation in the yard. You’re smart to stick to medium tones especially if the temps are so hot. Yikes!
Hope that helps a little.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Brenda,
You have the right idea to use the brick for inspiration. But in your case the grout figures quite prominently because it contrasts with the brick. Since the grout is gray, I would go with a dark charcoal roof and black shutters and select a medium tan for the siding to compliment the brick. Don’t try to match the brick but stay in the same tan family. The idea is to marry the grout and brick colors by using both color families elsewhere (the charcoal roof/gray grout and the medium tan siding/tan brick).
See what you think.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barb,
My wife and I have a red brick home. IT is not the Bright red brick, maybe a shade lighter. We painted the Shutters semi gloss black as well as the door and mailbox post. We painted the two garage doors a creamy tan color. We love the color, but something is missing. We are thinking it is the excessive white trim all through the front of the house. This includes the HUGE bay window on the opposite side of the garages. What are your thoughs on painting all the trim from white to the same color as the garage?
Joe
Thanks Barbara,
The black color choice was my instinct, but it’s great to have your confirmation. Now I paint!
Kristin
Hi Joe,
Yes, I think either the tan or a lighter version of the tan will soften the edges a bit and make the trim a little less prominent. Great idea.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi
its joe again. My wife and I should say I as well, were hesitant on the idea of painting all of our white trim (including the huge Bay window) the same tan color as the garage. In reading more on this site, it says that the garage doors should be the same color as the home. What if the home is red/orange Brick? also, our shutters were painted black, and the front door was painted black, have you ever heard of the garage doors being black?
Thank you very much for your insight on the roof color. Given that the house is linen/white, with the brick colums in the front yard, and lots of trees, I’d like to introduce some color on the front door. I don’t want to go too crazy but I think something is needed. What colors and shades would you recommend? Thanks again!
Hi again Joe,
I think I answered this via my email to you, but just in case, yes the garaged doors on a brick house can be black. Brick houses and white houses are the exception to the “garage doors should always be the house color” rule.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Ann,
You can take a green from your roof (it looked green on my screen but it may in fact be gray slate colored — if that’s the case then go to plan B). Plan B is to pick a nice warm brick red from your columns out front and move it to the front door.
Bottom line: With a linen/white house and neutral roof color, you are free to pick just about any color for the front door, from a pastel (peach) to brick red to a light sage green to a darker olive.
If you want to send a photo, I can be more specific. Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I love your website and I am hoping that you can help with some decisions for color choices. We have a 1970 ranch with vinyl siding that is a light grey. Currently the shutters are a faded blue and front door is white. The trim and garage doors are also white. After looking at comments on your website, I am thinking of painting the shutters black with a cherry red front door. I love red and have used it as accent color for interior. The front door has paned glass halfway down. The storm door is also white and is a full glass panel door. My husband loves blue and would like to keep the shutters a darker version of that. We are not sure of color for garage doors as well. We live in area with many trees and other homes are brick and neutral colors.What are your suggestions? We appreciate your help.
Hi again Barbara,
I wanted to add that the roof of our home is a medium charcoal grey. We also have a covered front porch. I was thinking that I would add cherry red accents on porch and also plant red geraniums in decorative pots and hang vining geraniums on porch. I love the cottage look and we are currently remodeling the interior with a cottage approach.
Hi Dianna,
I love the cherry red door idea for your light grey house. And your accent ideas are just terrific!! I would paint the garage door the same as the house color, a light grey. As for the shutters, black would maximize drama, but navy blue might give you more of the cottagey look you’re going for. Either one will work.
Great job!!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara!
I love your site and have found your advice to be really great. We bought a split with brick below and a horrible paint job on the wood siding. Not only is the brownish color awful, but it was sprayed onto the exterior of the house and the windows were painted shut!
We are doing extensive renovations to the home, because it is in a great neighborhood in CT. We are replacing the roof and adding vinyl siding to replace the wood siding.
Can you give us some of your great advice for colors to complement the brick? I have read your previous posts recommending earth tones, and historical blues and greens, but everything seems washed out next to the brick.
Thanks so much in advance!!
Mark
I am so glad I ran across this site!
We have an 80’s style ranch with gray/blue siding.
The entire front porch has your classic red bricks on the walls with a cement floor.
Porch has colonial, wooden looking spindals that are currently white.
Entire trim on house is white as well.
Currently, we have navy blue shutters with dark,dark wedgewood blue window boxes below.
The front door is a deep barn red.
I was fine with the navy shutters until the neighbor right across the street went navy and two other neighbors down the way went navy too.
I want our house to be different than everyone elses!
I want a country/colonial type feel to the house.
I thought about doing the wedgeblue blue shutters (to match the window boxes) but the neighborhood is filled with wedgeblue as well.
So, I was thinking about black shutters. But what color door should I do and what color window boxes then? Black?
Or should I go with a wedgewood blue shutter and maybe a black door?
Or are there any other colors I should consider?
Plus, should your door always be a different color than your shutter color?
Thanks so much 🙂
Hi Mark,
One of the issues with vinyl siding is the washed-out color choices. Standard vinyl will fade so darker, richer colors are not always available (or desirable) because of that. But I know that some more expensive lines are offering darker shades and guaranteeing that they will hold up to the sun.
With your brick split, you can certainly go with tans, taupes, and sages, but to balance the brick, you could stand to have a rich medium olive or the equivalent of a Ben Moore Richmond Gold (HC-41). Either of those would compliment and balance the brick.
I’m not fond of blues with brick– all I see is red/white/blue and it’s a bit much for me. When I say earth tones, I mean all the browns, golds, and earthy greens — those tend to be the best with brick.
Hope that helped a little.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi C,
You didn’t mention your roof, but I assume it’s in the grey family. I would keep your barn red door to tie in with the brick porch. As for shutters, rats, your neighbors have obviously caught on to the navy blue idea and, gasp, copied it! Black might give you a little too much contrast. I’m leaning more toward a darker gray blue (not quite as Wedgewood as you described). That way the shutters will blend more with the house (since you want to maximize the size of the ranch) and really bring out the brick and front door area.
For the window boxes, either stay with the gray blue or maybe try barn red (if you don’t have too many of them). Again, what you’re trying to do is accent what you really want people to look at and minimize the other elements.
Throwing in some wrought iron (accent metal) will make everything pop.
See what you think.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Thanks so much Barbara!
Yes, the roof is a dark gray.
I have four windows on the front of the house that have the shutters and window boxes.
The window boxes are more of dark gray blue (darker than your average wedgewood blue) so I will try the shutters in that color as well like you suggested.
Forgot to ask about rockers. I have two rockers currently on the front porch that are in white.
Would you leave those white or paint them another color?
I do already have wrought iron pieces so I am glad that I am moving in the right direction!
Hi C,
Rockers, terrific! Nice country look. I like red rockers, but if you do that, I would do white window boxes. You don’t want to overdo the red thing, but a red door and rockers would really draw the eye to the front porch. And the white window boxes will blend with the white trim and let the flowers carry the color.
Sounds perfect to me!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara, We are about to change our Vinyl siding, we have a brown/umber roof and an umber/rust colored Trex deck which in on the front of the house . The house is a one story small home. The house is white now but we would like to change it. We thought of sage green, or a cream/butter cream type color. We just don’t have a color clue. We fear making a huge mistake. How does one even begin to make this kind of decision?
Thanks for any advice Marie from Minnesota
Hi Marie L,
You’re on the right track. Either the sage or the butter cream will work on your home. The sage will blend in more with the surroundings and greenery and the cream will pop out. Obviously the cream is going to offer more contrast with the roof and deck than the sage will and will make both roof and deck stand out more. The sage will blend with the roof and deck, making the house appear a bit bigger. I suggest looking around your neighborhood and choosing a color that you don’t see very much.
Hope that helps a little.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara,
We had Hardi Plank put on our house to replace stucco and are getting ready to paint. Our house is a 2 story and we have cultured stone on the front, arched entry way and also going up 3 feet from the ground on our garage. The stone has many different colors brown tones, grey/black tones, rust tones and we’re trying to figure out what color to paint the siding and trim to match the windows/stone.
The windows are a basic tan. We have a combination of shake (top), lap (bottom story) and board & batton (at gables) siding on the front elevation. We want to stay neutral, so are thinking of a basic tan for both the shake/lap and a slightly darker version for the board and batton areas.
My main question is around trim. I like the look of white trim, but am questioning how it will look with the stone or if a slightly off white would blend in better. In looking at the Sherwin Williams color visualizer, the trim color for the base color I want is white, but I just don’t know if white will be too stark with our stone. There is a large window in the entryway on the top story that would be right in the middle of the stone. Only the trim is visible, so I’m wondering what trim color would look best.
The visualizer also had a “canyon red” door for this color scheme, which would look great with the stone, but I’m thinking that the garage doors need to match the trim?
Your thoughts would be much appreciated.
Thanks!!
Angie
Hi Angie,
Your instincts are keen. You’re probably better off with an off-white trim that doesn’t provide quite as much contrast with the earthy stone. Tan siding or even taupe would be fine.
As for the front door, canyon red would be terrific, but I would definitely paint your garage doors the same tan/taupe as your house siding. Keep the off-white trim.
You should be all set.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barb,
My wife and I need your help.
We have a bungalow with high pitch 2 tone brown roof and reddish brown brick at bottom (about 4 feet high). New windows are white and garage and front door also white.
We need to confirm our James Hardy siding and trim colors to contractor in a few days.
We are down to following choices: 1) brown siding (khaki brown color) with beige/tan trim or 2) lighter siding (ie:cobble stone color) with darker trim.
Our neighbors all have brick and white aluminum cottages.
