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Your Home & Color Coach 
Hi Barbara,
We are remodeling the outside of our house. Our roof is called weathered wood. A soft brown color and the windows are white. We are putting in a porch and plan to paint it white. Our new door will have glass with a green leaf design. We will be putting up new brick and siding, shutters and window trim. We like to the green family, possibly sage for siding and dark green for the shutters. What color window trim and brick would match this and what color door would be good. Any other color ideas for the siding and shutters would be nice to hear.
Thanks,
Judy
Hello Barbara-
I have a light gray ranch with a partial brick front. The trim is white, the shutters and gargae doors are a federal blue. Our roof is gray as well.
We are installing new storm and entry doors and I just can’t decide what color door would look nice. I am considering painting the garage doors the same color as the siding.
Thanks for your help.
~Janice
Hi Janice,
I like the idea of having a little more weight on the garage doors and shutters since the house is so light already and the roof is too. You need contrast. But I would stay in the gray family. Take a look at either Ben Moore’s Knoxville Gray HC-160 (a blue-gray that may go better with the blue undertone on your house) or Amherst Gray HC-167 (a green-gray that looks fantastic with the brick and is a contemporary color). Then I would pick up the brick for the front door. See Boston Brick (2092-30).
See what you think of those options.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello,
We are building an all brick ranch with St. Anne Blend by Belden Brick. It is a pink/rose color. I would like your suggestion for the roof. I have been looking at Owen Corning’s artisan series, and I like the Peppermill Gray and the Estate Gray. If you think another color would look better, please let me know. If not, which of the two that I like would you suggest.
Thanks!
Beth
Hi Beth,
I like Teak and Flagstone as they bring out the brown in your brick blend. But the Peppermill also does that in a quieter way.
See what you think.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I called Belden Brick and asked them what color the darker brick is in the blend. He felt that when you stand back and look at the house, it looks like more of a gray color. In certain light it can have a brownish look. The windows are white vinyl clad. Considering this, what would be your first choice from Owen Corning?
Thanks!
Beth
Hi again Beth,
Peppermill Gray should be perfect. I love it. And it goes with everything — both the grays and browns. I think you should be all set.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello Barbara,
I did decide to go with the Peppermill Gray roof with the St. Anne Blend brick and white windows. What color would you use for the trim, front door, garage door, and privacy fence?
Thanks!
Beth
Hi Beth,
I do like Fairview Taupe (HC-85) for an accent color — it’s wonderful with your brick and roof. Try that for the garage door and perhaps shutters. Then take a look at Sailcloth for the trim (PM-21) and Ten Gallon Hat for the front door (1210). Your privacy fence could be natural wood. See what you think.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi,
I am current remodeling my house and would like some suggestions on paint colors. The majority of house is really open and we are probably going use Duron Sienna Sand color since I think that will go well with the cherry wood cabinets and gunwood color hardwoods. I am looking for a good color for an accent wall. The room that will have the accent wall is not very big 14 by 14 but it has cathedral ceilings to help open it up. Is there a greenish color you would recommend? I like chocolate browns, but I think that might be too dark. Also, I need a good color for the bonus room upstairs. The stair well will have the Duron Sienna Sand, but I want to pain the bonus room another color. Do you have a suggestion? I really like warm colors.
Thanks so much!!
Hi Kristi,
It’s a little tough without seeing the space, but I suggest taking a color from your furnishings (upholstery, curtains, rug) and putting that color onto your accent wall. The same with the upstairs. Choose a color that will coordinate with your furnishings. Generally, when you’re picking a paint color for the walls, find a color you like in the fan deck and then move toward a greyer version of that color. That way, the color will not vibrate when you apply it to the larger space. For example, if you like green, move toward a gray-green for the actual wall color. Or pick a color from the historic palette (always tasteful on the walls).
Hope that helps get you started.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Need help in couple areas. I am planning on re-decorationg my living room. The carpet I have is Great andy by Shaw, Wall color is haze (Valspar), but I can change that. The only furniture stayng is Piano and Entertainment center and these are both in maybe pecan color. The main problem is windows – I have vertical blinds that I want to replace, and am thinking about wooden blinds, but what color? The trim in my house is stained wood. Do you think white blinds would look good or maybe even just natural – I am afraid just a normal wooden blind would make everything to dark. Help!
Next area is front of house – I have Stone color vinyl siding, weathered brown roof, dark brown guttering and soffit.
Wanting to replace posts on front porch and add vinyl fencing – but what color. Windows are tan vinyl and my front door is covered by a tinted storm door (I get all west sun) so my front door offers no color. How would white fencing look or should I add needed color with shutters, and what color.
Would appreciate any and all suggestions.
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl,
Try either natural blinds or cream if the natural color is still too dark. White will be too stark a contrast.
For outside, again try either tan, taupe, or cream for the vinyl fencing. Not white due to the sharp contrast. The warmer tones will blend with your overall color scheme. Add color with pots and accessories as well as your landscape.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
We are in the process of picking out new shingles, help! We are torn between playing it safe with a nice brown or making a statement with green. To give you a brief description of our house the stlye leans more toward Victorian, the front is off white siding with green shutters. We have a red brick and in the front it only comes up about three feet. The ends and the back are solid brick with siding on the gable ends. I really like the look of the green shingles but will it make the house look smaller are will it even look right with the green shingles. We are open to any suggestions.
Hi Elesha,
I assume you are talking about roofing shingles and not cedar shingles for the house? If you’re talking about the roof color, then sure, you can have a green roof. Green goes with white as well as red brick and it actually may look better than brown for your house. Sounds fine.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi there. I just discovered your website and will definitely return!
We are trying to determine bedroom paint colors and have narrowed it down to: Benjamin Moore Oatmeal 268 and Ben Moore Papaya. I like the Papaya (it is cream with a touch of caramel) alot but my only concern is that it might appear pinkish. I don’t think there is red in it. In the past, we have painted several rooms with Divine paint, and, most of those taupes have pinkish undertones so we don’t love them. Do you have any experience with Papaya? We have painted a big patch on the wall and I am still gun shy! Any help would be appreciated. Cheers!
Leslie.
Hi Leslie,
I am surrounded by Papaya in my sunroom as I type this message to you and at least with a lot of windows and light streaming in, there is no pink. I love the color!! Hope that helps you decide.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara,
Your blog is absolutely fantastic!!! I am so glad I stumbled upon it while frantically scouring the Internet for color tips.
I’ve got two color dilemmas, and would love your opinion on them if you have the time.
I know this post seems very long, but I figured the more information you had, the easier it would be for you to make recommendations.
Issue No 1:
Hubby and I want to redecorate our bedroom. Our furniture, which we won’t be replacing because it is brand new, is a dark black-brown.
While at the fabric store one day, I fell in love with a grey/silver fabric (with darker blackish designs in it) and purchased some to make curtains. To go with those new curtains, I purchased some soft corduroy fabric in a medium gray to make a duvet cover. For accent pillows, I purchased two silky fabrics – one pure white, and one purple.
I know that the fabrics all compliment each other, but I fear that my furniture may not work. Did I make a big mistake here with the fabric choices? It was all on deep discount (60 – 80% off) as the fabric store was closing, so I won’t be too sad if I can’t use it for what I intended to use it for, but I was wondering what you think of the combo of the black-brown with the grey? If you think it will be alright, what colour do you suggest I paint the walls? They are currently a very pale creamy beige, and so is the carpet. I very much want to paint, but would rather not change the flooring. If the floor colour is all wrong, would an area rug to cover the very open parts of the floor do the trick? If so, what color(s) do you recommend?
Issue No 2:
Our dining area is attached to our kitchen, but the flooring isn’t the same in both. Our dining table has a marble top with rich shades of brown through-out it, with some splashes of creamy whites. The legs of the tables and the dark chocolate leather chairs match the flooring quite nicely, as they are just a shade or two darker. We have medium to dark brown/red(ish) hardwood in the entryway of our home which leads down the hall to the dining area. The wood cuts off where the eating area ends and the kitchen begins, and ugly cushion flooring (the kind that comes on a big roll) covers the kitchen area.
The cupboards are white, the back splash is a neutral creamy beige & white tile with a bit of green and brown in it, and the counter top is forest green (which I hate) & we will be re-doing it in a brown shade with this product in maple with a chocolate brown primer. When all is said and done, if the back splash tiles don’t work, I will paint them to match the walls.
The walls are a cardboard colour in the eating area. There isn’t really any open wall space in the kitchen, except for a small strip (near the ceiling) above the counters, which is the same cardboard color as the dining area, since they lead into each other.
I absolutely want to change the flooring and we can not afford natural hardwood at this point, so matching the existing wood is not an option. We want to go with those new fake wood/fake tile floors that click right into place and can be installed right over the existing cushion floor – simple and inexpensive!
Do you suggest light colored flooring because it will be adjacent to the darker wood flooring of the eating area? Or do you suggest dark colored flooring because of the white cabinetry? I’m thinking dark is probably better, BUT, I don’t know if I should try and match the red undertone of the hardwood, or stay far away from it, because trying and failing to match might look odd.
What do you think?
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my very lengthy post about my color issues, and I appreciate any advice you can offer.
I look forward to reading more and more about the projects you undertake on your blog.
Take care and have a wonderful day,
Mandy Savoie
Hi Mandy,
Thanks for all the detail in your message. It does help a lot.
As for your bedroom, I think the furniture will look really nice in there with your choice of bedding and window treatments. With such dark furniture, I would suggest a light wall color that compliments your grays. If you like purple (your pillow color) and like that combination of gray and purple, you can either go with a light warm gray (Ben Moore’s Gray Owl OC-52) or Misty Memories (Ben Moore 2118-60, a gray-purple tint). Either one will look great with your furniture. If you like blue/gray better, then have a look at Smoke 2122-40.(a great color with gray but might look better with an orange accent pillow instead of purple). Either way, I would choose a light wall color and use the gray to blend and then use silver as your accent metal. The woods will look spectacular (the whole look is very sophisticated).
As for your flooring in the kitchen, I would go dark with that. Fake flooring is always better looking on TV –we don’t want to call too much attention to it. And blending it with the adjacent wood floor is a great idea. But if doesn’t have to match. I would go with a dark neutral mixture (for easy cleanup) and not worry about finding something with the same red tones as in the wood. Although it will stand out more against your white cabinets, it will be less likely to show dirt, crumbs, etc. People who put in white floors, whether vinyl or tile, always regret the decision. Make sure the installation of your tiles is good and straight so the eye will glance over the floor and not go immediately to imperfections in the installation (I have nightmare stories…). That should work fine until you can replace with real porcelain tile or wood. Years from now…
Thanks for the tip about that granite product. It may be just what I’ve been looking for to cover some concrete imperfections.
Hope I’ve helped. Good luck with your projects and let me know if I can help you again with future projects.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara! SOOO glad to find your blog. My husband and I are remodeling a 1950s cottage, and I just can’t decide on a trim/window color for our house. We are replacing the original windows with vinyl, and the only choices we have are white and almond. What would you recommend??
Thanks EVER so much!!
Sent the photo of our 50s cottage to you via email… thanks again, Barbara!!
Geri
Before posting a comment,
+++PLEASE READ LATEST POST+++
AUGUST 29th, for changes to blog
Hi Barbara, thanks for your response re: window trim and cladding. It turns out that The window grills must be the same interior and exterior and I’m not sure I want toupe grills on the inside…if exterior grills must be white would you still recommend toupe cladding/front door or would that miss the point? Thanks again, Kelly
Hi Kelly,
Okay, under the circumstances, I think I would stick with white. That will give you maximum versatility should you re-do either the siding or the trim color. It’s a very traditional look, but you have a colonial so that’s okay. But I would go ahead and repaint the front door, either the warm dark brown of the roof or the terra cotta from the shutters. The latter is a bit predictable (and it’s okay to pick a third color if you’d like) but the green doesn’t provide enough impact at the front door given your dramatic shutter color. We need more contrast there. It’s okay, since you’re keeping white windows, to keep the white trim/storm door. Again, traditional and will not go out of fashion.
Hope that clarifies.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara, I am sending you some pictures which are not updated. I have made a few changes last year due to construction of a new house next door. Had to replace our brick wall. When we put the wall up I decided to change the iron gates to black. My house was built in the late 1890’s and has been in the family ever since I can remember. I have lived in this house my whole life. In the early 80’s we put on a large addition. Since they put up this beautiful new house next door my house really looks outdated. Tyring to update. Hate the shingle facade. I guess that was the look then. There is brick under it. Right now I have to decide the color of my gutters which need to be replaced. On the South Side of the house we already relaced the one that needed to be replaced and went with the brown as you can see in the picture. We did not want to replace tht entire side. On the North side of the house all the gutters need to b replaced. I personally don’t care for the brown. On the north side of the house can I do a different color? My windows have to be painted, but we can discuss that later. Also I would like to do something with the cedar siding, but not until spring. I need your help desparately. I can send you some updated pictures if you need them, Anna
Hi Anna,
I’m trying to find your gutter that you replaced and it must be well camouflaged because I cannot find it at all! Which brings me to gutter color. Usually the gutters and downspouts are the ugly parts of a house so we try to camouflage them as best we can. Not such a big deal for the gutters since they usually follow the trim line of the house, but sometimes the downspouts cut right down the side of the house or even the front without following the trim. That leaves them exposed if they’re not the same color as the house.
Sometimes, however, especially on older homes such as yours, people prefer to think of the gutters and downspouts as almost like jewelry. Copper is the material of choice under those circumstances.
I do like the idea of dark brown for your house since the roof is brown and the bricks are dark. The brown downspouts/gutters would be fairly well integrated into the overall look of the house. And obviously I cannot even see them at the moment?? If you’d like to send another updated photo, it might help.
