Bold, Beautiful and Blue Roof
October 1, 2011 § Leave a comment
Some houses whisper. Some houses shout. This house sings opera! What makes this house so melodic is perfectly obvious to everybody who drives by. It has the most incredible roof and door color: a rich sapphire blue like you’ve never seen before except maybe in the Mediterranean. We’re certainly not accustomed to seeing that color on a traditional burgundy brick colonial, usually relegated to browns and charcoals (not that there’s anything wrong with browns and charcoals — I love them too).
This house tosses conventional color schemes out the window yet manages to look both whimsical and classy at the same time. It peeks out from behind big shade trees making it even more alluring to passersby. Like a secret garden around the corner, the act of discovery is part of the thrill.
The door color alone would be quite a find, but the fact that the roof is the same rich blue makes this house an opera star I want to discover again and again. Big applause!!
Bold House Color Statement
October 1, 2011 § 2 Comments
Call it dark charcoal, call it midnight blue, or just call it black. It’s a knock-out house color that made me slam on the brakes when I drove by. What’s more dramatic than the pairing of opposites black and white, but who would think to put them on a house? Obviously somebody did and it looks spectacular.
The soft yellow chiffon door is perfect. More lemon? Too strong. More orange? Halloween. And although I’m not a big fan of white shutters, they make sense here. Another convention that was slapped in the face was the idea that dark equals small. You don’t even notice how small this house is because it is so well put together. From the gray roof to the brick steps and pops of floral color, this house is a winner.
The beauty of this bold house color statement is that it fits perfectly in any neighborhood!
Do You Love Citrus? Adding happy color to your home
August 11, 2011 § Leave a comment
I just wrote a piece for Joelle Spear’s “Life in Metrowest” blog about how to add warm, bright colors to your home. Thought you might like to check it out.
http://homesmetrowestma.com/2011/bring-warm-colors-home-written-by-guest-blogger-barbara-meglis
Curb Appeal: Go Big or Go Home
July 22, 2011 § Leave a comment
When it comes to landscape plantings, you don’t need contrasting color to make an impact. Look at this green house — not a single pink annual in sight.
What makes an impact is the scale of the plantings like the big hosta and the white hydrangeas all in various shades of greens and creams — in front of a green house! Who would ever think!
If you want a big bang for the buck (as they say), use large blooms (hydrangeas, peonies) and big leaves (hosta in various shades) to enhance your home’s summer curb appeal with minimal fuss.
Choosing Siding Color (or Colors) for your House
July 19, 2011 § 4 Comments
If your house has an architectural feature — maybe a porch, a large portico, or a distinctive garage — consider using an accent color for the siding instead of the color you’ve chosen for the house.* The effect is obvious. The accent color will stand out. This color technique is perfect for large houses that might look too massive if they were all the same color. Dividing up the exterior color gives you an opportunity to highlight the design of your home and make a large-scale house a bit cozier.
Speaking of a massive house that could use a little visual down-sizing, maybe we should consider accenting the architectural detail on the White House with a little color! … (oh, forget it… we’d get into that red state/blue state thing — no wonder the place is still white!)
Anyway, color can be used creatively to re-scale a large structure and add visual interest.
If you want your house to look bigger, however, this technique is NOT for you. Dividing up the exterior color chops up the house and calls attention to small areas. If your small house currently has a multi-colored siding palette, consider painting it all one color and using the accent colors for doors, shutters, furniture, flowers, and other accessories.
*The construction of the Doyle Center in Leominster, MA, is really interesting. Here’s a link: http://www.thetrustees.org/what-we-care-about/climate-change/green-buildings/doyle-conservation-center.html
Your Home & Color Coach 