We do like our first choice and know it would match the house but is it too many tones of browns for the house and neighborhood?
Finally, would colored trims look nice against white windows?
We are getting more confused as time goes by and would appreciate any guidance you can give us.
Thanks from Canada.
Hi Guy,
I definitely like the Khaki brown better than the cobble stone. But I would go pretty light with the trim to avoid accenting the white windows too much. A light cream would be okay. Then I would definitely paint your garage doors the khaki brown color and your front door a brick red (or whatever compliments the brick on your house). Sometimes it’s okay to highlight the windows with dark trim, but in your case, I would rather focus on your other architectural features.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Thanks Barbara,
We have since decided to go with a lighter beige color (novajo beige I think). Would you still go with lighter trim (I think it would look better than dark trim).
Thanks for the advise about repainting the garage and front door. We had not considered this. Would you still go with darker colors now that the siding will be lighter? Or would white still work?
Thanks again,
Hello,
Our house is being painted at the moment, and we’re stumped on a couple of issue we’re hoping you can help out on. We are changing the house color from a medium gray siding with white trim to a light avocado siding and darker green trim. Our two questions are: 1) should we paint the fascia a white (which would match windows, doors, front yard fencing) or the darker trim color? 2) what color should we paint our garage? Currently it’s a white vinyl door, but want to jazz it up with a little color. Should we go with the siding color or trim color? Thanks in advance! Craig
Hi Craig,
I would consider the fascia boards part of the trim and paint them the same as the rest of the trim pieces, the darker green in your case. Having said that, if you feel that you need to lighten up the perimeter of your house, tie the windows to the house better, and provide some contrast between the roof color and the siding color, then white would be the way to go.
As for the garage door, I still like to have the door painted the siding color with the darker trim around the outside.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello, what a great site – I could use some advice. I am buying a new-to-me 1938 house that has been described as both a 2-story cape and a dutch colonial. (The interior room layout seems Cape, but the roof is Gambrel with 2 dormer windows, chimney/fireplaces at one end of house.)
Currently, the roof shingles are a dark orangey red, the house is white, and the shutters are orange with black wrought iron scrolls.
I really don’t like orange, and I generally prefer blue-family colors.
My ideal house color would probably be a slate blue with white trim, but doesn’t seem like that would go with the red roof and brick – too much contrast.
For this house, I thought about a sage green color with very dark green shutters, but in driving around the neighborhood there are already many houses this color, including the one next door. (White house on the other side of me.)
Suggestions? The orange shutters are the main thing that bugs me, and I would likely take down the iron scrolls – too formal for me. I could deal with an earthier orange like true terra cotta or brick. I could also try a taupe, but worry that would be too dismal? I live in CT, and want to think about how it will feel in the winter, too.
Thank you!
Hi Barbara,
I’m excited to have come across this site. I’m planning to buy a storm door for our townhouse, but don’t want to stick with white. We have beige siding and grey shutters with grey and brown stone accents by the garage. I love color and have been painting the interior bold colors. I know that most people would choose white for the storm door as our trim and the entry door is white, but I feel that I would like some color in the front. We are planning to buy a pella door and I thought it would be fun to match the color of the door handles to the accessories in our home. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Priya
Hi Peggy,
You’re right. I think painting the house blue, no matter how slate, would simply accent the orange in the roof. But that doesn’t mean blue cannot be used as an accent color around the yard.
To make your house a little more conventional for your Connecticut neighborhood. I suggest a warm camel or even a taupe for the body of the house. Keep the trim white as you have a white full-view door already. Then I suggest black shutters to pick up on your wrought iron accents. The roof is a real focal point, and I think moving to a more traditional scheme for the rest of the house will help to give the house more curb appeal. And make it a little more New Englandy.
The other alternative for the shutters is a dark chocolate brown. Either will work. I might remove the side shutters altogether as the ones by the garage don’t fit properly. It’s okay to just do the front.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Priya,
I applaud your love of color, but here is a suggestion. Why not get a full-view glass storm door in your trim color and paint your front door a vivid interior color. Since your house is all neutrals, you can certainly consider that.
By keeping the storm door neutral (white) you are keeping the bones of the house conventional (for future buyers). But by painting the front door (which can certainly be repainted by future buyers), you add your own personality to your home and provide a preview of the wonderful world of color waiting inside.
See what you think.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Thank you, great suggestions! And thanks re: removing side shutters, they do look wedged in around the garage. Peggy
i have a split level house with light colored bricks….i think it is call sandstone???? I am trying to figure out what color would look best. It is a 1974 home
Hi Sachi,
Check back over at the other post, Consider Roof Color…
thanks my roof is a pale gray/slate color the front lower half has the yellow bricks as well as a yellow brick arches that make up the front porch wall. i am thinking about a sae green but i am wondering will that blend o much ith the trees. the trim would stay white . What do you think. thanks
Hi sachi,
It’s okay to blend with your surroundings. That will bring out the yellow brick arches, which sound like a real focal point on your house. And the white trim will keep the house from fading into the trees.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara,
We have a two story home with a red brick on the front of the first level and a black roof. The house is currently light grey with dark grey sutters and door and white trim. We are looking to go with a fiberglass door with a oak stain but are struggling with the colors on the house. Houses on either side are various shades of green which rules this color out. There is a house up the steet that is a darker grey which is appealing and another that is in shades of brown but not sure how this would work with a black roof.
Any suggestions?
Hi Brent,
If you change the shutters to black, you’ve incorporated the roof color. Now you can change the siding color to anything from tan to taupe or even camel. Something warmer than gray and a color that will coordinate with your oak stain on the door. Or if you go with a rich camel color on the house (with black shutters and white trim) you might consider a black door.
See what you think about those ideas.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara.
What a great site. I could really use your help choosing a colr for our front. We have a 2 story light gray sided home with white trim built in 2004. Everything is either white or gray on our home. The paver stone walkway is in colors of gray as well is the back patio. The garage doors are white, the trim around all the windows is white as are pillars on the front porch. We are planning to change all the light fixtures from white. Currently, the front door is fiberglass that was stained a wood tone. However, the stain has not weathered well so I would like to paint the front door. The door is solid and has sidelights on each side of the door. Currently, the trim around the sidelights is also white. The roof is black shingles. We do not have shutters on our home. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!
Hi! I’ve been reading this web since January and it’s fantastic!! The brick is orange with maybe beige undertones? I don’t like the vanilla color on the porch and the garage door is a taupe color. I have stacks and stacks of paint samples and have been playing around with Glidden’s Color at Home (waste of $$) We have already replaced the front storm door (white) and door with small oval leaded glass currently white until I decide what color to paint it. l have totally landscaped the front of the house with Carissa Holly bushes etc…including the small area next to the garage and added solar lights all over. The roof is dark brown, the soffit and gutters are beige. I was thinking I need to paint the trim white, the garage door Park Loop, the porch wall Slipper Rock and shutters and front door Rum Raisin but I don’t know if that’s too much going on or if the garage door and porch wall should be same color and what color to paint the wicker furniture. I’m exhausted from thinking about it and thank you in advance for helping:)
Sorry, it’s me again. Park loop is an orangy color that I think matches the brick (and hopefully make the garage disappear); Slippery Rock is a sage green and Rum Raisin is a blackish color ( or perhaps I could go with a Cocoa Brown) and trim out in white or creamy white. I just think the house needs some pop! But I will paint it whatever color you say! I considered Carmel but having hard time finding that color and belive me when I say I have stacks of samples. My last house was white siding, black roof, black shutters and door which was easy! This house just has to much going on for me to know what to do, besides hating the brick. I considered painting it but it would be a really big project, the mortar joints are deep.
So, it would be really great to know what color for the porch & posts, the trim around the windows, the header around the porch, the garage, shutters, front door and furniture. You’re the best & I have read All the way back! Karen
Barbara, here’s the link hope it works:
http://www2.snapfish.com/home/t_=130239565
Hi Kathy,
Well, you can paint your front door almost any color that you like. You have a completely neutral palette at the moment and painting the front door will really add the pizazz that you’re craving.
Use your plantings and shrubs in the front yard for inspiration. A dark raspberry door is gorgeous if you have large pink rhododendron bushes in front. That’s the idea. If you don’t have any color in your yard, then now is the time to head off to the nursery and choose a color palette for your home. Pick your door color from the garden.
I still like black shutters with your house and black wrought iron lighting. But the door? Here’s your opportunity. Just tie it in with your yard and yard furniture, and you’ll have the color you’re looking for.
Hope that gets you started.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara, apparently I’m having computer problems w/laptop. I’ve already sent this but do not see it. I’ll try this. Here’s link to my home which is dire need of sprucing up. Roof is Dark Brown, porch is vanilla color which I do not like, garage is taupe color and the red shutters are hideous with the orange/peach brick, gutters and soffits are tan/beige. I’m surrounded by a thousand paint samples along with Glidden paint your home computer program (waste of $) I would like to know what color to paint my front door (full view storm door is white) shutters, porch & posts, garage, trim and furniture. I have totally torn out the landscaping and put in new shrubs, solar lights etc…I’m thinking of trying Sonora for the garage to help is disappear, maybe taupe or camel for porch, soft white for trim and dark cocoa for shutter and front door but then what do I paint the furniture?? This website is great and so much appreciate your input. I check it everyday! http://www2.snapfish.com/home/t_=130239565
Hi Karen,
Sorry for the delay. I have to push a button on my end for your entry to show up on the screen. I have a bunch here still that haven’t popped up yet either.
As for your photo, I keep getting the snapfish home page — actually my own account. Can’t figure out how to get to your photos.