As for windows, I would love to see you paint them dark brown, again tying in the ironwork as well as the roof and reviving some of the house’s 1890s charm. You might also consider restaining or painting your garage door as it kind of competes with the brick color at the moment. We can talk about color when you’re ready for more projects. But right now… the gutters.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara, I am sending you additional pictures of the outside of my house as requested. In the third picture you can see the new down spout and gutter. The first two are of the front of the house and the last three are the north side of the house where I need new gutters and down spouts. As you can see once the new house next to mine went up it really shows how outdated my house is. I would love to take the shingles off the front and back of the house. There is brick under there. That is something in the future. I want to get some type of continuity with the color scheme of the trim, which includes gutters, garage door windows and the cedar siding. Anna Marie
Hi Anna Marie,
You have a very unusual house, and I’ve been staring at the photos trying to figure out just what needs to change to update it. On the one hand, you have a traditional brick, but it looks like you’ve added a new garage door (Mediterranean Vineyard Classic Collection from Access perhaps??). I do like the color of the door with the brick and it looks like you’ve copied the box pattern of the door over onto the iron gate. Nice tie-in (or is that the gate you said you replaced?).
Anyway, I see two problems. One is the window color. It’s screaming out to me to be dark bronze (I see the house next door has black windows). The white windows look new and do not add any character to the house. The second problem is the cedar siding on the “roof.” Did you say there’s brick under there?? The current rustic siding looks a little too rustic for the traditional brick style of your house and has just a bit of a grass skirt quality to it. I would love to see that removed and replaced either with brick (if there isn’t any underneath) or actual roofing shingles like you have elsewhere. That will make a HUGE step forward toward updating your house.
I know the biggest issue right now is the gutters. I don’t mind the dark brown if you decide to paint the window casings brown. The downspouts will simply look like more trim on the house. However, if you keep the white windows, I suggest painting the downspouts (at least) to match the brick, something like either Georgian Brick (Ben Moore HC-50) or Mayflower Red (HC-49). The problem with painting downspouts is that eventually, the paint peels, just like you’re experiencing now with your current downspouts. If painting them again is out of the question, then go with a warm brown everywhere. It will look fine. Very traditional and expected and they won’t peel. Even though you have some concrete trim and could theoretically go with a warm gray for your gutters and downspouts, I still like the historic quality of the dark brown and I think that’s the way to go for your house.
One additional idea: When you get a chance, upgrade the two front lights next to your garage to the “mansion” version of the wrought iron. The current lights are way too small for that big garage door and tall facade. That’s a relatively easy project and will make a big difference.
Long-winded answer to your gutter question. Hope I touched on everything. Let me know if I need to clarify. And good luck!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi,
Need advice on new roof color, my home is yellowish brick dont know what color roof? I will be glad to send pictures Please email me to follow up with payment.
Hi Gabriela,
Are you keeping the painted bricks? Will you be keeping the same grout color (it looks like burgundy on my screen)? The house has such a unique look.
Since you have gray steps, you might consider a gray roof, something like GAF’s Charcoal. You’ll want to have minimal distraction from the roof (I would not get the architectural shingles that have a lot of color variation as the roof will be extremely busy and will most likely compete with your brick).
The door could use a facelift. If you can get away without a storm door, that will help (tall order, I know). Then paint the inner door either the grout color or the color you’re using around the windows. My screen shows a lot of either gray or lavendar — very interesting with the cream trim. Ben Moore’s New London Burgundy HC-61 might work great for your door color —
As for landscaping, keep it very simple and ordered so that the focus is on the house. You might even think about some tall wispy grasses that can create kind of an exotic look. If you’ll be using mulch for beds in the front, consider pea gravel (or other sand-colored small stones) instead as the color will complement your house nicely.
Does that help? Have I answered your questions?
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I emailed a copy of my blonde brick double, hoping for ideas in coordinating supporting color to the door, sofet / facia in addition to the visually small shutters. The brick color almost seems ‘dirty’, lacking color. We’ve recently replaced the roof with dark grey shingles.
Any suggestions you have are greatly appreciated!
Thank so much,
Julie
Hi Julie,
Yes, I would remove the shutters. They’re not really helping much. I do like the weathered door look so with that in mind, how about something like Ben Moore’s Texas Leather AC-3 or Shenandoah Taupe AC-36 for your trim. Since the house is small, the white trim around the roofline just cuts the house in half. Blending the trim “value” with the roof will take some of that effect away. The trim will also add some contrast to the brick as well as some color.
One other suggestion: If budget permits, you might consider taking the iron pillars away and replacing only the one on the left facing side of the farmer’s porch with a square wood column painted Cameo White (or cream). The one in front of the door blocks the entryway.
See what you think. And thank you again.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I need your help regarding my mother’s home.
Hello–I have tried to attached a picture of our house but can’t. We have a Cape Cod that currently has gray siding, a dark gray roof, white trim and a cranberry front door and shutters. The basement has a brick veneer that only shows a little from the front, but shows as an entire floor on the left side of the house. We are about to have Hardie plank with a factory finish put on the house but have not chosen the colors–what colors would you suggest we choose for the siding, the shutters and the front door? thanks so much, Laura
please e-mail me directly so that I can send you a picture.
thank you!
Hi Laura,
Just sent you an email from bmeglis@yahoo.com. It’s much easier to send photos to that address. I’ll look for it and then respond to your question about a new color palette for your house.
Thanks for your payment and taking the time to post your question.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Laura,
How about Richmond Gold HC-41 for the siding color. It’s rich and warm and will lighten up your front porch area quite a bit without creating too much contrast with your prominent gray roof. Then for the garage door, pull in Duxbury Gray HC-163, a gray green that’s also in your brick. It will give some weight to your large single garage door and get away from white for such a large area.
For the front door, try the spectacular Georgian Brick HC-50. And for your shutters, a dark charoal/black. I know your roof is gray, but the shutters on the front porch are going to look black from the street no matter what color they are. I can give you a color if you wish…
Your trim can stay white. That will look better with the gray roof than cream but either will look quite good.
See what you think of that color scheme. For the garage door, you can always stick with the house color if you’d rather not introduce another color onto the house. But I would not keep it white. Color will make it blend with the house better.
Thank you again.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Old plain – no variagation – orange/clay traditional Red brick 1/2 up in front on 1959 ranch house with attached garage sticking out front. Just painted siding Alcoa Rainware color to match pebblestone clay with desert sand trim. Horrifying result. Looks too dark, trim looks peach against paint. Don’t know what to do. Help please. Really would like to paint the brick but just scared. Also already spent a bunch on this paint job – would like to figure out some way to get a nice sophisticated look out of it for a few years.
I started this question twice before, but I think I must have accidentally hit enter and it shut off. Here’s my home photo.
Need to select a trim that is one of the premade gutter colors I think since I need new gutters. Should I go with white? Is there any salvaging this mess?
How can I attach my home photo? Hope this works – attached my facebook photo page. Thanks for the help! –Sondra
Hi Sondra,
I tried to get into your facebook album but couldn’t. Sorry for the inconvenience, but would you mind emailing me your photos as attachments (bmeglis@yahoo.com) and I will be sure to see them there.
Looking forward to helping you with your home.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi,
Love your website! I am looking for a color for the exterior of my house. It is a red brick ranch with cedar siding and a rediish brown roof. The windows have been replaced since the picture was taken and they are now all white instead of brown. Do you think a light sage green would look good? Sherwin Williams Svelte Sage was a possible choice. Also I would love your opinion on whether to take the shutters off or paint them and whether to do the trim white or off white etc.
Thank you so much for any advice, house colors are overwhelming!
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/217-Southridge-Dr-O-Fallon-IL-62269/5284704_zpid/#hdp-photo-lightbox
Hi Vicky,
I do like the green but I would bump it up a notch to Connected Gray (SW 6165) (a darker gray green) so that the paint and the brick are more balanced — that will make the house look bigger. And a light cream trim (Dover White SW 6385) will warm the trim — it’s okay that the windows are all white. It happens.
I suggest leaving the shutters off the house — they really don’t add a whole lot to the overall look and since you have two windows with shutters and two without, I’d just take them all off.
How’s that? Thank you and hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
We are in the process of building a two story farmhouse and would like your imput on colors. We are going to have the bottom half brick and the top half siding with a nice front porch with railing and also railing around the roofed in porch on the back. We would love to have green siding but do not know the color of brick to choose. Also the trimwork and window colors. We are planning to go with vinyl windows with grilles and stick to the colonial theme. Should we also use fish scales on peaks? We were thinking sand or cream also and wood entry doors. Thanks for your help. Sue
Hi Sue,
Pick a brick that has variety of earthy tones and not just a solid color (red/orange, etc). With a touch of olive green in the brick, you’ll be able to pull that color out and select a paint color for the upper part of your house. But choose the brick first! The rest will follow. After your brick is selected, you choose the windows. White? Cream? Brown? (not green). The brick colors should help you choose the color of the windows. As for the roof, since you want green siding ultimately, take a look at Weathered Wood and Driftwood as possible options. They both have a touch of green. If they’re too light and you really want to stay authentic to your farmhouse style, then go for charcoal. You cannot go wrong.
After those decisions are made, then you can choose the paint color for the siding and then trim. The easiest way to choose trim is match the window color. But you can get more creative if you want to. Brick, windows, roof, paint, trim in that order and the options will be obvious. If they’re not, write me back and I’ll help you zero in.
The fishscale siding is fine but I would start with the other decisions first. Then you can decide if you want additional detail in the peaks.
Hope that helps. It’s daunting, I know, but if you break the decisions down and go a little at a time, the whole house will come together beautifully. Good luck!
And thank you.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello Barbara, Were you able to confirm payment via PayPal? I have enjoyed reading your various Posts” and emails. After much debate I think we have decided on the following color scheme for our bungalow. Body – Golden Vessel, trim a cream color and as an accent color Audubon Russet. We thought our lowers and greenery would really pop against this gold-yellow color and brighten up the neighborhood…..many house are white or tan. Judy Phillips
Hi,
I am replacing the vinyl siding on my home with wood siding and changing my roof color. Picking a color is proving to be a daunting task because I have to match the brick on the front of my home which is : Marble stoneface white with light grey grout, you can see at the brick at the Shaw Brick website (google: shawbrick.ca) if you are not familiar with the brick. I tried to attach a picture but it didn’t work.
My home is a two-story with an attached garage, the main level is brick on front with siding around the side and back, the upper level is siding. I do have black outside lights that I really like and would like to keep them. Any color suggestions for my siding and roof? Could there be a yellow that would look nice with the brick?
Pam Levatte
Hi Pam,
I suggest Certainteed Landmark’s Charcoal Black for your roof — it should pick up the gray grout nicely. Then take a look at Ben Moore’s Montgomery White (EXT). It’s a creamy light yellow that will look terrific with both roof and brick. The slightly richer Richmond Bisque (EXT) will also look good — but it has a little more brown in it. Still nice!
I think you should definitely stick with a gray roof for your brick’s sake. But I do like the idea of warming up the rest of the house with a yellow. See what you think of those colors. They’re yellow without being too lemony or too peachy.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
We are getting a new roof for our home and are unsure of what color to choose. Right now, we are looking at Certainteed’s Landmark shingle in either Moire Black or Charcoal Black. Our home is a split level brick home with black shutters and a burgendy door. The siding of the home and gutter color are “natural clay” and look to be a greyish tan. I want a roof that looks clean, classic, and fantastic. We are not locked into landmark’s shingles, they just are the ones that have been recommended to us. What are your thoughts? Please let me know if the link to the pictures does not work and I will email them to you. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer,
Snapfish said I could nolonger get into that album to see your photos. (hmmm) Would you mind emailing them to me at bmeglis@yahoo.com. I’ll be sure to see them there.
More soon. Thank you!!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi there! I am trying to help my mom who has alzheimers. She has a small home that she lived in years ago and has rented for the past 15 or so years. I have moved in with my two boys. While I am living here, I’d like to update the house so that when I exit it can be sold. Problem is it has this brick that is cream, grey, and like pink. The house has a kind of spanish flair, which I hate. I’m having it painted and would like to add shutters to the metal windows. Also, I’d love to see a new front door. Need some help with colors and any other ideas you’d share. Thanks, Cherie
I have pics of the house, but not sure how to upload them to you.
Hi Cherie,
What a nice thing to do for your mother. I would love to see a photo or two. You can attach a “jpg” photo to an email and send to bmeglis@yahoo.com or you can insert a link to a photo service here in this blog post. Whichever is easiest for you.
I have some ideas for your house already but I’ll wait to see the photo first. More soon.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Cherie,
To bring out the color in the brick, how about painting the trim Edgecomb Gray HC-173 — a very soft gray-white that should look terrific with the grays/creams/pinks in your brick. Then for the shutters, you can try a taupe like Briarwood (EXT from Ben Moore) to tone down some of the overall gray feel of the house. The door might pick up the dark burgundy in the brick with Townsend Harbor Brown HC-64.
See what you think of that palette for your mom’s house.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
http://picasaweb.google.com/the3ofusandsnick/McLean?authkey=Gv1sRgCJqmk8aO_5iSGw#
See if this works. Smile!
It appears my previous inquiry did not post. Here’s the question: we want to spruce up our church’s building (1964) this is, for all intents and purposes, all red (cool family) brick with a matching metal roof and doors. The windows have been replaced so they are white; window ledges are the original light yellow (warm family), as is the brick behind the rusting, brick-red cross. What do you suggest for painting the yellow brick ledges. the brick behind the cross, the cross and the doors?
The plants and shrubs along the front are shaggy and do nothing to make the place pop. They will be yanked out. My suggestion is to replace the shrubs and plant low-growing yellow roses (in the cool family of colors, not an orangish yellow) underneath the windows, and place large flower pots (painted in a complementary color to match the doors) against the brick walls in between the yellow roses that will be filled with flowering perennials and cascading annuals (not sure what colors though).
Appreciate your ideas!
