Brick Tudor Siding, Trim, and Roof Color
July 27, 2010 § 6 Comments
Brick is one of those design elements that people either love or hate. Well over half of the questions that come to me have to do with brick: How do we work with the brick? How do we pick a siding that goes with the brick? What about roof color and brick? Can I paint my brick? How can I possibly live with this brick?
Here is a photo of an early-last-century, Tudor-style home with the signature brick gabled entry and chimney. The brick is monochromatic (not a lot of contrast between individual bricks), and it is a very pleasant dark muted red color.
The new homeowners chose an olive green siding color which complements the brick and makes it stand out as a feature on the house. (That works great if you like the brick! I’ll address what to do if you hate your brick in another post.) The muted olive siding color balances the muted red of the brick so that the house elements are in harmony (a fancy way of saying “They just work!”). Even though the windows themselves are white, the homeowner chose cream for the trim color. Cream is much softer than white and is preferable to white on older homes or with earthy palettes. And see? You can use cream trim with white windows and not ruin the house.
As for the roof, obviously this is a new roof and the homeowners took advantage of the myriad choices available to them. The muted brown tones pick up on some of the browns in the brick and again pull a very visible element of this house — the roof — successfully into the palette.
Traditional wrought iron sconces and mailbox as well as period hardware on a solid wood door provide the perfect jewelry topped off by a real, not plastic, concrete urn on the front steps for summer flowers.
These homeowners took an old home and modernized it in a tasteful way that pays homage to the home’s original Tudor styling. The result is both fresh and historic. Perfect house synergy.
Inspirations from the French Countryside
July 26, 2010 § 1 Comment
Traveling south of Paris into the French countryside really gives you a feel for how the French live. The quiet little town of Montgeron with its hilly one-way streets, gated driveways, and modest stucco and stone homes, is nestled far enough away from the city to give the town an identity of its own. Gone are the wrought iron railings and the bustling sidewalk cafes of the city. We’re in the quiet part of France where people still buy their daily breads, meats, and vegetables, but tend to live simpler lives tucked safely behind walls.
The public gardens are beautifully tended, kind of a smaller version of the Paris jardins, and the French details like the flowers on the light post are evident. Walking through the neighborhoods conjures up a lifestyle that many of us busy Americans (at least those of us just outside major cities) left all too long ago. It’s no wonder the French live so long!
A Window to Paris
July 12, 2010 § Leave a comment
The windows in Paris are almost as intriguing as the doors! First of all, the shutters actually work, the windows have no screens, and there are no bugs! Plus the shutters are fabulous soft colors of whites and taupes and light blues. The soft colors against the stucco and stone are simply spectacular. Not a black shutter anywhere to be found. I’m thinking that there may be room for more shutter colors in the palette — even on this side of the pond! Why limit ourselves to dark colors!
For stucco and stone homes, consider the subtle sensibilities of French architecture and the superb use of color on shutters. Tres bien!
The Doorways to Paris
July 11, 2010 § 1 Comment
Whether they’re painted a wonderful milk-paint blue or left a natural wood tone, the doors of Paris are spectacular. It helps, of course, that they’re attached to stunning historic residences that have been there hundreds of years. The scale of the doors is big to fit the scale of the buildings, and the embellishments are breathtaking (spoken like a true decorator). The doors stand out as they are truly meant to — as the focal point of the home or business. 
Choosing a Roof Color for a White House
May 7, 2010 § Leave a comment
Choosing a roof color these days can be overwhelming with all the choices available to us. We’ve gone from classic black and charcoal to every shade of brown, red, green, and even blue. This white house with navy blue shutters looks spectacular with its multi-hued, architectural style blue roof. It really stands out in the neighborhood lined with browns and charcoals. And with a white house, adding a little color to the roof (at least on this house) certainly adds interest without going overboard.
If you have a white colonial and want to replace your roof with a metal style, I suggest sticking to the darker, more traditional colors. A metal roof adds an air of informality (and a touch country) to the house itself so keep that in mind when you’re selecting a roof style. Nothing wrong with metal, but you won’t want to attract too much attention to it if you have a traditional metropolitan house. If you live in the country or the mountains, anything goes!
Choosing a Door Color for a Historic Home
May 6, 2010 § Leave a comment
Sometimes there’s absolutely nothing more dramatic than a bright, cherry-tomato-red front door. Instead of a more conservative black semi-gloss, the homeowners of this gray limestone with white window and door trim, wrought iron railings and lampposts, and concrete steps have punctuated their predictable historic facade with a splash of red right off the vine!
No need to wave a flag for guests to know where to ring the doorbell. The entry boldly exclaims, “Welcome Home!”
Nice choice!
Details Make the Difference at the Front Door
April 26, 2010 § Leave a comment
Say nothing of the new Arts & Crafts windows, textured roof, earthy natural taupe siding color, crisp white trim, and fresh landscaping, the entryway of this renovated colonial is a knock-out.
The homeowners took their time to get all the details right. The enlarged portico with dry-stacked stone porch and columns, the tapered pillars above, the arched wood ceiling, wide chunk white contrasting trim, a period pendant light fixture, and the solid wood door with period wrought-iron hardware. There’s even a little black door-bell (with undoubtedly a charming ring on the inside).
What can I say… there goes the neighborhood…
Blond Brick Siding Color and Trim
April 25, 2010 § Leave a comment
Blond brick and light-colored stone seem to pose challenges when it comes to picking coordinating paint colors for siding and trim. This house does it right. The taupe siding color comes right out of the aging blond brick, giving the house an updated look. Taupe allows the brick to show off its depth of color, including other shades of browns and peaches, without adding another hue to the mix. You cannot go wrong with neutrals, especially when you’re dealing with stone and brick.
White trim offers a crisp contrast between the siding and brick and ties in the white windows, also original to the house. The homeowners took what used to be a tired ordinary blond brick and made it look fresh and contemporary.
House Color, Trim, Shutters: Gold Medal Combo
April 7, 2010 § 2 Comments
The unexpected color combination on this historic home (now a B&B in Sackets Harbor, NY) really pops off the street. Whether it’s the hint of green in the gold siding, the Jamaican rum-like warmth of the shutters, or simply the combination, I’m not sure. But coupled with cream trim and accents of black, this combination is a winner.
The house color looks like Ben Moore’s Marblehead Gold (HC-11), and the shutters look like a slightly darker version of Copper Kettle (1218). I should have rung the doorbell to ask (I’ve been known to do that).
The stone steps unfold seamlessly from the foundation right onto the sidewalk and the delicate scrollwork in the iron railing ties in beautifully with the sign and even the shutter “dogs.” And for those of you who have asked about using cream window trim with white windows, here’s a great example of how nicely it works.
Choosing a Yellow for Your House Color
March 25, 2010 § 6 Comments
Yellow can be a tough color, ranging from almost orange to acidic green. This one, Traditional Yellow (170) by Benjamin Moore, gives the house a cheerful, welcoming look. It’s terrific with crisp white trim, a dark charcoal/black roof, wrought iron metal for lights, and a striking red door. The yellow has just enough orange in it to be warm without turning peach.
Yellows that have green undertones tend to look cold on traditional homes. What we commonly refer to as lemon yellow has a touch of green in it, enough to make you pucker when you see a big house that color. Having said that, if you love the green side of yellow, consider pairing it with dark eggplant purple. The combination is a bit edgey and modern but can work, again with a black roof and white trim.
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