Based on your descriptions of the colors (and my screen), I like your color choices. The lawn furniture should be the dark cocoa or rum raisin to look updated. Everybody’s painting their white lawn furniture dark brown these days.
The garage door should be as close to the house color as you can get it unless you want to make the garage door a feature. I would love to see a photo before making a comment about the porch and trim.
But you’re on the right track. As long as the colors all come from the brick/roof/landscape, they will all go together and won’t be too much color.
I’ll be away for the holiday weekend but will check for a picture on Tuesday if you want to send one.
Thanks for reading my blog.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara,
Help, I want to paint our house and would like to brighten it up with a new color. The house is a brick two story old english style home built in the 1920’s. The brick is a mixture of rust, brown, and dark gray (almost black). The arched front door is not painted, but stained a dark brown, and the roof (very high pitched) has brown shingles. The only wood on the house is the trim around the windows and front door, and the prairie style window screens. Currently the trim is brown and the screens are yellow. Our front yard is very shaded with two extremely large oak trees which makes the house look even darker from the street.
I am tired of the yellow, and the brown is just too dark. I was thinking of a grayish blue since it is opposite the rust on the color wheel but was hoping you could give me some suggestions. Green is my favorite color, but I just can’t picture it with the rust colored brick.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Help needed in Houston!
Laura
Hi Laura,
I think green looks great with rust brick. Have a look at Ben Moore’s Louisburg Green and see what you think. There are other sophisticated olive greens in that historical collection that would also look good with your brick. I still kind of like the brown trim, but the yellow screens can go. Of course you can always use grout color for trim if it’s something you like.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Karen,
Thanks for the photo. I like the idea of the rum raisin but I would use it for both shutters and garage door. That will balance the two sides with the dark color. Then I suggest painting the trim around the gable and the vent white (or creamy white) and the siding in the gable and on the porch kind of a Powell Buff (Ben Moore HC-35) to lighten up that focal point. Also you might consider replacing the porch side rails with a couple of more substantial columns (white) that would really give your porch/portico some real presence. I like the furniture as is.
The front door might be a warmer red-brown like Aztec brick (2175-10), kind or an orangey brown that would complement the brick and jazz up the porch.
See what you think.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara
You’ve given some great advice above and I was hoping you could help with some ideas for our situation. We have a small house that has alot of dark forest green windows that can’t be painted out. It also has 10 foot walls so we’d like to break it up with a couple of complimentary colors or perhaps rock work, etc. The roof is a terrible faded grey blue which we would also like to paint out. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated
Hi Barbara,
I currently have a split level home that has beige vinyl siding, but it has a pink undertone. The trim is white.
I am planning on installing shutters to the windows.
What color should I paint the shutters and the front door so that it doesn’t bring out the pink tone?
Thanks!
Alicia
Hi Barbara-
I was so happy to run across this website. Anyway, we are building a home in Bethesda, MD along a street with many colorful, new hardiplank homes. Our new house is somewhere between traditional colonial and farmhouse, if that makes any sense. We will have a partial wrap-around porch and shutters at each window. We are thinking of using the “evening blue” hardiplank (which was the builder’s suggestion), with white trim, black roofs (metal over porch and actual roof), and black shutters. Do you think this color combination will work? We never really wanted a blue house, but this “evening blue” shade seems more gray than blue….am I wrong? If you don’t like the black shutters, what color would you do? OR…would you go for the “timberbark” hardiplank, which is brownish to be safe? Any ideas??
Thanks so much!!!
Dear Barbara
I am wondering what interior wall colors will be able to tie in the following pre-existing elements:
Charcoal slate floor tiles throughout
Chocolate brown high backed dining chairs
White leather sectional couch in living area.
It is a large open plan living dining kitchen room and originally I was thinking of an accent wall to deliniate the dining ‘area’ from the living/kitchen. The trouble is that the walls do not have straight edges but rather curved, and so it is hard to stop the accent color particulary given that the chosen accent wall in the dining goes directly into an overhead soffit (I think that’s what it is called – a beam) in the kitchen, so I guess that the accent ‘wall’ might have to then join the color onto the soffit as well.
My original thought was red dining accent wall leading into the soffit and the rest of the walls a light fawn. But now I realise this is just far too many different colors and so I’m gravitating towards something far more ordinary like Toque White all over and maybe some white (to match the doors and trims) crown molding throughout and maybe chair railing JUST in the dining area.
But I’d love to hear your comments. And I’d LOVE to be able to BRING a little color into the accent pieces, but I realise that we already do have 3 colors with the charcoal, brown and white, and so I don’t want to over do anything.
Many thanks
Hi Melody,
I would just live with the roof color until you have to replace it — then you can get exactly what you want. In the meantime, you might want to work some grey blue into your color scheme to blend in the roof and make it less prominent. You might take a look at Ben Moore’s Santorini blue (1634), which is a medium grey blue, for the body of your house with Glass slipper (1632)– a light grey blue– for the trim and a forest green door to match your windows. That color combination is quite soothing and will look good with your faded roof.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Alicia,
I would go with either black or dark chocolate brown. Either one will work. Avoid anything with green in it as that will only bring out the pink.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Laura,
You can’t really go wrong with any of those colors if you use black shutters (which I LOVE for your style of house) and white trim.
I would get your cues from your neighborhood and pick a color that’s not there yet. If there are lots of browns, go with the blue. I personally prefer the warmer colors like the chestnut brown or the taupes with black shutters. But they’re usually taken.
Most importantly, I would not let your builder talk you into a color that you’re not thrilled with. YOU have to like it and want to come home to it. And also you’ll be using it to describe your house to your friends and relatives who come to visit, so pick a color that’s identifiable and one you like.
But of the colors listed, I like the richer shades. They’re really better for big houses that can support a lot of color.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Colleen,
It sounds like you prefer a contemporary look with neutrals and not a lot of pattern. In your open floor plan, I suggest you look at a warm neutral like Ben Moore’s Powell Buff for the majority of the walls. It’s a wonderful color that warms up the walls and goes with almost everything. But in your living room area, I might paint an accent wall something a little more dramatic (since you have white furniture). How about Ben Moore’s baked terra cotta (1202) behind the white sofa.
In the dining area, I would pull that color in with accessories. You have the dark brown chairs in there already. I would put a big centerpiece on the table that has the terra cotta color in it to pull the areas together. You can also warm up the dining area with artwork that has the warm tones in it. I wouldn’t worry about the walls there. Keep them light. You can bring that accent color into the kitchen with accessories as well.
The accent wall doesn’t have to be terra cotta. It could be a light grey blue (like Ben Moore’s gentle grey). But I would focus on putting color behind the white sofa. That’s where you need it most.
Does that help?
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Dear Barbara
Many thanks for your kind suggestions. You certainly do seem to ‘have my number’ in terms of style and indeed, the colors which you have suggested have been possibilities that I’ve been mulling over. One thing I must set straight is that the white sofa will not be against a wall. Rather it will be placed right in the center of the open living/dining/kitchen space and facing the dark brown wooden media center, which will be against the wall, so I can’t put a color behind the sofa as all that will behind it directly is the kitchen itself. The feature wall, that being the dining ‘area’ (no walls deliniate this from the rest of the open plan space) was the only color I was looking at, in the hopes of bringing SOME color in. But because the kitchen soffit is connected to the dining wall with no break, this means the color would have to continue right along the soffit, so essentially bringing the color into the kitchen. I guess, now that I think of it, this will bring some color behind the sofa after all, given the soffit of the kitchen will be floating ‘behind’ the sofa.
So, will chocolate brown leather chairs be ok with the terra cotta color (the color I was looking at was Sherwin Williams SW 6601 – Tanager) on the wall behind them, and will this terra cotta color blend with a neutral such as the Powell Bluff ? AND will these colors both work with Charcoal gray slate tiles which will be throughout the entire open space – living, dining AND kitchen……..
I really appreciate all your help…………thanks so much
Hi, Barbara-your website is great! We are re-siding our ca. 1970s tri-level. The main element we won’t be changing is the red brick (which tends towards orange rather than blue) on the front of the house; the rest is sided white, with black roof, garage door & shutters. We’ll be re-roofing next year! I would just love your creative opinion on a color for the siding, trim and shutters…I’m tired of white; I love warm colors and contrast (would a khaki brown with cream trim be too dark?). Many thanks!
Hi Colleen,
The Tanager color is terrific for your neutral space. Yes, it will go great with Powell Buff and will be fine for the dining area wall. It’s red enough that the brown chairs will stand out against it. If the soffit is along the ceiling, you don’t have to paint it red, but I have no problem running color into your kitchen if that works out better. It will add a dynamic graphic element to your whole open concept home. I love it!
Charcoal gray slate will go with everything, pretty much. No problem there. With everything else neutral, you should be all set. Just bring a little red into the livingroom area to tie everything together.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Jane,
Sounds perfect. Khaki brown with cream trim would not be too dark at all. You could also use white trim if your windows are white. Another idea is a khaki on the green side, which would also look nice. Taupe with cream or white trim would also work. Black shutters on all if you have a black/gray roof.
Does that help?
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Dear Barbara: this really helps…I’m going to take look at the “khaki on the green side” – ! Thanks for sharing your gift for color sense; it’s more difficult than it seems and it’s a pretty expensive decision to make. (the neighborhoods of America thank you too!)
Dear Barbara
Thank you so much. As Jane (above) says, it is a difficult and expensive decision to make. I cannot tell you how much easier I will rest having had your advice and input. Your assistance has been invaluable. I cannot thank you enough.
If you are ever interested in having an assistant to help answer your mail, I’d love to learn all about color choices from you! I have the time and interest to learn, this fascinates me.