Hi Don,
I am happy to help you with your church. You can post a photo link here in this reply box or attach a jpg to an email and send to bmeglis@yahoo.com. I’ll be sure to see it there — then I’ll help you with your accent colors for the church.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Just in case the emails did not come through (having lots of technical difficulties here), you can view the pictures at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=540043&id=224595100719&saved or
on Facebook at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church – Fort Collins, CO · View Photos
Hmm, Sounds good. I had thought about putting the light grey on trim and was going to put a darker grey on shutters and door. Were you able to see the pics I sent you of this drab little house? I think I’ll try to paint those colors over my photo and see what I get.
Hi Cherie,
Yes, I saw your photos. See what you think of the color palette I suggested. If you want to go bold, you can try the wine color on the shutters. That would lift the house out of drab for sure!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I will be sending you via email pictures of a house painted a shade of creamy yellow which I really like. The color is Cameo by Dunn Edwards. The color appears a bit muted and lighter in the photos. But it is a warm creamy yellow, rather than lemony or bright yellow. Do you think it will work for my house? If yes, what colors would you recommend for the trim, shutters, and door. Would Springfield Tan still be okay for the shutters and a green door instead of red? And keep the trim White Dove? If Cameo wouldn’t work, could you please recommend something along the same shade – not too yellow or deep? Thanks again!!
Hi Huong,
That yellow will certainly work on your house with the brick accents. You can either use a Davenport Tan (HC-76) shutter or Coldwell Green (HC-124) — both Ben Moore. Then either the green or a brick red for the front door. See what you think. But I would proceed with the yellow! Keep the white trim for contrast.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara,
You should have rec’d my pymt. I hope you don’t mind but I used your email address above to email you my photos and comments directly. I’m in a bit of a hurry to get going to work so please let me know if you prefer to use this site and I will try and resend something this evening.
Thank you,
Penny
Hi Penny,
Your choices are okay but consider these alternatives to pull out the different colors in your gorgeous roof! (and other details as well))
Springfield Tan AC-5 with Texas Leather AC-3 trim. That combination should coordinate well with your roof, certainly look warm and inviting, and contrast with your white neighbors on either side. See what you think.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I have recently bought a commercial building in our town. I am sending a couple pictures asap. As you will see it has a green roof which I will not be changing. I need help with the paint color. The building is located at the only light in town at a t intersection. we are the second highest traffic entry into the town. I do not want the building white. I want the building to stand out but in a classic/classy way. As a realor I am thinking which color is best for re-sale or rental but also my thoughs are what is best for our town. I am not against painting the bricks, I would love to paint them black. Door, trim, bricks, windows all different colors,? help….
state of Maine.
Hi Jen,
Sounds like an interesting project! Can’t wait to see your photos. You can insert a photo link here or attach some photos to my email at bmeglis@yahoo.com. I’ll be sure to see them there.
Looking forward to helping you create a classic and classy building!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I meant to say we are the second highest traffic in the state of Maine not the town, I just uploaded the pictures again to your e-mail. Sorry for the delay I am just now figuring this out.
Jennifer 🙂
Hi Jen,
Okay here’s one option:
Newburyport Blue HC-155 (Ben Moore) for the body, either Vanilla Milkshake OC-59 or Black Iron 2120-20 for the trim around the windows and door, Caliente AF-290 for door and either Caliente or Black iron for the bricks. Then paint the window boxes green to go with the roof. Call it classic “green” Americana. Just a thought.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
wow so not what i was expecting, this is fun. I am so scared of that green… roof… i am going to go out and pick up the color samples and stare at them for a while, how do I find out what the color of the roof is? what is another option?
Your wonderful
Jennifer
Hi Barbara,
You sent me a second option and sorry I deleted it.
I am going to now to pick up the samples as the places I went to last night do not carry BM.
So until I look at them I do not know what I think. I wanted to tell you a bit more about the area of Maine we are in. We are located in the “foot Hills” of the White Mountains of New :Hampshire. From this building I look across the street at them. At this time the town is preparing for over 30,000 (we are a town of approx. 3,300) to be here from this Sunday to next for the Fryeburg fair. After that we will have leaf peepers for 2-3 weeks. We are a 4 season area. With more lakes, streams,brooks, ponds, rivers in one area than most places in New England. For down hill skiing the question is which mountain to go to as they are all so close. The Saco River runs through our town coming in from New Hampshire ending in Saco Maine, (about a 5 day canoe/kayak trip) during the summer about 11,000 people are on the river with canoes and kayaks on just about every car. (check you tube) With this information would any golds or rust red (perhaps the color on the back roof of the building in back of mine,) look ok with black bricks. I guess I am thinking warmth like the leaves. I understand people thinking white in Maine but our whole town is white….. Your thoughts? Thank you again. and check out our websites in this area.
Jennifer
Hi again Jennifer,
I think my husband just spent a week up in your area on a kayak trip! I get it. Outdoorsy, lots of visitors, prominent location, and you want it to stand out but fit in.
Okay, if we embrace the green roof, then a barn red will look fantastic! Both will show up (green and red are opposites on the color wheel so there’s lots of energy). If you kept the brick, the red would have to come from it so something like Boston Brick 2092-30 would work (it has more brown than red). If you paint the brick black (or nearly black), then more of a barn red like Country Redwood (Ext) would work. Regardless you can have the black trim around the windows, corner pieces and fascia boards. The door might pick up the green with the very pleasant Waterbury Green HC-136. Keeping the palette simple and similar to what is already in the town center will help your building fit in, but the energetic combination of the red with the green (and black) would help your building stand out. You’re right… most everything else is white with red or white with green but just about everything is white.
One more idea: Maryville Brown HC-75, a warm golden maple syrup color (seems fitting) would look good with the green roof (nature– sort of) and black trim. You could keep the brick or paint it black.
See what you think of that palette.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara —
I’ve sent you a photo of our all brick house. We have someone scheduled to repaint the trim, but haven’t found colors that work and are hoping you can help us.
The house has a detached garage of the same brick style and currently has brown doors, as with all the other wood and trim features in the house. The neighborhood has tudor style homes, very pretty with lots of large trees in the yards.
I’ve spent a fair amount of time in photoshop creating possibilities, but nothing I’ve done seems right.
Thank you in advance.
Bonnie
Hi Bonnie,
I noticed a green around the door. Did you not like that? What about something like that for your shutters only? Take a look at Ben Moore’s Knoxville Gray HC-160 for the shutters. And then a grout color for the window trim area, something like Edgecomb Gray HC-173, which will enlarge your windows a bit and not call quite as much attention to the number of them and their size. Then you could pick up a warmer Georgian Brick HC-50 for the front door.
The wooden storm door looks a bit rustic or unfinished for your house. Is it possible to stain that a darker natural wood tone or paint it? I know storm doors are critical but they always seem to hide the wonderful wrought-iron trimmed front door that I love to see on a house like yours. Ah, well, function does count.
The door trim might be the Edgecomb Gray like the windows or the Knoxville.
You have great brick but I’d really like to tie in your slate roof and bring out the green in your brick.
See what you think about that palette.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
hi barbara i submitted my question yesterday already, i know when i made my transaction ur email appeared i didnt write it down, i never got a confirmation number through my email, im worried i typed my email wrong, anyhow i see folks sent u there pics to your email , i would like to do that so like that u getter a better picture, but i wont be able to provide the pics until Nov 1st meanwhile if i can get a reply i want to make sure u got my submit with my questions.THANKS..
Hi Grettel,
Did you see my reply? I’ll copy it here again in hopes that you see it. I tried to email you back to thank you for your payment, but the email bounced back a couple of times. PayPal may have the wrong email address for you. But I did receive payment so thank you! If my reply is off from reality, I would love to see a photo of your space. Just send it to bmeglis@yahoo.com and I will be sure to see it. Sometimes the other email gets overloaded.
Thanks.
-Barbara.
Here’s a copy of what I wrote yesterday:
With a chocolate brown carpet and black furniture, I suggest a large area rug to go over the carpet in your conversation area (where the sofa and chairs are) — maybe even an 8X10 rug. In terms of color and design, it is totally up to you. But sticking with neutral earth tones in the rug — you might even find a rug with both brown and black in it — will allow you to add color elsewhere in the room. Yes, you can add pillows and a throw on the sofa, curtain panels to the windows, lamps, and other accessories. For color, if you like green, go with a light grassy green for contrast with the black. And you might add cream as well. That will lighten up the room — cream would go well on the windows. The light beige on the wall should still work or you can pick a light tone out of your new rug. But there’s no need to repaint right away.
For accent you can pick a warm color like orange to warm up the room. Don’t hesitate to add some pattern into the room as well, not just in the rug. Floral or graphic, whatever you find that you like. Pulling some of that palette (brown/beige/black and then light green, orange, and cream) into the dining room (curtain panels, placemats, etc) and kitchen will help to pull the whole house together.
As for the chandelier in the dining room being brown with your black furniture, don’t worry too much about that. You’ll have brown and black in the living room, no matter what, so both dark neutrals are part of your overall palette. It will all work. Just add your color now.
Hope that makes some sense.
Hi Barbara,
We’ve painted the church’s building as you suggested. You can see some before and after pictures at http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150256363360720&set=a.10150256360060720.540043.224595100719#!/album.php?aid=540043&id=224595100719
I’ll take a few more interior pictures and make a payment to get your recommendations for the interior. Thank you!
Don
Hi Pastor Don,
Wow, nice job! The spruced up white brick looks fantastic behind the cross! And the brown doors calm down all the red. Terrific. Let me know if you need more interior work. Happy to help out!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi,
We have the only home with a Mansard roof in a Williamsburg neighborhood. We are planning to add a two-story, covered porch and change out our doors. We’ll also get new shutters adn a new roof. The brick is a lighter red. What roof and shutter color would you recommend?
I will email you the picture of our home.
Thanks,
Maggie
Hi Maggie,
Have you seen Estate Gray (Owens Corning Oakridge)? Your Mansard roof is prominent, of course, but after spending some time in Paris this summer where every roof is a Mansard, I love the look! Sometimes I recommend a roof color that blends with the house when the roof takes up half the visual space. When roof and house color blend, the house looks bigger and less chopped in half. BUT with a Mansard roof and its unique shape, I prefer the historic grays to embrace the roof style and keep as close to historic color schemes as you can. You might consider a darker shutter perhaps pulling a shade from the roof. Even a dark earthy green like Cromwell Gray HC-103 (Ben Moore) would look terrific against your brick. Not exactly black or Charleston Green (like many of your neighbors may have), but a nice complement to your brick and roof.
See what you think of that idea.
And thanks for posting!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
We need your help again!
Our church is going to begin working on the interior of the building. To see pictures of the inside, see the Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35525&id=606164603#!/album.php?aid=35525&id=606164603
The first room we wish to repaint is the worship hall. The one picture was taken when we had 10′ fluorescent lighting. The other pictures are after we installed new hanging lights.
You can tell by the first picture that the front paneling (added about 17 years ago) does not match the original wood (a maple color). The same paneling is all along the back wall and around the entryway in the back. The paneling is more gray-toned and looks cheap. We want to do something to change that but not sure what. It’s been suggested we paint over the paneling, while others suggest we put new wallboard over it. Either way, we aren’t sure what color to paint it. We’re trying to bring our place up to 2011, you know?
The other pictures show the reddish tones of all the wood we have.
We do plan to install wallboard to cover the white brick wall. That’s for two reasons: (1) to add insulation between the brick and new drywall, and (2) to make the upper part of the wall a screen for the music and pictures we project.
The color of the floor carpet and cushions are blue-green. We do not have it in our budget to replace all that yet, but the colors certainly date the place. The walls are made from cinder blocks and painted a white that has a warm yellow to it.
The valances are old and were made to supposedly match the carpet and pews.
There you have it. Any suggestions for this redecorate?
Thanks!
Don
Hi Don,
I suggest painting what is currently paneling as well as the window walls a light neutral like Bone White (Ben Moore). What that will do is contrast with your gorgeous “ship-like” wood ceiling and buttresses and really make the wood the outstanding feature of your church. Then I suggest turning the narrow panel areas on either side of the front “cross” wall into columns to match the wood beams. At the very least, paint the panels dark brown, but ideally a carpenter could frame out those tall narrow panels into real wood columns that could be stained to match the ceiling. That effect will highlight the front cross area and put a frame around the pulpit. Currently the darker wood color (gray as you called it) narrows and darkens the church more than it should. Painting all that bone white except for those two columns at the front of the church will make the church look more spacious yet the wood ceiling will maintain that cozy feel. And the bone white at the front of the church will provide a nice backdrop for your seasonal wall hangings.
It would be nice to plaster over those cinder blocks to make the room look a little less institutional. Not sure if you’re planning to drywall those walls or not. You mentioned white brick getting wallboard. (?) Wood trim around the windows would be sufficient to warm them up — no real need for handkerchief valances at that point. I am not too crazy about valances with points (for some reason). Bad feng shui??
Don’t worry about the blue carpet and cushions. I’ve seen much worse. One more comment: in terms of plants at the altar area, palms would be preferable to ficus if there’s an option to switch out the plants. Wood pots would be a little more substantial too. I realize that the greenery is part of the seasonal decorations. I would try to avoid anything artificial unless they’re Christmas trees.
Does that help? Thank you again for posting!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Thank you so much. I look forward to putting your recommendations in place!
Cheers,
Don
Here’s another project for you, Barbara.
We are also wanting to redo the front entry way, the small hall and the fellowship room. That includes painting over the current pink walls, taking up the old carpet and replacing it with something else, and installing nice storage cabinets along the back walls to hide the tables, chairs and other items.
We’d like to replace the industrial blue-pink-purple carpet with a durable floor that’s easy to keep clean, but also something that is classic.
I’ll send you pictures.
Regards,
Don
Hi Don,
What I can do now is give you some ideas for paint colors but with regard to the flooring, the decisions are often based on budget. There are so many options out there now for commercial-grade flooring, that the cost will probably dictate which direction you go. In terms of comfort (and children sitting on the floor), carpet is the most comfortable and warm. However, as you know, it’s hard to keep clean where there’s food and drink being spilled all the time. So a flooring that can get mopped quickly is ideal. Whether that’s wood, ceramic tile, or laminate is a question for the budget committee.
In terms of color for the floor, I would stay in the neutral zone (shades of brown/gray/tan or all of the above) for ease of cleaning and also longevity. The current purple/pink color scheme may have seemed like just the thing at the time, but it kind of dates the room to around 1972. Staying earthy will hold up over time. Then you can switch out furnishings/decorations for holidays and other events and not have anything clash.
So starting with the flooring, which is what I would advise since it’s the most costly, I suggest forming a small renovation committee out of your “Vestry” or the equivalent to research cost and material options. Sticking with the earthy neutrals regardless of materials, they can easily select the flooring once it’s determined what is the most optimal for your church. I would be happy to take a look at any samples they drag back to the church and weigh in on which one I like best.
As for the paint colors, since there’s not a lot of natural light in your hallway, I would keep those walls light. You can bring the Bone White into the lobby area or go to a warmer tone like Ben Moore’s Monroe Bisque HC-26. Although there would be less contrast with your wood doors, the color would be warm and welcoming as you enter the church.
For the fellowship room, I suggest painting the “painted cabinets” something like either Wilmington Tan HC-34 or Squire Hill Buff 1068, whichever color goes better with the other oak cabinets. That will unify the kitchen. Then for the wall color, you’ve got several options: Gentle Gray 1626 is a very light gray-blue (very calming and excellent with oak and other wood tones — we used it in another church library and people love it!); Soft Fern 2144-40 is a wonderfully fresh backdrop that also looks great with wood tones; or the Monroe Bisque HC-26 mentioned above.
See what you think. And thanks again!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Thanks so much for the service you provide. I need to make window, roofing and trim color decisions.
My house is a brick-veneer ranch. I’ve neglected it for so long and now must spend a lot of money on Hardiplank, roofing and new windows. As I must do all of these now, I want to make sure they are coordinated, so that I maximize the curb appeal.
I ordered the windows this week and they have white frames and grids. I’m wondering if I should order one of the other color options as part of my overall color scheme. I had originally thought about having the white grids, and then paint the brick moulding an accent color. I’ve seen the white window frames & grid with different colored moulding schemes and they are attractive, but again, what do I know?
Below is some information that may assist you.
The other window colors are available at this site:
http://www.infinitywindows.com/?page=options-features-
exterior-colors
At this next site (GAF shingles) there’s a handy virtual planner that allows you to change the colors for the various components: brick color, roof color, and trim.
http://www.gaf.com/Roofing/Residential/Products/Shingles/Timberline/Timberline-Shingles.aspx#
Click on the “Virtual Home Remodeler” and select these components:
Style: ranch #9 of 10 (left to right)
Brick: Antique Rose (most closely resembles my brick)
Roof: slate (When asked, use zip code 28211) I favor the slate color, but am open to change.
The decisions I need to make are:
-shingle color
-trim color
-should I change the window frame color, and if so which color.
Thank you for your help. Please let me know if you need additional information. If calling would be easier than composing an email, I will gladly give you my phone number.
Hi Dennis,
I think the slate color is perfect with your rose brick. Not nearly as harsh as black and yet a really classic look. And nothing sets off gray as well as white. Honestly, if you’re going for a traditional brick ranch that will stand the test of time, then white windows will work best. Yes, there are other trendier options, but I would rather see you spend money on other less-expensive features: nickel hardware and porch lighting instead of black, a less-traditional front door color that’s easy to switch out — how about Ben Moore’s Crownsville Gray HC-106 (a soft olive) or Caponata AF-650 (a dark eggplant)?
See what you think.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I’m back for more of your great advice!
We’ve been working on the house (parsonage) we live in. It is a split level that faces west. When you enter the front door you either go up a flight of stairs to the main living area or down into the basement. It was built in 1964, and very little has been done to it all these years (except for painting). Carpet was put in throughout the whole house about 20 years ago, and worn out, dated linoleum installed who knows when, but certainly a few years before that.
You’ll be receiving the pictures by way of email. What we would like to hear from you is how you might re-decorate the space, as if you’re staging it.
The paint color they had was a yellowish/cream/something that made things look dirty. Everything, but the kitchen cabinets, was painted in that color. There was an old, wobbly, rusty, black wrought-iron room divider (between living room and entry way). I removed that and installed a knee wall instead. We textured the knee wall, which led to using knock down texture on all the walls in the entryway, hall, living and dining rooms.
After trying out half-dozen colors, we chose Behr’s Aged Parchment (UL 150-10 tan) for the living and dining room, and Behr’s Roman Plaster (UL 170-11, 2 shades deeper) for the entry way, the hall wall and the living room wall which faces the front door.
I’ll be painting the new baseboards and trim white. We also painted the ceiling a fresh, flat ceiling-white.
The carpet will be yanked out over Christmas break, and I’ll install Pergo wood-laminate floor in the hall, living and dining rooms. I chose a medium wood color (Presto Seasoned Hickory). The living room is 13 1/2′ wide x 18′ long. The dining area is 9′ x 10′.
The old couch came with the house and it’s going. The wood TV armoir will also go, as will the dining room table (came with house) and donated chairs. We need bookshelves (they can be painted). We like the leather love-seat recliner. For purposes of health (allergies), lots of visitors with kids, and so forth, we’d prefer a leather couch.
We do want a rectangular dining table that is not as wide as the old table; one that we can extend to seat 8-10 people.
We’ve had the light olive/matching red color scheme for almost 9 years, and we want a change. We don’t care for mid-century 50’s, contemporary/modern, nor Colonial. I personally like Craftsman style, which my wife is okay with. However, we’re not sure what we want in terms of style.
We are ready for the blue-tone colors (blue teals, reds, etc.) We also like little accents of yellow, perhaps camel, but not orange or lime green.
So, here are our questions:
1. What furniture would you suggest?
2. What drapes would you recommend?
3. How would you arrange the living room area?
4. What accents would you use?
Looking forward to your advice!
Don
Hi Don,
Before I get to your specific questions, just a couple of suggestions about the flooring. Ideally, it would be nice to have tile in the entryway. Perfect for wet feet and easy to mop up. Then the Pergo flooring should be fine for the upstairs. Have you considered Engineered Hardwood? It’s the same installation — floating floor — and just a little bit more expensive. You might want to take it all the way into the dining area. (You can have a different flooring for the kitchen since you need to be able to mop that up as well.) Bringing the flooring into the dining area will create a much larger-looking space.
Now a word about lighting. It looks like you have three ceiling fans, two in the living room and one in the dining area. Not sure if it’s an option to switch those out but I cannot believe that you need that much moving air in Colorado! And the ceilings are not high enough to need heat recirculation. So if there’s money in the budget, you might consider replacing the fans with different lighting. Recessed cans are nice since they don’t hang down but they are best placed around the perimeter of the room, not just in the middle of the ceiling. An alternative would be some updated track lighting that you can use to highlight artwork or other features of the room. Lamps are fine for task lighting.
Okay, as for furniture, you’ll definitely need another large sofa for maximum seating. I would remove the TV altogether and replace it with the large bookcases from the other wall or a large art piece. Where the TV is currently is the focal wall and that little TV cabinet just doesn’t measure up to the size of the wall. (I know it’s going anyway.) The best place for a TV is in a bedroom made into an office or downstairs on the lower level leaving the living room TV-free.
Since you may be entertaining large groups in your living room, you’ll need even more seating than two sofas. And your room is big enough for a couple of conversation areas. I would avoid putting all the furniture around the perimeter of the room — too much like a doctor’s office waiting room. Break the room into two smaller areas where people can talk and not shout across the room.
Good idea for a larger (with leaves) dining room table.
If you’re looking for leather furniture and wood, don’t forget to check all the local consignment shops. I love consigned furniture! It’s inexpensive, nicely broken in often with wonderful patina on the wooden arms, and “green.” Your congregation will love the idea that their Pastor is conscious of the environment (I’m sure you already are!). Anyway, find some interesting pieces keeping in mind that items can be refurbished if necessary.
As for window treatments, you might like a “woven Roman” shade for the dining area since the window is small. Check online sources. The shades are very easy to install. Then for the living room window, you might like a pair of full-length drapes on a dark, oil-rubbed bronze curtain rod to go with the leather/dark woods that you’ll be bringing in. The drapes can be ready-made but should be simple and not too busy. The idea is to frame the window and add some warmth/privacy.
As for accents, those are last. There’s your opportunity to bring in your accent colors, the blues/teals/reds. Artwork, pillows, an area rug for in front of the sofa, lamps — all in the accent colors.
Start with the big ticket items (the sofa, chairs, and dining room set) and then fill in as you go. I’m here so send photos if you get stuck!
Hope that gets you started! And thanks again for posting!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara, maybe it would be helpful to know the roof is slate. Not very visible in picture. also, i have seen cream window color on brick and stone …maybe i should think out of the box a little? inclined to keeo the dark color for casement on outside. what do you think?
Hi Barbara, Thank you for the website. I am hoping you can
get a quick response back to me as I plan to purchase a new door
tomorrow in time for the tax credit! My original thought has been
to get a paintable door and have been “toying” with the idea of a
Red Door since I like Red and it seems like it would go well with
our exterior colors (light gray siding with black shutters and
white trim). However, I am not certain about it and since looking
on the web it seems there are several colors I could possibly go
with as well! (i.e. Yellows/Golds, Orange – I think you have
recommended BM August Morning). I don’t think my husband will be
crazy about the different colors, but I think I could have fun with
it! So I need to know what colors samples would look best for a
paintable door or would it be better to go with wood (or wood like)
and what color of stain? It seems black could be an obvious choice,
but I am thinking it could be too much black and not really
exciting either. We plan to redo the landscaping this spring
including adding black trellis’ to each side of the garage and
possibly going with a French Quarter type theme or a Modern
Oriental theme with small easy care boxwoods, etc. One concern I
have is how will the white storm door look with any choice. Would
also like to pick a door color that will allow a darker color for
the exterior hard ware. What would be your recomendation for the
front porch floor? It is unpainted cement which meets the brick
stairs. I would like to paint it or add a pattern to it. Please
view the house photos at: http://1020door.shutterfly.com/pictures
Any suggestions you can provide would be appreciated! Thank you for
all of your assistance, Bette
Hi Bette,
I suggest you get a paintable door. That will free you up to change the color down the road. A solid wood door would be lost behind the storm door anyway.
As for color, brick red or burnt orange will look great with your brick steps and gray siding. You are right. No more black needed. Go for the pop of color.
You can stain the concrete porch either gray to go with your house color or brick brown to tie in the rest of the porch. The latter would be warmer.
In terms of actual door colors, look at Ben Moore’s Dinner Party, Georgian Brick, Caliente, and Firenze. I think one of those will be perfect!
Thanks for posting!
Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello!
We are looking to get new windows, gutters, soffets, and a roof this spring on our house. Currently we have tan brick 1960’s ranch house with an enclosed white front porch, white gutters/soffets/windows, brown stained roof, and a tan wrap around deck/rails. Our garage doors are not seen from the road.
Also, in our back yard we have a large barn with a cottage white siding, driftwood shingles, and white windows. The barn was built 7 years ago. We initially chose driftwood because that was what we were going to put on the house roof as well. Since we have waited so long I am now wondering if we should roof the house driftwood or if something else would be better with us eventually changing out the barn too.
Currently I feel there are three options:
OPTION 1) Roof house with driftwood and leave white accents for windows, gutters, soffets, etc. Maybe add color to the house by painting the front and side doors a color? Do I need to try to coordinate the cottage white anywhere on our house to flow the barn with the house?
OPTION 2) A couple people I know really want me to modernize the house on the outside. They feel I need to get black or bronze vinyl windows and then add black metal rails to the deck, also paint or replace the enclosed front porch to match the windows. It sounds nice but I can’t visualize the final look with the overall house and barn. I think I would have to change out too much. Can you picture this? If so, what are your thoughts on how to moderinze the house and what colors to choose for windows, gutters, soffets, roof, doors, etc?
OPTION 3) ??? Your input here for windows, roof, gutters, soffets to make our property flow the best?
Thanks so much for all your input!
Hi Lindsay,
Thanks for your patience. First of all, you do not need to match the house with the barn — it’s much nicer actually to have an “out building” that doesn’t match the house. But now moving on to the house, Option 1 would certainly work and would be the least costly to you. Adding color in the doors is a great way to update the house without a major re-do. Driftwood as a roof color is very versatile and goes with a lot of different siding colors, including your tan brick. A red door like Ben Moore’s Georgian Brick (HC-50) would warm up the entry area and you could bring that color over to the barn doors as well. Or maybe some lawn furniture/window boxes.
As for Option 2 (modernizing the STYLE of your house), I would need to see a photo to address that. But the fact that you have a barn in the back leads me to believe that modernizing the house might not work. Warming it up with color might be the best choice, at least for now. I would love to see your house, though, to determine what window/trim color would be best for the house. Going with a color other than white may be a good compromise.
Send a photo to my email (bmeglis@yahoo.com) or enclose a photo link here in the reply box and I’ll be happy to take a look.
Thanks again, Lindsay.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello Barbara,
I ended up sending the house / barn pictures you requested in an email. I am interested to see if you opt for different colors other than white or if you feel the trims on the house should stay the same. Thanks much! Lindsay
Hi Lindsay,
Thank you for sending the photos — very helpful. I suggest keeping the same roof for the house and barn. Since what you’re calling the barn is very similar in design to your house, it would be good to have that continuity. Then, to tie the two buildings together further, I suggest painting the door/garage door on the barn something like Ben Moore’s Tyler Taupe HC-43 that should resemble the brick color on your house. (I know I mentioned a brick red before, but you can reserve that or another accent color for your house doors.)