All best
Meredith
Dear Barbara, I am building a walkout craftman style house with huge windows facing onto a lake with a porch on the front. I am using hardi plank and am having difficulty with their colors. They seem blah but perhaps they look better on. There are not many in our area with which to compare(Alberta). I am thinking of timberbark or khaki brown for the siding(I am worried khaki brown is too boring). Trim to be navajho beige for both. The roof is in several different shades of brown. I will be adding rock for the pillars at the front and on deck at back. What should I do for the door for color – red or a deep brown black. I do not think I can use shutters on my style of house. Any suggestions on the hardi plank would be wonderful. I love your site. Thank you…….. leslie
We currently have a contemporary house and we are getting hardie plank siding. We need to pick a siding and trim color. We are thinking redwood for the siding, and maybe some kind of tan for the trim, but we are having trouble deciding.
I think the hilight of the house should be the angled siding.
Can you make any recommendations.
Here is a link to the proposed siding pattern:
Thank you.
Hi, Barbara.
I’m hoping you can help us out. We have what I like to call a small, circa 1920’s “bastardized Tudor” cottage in the Seattle area. “Bastardized” because the tudor peak part (on the front entry) is the traditional stucco w/ wood trim, but the rest of the house is covered in unpainted, unstained cedar shingles. The shingles are aged and weathered, and I think they just look bad against the stucco. So, we’ve decided to paint/stain the whole house one color with a complementary colored trim. We’re having trouble choosing colors, though. The roof, unfortunately, is dark, dark green. So I think green for the siding/stucco is out, as it would likely clash. We’re leaning towards a brownish/rust or brownish/grey color — something that matches at least part of the various shades the shingles have been weathered to.
But then what to do with the trim? (remember it’s trim on the windows, plus the traditional wood trim accents on the stucco “tudor” style peaks.) (Also, I need all this to go with an intended red/rust door that I’ve always wanted (it’s dark green now).)
Any thoughts/tips are appreciated.
Thanks!
Katie
Hi Meredith/Colleen,
Thanks for your nice note. If I take another vacation and ever let these blog queries pile up like this again, I will need an assistant. Thanks for your interest!!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi leslie (168),
What about mountain sage? It’s a great color as it coordinates beautifully with the environment and really sets off the neutral colors in the trim and rock. As well as the brown roof. That would be my vote. The other neutrals seem a bit formal for your lake setting.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Thanks Barbara, I was looking at Mountain Sage myself this
weekend and did find a house that had been done in this color and I could see that it could work. I appreciate your reply and advice!! I put the order in today. Thanks so much for your help! leslie
Hi Jennifer (#169),
The big question is really the windows. They are white and you had white trim before. So regardless of your trim color on the new home, the windows will stand out. If having white windows and darker trim is going to drive you nuts, then just stick with white or cream trim. But if the white on the windows themselves does not stick out too much, then go ahead and darken up the trim.
Since your home is a contemporary and you want to focus all eyes on the siding, I would suggest a trim color very similar to the siding color. That way, the trim will not stand out as a distinct design feature highlighting doors and windows. Another option is to go with a different trim color but keep it dark (the same value as the siding, avoiding a sharp contrast). You didn’t mention the roof color, but coordinating the trim with the roof color will focus most of the attention on the siding.
Hope that helps a little.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi,
My mom has a basic ranch house that she’s getting re-stuccoed with an acrylic finish. She is having the WORST TIME choosing colors. She currently has a dark green house and is considering changing it to Prairie Clay, which is a brownish color with a hint of green (at least that’s what my eye picks up). You can see the color at this website:
http://www.dryvit.com/fileshare/doc/colors/cayf/cayf_111.htm
My first question is this: Do you like the color?
Secondly, she has a brown roof and new white vinyl (I think) windows and a white metal garage door. She needs to know what color raingutters to get and whether she should pain the eaves and small trim around the garage. The eaves and trim are currently white.
Finally, should she get awnings or shutters in a specific color to dress up the house. Her front door does not show, by the way.
Let me know if a picture would help. The house is primed now, with the contractor waiting for her to make up her mind. This is the first time she’s been able to fix up her house in 35 years and she can’t seem to pull the trigger.
Thank you,
Roxanne
Hi Katie (#170),
I think I just responded to your husband. A tudor in Seattle? Got to be the same. But you gave much more information so let me read yours again.
So the cedar shingles are not the original color? Then paint will certainly help. I still like the idea of a camel color or at least a warm neutral with either dark brown or dark green trim (very customary for your style of home). You can still have your red door with either trim color, but with a green roof, I would stick with a warm neutral on the siding (both stucco and cedar).
Does that answer both of your questions?
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi again Leslie (#173),
I’m so glad. Thanks for following up. Good luck with your project.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Roxanne (#175),
I would love a photo, especially with regard to shutters. Some windows need them. Some don’t. As for the color, it seems really yellow on my screen, but I like it better than dark green and it should look fine with the brown roof and white windows.
I might paint the garage door brown if it’s prominent but keep the trim white. The only thing to paint the stucco color would be the downspout if it goes down the middle of a wall. We need to camouflage those things.
Sounds like a big improvement. Send a photo if you need further comment.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Dear Barbara,
Great website! We are having the exterior of our house painted soon and I am having some trouble deciding on the shade. I am good with interior color but this is the first time I have had to think about exterior. I have emailed a picture of our house and we would like to change the color somewhat because our neighbor painted his house last year from white to the exact color of our house.
I have a couple of issues: First, I want to take the house color darker and I am trying to pick something to go well with the fabricated stone on the front of the house. The color of the stone looks different depending upon the time of day and the weather. Second, I am considering painting the front of the house a darker shade than the other three sides of the house. You can see in our picture that stone on one side of the house and a small tree on the other corner serve as a break between the front of the house and the sides. My painter says he has never had anyone request that. My plan is to use two shades next to each other on the same color swatch. What do you think?
The following 4 groups from Benjamin Moore are the colors I am considering:
2112-40 Stone & 2112-50 Stormy Monday
2111-40 Taos Taupe & 2111-50 Stone Harbor
2134-30 Iron Mountain & 2134-40 Whale Gray
2121-30 Pewter, 2121-20 Steel Wool & 2121-10 Gray
Thank you,
Vicki
Hi Vicki,
I have no problem with painting the front a darker color — your neighbors will hardly notice, but the front will highlight the stone better. I haven’t rec’d your emailed photos yet, but I’m intrigued by your color choices.
Can’t wait to see the house.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Dear Barbara,
It had to be divine order that brought me to your site. We have been agonizing for weeks over color choice for the exterior of our home. Our roof is the color of tree bark; our home has some light gray stone; the trim is Charade (not quite white-from the teal-greys). Our siding is currently a very light color, China Rain, one step deeper than the trim, but EVERY little flaw shows through. Therefore, we’d like more color on the siding, but nothing dark that will make the home appear smaller. What do you recommend? Thanks very much.
Kim
Hi Kim (#181),
I’m not sure my computer screen showed me exactly the right colors but from your description, have a look at the following:
a taupey gray like Ben Moore’s Rockport gray (HC-105), which will highlight your gray stone and coordinate with your roof color; Gettysburg gray (HC-107), a greener gray; and brewster gray (HC-162), which is a blue gray. See if one of those colors will pull everything together for you.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello,
I sure hope that you can help me. I have what seems to me to be a small dilemma. I am moving back into my home which I had moved out previously due to a divorce. (I have rented the home out for the past 3 years) My boyfriend, my daughter and I are moving back in next month. We are changing the colors of everything in the house, new life new decor! Anyway, the brick on the house is gray, and the siding is gray. When I was married the door was painted purple which I liked but need a change. It is no white. We are deorating the inside in neutral, yet sun and sand, kinda colors, light blues, yellows, greens. Do you have nay suggestions on the front door? Also the fence at the entrance of the house into the courtyard/front door?
Thank yo yfor any help/suggestions that you may be ab;e to provide.
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca (#183),
You might consider a sunny yellow/orange for your front door. Since you had purple before, I know you’re not afraid of color and since you’re starting a new life there, why not broadcast your happiness with a bright welcoming entryway.
You didn’t mention the trim color on your gray house. If it’s white, then paint the fence white. If it’s another color, then paint the fence a very light gray that will go with the house. But in front of the fence I would plant some bright orangey yellow flowers that will tie in with the front door. Time to start fresh.
Best of luck to you.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
Looking for some advise on shutters and front door colors. We have an overized split ranch. Sets up on a hill. Vinyl siding is tan, with white trim. Roof is a rust/red/brown color. I love the traditional black shutter look. Was thinking of also doing either a black door or a red/brick door. What are your thoughts here? Will the black shutters look okay with this color roof? I really don’t like brown shutters. I also was thinking of a black-green color for the shutters…like Ebony Green. Any advise is appreciated. Very confused. Thank You!
Hi Richard (#185),
Both the black and the ebony green will stand out next to the rust/red/brown roof, but that’s fine. You really cannot go wrong with either of those colors. As for the door, I love the idea of a red/brick color. Just be sure to tie the shutters into the color scheme by using wrought iron metal for your lights, etc. That will dress up the house as well.
No need to be confused. You’re on the right track!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Thank You so much! Great idea about the lights and other accessories to tie in with the shutters. I’ve decided against the black. I’ve confirmed that my roof is light brown. At first thought there was more red in there, but looked again and it’s definitely just light brown. A ton of houses in my area that have tan houses with light brown roofs are going with a generic green shutter. Not really a fan of this either. What about just going with White shudders and using a nice deep red on the front door to add color? I know, I’m all over the place…:). Thanks for your thoughts!