To update the house, you might consider painting (or replacing the siding) on the porches and painting them a creamy Powell Buff HC-35, a darker version of what you have on the barn. Tying the color scheme together between the two structures will help to unify the whole property. (What I mentioned before about having an “out building” that was completely separate in color scheme really refers to more of a traditional horse-type barn — that was what I thought you had. Your new “barn” needs to coordinate with the house. And I think we’re doing that now.)
As for windows and soffits, white is fine. Since you’ve put new windows in the barn, you might as well keep the same for the house. Otherwise, the barn will stick out too much. Also since the roof color and brick color will blend instead of contrast with each other, the white trim/gutters will provide the needed contrast. Pull the creamy barn color into the house by painting the enclosed porches the Powell Buff. White windows will still look good with that color. No need to go dark with the windows unless you plan a comPLETE overhaul including ripping down porches and rebuilding entryways, etc. Sounds like a lot more than is necessary right now.
Hope that helps to clarify my original reply. Let me know if you have additional quesitons.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Mehmuna,
If you’re undecided on the paint color but tend to like muted colors, I suggest a charcoal gray roof color. That will go with any muted shade that you end up choosing for your house.
Hope that helps. Thanks for posting!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Good morning,
I may have sent my questions and pics to the wrong place after utilizing your paypal site for payment.
I sent the pictures and questions to your e-mail addy: bmeglis@yahoo.com. I did receive confirmation of payment.
Should I repost them here?
Thank you…
Hi Barbara,
We are putting a new silver metal roof on our home and painting the exterior. It is a A frame type home with cedar planks, probably built in the early 80s. I’m trying to make it look as updated as possible. What colors would you recommend for the exterior? There are shutters, some porch fencing and 2 6″ by 6″ “columns”. The silver metal roof isn’t definite but it is the one roof my husband and I can agree on.
We are painting the entire interior also. The front room is about 18′ at the highest, north facing, with a very large window. The room to me always felt cavernous (well, it is) but I want to make it warmer. Any wall color suggestions?
Thanks for any advice you can offer and for having this site.
Kristi
Hi Kristi,
One option for your house color is a darker green-gray like Ben Moore’s Dolphin (AF-715) with Mascarpone AF-20 for the trimwork, and Honeymoon AF-345 for the front door. As for the shutters, you might match the roof (one idea) or use the Honeymoon if you like it a lot (shutters can make a real statement — good or bad — as you know). As for the inside, since you’re north-facing, you need sunlight. Look at Soleil AF-330. You’ll love it!
Hope that gets you started.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
My roof is weatherwood and it is taupe, grey and I thought some brown until I tried brown on the bricks and it made the roof look very grey. the best way to describe the roof is shades of a piece of drift wood found in a lake.
House style is a ranch with painted bricks on lower half and james hardi siding going on the top half. three pillars out front that are rod iron scroll that I think should probably be updated with regular pillars. thanks! I’ll try to send picture from Iphone but not sure if email is address for you is on this link…
Hi Katy,
Yes, the Weathered Wood is taupe so it’s a very sophisticated color. Love it! Try Berkshire Beige (Ben Moore’s AC-2) for the body of the house with Cameo White (cream) trim and Texas Leather AC-3 shutters and garage door. Then you can warm up the front door with Country Redwood (Exterior) or Georgian Brick HC-50. Keeping the house palette monochromatic will make the house look taller and bigger all around.
And yes, I suggest boxing in the iron scrolled columns in front. That will add to the more cottagey feel of the house.
Hope that helps!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara. We have a one-story rambler house and are about to replace the roof, have the siding and trim painted, and possibly replace the garage door. I sent pictures of our house and our neighbor’s house to your email address.
As you can see from the pictures, our garage door is the most prominent feature of the house from the street. We are actually looking into having the large evergreen in front of the house either moved or removed because it interrupts the curb appeal of our house and blocks light from our living room. However, even if we did so, the garage would still be very prominent.
I’ve been considering replacing our garage door with a natural wood color door, but am not sure that would work well with our house/trim. We have a nice natural wood deck/porch leading up to our front door and it might be possible to find a wood door that ties into that. Even if we don’t go with a natural wood color, I’d like to consider replacing it with something more attractive – maybe something with windows in it or a bit more decorative (although I generally like fairly modern/clean looks – nothing too intricate).
Regarding the trim, we have a fairly expensive gutter system that was installed just last year, so we’d rather not replace our white gutters. I tend to like color schemes that either have white or cream colored trim and I think we should probably rule out cream colored because of the white gutters but wanted to get your opinion.
Our neighbors across the street have the same model house and their color scheme is cream/light yellow colored siding, white trim and a grey roof. I like the look of their house, but I don’t want ours to look just like it. I’ve seen some new construction houses with color schemes I like – most have a nice mix of neutrals – taupe/light brown or very subtle green siding and a brown roof.
I tend to prefer brown roofs, but not the ones that have really yellow or orange undertones. I am open to a grey roof as well. I just don’t like roofs that are a strong color – blue, green or red.
Finally, I have always wanted to have a purple front door. If there’s a scheme that can work with, I’d love it. Since the front door is not actually visible from the street, it’s not a really important feature, but I do want to know that someone who walks up to the door won’t find that it clashes with everything else. If you have a suggestion for a neutral purple (if such a thing exists), I’d love to hear it.
Thanks in advance for your help on all of these issues!
Kelly
Hi Kelly,
How about an Owens Corning Oakridge Teak roof with Ben Moore’s Pismo Dunes AC-32 siding, white trim and Mesa Verde Tan AC-33 garage door? That will work if you stick with your current door or get another paintable version. There’s nothing wrong with the panelled door that you have now — visually anyway — so don’t rush out to buy a new one. Painting it a lighter neutral will make a HUGE difference.
Another suggestion that will improve the garage is to replace the garage lights. Satin Nickel would look terrific against the taupe, but if you prefer black or bronze, those will work too. Get matching lights for the front door area too.
For your front door, look at Chambourd AF-645 (from the Ben Moore Affinity Collection). That should work great with the taupe.
See what you think of those color options.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I wrote you a while back about “shutter color advice” for a “New England” yellow home. You suggested two different colors – we chose Benjamin Moore HC-71. It’s finished! and I love it!!
Thank you so much!!
Thank you for the feedback Bette! Enjoy!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I donated and then couldn’t see where to ask my question. Here?
I am wanting color advice. Have a den – 14 x 19; Husband just finished refacing the fireplace with beautiful natural stone. Greys, Rusts, and off white sprinkled here and there.
He wants to purchase a MERLOT leather sofa and chair and I love the color too. Will this be okay even though Merlot can seem to have a bit of a pink tinge to it. It looks great with the wall color which is a medium to light grey – beautiful calm color.
Hi Jane,
I think the Merlot leather will be very nice. What you’ll want to do is add a little more of that rich wine color with the pink undertone along with the rust (orange undertone) into the room decor to tie everything together. You can do that with your artwork, rug, lamps, pillows, or other accessories. Just make sure that the merlot color is in the room somewhere other than just the sofa and you’ll be fine! And same with the rust. I love the gray wall color too. Wonderful with the stone fireplace. You’re off to a great start!!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I just sent a payment through Paypal and have sent you an email with my plea for advice on exterior colors for our home. I have also attached photos to the email. Please let me know if you receive it. Thank you!
My best,
Kara Balkus
Hi Kara,
I like the Rockport Gray, but have you also seen Berkshire Beige (Ben Moore’s AC-2)? It’s a little less gray but it’s still taupey.
Then you might consider either a grape accent color like Chambourd (Ben Moore’s AF-645) to go with your lilacs or Honeywheat 179,
a fresh, warm, sunny color that warms up the cool taupe.
See what you think. You might also consider a color that will coordinate with your chimney brick. Something like Deep Poinsettia 2091-30.
See what you think. I love your current color scheme but I can understand why you want to try something new.
Thanks again. Sorry for the delay…
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Thank you Barbara for your feedback.
I am going to test out the Berkshire Beige this weekend. I will let you know how it goes.
My best,
Kara
What color of bathroom accessories would match paint color Maryville brown
Hi Liz,
Try silver — stainless, chrome, or nickel. You’ll love it! Use white towels or try lime green!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi, Barbara. Our home is a nondescript spec house built in the 80’s. Its advantages are that it sits on a pretty two-acre lot, and that it offers great views. Its disadvantages are that it sits far back on the lot on a downward slope; that it has a dominating, black hip roof; and that it is viewed on the road from the garage door side because the neighbor’s private drive runs in front of the house. It has a new black roof, new white garage door with adjoining white entry door, white windows and shutters, silver gray siding, and a red brick facade around the front door.We need to replace the siding, and want to keep it light -shaded to make the home appear closer and larger from the street view.
We are considering almond or clay colored siding with brick-red board and batten shutters that will pick up the brick front.The white garage door and adjoining entry are meant to be paint-free, and will remain white. Will these shades accomplish our goal? Would white shutters be a reasonable alternative if the garage side remains white? How about white siding that blends with the garage but offers a sharp contrast to the brick facade and brick- red shutters? As you can see, we are bedazzled and bewildered by the possibilities! Any help you can offer will be deeply appreciated.
Hi Suzanne,
Although almond and clay will both work, how about yellow? It will contrast beautifully with your black roof and your brick facade and you can pair it with black shutters for a sharp, put-together look.
I’m not sure if you’re getting pre-colored siding or if you have the option to paint. If it’s the latter, look at something like either Ben Moore’s Hawthorne Yellow or Traditional Yellow. Either will give your house the presence it needs and will be a warm alternative to white.
As another option, yes, the almond or clay will look fine with brick-red shutters. Actually you can use the brick-red on yellow as well — although the black is a little dressier. All depends on the look you want.
You are on the right track. Be sure to plant some flowering shrubbery next to the garage side to balance all that white.
Hope this helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I have a 200 year old farm house that I am updating and need to paint the exterior. It sits up on a hill and it is a very visible home. It is currently a “parchment” color. We installed black exterior windows and I want to keep the color of them. So, I am thinking that black shutters are also a must. I am looking for trim and body color ideas. I am not married to the white trim but am concerned because of the large front porch.. I think I need to stay in a lighter color but would prefer more of a saturated color..maybe something a bit creamier and warmer for the base. I do however want it to really POP! I am not afraid to take risks so I would love to hear any fresh ideas! I would like to email you a photo so you can see the house. How do I do that? I have not paid yet as i was unsure if I could get you a photo.
Thanks!
Heather
Hi Barbara,
Just paid! Just let me know how to email you a photo!! I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Thanks!
Heather
Hi Heather,
You can email a photo to bmeglis@yahoo.com and I’ll see it there. Otherwise you can provide a link to a photo site here in the Reply box. Either way.
I look forward to seeing your house photo!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Heather,
I suggest keeping the white trim, but instead of a white ceiling on the porch, how about a traditional light blue? That will certainly break up all that white and give the porch a little more interest particularly since you can see the ceiling as you come up the hill to the house. Take a look at Ben Moore’s Woodlawn Blue HC-147 paired with something like Carrington Beige HC-93 (with a green undertone to pick up your roof color). Or look at Wedgewood Gray HC-146 paired with something like Shaker Beige HC-45 which also looks great with your roof and your stonework out front.
The key to using a blue ceiling is making it blend with the wall color so it does not stick out too much. On your historic home, a grayed-down blue is best — nothing too bright.
See what you think of that idea!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
We desperately need your help! We live in a1964 burnt orange colored brick ranch house. (terra cotta ) ( in the South ) Laminated shingles on the roof are “weathered wood”.The front windows, include a picture window are dark brown or bronze aluminum.The front storm door is almond.The shutters are Hamilton Blue.Please suggest colors for the trim, shutters,front door wood ( mahogany ) , wrought iron posts and wrought iron fenced in area on porch, porch color,( Concrete ) gutters, light fixture by front door, color door wreath, accent color for porch furniture and the color of landscape flowers.
We would like to add a real design statement.
Thank you for any suggestions you might have!
Gerri
Hi Gerri,
Since your storm door is almond, why not use that color for the rest of your trim. That will highlight the bronze windows nicely and lighten up the house. Then instead of the blue shutters, how about either Texas Leather (Ben Moore AC-3) which will go very well with your Weathered Wood roof OR a more contemporary color like Chambourd AF-645 that will complement the terra cotta with quite a pop of color. Then you can keep the wood door (if it’s natural mahogany) or paint it almond to match the storm door. The accent color for the door wreath is purple and your porch furniture can be the same. For the landscape, I would focus on creams and limey greens — lots of lush vegetation out front and pots of creamy flowers.
If you prefer the Texas Leather look on the shutters, you could paint the front door the Chambourd and use cream for the porch furniture and purples in the garden.
The wrought iron can be bronze as well as the light fixtures and any other metal accents. But black works too. Since you’re in Louisiana and black wrought iron is part of your wonderful style history.
See what you think of that idea.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
What about door color? I feel like I should do something a little different?
Thank you!
Heather
Hi Barbara,
Oops! I left the comments under the wrong blog. Thank you for your advice. However before I begin, does it make a difference that the replacement storm windows are brown instead of bronze? If so please advise me.
Again, thanks so much.
Gerri
Hi Barbara,
In order to lighten up things, I plan to remove the almond full view storm door and replace it with a white full view storm door. I would like to keep the wood door. The brown windows are too costly to replace at this time. Would the trim, wreath etc remain the same? I am using dark grey for the porch floor.
Thanks ,
Gerri
Hi Barbara!
What a great blog! We find it to be a wealth of information!
We have a 1970’s tudor style house with a red brick bottom and a white stucco top with dark brown half timbering. The roof is a shade of red similar to the brick. We find the dark brown trim a little dull and would like a darker color (black if possible – we like the crispness and formality of black on tudor houses). We are slowly replacing our aluminum windows with wood ones, so we can paint them any color. We hope to replace the front door in the future as well.
At present , our house colors are as follows:
All are Benjamin Moore
Stucco: BM OC-51 intense white
Trim: BM 2112-10 mink
Variegated brick: BM 2094-20 copper mine
BM 2111-10 deep taupe
BM 2108-20 sierra spruce
BM 2112-10 mink
BM 2163-30 penny
Could you please advise us on the half timbering/trim color, front door color and garage door color? We would prefer not to paint the stucco, but if you think it’s best, what stucco color would you choose? We are emailing photos.
Thank you in advance,
Sandy
.
.
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Hi Sandy,
I think it’s fine to paint the half timbering/trim black. Take a look at Ben Moore’s Black Beauty and see if it’s “black” enough for you. It has a touch of brown but not nearly as much as the Mink you were using before. Then I would go ahead with the garage doors the same color. And all the trim around the front door. But it’s also okay to pick a different color for the front door. Personally, I like to pick an accent color from the brick (not required but it’s traditional — like your house) so one of the other warmer colors above would make a nice door color. Something like Penny or Sierra Spruce would work.
You might consider a large planter next to the garage or a window box under that lower window (next to the garage door). Black will work — with white flowers and greenery.
And the same with the entry area. A big outdoor-fabric pillow on that black bench as well as either a more colorful wreath will help to warm up that entry.
i think I covered everything.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I have a 100 year old colonial house which needs a new roof and I’m trying to decide on a color for the new architectural roof shingles I am having installed. The color of my house is dark brown (painted wood shingles) with a cream colored trim. However, many of the wood shingles on the side of my house are dried out and cracking and I may need to replace them all and get all new shingles (or siding) in the not too distant future. I’m thinking of choosing a color for the roof shingles that would both: (1) go with the dark brown wood shingles and cream trim that I have now; and (2) be a neutral shade that would go with a different color scheme. I haven’t decided on exactly what kind of different color scheme I may want to change to in the future, but am open to considering many options (including keeping the same color scheme I have now). I am leaning towards going with a dark gray color for the roof shingles like the CertainTeed Landmark Pewterwood shingles. I like that color for a roof and the Pewterwood does look like it would go with many different color schemes (even if it’s not the optimum choice for my present color scheme). The roof that’s on there now is a Slate Blend — sort of a light green/grayish color with red flecks, which I’m not crazy about. The roof is not a prominent feature of my house. Do you have any suggestions?
Robert
Hi Robert,
You cannot go wrong with Pewterwood for your 100-year-old colonial home, but also consider Heather Blend Max Def. Although it is brown, it does offer many options for different siding colors: olivey greens, taupes, tans, reds, and lighter creams/yellows. Just thought I would throw that into the mix.
But in your location (look around the neighborhood) and with your historic home, the dark traditional Pewterwood may be the best option. It certainly keeps the historic integrity of the house. If you’re in a neighborhood where all the charcoal roof colors are being replaced with updated colors, then you have more freedom to try something other than dark gray. Your call.
Hope that helps!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
Thank you for the advice. Today my roofing contractor dropped off a full size shingle sample of the Pewterwood shingle, and I was a little surprised by the prominence of the blue undertones in it. I guess I was expecting it to look more like a charcoal gray (and not so much like a blueish gray). Not sure how well it goes with my dark brown house. I looked at the Heather Blend, but it just seems like it would be too much brown if I went with that. So I guess I’m back to square one. As for the homes in my neighborhood, most are older like mine, but the styles vary greatly. One recently had a new roof put on, replacing a light gray roof (on a beige colored house) with GAF Pewter Gray shingles. Looks OK, but with such a light colored siding, I think a darker color for the roof would have looked even better. It does, however, look more “max def”. Another more modern house, all white, recently put on a light gray architectural shingle which does not look good at all. Since the house styles and colors, and roof colors, of the homes in my location vary greatly, I have a lot of freedom of choice in what I can go with. But my own tastes run very traditional, very classic. Any other ideas?
Many thanks in advance,
Robert
Hi Robert,
Interesting about the blue undertone to the shingle. I had another blogger comment on that too! Getting samples — a must! (The challenges of working online…)
Anyway, have you seen Black Walnut Max Def (Certainteed Landmark)? It’s a dark traditional-looking roof color but with a little warmth that would tie in nicely with your brown house. The problem is: I’m not sure it’s available in New England. ???
Backup plan: Moire Black. It’s dark but the max def shingles provide some variation. Undoubtedly traditional. If you paint the house, I would bring the shade down a few notches for a little more contrast with the roof but your cream trim will do the trick nicely now.
But get a sample first… hope you like it!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
We have a 1970s brick and cedar siding home. The brick is a reddish/white mix (looks pink from afar) and the cedar siding is the typical 1970s dark brown. I feel the brown dates the house but, other than plain old white, am having trouble envisioning any other color for the siding to make it look more updated. Any suggestions? I could attach pictures to an email.
Hi Rhonda and Nick,
I’ll wait for your photo over on email, but in the meantime, you might take a look at the grays (like Stonington Gray HC-170) and the taupes with a pink undertone (like Chocolate Mousse 1025 Ben Moore). Either of those will coordinate well with your brick and will certainly update your house from the old dark brown. Look at Sail Cloth (exterior) for any trim — usually goes well with the grout.
See if that will work for you.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Please HELP from ontario canada! I’m glad i have found your blog! I am looking for some help with the exterior of our home. I need to pick a landmark Certainteed shingle colour for our much needed new roof a.s.a.p. and i am confused.!. My roof is dark brown as of now, and looks fine, but was was wondering if we should try a black or stick with the heather blend or driftwood coloured shingles. Our house is modest , and i’m concerned the black will make it look even smaller. We have a orange- brownish brick backsplit with faded yellow siding. We have ugly shutters that i tried to minimize w/ Ben moore paint in tirimisu-cc466. The garage is also painted in tirmisu. however, I love the front door colour Ben moore’s tauny rose, and would love to keep that. I would appreciate roof colour advice, or any other shutter/ garage paint advice. It’s in some desperate need of curb appeal!
In the back of our house we have a cute pool shed that has yellow siding, mocha trim, and a fun magenta door(previous owners painted) that is also getting a new roof too , and would love any advice on that as well.
If you send me your e-mail , I will send you a few photos to aid you..
Thanks in advance, and I will pay via paypal.
Kathy
Hi Kathy,
Although the Heather Blend would be fine, you had a warm brown roof before. So why not pick up on some of the cooler tones in your brick and move to Driftwood for the roof color. Then you could use Texas Leather AC-3 as an option for both shutters and garage door. The front door is fine as is but the current shutter/door color is a tad pink (okay, but not as contemporary a color).
The Driftwood will look spectacular on your pool house roof as well. No other changes there.
I agree that the black will not be the best option for your roof color. Very traditional (and not wrong) but I think we can do better with your variegated brick.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello,
I am in the process of changing the roof shingles on my house and would like your advice on the choices I have.
The shingles will be GAF Timberline.
I’m attaching a pdf showing the existing roof colour and the choices I am trying to decide on.
The colours are not in an order of preference. Would you also recommend a colour for the front door and
the garage door and the post and other trims.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
ps: I just sent you an email with a pdf attachment showing the colour choices.
Thank you.
Paulette Schorlemer
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
Hi Paulette,
I didn’t see Weathered Wood as one of your Timberline options that you are considering. I like that one because it’s earthy without being too dark and it pulls out the greens and browns in your brick. The Hickory is okay but it’s quite red. The slate has a pink color in it that will not look good with your brick. The other charcoas were a bit dark. Take a look at Weathered Wood.
Then for trim, I would keep the white if you like it but paint your two porch columns white as well. Then for shutters, garage and possibly even front door, consider Alexandria Beige HC-77 (Ben Moore) that will coordinate nicely with the roof and again bring out the other earth tones in the brick. It will also cool the house down a bit.
See what you think.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello Barbara,
I checked out Weathered Wood but that’s the colour my next door neighbour has on his house and I don’t want the same colour.
Can you recommend a different colour? If the Charcoal is too dark would the Slate or Barkwood look good?
Let me know what you think.
– Paulette
Hi Barbara,
Please Help! I have a1885 Victorian house that we are redoing. We are starting with the porch. As you can see the house has had blue vinyl and another material on it for years. Those coverings have kept the orig ginal clapboard in good shape. We replaced the original porch posts with new mahogany posts which we stained lightly and kept their natural wood look. The original color on the clapboard is a medium gray. We would like to keep the grey color. I am leaning toward Amherst Grey from BM. It is painted on the right of the window which you can see from the pictures. There is Stormy Sky painted on the left side of the same window. I am worried that painting the house a dark grey will make it too heavy looking. What should I paint the trim around the windows and the trim around the top of walls next to the ceiling. Should my fascia boards in the front be painted the same color as the window trim? We are putting new fascia boards up soon and I will need to paint the gutters the same color. We are moving the gutter downspout to the side of the house. I sent a picture of the front stone wall to show you what stone we are going to use on our new front steps. The roof will be replaced in the future so the brown doesn’t have to stay. Also the ceiling is stripped and ready to be painted. I painted a little portion of HC-65 Hodley Red next to the grey I painted. I think I am leaning toward a dark color of some kind not this red. I will also be replacing the old grey metal storms on all the front windows. I know there are a lot of questions here. Whatever advice you can give would be very helpful.
I will e-mail photos.
Thanks so much.
Verda T
Hi Verda,
I do like the Amherst Gray — it’s a warm gray so it shouldn’t weigh the house down much. What about a cool Wickham Gray HC-171 for the window trim and fascia/soffit? Then you might consider a light blue like Silvery Blue 1647 for the ceiling of your porch. Very Victorian to paint the ceiling blue.
Then your front door could be stained to match the new natural columns — the wood tones will warm the whole house up.
Pulling the rock colors in from the street will look great too.
See what you think. Since you have the orange of the wood tones already, I would not paint the ceiling red. You can always revinish the wood and keep it hatural like the colomns — that’s a wonderful look as well. But if prefer to paint it, then think about blue!
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara
I need exterior color advice. My home is a large, sort of sprawling, ranch in eastern Iowa. Color is currently white with black shutters surrounding double white doors. (Used to have shutters all around the house but we removed to replace windows.)
The roof is weathered wood. I can’t decide if I should stay white and use color in door and shutters or go to a color on the house and use white shutters or, or, or… Window trim is white and will stay white.
The house sits down from the street in a semi-wooded area. We are adding a patio front right of the house, and replacing the three casement window set in the very front with a larger set of casements. I’ll send a pic via email shortly.
Thank you!
Becky
Hi Becky,
When you start with a white canvas, the sky’s the limit. How about moving to a Shaker Beige (Ben Moore HC-45) siding color with your existing white trim and nice warm doors like Audubon Russet (HC-51)? You can paint your garage doors Lenox Tan HC-44 and the side door too.
That palette will look really nice with your Weathered Wood roof and will warm up the house. See what you think!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
Just stumbled on your site, really great. We are renovating and extending our 1923 center hall colonial. We are a little challenged with the exterior of our home. Trying to select colors for roof, siding and some stone (for possible use for a few feet up from the base of the house).
We really like Grey for the house, the following is a note we sent our contractor this morning. Real dilemma here is what specific colors do we do for each element and how best do we bring it together without being boring. I should add we will have a fair amount of White Azak around bay windows on first and second floor
Shingles
Certainteed cedar impressions double 7 inch straight edge rough split shakes. Colors we would look at:
Flagstone
Granite Gray
Pacific Blue
Sterling gray
Roofing
Tamko Roofing Heritage Premium:
Oxford Grey
Slatetone grey
Thunderstorm grey (this is what we are leaning towards, really need to figure out how it will work with shingle and does it work for our house.)
Contractor is also saying we can do Certainteed Grand Manor
Stone
greenwich gray looks good probably in ashlar, but possibly in ledgestone.
Need some guidance here as to bring this to a final decision.
Thanks in advance.
Best regards,
Robert
Hi Robert,
I like the the Pacific Blue siding color as it is a gray-blue and very nice with the Thunderstorm Gray roof and Greenwich Gray stone in ashlar. I would use the bigger stones to avoid a busy effect since you’re using shakes instead of lap siding (that’s fine) and the roof is max def for lots of color. Yes, the shakes will look fine with the max def roof since the shakes are all one color and offer texture and not a busy look. (Using a max def roof with multi-colored brick leaves me dizzy but that won’t happen with your house — no problem.
Make sure you get large roof samples, however, before making a final decision.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara-
I will be painting an entryway/foyer and adjoining dining room and den.
Could you recommend colors (shades of grey or beige?? ) for the following:
Foyer and trim .
Den and trim including crown moulding.
Dining(casual) room with wainscoting, trim, and crown moulding.
I will send pictures of these rooms to you yahoo email.
Thanks
.
William Duffy
Hi William,
Thanks for your patience. I was travelling.
Take a look at either Edgecomb Gray HC-173 or Manchester Tan HC-81 for your foyer. The gray will go a little better with your carpet and tile, but either should work. Then for the Dining Room, how about Clarksville Gray HC-102 beneath the chair rail and then Grant Beige HC-83 above. For the Den, take a look at Revere Pewter HC-172. For trim, White Dove will work — it is a white that ages well and is not too white. (Or use the trim color you have currently. That looks fine.)
The Pewter in the den will give you a chance to add color on the sofa (you can replace the pillows or have them recovered). Dark eggplant pillows on the sofa would look terrific. (I don’t see what else is in the room currently but a little color on the sofa and some art above it will spice up the room).
The wood tones on the dining room furniture will look great with a gray-green backdrop. Earthy.