I’ve been agonizing over colours (yes, we spell it with a “u” up here in Canada…lol) for my exterior doors. Our house has just been painted a dark green with white trim. I’ve been wondering about painting the front door gold or white ( following feng shui ideas) but the side door another colour; do all exterior door need to be painted the SAME color? It seems I’ve only seen doors all painted the same, but according to feng shui my side door should be painted black.
Hi Anne (#188),
I’m not a feng shui expert, but I can say that it’s perfectly fine to paint your side door and front door different colors. The focus should always be on the front door as you really want guests to show up there and not have to crawl over backpacks in your mudroom. Painting the side door a vibrant color is confusing to guests who are trying to find the way in. So black is a great idea.
Thanks for sharing your feng shui knowledge. It’s all just really good design.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi again Richard (#187),
You can certainly go with white shutters since your roof is a light tan and you’re not crazy about brown (that would be my choice as I’m not a big fan of white). But white will certainly do. They’ll kind of be “non” shutters as they won’t really be noticed. THEN go for the gusto with a terrific red front door. That will make up for the shutters.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara-
Wow, I can’t believe I found your blog. I wish we lived in Boston! We have a small brick ranch that we are considering staining or painting (brick is an awful peach). We also need new windows. Currently the trim and soffit are white. We have a beautiful medium oak door and a brown roof that is fairly new. With the brown door and roof, we are having a hard time deciding what color to make the brick without having to switch the trim/windows and soffit out also.
Any ideas?
Hi Barbara,
My name is cyndi, my husband and i are building our first home together, (Ranch style). We are confused about the exterior colors. We picked a dark tan for the siding and i think we are going to go with a off white trim. My husband wants reddish tinted shingles and he picked spanish moss for the door and shingle colors. I want to make sure that wont clash to much or look out of place and that we wont end up not liking it. I originally wanted black shutters and door (still not sure about the shingles) I want to make sure we arent making a mistake.
Thank you so much for your time, cyndi
Hi again Barbara,
Sorry i meant he picked spanish moss for the shutter color.
Another thing we havent picked any of the inside colors yet but i really want cherry cabinets in the kitchen, But my husband is worried that will make the room to dark and appear small. Do you have any ideas for paint colors, or countertop colors,flooring colors that will make it not appear so small. We will have laminate countertops and vinyl flooring i think we will go with wood floors later is there a better choice for wood floor color if we have cherry cabinets?
Thank again im sorry im so full of questions i guess thats what happens when i have never done this before. thanks again,cyndi
Hi Jennifer (191),
There’s always a brick red. With your brown roof and oak door, a nice rich red with white trim would be really pretty. Not sure if you want to go in that direction, but it’s an idea.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi cyndi (#192,193),
I think you and your husband have picked a very nice earthy palette for the exterior of your home. All the colors will work very well together. You may want to add some red to your landscaping plans to tie the roof in with the house and yard. But everything else will work great.
As for the inside, the best way to make a room feel more spacious is to avoid too much contrast. But cherry cabinets are lovely and would add richness to the kitchen. Red oak goes great with the cherry and will lighten up the floor a bit. Keeping the floors and ceiling on the light side will reflect more light into the kitchen and will make it feel more spacious regardless of your cabinet color.
When you get ready to paint, come back and visit.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello,
I have enjoyed reading your blog and have perused it trying to find an answer to my question. I haven’t found one, so here it is.
I have repainted my ranch house ivory (couldn’t make up my mind about color, but it is clean looking) I have black shutters and red door. My question is I have a section with fascia board facing the street (side of my garage) and wondered if that should be black like shutters or ivory
All the rest of the trim is ivory. Hadn’t found your site before choosing. So should fascia board remain the same color as the rest of the trim???
JN
Hi Jan N (#196),
If the fascia board is something you want to highlight specifically (like the shutters), then you can paint it black. Otherwise, I would leave it the ivory trim color.
Also I’m seeing some designers paint black trim around the red front door as a way of really highlighting it. Just another idea. (Have yet to use that myself, however, just thought I’d throw it out there).
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi there,
I have light grey siding and wooden pella windows which are painted almost a plum color .. The shutters and door are a almost seafoam green color with more green than blue … the shingles are older (reen and black) but will be replaced very soon .. I’d like t chage the color of my windows and shutters … Any suggestions ??? And does your door have to be the same color as your shutters .. We also have the wide corners and headers over the windows and doors that are white…
Hi Darlene (#198),
You can certainly have different colored shutters and front door. The door is really the focal point so we often pick a color that will really stand out. If you are planning to keep the seafoam green door but change the windows and shutters, then I would paint the windows white and the shutters black. That will free you up for your vibrant door color that will really pop off the neutral house. The black shutters will also go with your green/black roof.
You may want to pick a second accent color for flowers/pots/other accessories. Orange or royal blue would look great.
See what you think.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Dear Barbara,
Thank you for your suggestion. I received it after the fact, but went ahead and kept fascia board ivory, same as rest of trim. The red door really pops now, so doesn’t need an additional color, ie black. Sure wish I had seen the Kelly Moore site and consulted you before my head got bogged down with the color choices. Sigh. I have a question about interior paint and will be back soon to ask more.
Certainly appreciate your suggestions. What a wonderful service.
Sincerely,
Jan Nisewaner
Hi Jan (#200),
I would be happy to help you with your interior paint colors. Sorry our suggestion came after the exterior painting was done, but it sounds like you’re happy with the results. (I could sit and blog all day, but my clients would revolt.)
Stop back again.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
Last night I spent hours looking at websites showing exterior house colors. I was so happy to find your blog and see that you are still responding to questions from this post. I would be incredibly grateful for any suggestions you have about exterior paint colors for my house. The painter is here prepping and I still haven’t settled on colors!
When choosing interior colors, I have limited myself to the Benjamin Moore Historical Collection, because I love them and because it gives me fewer options. I have the color deck spread out on my desk right now.
Here are some pictures of my house:
http://s537.photobucket.com/albums/ff334/windyridge4/
We bought our house nearly nine years ago and I have never liked the exterior colors. We are drawn to houses that are darker with light trim. My husband and I have eleven children, so our home is very active and full of life. I would like the exterior to reflect warmth and welcome, but not whimsy. We also would like to take it in a more Victorian direction, but in simple ways since it is an old farmhouse .
Our house also sits high on a hill overlooking eight acres. Many people drive by our home every day and I would like the house to appear distinct rather than blend into the sky and landscape.
I always thought we would paint it gray with white trim and a red front door, but I don’t want it to be boring or like every other house. I don’t know whether to adapt this color scheme or start fresh. What to do???
I would appreciate any help and suggestions. Thank you for using your talents so generously to help people love their homes more.
Lisa
Hi Lisa Q (#202),
Your roof is green and I’m drawn to a color like Wethersfield moss (HC-110) with white trim on all woodwork including all the porch detail, windows, everything that isn’t siding. Even though the house color might blend into the scenery a little more than you might like, the white trim and details will pop off the medium green and really make your house look sharp.
I would paint the front door a rusty red, the complement the green, something like Mayflower red (HC-49) or Georgian brick (HC-50).
The darker house colors will hold up better with your 11 children than something like yellow, yet another option. But if you like the idea of yellow with white trim, a real standout against the greenery in the yard, look at Concord ivory HC-12. It’s light, but a very pleasing color.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
My husband and I are building a colonial home in a water oriented community off the chesapeake bay. The community used to be a summer house community and is filled with smaller cottages, however, many people are buying up the cottages and replacing them with homes large enough for a single family. I am at a loss for what to do for the house exterior colors! We are using vinyl siding — do you have any suggestions (color combinations or accents) that will help the colonial look more cottage-y and less out of place? I was originally thinking a grey-blue siding with white windows, black shutters and door and window boxes on the first floor windows… thoughts?
I really appreciate your help!!
Jessica
Hi Jessica (#204),
Our family has one of those little cottages (on Lake Ontario). So I know exactly what you’re talking about.
I suggest either the grey-blue siding or a rich medium-dark green that would blend into the surroundings a bit. Definitely use white trim, and I love the window box idea. But I’m not sure about black shutters. Although they usually look terrific, they’re quite formal and maybe a bit stuffy for your water-front community. I would either leave them off completely or use white shutters (the one time I can really see their value). They may be just perfect for blending your larger home in with the existing cottages.
And from a cottage owner (even though it’s elsewhere), I salute you.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara, I’m also so happy to have found your site! My husband and I are trying to make a decision on what color to paint our front door. Our house is a light blue color with white shutters and white accents. However, we both like the idea of making our front door a different color that pops. Yet, we also don’t want to look like we’re trying to hard to be designers when we’re not. We don’t want it to look tacky, just trying to go for more of a cute homey type feel instead of the current boring stark white door. Any suggestions? I keep thinking a pastel/light yellow, would that be odd looking? We’d love your opinion, thanks!!!!!!!!
Hi Michelle (#206),
Have a look at Ben Moore’s Audubon russet (HC-51), a rusty/orange color that will complement the blue nicely (orange and blue being complementary colors so they “pop”) but a Historic color that will look sophisticated and certainly not tacky on your front door.
See what you think.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
We have a siding decision. Newer detached garage is in white with grey shingles. We need to decide on roof and siding colors for the house to enhance curb appeal. Should we match the garage? or go with a more modern color with maximum curb appeal.
What is best shingle and shutters to go with white siding for maximum curb appeal?
Hi Guy (#208),
Almost any color will work as long as it goes with the gray roof and has white trim, which will tie in with the white garage/gray roof.
Have a look at the blues, like Ben Moore’s Jamestown blue (HC-148).