Hope that gets you started. You mentioned grays and beiges so I tried to stay in that palette. Hope the colors work for you.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello,
We are building a lake house and are wrestling a bit with colors, particularly windows and trim. It will be two stories with an attached 3 car garage a couple of bumpouts and a front porch that will be framed with rough timbers for a bit of a rustic look. We were thinking of a metal roof over the porch for an accent. Any ideas on what color roof? We are thinking of a cedar color vinyl shake for the outside of the house. We are torn on going with white windows or tan windows. We will be purchasing the windows already trimmed out so the windows and trim will either be all white or all tan. What do you think? Also, what color would be good for the front door and for the garage doors? The rest of the roof will be black architectural shingles and the porch will have a stone faced fireplace. There is living space above the garage as well, so there will be windows on that upper level.
Hi Brian,
Is the vinyl shake color “Mountain Cedar” from Certainteed? Or can you let me know what brand you’re using so that I can see the color? I think it’s a great idea to use a metal accent roof. Just whether it’s a rusty red, bronze, copper, or dark green will depend on the exact color of the siding.
Tan windows will blend better with the siding, regardless of color, and will give you more of the rustic look you’re after. So I would definitely go ahead with the tan instead of white. (If you wanted a “Nantucket Cottage” look for your lake house, we would go with white. But the rough timbers point to tan.)
Back a little later with a suggestion for the porch roof.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
About the lake house, we were planning to use a five inch trim on the outside windows with crown moulding on top.
Dear Barbara, can you help me? I am putting a second story on a ranch home in Arlington VA. My contractor says I need to select shingles and siding by tomorrow!! I am so unprepared! At first, I was going to use khaki brown hardie plank and paint the brick to match, and use white trim, black shutters, and a red door. Now, as I look at the brick, I am quite liking the original color and thinking I should use a hardie siding that coordinates with it, instead of trying to paint the brick to match the siding. I was even thinking of doing country lane red siding, but I am afraid the house will end up looking like a big barn – though hopefully not. My architect designed kind of an ambitious roof line that is dramatic and beautiful, but that will be reminiscent of a barn or a german chalet if I don’t get the colors right! I need colors for siding, trim, accents and shingles. This is a flip, so it must appeal to the general public. I need advice for the siding, trim, accents, and shingles. Links and pics below – thank you! Sasha
PS – the house has a weird orientation. The house sits perpendicular to the street. The top pic is the part of the house that faces the street. The second pick shows the main entry to the house, which is to the side.
Hi Sasha,
Thanks for emailing. Hope we helped.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi again,
Thanks again for your prior advice.Now I have a REAL challenge. The bathroom in the master bedroom is very old but not in a quaint way. It is a hodgepodge of colors but I was previously able to find a wallpaper that picked up all the colors. It is fairly hideous but I cannot do a major renovation right now. I would like to strip the paper and paint but do not know where to begin.
The tile is 4 inch ceramic with a black trim (old style Italian tile) in a peachy/pink tone. The sink and toilet are light yellow (!) and the ceramic floor tile is cream and dark sky blue. The person who put this together was either drunk, demented or both but at the moment I have to live with it.
Is there a neutral tone you can think of that might work? The current wallpaper has a taupey background similar to BM1033. Also, would like a color for the ceiling and woodwork and window trim.
The bathroom is not large.
Many thanks!
Gail
Gail,
You are so funny! I’m still laughing! Back in a few with an idea!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Gail,
Since you have almost a perfect rainbow in your bathroom, any neutral is just going to accent those individual colors. So what I suggest is that you pick a lighter version of the wall tile and paint the walls that color. See Ben Moore’s Jumel Peachtone HC-54. Not sure if your tiles are a version of that but it’s a place to start. By painting the walls a lighter tone of the wall tile, you will blend the tile and make the room bigger. Yes, it will be peach but it already is. The black border will stand out (it CAN be painted white or cream with a tile primer so that’s not a huge issue). The yellow sink and toilet will blend as well (yellow/peach are related). Then you only have the dark sky blue on the floor. Blue:peach — opposites on the color wheel so there’s some energy there. A cream rug on the floor will help.
To make the color in the bathroom look more intentional, stick with white for your ceiling color and white window/door trim.
End result: a retro bathroom that’s slightly (maybe only slightly) more tolerable than it is currently.
I once had a client with pea-green bathroom fixtures. We chose a light yellow-green wall color (something you might not consider ordinarily) and it worked great to camouflage the ugly fixtures. Any other color would have highlighted them. Then she added contrasting towels and voila. Same thing for you.
Hope that works!!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Thank you for your response. I definitley would not have guessed that color but I can see what you mean about the neutral (I always tend toward the neutrals). On the website, the color looks close but I am amzed at how different colors can look up on the wall (I am struggling with a gray (1460) in one of my bathrooms now- it looks somewhat lavender, not a look I was going for- although I should have looked at the adjacent colors in the fan :-()
How many shade lighter would you go on the paint? I will try to get a couple of samples this weekend.
Which white would you use on the trim? Should I keep the white on the creamy side (like linen white) .
I am afraid that anything “white” would look bad with the creamier tile on the floor.
What about the ceiling? Should I use the same white that is on the trim or standard ceiling white?
The towels should probably be creamy as well since I am not sure what a “contrasting” color would be in this ridiculous room.
I won’t bother with painting the black trim- it is not worth it to me to do that- what the bathroom really needs is to be gutted! (wish I could)
What a mess! Hopefully, paint and new light fixtures will make it look livable.
Looking forward to hearing back from you.
Gail
Hi Gail,
Look at White Dove or Swiss Coffee for trim. They are white but not too yellow. Either should be fine with the cream on the floor. You can use it for ceiling paint although the finish should be flat up there, not semi-gloss/satin as on the trim. If they are both too white, then move to linen white.
For the peach, try a couple shades lighter than the tile but not too light. Again, you’re trying to blend the tile WITHOUT trying to match it. Impossible. Check out the Historical Color section peach — it’s quite tasteful. (Jumel Peachtone)
Okay to use cream towels as long as they don’t look dirty next to the yellow sink. Or try black towels. That will work great!
Good luck.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I’m back! Unfortunately my husband did not like the two colors you recommended for the exterior (Gloucester Sage HC-100 and Texas Leather), so I was wondering if you could recommend another color? It doesn’t even have to have a ‘rustic theme’ to it, just something that complement the stone and roof. I’m enclosing a link with some up close pictures of the stone (Coronado’s Italian Villa Volterra). The shingles (GAF – Timberline HD Barkwood).
Thanks,
Nicole
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=104861710806721236306&target=ALBUM&id=5706147975915850465&authkey=Gv1sRgCKf_nv_D9arYkgE&invite=CI75iPoC&feat=email
Hi Nicole,
Thanks for the additional payment. I will get right on it. Sorry your husband didn’t like the last suggestion — but we want to please him TOO!
Back soon.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi again Nicole,
How about either Butte Rock AC-8 (a warm neutral that will highlight the cooler rock tones but coordinate nicely with the roof color–Ben Moore) or Lenox Tan HC-44 (a cool neutral that will show off the pinks/salmons in the rock but will contrast with the warm brown of the roof) since your husband didn’t like the green idea.
See what you think. There are so many colors in the rock… but we’ll find one that pleases everybody.
Don’t hesitate to write back. I have not exhausted the possibilities. But I think these two options will be more what your husband has in mind.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara,
I am remodeling an older home and took it down to the studs. The one room that I need help with is the kitchen. I’ve chosen white cabinets, dark gray or black granite. I’m still trying to decide (might be dark gray with a hint of green). My floors are going to be the black and white checkerboard. My light fixtures and faucet are all brushed nickel. I plan to have the cup pulls and knobs in brushed nickel as well. I know I need a bright color for the kitchen, so it isn’t so cold with the black and white. I’m thinking of a bright green by Valspar called Jalapeno Jelly (6005-61). Do you think that is too wild? Do you have another suggestion? I thought about burgandy, but I plan to pick a more toned down green for the rest of the house.
I’ve paid $20.00 on paypal. Thanks for your help,
Janet
Hi Janet,
With such a white kitchen (I would love to see you put in white subway tile, particularly since it’s an old house), you can paint the remaining walls almost anything. It’s fairly easy to pick a color (hue) for the room — and you like the yellow-greens — but it’s harder to pick the shade or tone (whether it’s darker, lighter) and the value (whether it’s muted or clear). The Jalapeno Jelly is what I would call a clear color — not muted at all. There will be lots of energy in your kitchen and that can be really nice especially with a neutral black & white scheme. The trick is to tie that color into the adjoining room somehow, either with artwork, pottery, placemats, or something else. By pulling the green from the kitchen into an adjoining room, you tie the rooms together so that the kitchen doesn’t stand alone as the only bright room in the house. Tying rooms together with color creates flow and makes your house seamless and not just a series of isolated rooms not connected to one another.
Hope that helps as you create the palette for your entire house. Bottom line: if you like the Jalapeno Jelly, go for it. Just work it into the overall color scheme of your house.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I’m trying to find a color to paint my very dark bedroom. We are thinking about moving and would like to paint are bedroom a neutral color. I thought I would like Gliddens Natural Linen but it looks like mud on the walls. The colors I have in my living room and dining room are SW believable buff and SW antique white with Gliddens Crisp Linen white on all the trim. The bathroom color in the bedroom is SW Sea Salt. I have dark cherry bedroom furniture and will be replacing the carpet after painting. Right now the color in the bedroom is a light yellow and would like to stay away from using yellow again.
What colors can you suggest for this very dark room?
Thanks!
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
How about a soft blue that will go very nicely with both the green in the bathroom and the creamy straw colors in the public areas.
Take a look at Dutch Tile Blue SW 0031.
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/architects-specifiers-designers/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW0031/
I am away from my office but let me know if you’d like me to spin the fandeck dial again.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I like that blue but really wanted a more neutral beige color. I was looking at BM First Crush. Since that is a beige do you think it will also be dirty looking? I wish I could use that blue because I think it would look great. I’m just worried that most buyers would like a neutral wall color so they don’t have to paint as soon as they move in.
Hi Barbara,
I didn’t hear back from you on the lighter color so I went ahead and got a sample of the Blue you suggested. At first I thought the color was going to work but then it dried and its way to dark for my room. Is there any way to make it lighter in color but keep the same hue? Does that make sense? I think it would match all my other colors especially the trim but it’s just too dark.
Michelle
Michelle,
Check this lighter blue. It should be perfect with the Sea Salt bath. Blues/greens are very popular for bedrooms. I wouldn’t worry about resale at all!
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW6491-open-air/
Hi Barbara
i’m in need of color help for my ranch home. The house is blond brick, pretty uniform in color. The windows are trimmed white. We hung bronze light fixtures and our front door is natural mahogany. I’m thinking of using a taupe for the wood siding and soffits and garage doors and a deep brown for the gutter and shutters we may (or may not?) hang. In five years we plan on replacing the wood shake roof with deep brown shingles. Questions are 1. Am I on the right track and 2. Will it be too many colors? Thanks! Any advice will be greatly appreciate! I will email photos to you.
Hi Laura,
Yes to the taupe idea for the wood siding and garage doors. Check out Mesa Verde Tan (Ben Moore AC-33) as a possibility. But I think you should paint the trim and soffits white to go with your window color instead of using deep brown. If you use a dark trim, the white windows will pop off the house and scream, “We are new!” and that’s not a good thing. Here’s a link to another post on the blog with a photo of a light-colored brick and how it turned out. Hope that helps too.
https://yourcolorcoach.wordpress.com/2010/04/25/blond-brick-siding-color-and-trim/
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Thanks Barbara for your input. I appreciate the link too. Do you have any thoughts about my question regarding roof color and shutter color if we add shutters?
I need help for exterior paint colors and roof color for my orange toned red brick home. Currently is has cream trim and light gray roof, just like everyone else in the neighborhood. I need advice on bright inviting colors for this color of brick. Is gray really the best color for the roof? This color of brick is co hard to work with. I have a 15 door light front door that I also wanted to paint to stand out, but have no clue what color. I sent you an email with a picture. Would appreciate your help.
Hi Jackie,
I love the trim color. It’s perfect. The Ablaze looks too pink for your house. Check
out Spicy Hue SW 6342.
Then for the gable, if you’d like some color up there, look at Link Gray SW 6200 (it’s a
gray green actually). Or the lighter Rare Gray SW 6199.
For the roof, I thought the Fieldstone had too much pink/purple in it to go with your
orange brick. Instead, look at the Highland Slate color (some greens/grays/maybe rust).
Try to avoid all pink/purples around your house. They just won’t go.
Here’s a photo of what I’m thinking for your roof color. Look at “Slate” — it should
work.
Hope that helps. But you can definitely go ahead with the trim color paint. Today.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello Barbara. I have just completed my PayPal transaction, and I hope I’m doing this correctly. I am in desperate need of help updating my home exterior. I would like your advice on color of trim, garage door, shutters and front door. We are installing a new concrete driveway this month and felling the obtrusive trees. Please see pictures at attached link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79589353@N06/
Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much
Oh darn! I think I should have posted this under “House Color.” Sorry Barbara 😦
Hi Holly,
Consider painting the massive garage door a color from your roof, something like Ben Moore’s Annapolis Gray (exterior). Unfortunately it’s not on their website but you can find it at a dealer. Then keep your current white trim and think about removing the shutters from the front door. Usually not necessary unless you have NO door trim under there.
For shutter color, I would go traditional, either black/near black like Onyx 2133-10 or dark brown like Tudor Brown (exterior). The front door can be Annaplis Gray or Briarwood (again, exterior). It’s a rich taupe, very sophisticated. And nice with either white or cream trim, whichever one you have currently (hard to tell in the photo).
Hope that helps. The idea is to blend the garage door and let the front door pop a bit more. If the dark taupe is too neutral for the front door, try either the Onyx or a brick red like Georgian Brick HC-50.
Frankly, removing the large conifer right in front of the house will make a huge difference.
Hope that gets you started.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Thank you, Barbara.
I love your suggestions and am excited to get started. The large tree(s) in front of the house has been an issue of contention between my husband and me for years. I can now present him with ammunition from an expert that the tree needs to go!! Yeah!
Again, thanks so much for your help.