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
My hubby and I are building a new house and I think I might have blown my color options. It is a craftsman style house and since our summers are hot I chose not to do a black roof and instead chose Timberline’s slate color. We are going to do Hardie shingles as siding and I wanted to do Woodstock Brown (which to me looks like a greenish taupe?). We will also be doing about 3′ of stone along the bottom perimeter of the first floor. The stone will a combination of greys and browns. White 6″ trim around all windows, facia, porch railings. Dark walnut front door with white trim. Did I screw up by choosing the slate roof? I’m thinking now that I should have chosen Weathered Wood, but it’s too late now. I don’t want to paint the house grey. What do you think of the color choices?
Thank you for your time!
Hi Kim,
You’re fine. The variegation in the stone will pull all the colors together. Your house will look great.
Not to worry.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Dear Barbara, what a great service you are providing! I wish I had found your site months ago. I’m nearing the end of a major repainting project on my house, which is a modern vernacular design by a great local architect. She and I met to choose new colors, and I mostly stuck with those choices, after making minor adjustments based on samples. So, my house has gone from unpainted cmu block, with dark brown siding, bright red fascia and doors, and bright blue soffits to a completely different palette. The siding is now SW Moderne White, the cmu block will be painted SW Dorian Gray, the soffit is SW Take 5 (a cleaner blue than before), the rails will be Olympus White, and I used BM Classic Burgundy for an accent color on my attached studio (just on the fascia.) The rest of the fascia is SW Mindful Gray, as is the siding for the studio. My last color puzzle to solve is the entry door color. It is on the side of the house, and I want it to stand out so it is obvious from the street. I don’t really want to use the burgundy there as I feel the red entry door is a bit cliched. So I’m thinking of a bright yellow or curry color. I’d love your input. Here’s a link to my house blog, with old and new paint colors.
Oh — the most dominant nearby house is a bright green, and it is in the direct sight line as you approach my entry.
http://millerprojects.typepad.com/elshp/2008/12/paint-update.html
thanks!
sybil in texas
Hi Sybil,
Sorry for the long holiday delay. Just got back. If you’re still looking for a color for your doors, I do love the idea of going with a bright sunny hue. SW Curry 6671 and SW Yarrow 6669 are two that might really pop on your door. With your sophisticated color scheme, you’ve opened up the opportunity to pick a smashing color for the front door. The orange side of the color wheel will contrast directly with the blue soffit since they’re opposites and will provide the most drama. An orangey yellow will have a similar effect. And yes, I would avoid the cliched burgundy door — way too predictable and matchy-matchy.
Good luck with your home. It looks spectacular.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello! We are looking to paint our 1948 ranch stucco home. My husband wants something ‘joyful’ and ‘happy’ with a ‘pop’. We live on a quiet street in green hill area of LA so we’re thinking a green or yellow for the stucco (with white trim) but he doesn’t want anything ‘dull and lifeless.’ dark earth tones and greys are definitely out! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Betsy,
Have a look at Benjamin Moore’s Sweet Butter. It’s a wonderful warm yellow that would look great with white trim and a big red hibiscus in your front yard. Far from dull and lifeless, a yellow house will bring joy to your entire neighborhood.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I just found this website, and it’s been very insightful. We’re in the process of prepping our home to sell. One of the main gripes we had about the house when we bought it the lack of curb appeal. The house is a cream color, with dark brown trim and a lighter brown (but still dark) roof. And by brown trim, I mean everything is brown – doors, windows, gutters, shutters, soffits, etc. We’d like to not have to paint the gutters and soffits, if we can help it.
What colors could we use to spruce the house up a little bit? Should we paint the window trim as well? What about the garage doors?
Thank you!
David
Hi David,
I’m not sure what style your house is (you can send a photo to my email at bmeglis@yourhomeandcolorcoach.com if you wish), but generally, I’d say to keep the gutters and soffits brown and paint the rest of the trim the same cream as the house color. Then you can paint the front door dark brown and the garage door the same brown. It’s not a perfect situation, but if you’re selling, it might be just enough to coordinate and lighten the house without painting EVERYTHING over.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi:
I have reviewed all the earlier posts (which have been helpful) but am still concerned about my colour choices for a new build and the builder is pressing for decisions…(gulp). We are building a larger two storey house (a similar design can be found at http://www.jwwallaceconstruction.com on their main page). I could send you a picture of our front elevation but do not see how to do it on here.
I’ve always wanted to do a green siding and were considering the James Hardie Mountain sage. Our second choice is timberbark (the colour shown in the jwwallace home). My concern is ensuring that the cultured stone and roof colours go with the siding.
Our stone manufacturer is http://www.boscostone.com (they have samples posted on their website) and we want to go with fieldstone. Initially I had thought we would need to go strictly grey/black colours with the mountain sage. They do not normally produce this colour in fieldstone but rather, as you can see from their samples, in various combinations of earthtones. Would the earthtones go with the mountain sage siding (i.e., with browns, rusts, golds) or would we be better with more charcoal/grey. Our windows and frieze board and trim will all be in white.
Thank you for any assistance you can provide:)
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
I prefer the natural earthtones of the fieldstone with the green house color, rather than gray stone. I think the browns and rusts and golds are much warmer than gray and they contrast beautifully with the green. If you have a dark charcoal roof coming, I suggest black wrought iron for your light metal to tie everything together. I do like the green better than timberbark which almost seems too matchy. Green is a great house color! Go for it!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Thanks so much Barbara! I feel much better about making such a big decision now. We have not ordered the roof yet so I think we will stick with an earthtone there too. What do you think?
Michelle
P.S. Did you receive my elevation picture?
Hi Michelle,
I’m looking everywhere for the photo you said you mailed to my email address? I’ve purged memory but it hasn’t popped up yet. But it sounds like you’re on your way. I love your color scheme with the earthtones in stone and roof and they’ll go just perfectly with the green siding.
Good luck on your new house.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Dear Barbara – Thanks for a great website. I have an older Garrison Colonial house in desperate need of new siding – the current siding is a Mission Brown stain with Harvey Bronze (essentially medium brown) windows, a brown vinyl gararge door and brown storm door (all fairly new so I can’t really justify replacing them.) After much consideration, I think my best bet is a monochrome look so I am planning on going with Cedar Impression shingles in Sable Brown with Midnight blue shutters on the second floor — folks keep referring me to the lighter colors but then I think the garage doors and storm doors will really look out of place – as well as the brown windows. So my question is, with all of the white vinyl in the world (especially on my street!), there is nothing wrong with a brown house, is there? The brown isn’t a dark chocolate brown but more of a darker tone of putty. Looking down the line I think I could also dress things up with a nice slate walkway and blue pansies in the better weather, etc. Mancy thanks in advance for your two-cents!
Hi Jessica,
It’s fine to have an all-brown house (you didn’t mention your roof color and trim??) as seen below.
But instead of a midnight blue for shutters, I recommend leaving the shutters off completely. That will give you more of that historic colonial look that used a monochromatic palette. Then, as you suggest, add your color with your landscape and include warm colors in there along with the blue pansies. And the slate walkway sounds wonderful.
Don’t pay too much attention to the neighbors. Who wants yet another white vinyl house on your street and at least your guests will be able to pick your house out of the white-sided crowd.
Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Dear Barbara – Thanks so much for your quick response and for sending along the photo – I see your point about omitting the shutters and do think I will go that route (I can always add them down the road if need be, but why not live without them for awhile?) And yes, it does help when folks visit – just look for the brown house! Thanks again!
The only thing I don’t like about this website is you can’t answer questions 24/7! I have been following you for a long time and took your advice on my own house with the Aztec Brick front door, Powell Buff on the porch with white posts and painted the shutters and garage door Espresso on my orange brick house. Looks great. I shake when I don’t see a post for a few days!
Karen
Hi Karen,
You’re so nice. I’m glad the colors worked out well on your house. My kids (and other work, of course) drag me away from the computer –otherwise, I might be glued to my seat. I love reading everyone’s questions and answering them as best I can. Thanks for visiting so often!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Please help me!! I am going crazy!! We live in a tan sided house with maroon shutters, which I loved!! Our roof was Certainteed’s Weathered Wood, but was replaced this week due to wind damage. It is now the color Resawn Shake from Certainteed (a mix of light/medium brown) and I think that choice was a big mistake!! I now feel like nothing coordinates- roof, siding, and shutters. I am a perfectionist and this is driving me crazy!! What can I do???????
Hi Dawn,
Not to worry. I think you were used to the more neutral Weathered wood, and the Resawn shake has a lot more color. I would start by removing your maroon shutters. That will help a lot. Then if you really do like shutters on your house, then I suggest painting them. Take a look at colors like Ben Moore’s Greenfield pumpkin (HC-40), Jackson tan (HC-46) and even something like Mayflower red (HC-49) and see if one of those shutter colors (and maybe even the front door) would look better with your tan siding and the Resawn shake roof. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Let me know if you need more help.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
Our house is a red brick ranch with a black roof and no shutters, we have 4 white posts on our front porch. My question is what color should I paint the front door? My husband thinks we should just do white, but I wouldn’t mind painting it a color. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Denise
Hi Denise,
Try painting your front door the same color as the darkest shade of your brick. Make sure it’s on the brown side and not too red. That will really warm up the entry.
Tell your husband that white’s too easy. Go for color!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
My name is Diane and i am going crazy because i can’t decide on a color for my shutters and front door. I have a slate blend architectual roof that reveals bluish and greenish tones and have siding in desert tan color. Whats a color that you think will make my house pop? Keep in mind my house is post modern victorian. Im thinking along the lines of a rich dark brown or a slate blue/green.
Hi Diane,
I love the idea of a slate blue/green for the shutters and door on your desert tan house with the slate blend roof. That would look terrific! I would reserve the rich dark brown for your metal choice (lights, etc).
Go for it!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
We are soon painting our 1830’s farmhouse,rural area,it is currently white, w/ dk green shutters and screen door trim, inside doors are white,columns supporting a narrow front porch are white, porch floor is green. Being considered is:pale yellow ,cream trim, keeping the dark green shutter, or a khacki beigew/cream trim ,also keeping the dark green. I also like a sage green (very light) w/ beige trim and doing what to the shutters?I just don’t want green to clash w/ roof…We’d like to keep the color on the light side..I like the idea you’ve written about yellow /black shutters, and what color trim? Would that be appropriate for an old ,rectangular,2 story farmhouse?I don’t need to be historically correct, just pretty. Thanks for any input! Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
If you’re still pondering the house color, I would love to see white trim and black shutters on your 1830s farmhouse. To make it look a little New England. As for the body color, yellow would work. So would khaki or even a light sage. But the white trim and black shutters (with wrought iron accessories) just scream history and we love that!
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I hope that you can help me.We have a 1960’s ranch house where the bricks are either Salmon or Terra Cotta, the windows are bronze. We need a new roof and we are considering Weathered Wood. What colors should be selected for the roof, the shutters, the trim along the faschia and the front door.
Thank you for your help.
Joycie
Hi Joycie,
Weathered wood is a great roof color. You might consider something like Putnam ivory (HC-39) from Ben Moore for your trim color and a darker version of your brick color for the front door. Shutters might be natural wood (for that matter, you could use a natural wood door too if the budget allows). Something in a tone that complements the roof.
Hope that helps a little.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Dear Barbara,
The lord spoke to me this morning and told me through the holy spirit that I would find my family and I a home and I would be finding a home painted pink with red shutters.
We are currently in the orlando, FL area (Apopka) and we are willing to do exactly what the lord says, and that is clear, to find a home that is pink with Red Shutters.
Can you help us located our next home to live in for my wife, my sons Josh (15) and Zack (13), and I (To Old)
I am really serious about finding our home and if nothing else, call back and share a laugh with us. and yes, I really believe the lord asked me to find a pink house wth red shutters.
We really need help finding this….
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Charles C. Nolen and Family!
Hi Charles,
I’ve posted your request. But the best way to find your next house is to locate a realtor whom you can trust and he or she will be able to find that perfect house that you envision. Good luck to you.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello Barbara,
I have been searching high and low for an answer to my exterior home color and then I found you.
I purchased photoshop and have tried out different colors on the house.
Yellow doesn’t seem to work, tans, browns do not match the roof. My husband doesn’t like blue so I feel like white or swiss coffee are my only choices.
I do want to smooth stucco over the bricks on the fence. Should I match the fence color to the house color? Do I paint or stain our fence?
idea’s on trim color around the windows?
Notice the wood siding only covers part of the house. Should we stucco the entire house? or keep the wood?
Also waiting on building the rails for the lower deck as I thought based on the color of the home then the rail may be changed to white.
So many questions. Hopefully you have a few expert answers.
Thanks a million,
Jo
Hi Jo,
Your house will take some thought — I have to dash off to an appointment but will come back later.
Back soon.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Jo,
You already have a palette of warm colors on your fence so I would start there. You’ve got the concrete blocks/stucco (gray), the tan wood color and the rust trim color on the fence. So I suggest pulling the wood color (it would be nice to stain that to maintain the color over time) onto the house and using the rust color for trim around the windows. You have an eclectic house so you can have a creative color scheme. That’s okay. Have a look at Ben Moore’s Yosemite Sand (AC-4) or another camel/tan that goes with your wood and use that for the siding color. You can either stucco the whole house or keep the siding. That’s a structural decision. But keep a unified color regardless.
I would not paint your rails white as that may confuse the color scheme. Stick with rust/tan/natural colors in the palette.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I need help with my home too. I have a black and green mix roof on a bungalo and 3/4 of the front has they faux stone. A mix of beige, cream, and a hint of orange or copper in the stone. I want to paint the siding. (Right now it is a dark forest green stain) All trim is crisp white. My questions are this. The siding is plank wood with some bark, will this look good painted or should I re-stain with a brown or something that covers darker. I was thinking of painting with a dark sand/brown color or olive/grey green. I am in a forest setting with gravel drive.
Hi Donna,
Either one will work — the dark brown or the olive/grey green — and both will be better than the dark forest green stain. You shouldn’t have any trouble covering the green, though.
Good luck. That will be a tremendous improvement!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
That was an outstanding website explaining about windows; thanks so much! I hadn’t really considered how much more character the wood windows have. wow.
Looks like you have many, many people with decorating questions; if/when you have time, I would love to have your opinion on a master bath question. I am still wading my way through helping get my Aunt’s house ready to sell. I have decided I much prefer dreaming & shopping, as opposed to sorting & packing! But, it’s all part of life, isn’t it? I think the biggest drawback to the house is a small master bath. They feel that putting in a tub (currently a shower) is important. My question is, do you think buyers would see a jetted tub, standard size, as a plus, or do you think most people would prefer not to have to deal with the upkeep of a jetted tub if it is not in a more “spa like” bath? We’re trying to make the small space as attractive as possible. And, do you know of a website as good on tile as the one on windows? I need some ideas on how I could incorporate some of the 2×2 tiles (going with the Ravello beige on the floor). Right now it is white with gold flecks. It is going to get a simple epoxy white finish, so it needs a little glamour. I have Googled my fingers to the bone and haven’t found anything like what I need.
Thanks very much; your website & advice are great! Much better than any decorating magazine!
Sincerely,
Colette
Hi Colette,
Let me do a little research on tile and see what I can find that’s good to pass along. I know there’s so much info out there that it’s hard to wade through it all.
Back soon.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara! I need advice. Our home currently has dark green shutters and exterior doors. The soffit, fascia, and garage doors are a dark brown. The siding is a clay color. I’ve included a link to a post on my blog at which you can see a few pics of our home if you scroll down through.
What I would love to have are black shutters and black exterior doors. I’ve seen this with homes with the same color siding as ours, but the only difference was that all of those homes had white soffit and fascia. I’m really thinking that black accents with dark brown trim just would not look right. What do you think?
So, the only color I could think of that I might like would be a dark, deep red. Any suggestions?
http://makingahome-pa.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-garden.html
Hi Amber,
You can certainly go with red (look at Ben Moore’s Georgian Brick), but it will make the outline of your house rather prominent. If that’s a problem, just use a light cream instead (similar to the white you referred to) to neutralize the house and let you bring in black for the shutters and doors. The color will come from accessories and landscape.
Another option is to leave the brown trim and use red for shutters and doors. That would work too.
Sorry for the delay. You have a wonderful blog! Hope I’ve helped.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I am feeling completley overwhelmed with picking a paint color for our 1960’s single level ranch style home. It is surrounded by a acre of green grass and green shrubs. Our roof color is light grey…and the windows are white. The neighbor behind us has decided to paint his home a very bright robins egg blue. I have no idea of what color to go with. Frankly, I love toooo many. My husband likes green…but I think that is one color we have enough of. LOL! Do you have any suggestions of a siding, trim, and door color that would warm our home up? Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
Sara
Hi Sara,
Since you have a light gray roof, how about sticking with that colorway and painting your house Ben Moore’s Revere Pewter HC-172 with crisp white trim? Then warm up the front door with AF-285, Moroccan Spice. You can break up the green in your yard with lots of yellow, orange, and purple flowers and you have a tasteful, yet colorful, house.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara-
We just purchased a 1976 “fixer-upper” in a new town… it is completely brown (brown roof, brown brick, brown roof) and is lacking in the curb appeal department. What are you suggestions for new trim color and anything else we could do to give this home some personality? I am thinking the garage door needs a little something too since it is so prominent. Here is a link to a picture of the house:
Thanks so much!!!
-Melissa
Hi Melissa,
I suggest embracing the brick colors. Pick a lighter trim color to bridge the gap between the brown roof and the orange brick. Something like Bone White (Ben Moore) would work. Then pick a medium neutral from your brick, perhaps Brookline Beige HC-47, for the siding above the garage and the garage door. The more muted neutrals will make the color scheme a bit more updated than the dark yet faded brown that you have inherited. Hope that works for you.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello, color Goddess! You are brilliant. Thank you so much for the direction. I couldn’t be happier with your suggestion. PERFECT!
Thanks again,
Sara
(Soon to be known in my neighborhood as…the girl who lives in the perfectly painted house!)
Thanks, Sara. 😉
Hi again Barbara! I hate to ask you to take time out of your busy life to help me AGAIN? We are removing our 40 yr old solid cherry cabinets because I hate them, they are too dark and the kitchen gets no sunlight, despite a window over the sink. We are installing light oak, with Tuscan Stone Laminate Flooring from Lowes. The countertops are black “granite” laminate. I’m thinking a cool grayish, bluish, greenish color but hard to tell the colors on the computer. My sister once had her dining room painted BM Steeple Gray but I guess it’s discontinued and can’t really remember other than I thought it was gorgeous. I’ll welcome ANY suggestion you have. My kitchen will still be dark but hopefully it won’t be a dungeon! By the way, I would not have went with black countertops but had to comprimse to get my husband to change the cabinets! Thanks so much! You are gaining a lot of jewels in your crown!
Karen
Hi Karen,
Have a look at Beach Glass (Ben Moore 1564). With your “sand” colored cabinets, it should look unbelievable.
Hope it works for you!
Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
OMGoodness, went to the Home Center tonight to get a sample of BM Beach Glass 1564 and I absolutely love it! Exactly the color I was looking for. You are an Angel and hope some day I can “pay it forward”!
Thanks again,
Karen
Thanks Karen!
Hi Barbara:
I am so glad I found your website. I am replacing my front door and would like some advice on what colour to get for the front door. The house is brick red, the roof is brown, the shutters are beige and the garage doors are cream/beige as well. (See website for pics). There is a front porch with cream/beige columns. The new door will have glass inserts. There is also a side entrance (visible from the front) next to the garage that will need to be painted the same colour as the main door.
What would you suggest? Not sure if I want to make a statement or keep it simple, but I want it to be classic.
Thanks so much.
RK
Hi RK,
Try these: Ben Moore Affinity’s Dinner Party (AF-300) — warm and inviting, Gloucester sage HC-100 — earthy to go with your roof/brick, or Chambourd AF-645 — unconventional but actually it looks like you already have that color on your door. It’s a dark purple. I like it! Especially with your roof and trim color!
Any of those will work.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49497890@N00/
Here is the link in case it did not print in the original question.
Thanks,
RK
Hi Barbara,
I just stumbled upon you site while looking for help on paint colors. I love the advise you have given other and how much you relate to the home owners’ ideas.
I would like you suggestions on colors for my front door. My roof is gray and my house is a wonderful silver sage which I absolutely love (this is a signature color from the store Restoration Hardware.) The trimming is white and the front door is white as well. Though the white door looks bright and clean, I’m thinking that another color might make it more interesting and less bring. A few years ago I tried painting the front door a shade of red suggested on color theme cards at the paint store. I wasn’t too impressed with the color and I painted the door white. I was thinking of a dark green, a grape or strip and varnish the door. (I have a full glass storm door in front of the door.
I’m worried that the dark green might be too dark, that the plum will clash with a cooper like light that I was planning on installing (but I can always change the light to another finish). I’m also worried that the varnished door would not look right or what color stain I would use. Any suggestions? What do you thing about the dark green, the grape or the varnished door. Or, do you think another color would be better?
Thank you so much for you time and interest.
Leah
Hi Leah,
The full-glass storm door always masks the front door color a bit — I know it’s necessary — but I would try either the dark plum (I don’t think the copper would clash and it’s really pretty with the silver sage) or a dark mahogany stain (the copper definitely will not clash and there’s nothing like a dark wooden door even though they’re best with no glass-door impediment). See what you think.
Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara. I’ve enjoyed reading all the questions and your advice. I hope you can help with my decorating dilemma. Also, hope you’re still there, as I just noticed the date of your last entry!
I have a light putty colored sofa, rust colored chairs (which I don’t have to keep chairs in room). I initially wanted to do a green shade of paint, but with the way the light is in my LR, everything in the green family seems to darken and become muddy and seems to dull the sofa.
I do have to keep the putty colored sofa and am leaning towards painting the walls a red, maybe a rusty/brick red. I’d also like to use very soft gold pleated panels (if possible). The ones I’m looking at are 108″ and would be hung near the bottom section of the tray ceiling. However, I’m unsure if the gold would look okay with the sofa. I’d also like to paint the ceiling a golden color.
The curtains I’m considering are also available in a light putty color. Would that work with brick color walls? I’m trying to picture it and it seems dull to me, however, the soft gold seems to work (in my mind anyway).
My mantle, surround, and all trim in the room is white. The fireplace surround is black granite.
Thanks. Hope you’re still available as I’m totally lost!
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
I’m still here and I am very happy to answer your questions. A photo of your living room would be a tremendous help, but here’s what I suggest based on your description. It sounds like you need some contrast with your sofa and rusty/brick red would certainly provide it, but I’m a little concerned about painting the entire living room that color. So how about putting the rust on the focal point wall (most likely the wall with the fireplace on it). You already have rust chairs so the paint should coordinate with them. Then pull the sofa in front of the fireplace with a rust chair on either side creating a cozy conversation area. You might want to add an area rug with some rust/brown cream/putty colors in it to pull the whole room together. Then I would paint the other three walls either one or two shades lighter or darker than your putty colored sofa. A backup would be a light neutral like Manchester Tan (Ben Moore HC-81). I like the idea of gold on the windows. Then you can use gold and black for your accent colors (picture frames, candlesticks, pillows, etc). And if you’re really into it, paint the tray ceiling metallic gold. It will look spectacular!
Hope that gets you started. If I really DO need the photo, you can drop a link into the Reply Box or email it to me.
Thanks.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi again and thank you for you suggestions!
I love the idea of the accent wall done in the brick red and the lighter walls elsewhere. I’ve been searching for several weeks for a rug such as you described, so I feel I was close to being on the right track there.
I actually would love to find a Persian type pattern, but so far I haven’t found one that appeals to me, as the patterns all seem overpowering. They probably are beautiful rugs, but without seeing them in the room, I’m just not sure and don’t want to make a mistake, so it’s probably just my fears making me think a beautiful rug is gaudy. Could you possibly point me in the direction of one you think may work?
I also love the idea of the gold ceiling, but I’ll have to work up my courage for metallic…do you have a color in mind with that so I can better envision the look you’re talking about?
I’m going to get a picture to you so you can see the placement of the furniture pieces I have. I believe it’s basically what you’ve suggested, but I want to be sure I’m clear.
One thing I didn’t mention, I’d like to remove one of the brick chairs and use an animal print accent chair possibly in the golden brown tones, maybe cheetah or something similar. Would that work?
Thanks so much!
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
Great. I’ll wait until I get your photo to make a more specific paint recommendation. As for the rug, you might try a couple of small ones at home and return them for the larger sized rugs if you like them. Most rug places will let you try the rugs at home. I agree, you really need to see the rugs in the room before purchasing them — fluorescent lighting in the showroom just doesn’t work.
I like the idea of bringing some animal print into your room. But I’ll wait for the photo before any further comment. Thanks for sending. It will really help.
You’re on your way… more soon.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi!
I need help. I think the answer is simple, and if it’s not, feel free to send me on my way! These links go to the house we’re putting back together. It hasn’t been painted in 15 years and looks it. It’s located in Fort Lauderdale, and was built in 1978. The surrounding homes are mostly neutral – greys, tans, yellows and corals. The surrounding homes are not tract and are of different architectural styles.
The roof is kind a light apricot and it’s currently painted a cream shade. The garage is taupe. The front door, behind the rock facade is dark wood. Also, the walls behind the facade needs to be painted (they are currently painted the cream color) and will become the color of the interior courtyard which has a small patio and many plantings.
What would really help are specific names from any brand – would love to be able to walk into paint store and say, please give me 5 gallons of this.
Front: http://i37.tinypic.com/rrksa0.jpg
Back: http://i36.tinypic.com/rk5840.jpg
Thank you!
Carol
Hi Carol,
Thanks for emailing me and following up!
A couple of thoughts come to mind. The stone wall is very prominent, obviously, and it offers a wonderful palette from which to choose the house color. Plus, the terra cotta roof is a dominant feature of your house. So I’m leaning toward a soft gray, something like Benjamin Moore’s Stonington Gray HC-170. Painting the house and the garage door gray will allow the warm colors from the roof and stone to pop and give real depth to the house.
Another idea, if your neighbors have a gray house, is to go with Ben Moore’s Bradstreet Beige HC-48, a warm dusty taupe that again will allow the other warm colors, as well as the gray, to pop forward. Definitely more of a safe choice, however, — I like the gray better. Your garage door color is the right idea, but I think it’s too dark for the whole house. You can bring that color down a couple of shades and paint the house that lighter tone if you’d prefer. Same effect. As long as the house color comes out of the stonework, you’ll have a well-coordinated palette.
One suggestion to really make the wall a feature is to thin out the plantings in front of it and simplify that garden area. The rocks are very busy and are calling for more structure in front of them — less bushy. Keep the plantings low to show off the wall (the palm stays, of course), and I wouldn’t add a lot of color there either. The rocks are really the feature.
Hope that helps. Let me know if I can help you further.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I’m trying to build a new house. Originally I wanted it to be stucco, but around here (TN) that proved hard to do, so it will be brick.
I’ve chosen two colors of brick. One is nearly white, slightly pink. The other is a dark rose. I wanted to use the white on most of the house with the dark rose as a foundation and trim.
I have two questions. First, what color should I use for the roof? Second, should I do the window and door trim in brick that matches the wall or use the contrasting brick or use stucco trim?
This is a spanish/mediterranean style house on a lake view lot. It’s 1 1/2 stories in front and 2 1/2 stories in back, facing the lake. I can’t send you a picture since its not yet built!
Thanks for your help,
Kathleen
Hi Kathleen,
Since it’s going to be a Spanish/Mediterranean style house, are you considering a terracotta tile roof or are you going with a more conventional shingle? In terms of color, I would choose brown to stay with the style’s leanings toward warm tones. For the window trim, I suggest using the wall colored brick for around the windows and going with a dark oil-rubbed bronze casement window style. That will make the windows pop without locking you into a color scheme.
Does that fit in with your overall plan? Feel free to send a photo of your architect’s drawings if you wish. We can revisit the placement of color.
Hope that helps. And thank you!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
My house is tan/ cream brick and at this point very plain and boring .We do have a beautiful dark mahogany entry door with full beveled glass and a wrought iron look design embed it
in the glass.our next project is shutters and wind headers AND stamped service walk and stamped porch .my dilemma is what colors to chose for shutters ,stamped project that will go with entry door and color of home.our roof is dark brown tone colors .My thoughts are black shutters and headers .stamped colors would be dark gray ,rusty brown and black .I’m really hoping for a masculine ,classy old world look .any suggestions pictures Exedra would be deeply appreciated .
Hi Gail,
If you would send me a photo, I can help you with more specific advice.
Send to bmeglis@yahoo.com
Thanks.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi thanks for ssharing this