I am planning to re-do the exterior trim as well, Barbara. Do you think BM Swiss Coffee (OC45) is a good option to use with your suggested color palette? TY.
Hello Barbara,
We have a 1906 Transitional Craftsman house in Los Angeles. The body color is a dark brown/gray/black, the trim is a medium beige/gray (Dunn Edwards Brittlebush) with a hint of green, and the sashes are a medium gold (Dunn Edwards Lordy-Lordy), also with a hint of green. I love my color scheme, and am planning on keeping it.
We are putting a new roof on, and can’t decide whether to go with a brownish roof (like Heather Blend or Barkwood – which EVERYONE in the neighborhood seems to be choosing), or a grayish roof (like the Landmark Weathered Wood.) You can see from the photo that the gable end of the house faces the street, and the simple two-plane roof only shows from the side.
We are also not sure whether to use the high-definition shingles (such as the Timberline HD Barkwood), which I think can look busy and overdone. I’m leaning towards the Landmark Weathered Wood PRO, not in high definition, but I’m not sure. I want it to look “natural” – the house’s original roof was wood shake – but I also want it to match.
If we went with the GAF Timberline series, I was thinking that the “Natural Shadow” line would be a little less busy than the “HD”.
Let me know what you think! Thanks.
Hi John,
I like Heather Blend because it’s warm and it picks up the other warm colors in your color scheme. Since your house
has a lot of detail, but most of that is on the front where the roof doesn’t show anyway, I wouldn’t worry too much
about the roof being too busy. If your house were multi-colored brick or stone, I would have a different opinion
entirely. The Heather Blend is more contemporary, however, as it’s a new color combo. If you want a more
traditional roof, then the GAF Natural Shadow Weathered Wood will be the one. But it may look a little boring
compared to the Heather Blend.
Hope that helps. Send a photo with the samples propped up against the house if you’d like me to take a quick look
for you.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
My question is about whether to put shutters on my house; and if so, what color; and if not, what else can I do?
My house is colonial style, circa 1950. It is beige, which I don’t love, but we are not planning to repaint anytime soon. It was painted just over a year ago, right before we bought it. It obviously used to have shutters – you can see the marks on the house. And it is crying out for some kind of adornment, so I have been thinking a lot about shutters. However the house has new windows without mullions (I think this is what they’re called), so I suspect shutters may look funny. If you do think shutters would work, what type & color? Nearly all of the houses in my neighborhood are a similar style, with mullioned-windows and louvered shutters. I am all for being different, if it looks good.
If not shutters, then what? It is painfully bland as is.
I have photos to share but don’t know how to do that so please advise.
Thanks,
Meredith
P.S. I know the landscaping needs help — thinking about that too.
Send photos to bmeglis@yahoo.com and I will help you with the curb appeal. Thanks Meredith.
Hi Barbara!
I made a payment to Paypal, and I sent you photos of our blond brick house. Most of the blond brick houses in our neighborhood use a variation of the cream color and/or brown for the trim. I find them boring.
We have the challenge/opportunity of having some siding on the back of the house, above the porch and garage, on the south end of the house, and the entire detached garage in the back yard. We also have exposed and painted concrete foundation, which is currently painted to blend in with the brick. The roof is a medium to dark gray. The garage door is currently wood and will need to be painted.
The decorative ironwork will be removed, the shutters right away and the posts and railing when my husband remodels the porch. I like shutters, but he prefers nothing. I would appreciate your thoughts about that, too.
We are replacing the front door with a fiberglass door. We really like a Craftsman style one we found that is stained Mahogany, but aren’t sure it will work with the house. Would a different style work better (it’s not a Craftsman style house) or would a painted door work better? Also, should we keep the white storm door or remove it and have no storm door?
The windows are original and will need to have the trim painted for now, but will be replaced with vinyl in the very near future. Suggestions there would also be appreciated!
We thought perhaps the siding should be painted to match the brick and put the color into the trim. My husband likes green as a color. I like green but also thought a red of some sort or navy blue or perhaps even black somewhere would work. I just want to get away from bland and add some color to our house.
Thanks so much for your help.
Cindy
Hi Cindy,
For your siding and garage door color, take a look at Ben Moore’s Fairview Taupe. It’s a wonderful, rich, gray-green that will contrast nicely with your brick and coordinate with the roof.
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/fairviewtaupe
Then for the trim, try Ben Moore’s Swiss Coffee. Its sophisticated undertone will go with both brick and siding color and will work great on both the windows and the trim (soffits, fascia, door trim).
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/swisscoffee
I do like the Craftsman mahogany door and it will work if you remove (as you say) all the ironwork and beef up the window trim with simple moldings that can then be painted the Swiss Coffee. With the heavier window trim, you won’t need shutters. And it will give you more of a Craftsman look (even though the house is clearly a ranch).
If you can manage to replace the current garage door with one that coordinates with your front door (a Mission style or even a carriage style door), that change will make a huge impact.
Hope that gets you started.
Thanks for posting, Cindy.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
You have helped me before with my roof and shutter question and they came out so wonderful I sold my house in the first hour it was listed (with multiple offers!) It made a big difference! Now we are in our new home which is mostly builder beige…but with high ceilings etc, we are ok with that. I want to do my tween’s room. She really wants the color Calypso by Sherwin Williams. I am ok with that as it is the color in her comfortor (tiger stripe aqua with white).
The questions I have are:
A) she wants the ceiling to be silver/gray. Would that look ok or should I go to a 1/3 tint of the color from the walls. Her ceilings are high and bedroom good slzed. The angles from the ceiling to the wall are 45 degrees on two sides and they are rounded where the wall meets the ceiling on all 4 sides. If we go with gray, I am having problem finding one that looks gray and not blueish. Any tips on that? I don’t mind trying samples but I need to narrow down.
B) She wants a rasberry or purply accent color. Can you give me a couple accent colors to work with? I will be doing a large framed out bulletin board on one wall. (I mean huge). Maybe I would do that in the same gray with the pink trim.
I have some pictures I like under tween in my pinterest.
Also will send you a couple including her bed in a second email.
Hi Patti,
So glad to hear that your house sold so fast! Wow! Terrific!
Regarding your daughter’s room, here are my thoughts:
Question A: the ceiling
Gray on the ceiling is tough because I think what she really wants is silver up there. Gray tends to look pretty drab on the ceiling and can bring down the vibe in the room. Here are a couple of ideas:
1. Paint the ceiling a tint of the wall color blending carefully at those rounded edges, frame out a “medallion” on the ceiling, perhaps around a chandelier, and then wallpaper the interior area in a metallic silver. There is also a metallic silver paint (Ben Moore) but it’s tricky to get right. You have to treat it like a faux finish with some texture or it might look blotchy. If that seems too much like putting a mirror on the ceiling, then here’s another idea.
2. Paint the walls in the room Blue Bauble SW 6948 (the lighter version of Calypso) and then paint the ceiling Calypso. What that would do is allow the comforter to stand out against the lighter walls and it would keep the room from vibrating a tad too much with the bright hue on the walls. With that scenario I would use silver as the accent metal in the room. She has the silver bed already, but there would be silver lighting, picture frames, frame around the bulletin board, silver accessories, — everything silver. And of course white. I think that option would give the room a level of sophistication that would take her well beyond the tween years.
Question B: the accent color
I like purple — something like Dazzle SW 6962. It’s really pretty with the blues and coordinates nicely with the comforter. I would stay with the cool color palette in the room so there’s not too much going on. She will add raspberry and other pinks with all her stuff in the room. So it will be there, just maybe not on the walls.
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW6962-dazzle/
You could use the Dazzle on the bulletin board with a silver frame.
Hope that helps and gives your daughter a couple of ideas to ponder. I love working on tween and teen girl rooms. (I have two boys!!)
See what she thinks.
And thanks for posting, Patti.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara……..I’m hoping you can help me pick out a color for my living room space. Unfortunately, I have to work around the exiting drapes (which I hate) and furniture. Prior to obtaining the drapes, the walls were painted C2 Balsam. The room faces North. The drapes are an olive and very light beige-sage color stripe. The green in the drapes actually takes on the color of Ben Moore’s Providence Olive. The Balsam looks horrible with the drapes. The rear wall is a wall of glass. That wall is painted C2 Chai with coconut trim. I just had that wall painted as we had to replace all the glass so I cannot change its paint color. The rear wall is on the Eastern side of the house. I can send along some pictures of the room which might help. The room is a modified great room set up which flows from foyer to living room to family room (on the right) all with vaulted ceilings. I love color but this room facing north seems to make everything look not so good. Let me know when I can e-mail you some pictures.
Hi Vicky,
The Chai will be a nice color on that far wall (it’s not in the photos, right? Recently painted from the peach?). But the Chai is a little too close to the fabric color to go all the way around the room. If it’s just my screen, go ahead and try the Chai over the Balsam. It’s a wonderful neutral and looks great with all your furniture and other elements.
If the Chai is truly too close to the curtains or too dark, try either 1/2 value of the Chai OR a light neutral like Monterey White (Ben Moore HC-27). It looks terrific with your curtain panels and sofa and allows the other colors (like the mural) to take center stage — instead of the wall color.
Regardless, I would strive to have a unified monochromatic paint color scheme throughout that open area including the living room family room and foyer. That will make the space look much bigger than when it is chopped up by color blocking. I think you’ll like the effect. Either use the same color or shades of the same color to bring all the spaces together. Then we will take notice of all your really lovely furnishings.
Hope that makes sense.
Thanks for posting, Vicky.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
The front door and shutters of my red brick house are both a dark green (Black Forest Green is my best guess). The shutters are darker than the front door, and from the street, they appear black. The rest of the trim is all white. I will be repainting the front door and perhaps the shutters, as well. I am not sure whether I should stick with the existing colors, or change them. Also, since I inherited the colors, I am not sure what colors to use if I match. Thanks for your help! I’ll email you photos separately.
A couple of years ago, I asked you about the roof and deck colors, and I hope you’ll see from the photos that they both turned out beautifully!
Best,
Audra
Hi Audra,
I suggest black for your shutters. You live in CT, where black shutters are part of the nomenclature (if you will).
But, the portico is putting your front door in a shadow and black (or green) looks like a black hole. So I suggest lightening it up to a color that coordinates with your grout (and brick) to bring out the depth in both. Here are some options to consider.
Lenox Tan HC-44 (Ben Moore) http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/lenoxtan
Richmond Gold HC-41 http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/richmondgold
Alexandria Beige HC-77 http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/alexandriabeige
See if one of those in a high gloss will give you front entry some added boost.
Hope this helps.
-Barbara Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I live in Alabama in a historic neighborhood. We have lived in this house for 3 years and it is pink with white trim. It is actually a pretty color of pink and I am considering leaving it pink. If I leave it pink I was thinking I could make some changes in the trim color. I have also been looking at other colors to paint the house if I decided to change from pink. There are quite a few green, gray and blue colored homes in the neighborhood but I have been exploring those colors. We are the only pink house on our street which is a nice contrast to the neighbors. I would like to send you some pictures which I think would help you with ideas.
Hi Melinda,
I just emailed you some ideas for quick fixes on your house to lessen the sharp contrast between the pink and the black. However, in your historic neighborhood, you may have restrictions on what colors are available to homeowners. I would consult with your historic planning commission before making any major changes to the house color. They may also have a list of colors from which you can choose a replacement color.
As for the house color itself, I love it! Pink is bold yet very historic, especially in the South. (We have some up here in New England as well.) Cream is the desired trim color as white moves the house more to the beach then the Historic district. After all, you want your house to look old. So cream trim is perfect as it looks like white yellowed with age. If the trim needs freshening, consider Sail Cloth (Exterior by Benjamin Moore). It should be perfect.
I do like the black metal — very traditional and reminiscent of New Orleans where the wrought-iron is so wonderfully prevalent. But your chairs can certainly take on a different hue — either to blend or to draw the eye.
You might consider larger lights when you do replace the porch set. They’re a tad small.
Hope that gets you started. What a lovely house!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I’m not sure if this is the place to post a query…. But anyway, we are in a conundrum about paint colors for a guest house we have built in the Sierra Foothills of northern California…. It’s where we’ll live while we build our ‘real’ home on the same site, in about a year. Following the lead of our architect, we went with a dark green metal roof (common in the area) and windows with a brick red exterior. The plan was to go with Hardie Panels meant to look like stained wood, but the regular panels that must be painted got installed. I will go ahead and send photos of the rustic structure to your email address, if that’s okay. Colors we have tested that seem to work are all Benjamin Moore: Wilmington Tan, Richmond Bisque, Briarwood (gray-taupe), Dry Sage and Bed of Ferns. Alexandria Beige was really dark, but not bad. We need to unite the roof and window colors without offending local sensibilities (white is forbidden!). The tan colors were nice, warm and inviting, but they had a “gold country’ look I couldn’t get past. We would probably go with a light trim color, a cream? Looking ahead, I don’t think this house has to match the house yet unbuilt which is a rustic craftsman/farmhouse and will also have a metal roof. But there needs to be some kind of visual continuity in the future, as they are not far apart. The lot is on 3 acres, raised above the road, lots of really tall pines but a well cleared building pad. I can send the architect’s sketch of the house we haven’t built yet, and additional payment, if looking at both helps sort out the problem. We have tried so many paint samples and have no idea what to do. We’ll appreciate your advice. Thanks! Maria
Hi Maria,
I went through all your paint colors — the green roof ruled out the olive tones (sage and fern), the Briarwood and the Alexandria Beige were a little cold in undertone. The tans were perfectly fine with Wilmington Tan being my favorite. But here’s an idea: If you match the “value” of the roof color (pick a color as dark), then the roof will blend better with the siding color, no matter what color it is. The same with the red windows. What will show up more will be the lighter trim color — and that’s okay.
Take a look at the warm autumnal color Richmond Gold HC-41.
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/colorExplorer/printAction.do?lang=en_CA&cd=HC-41&col=HC
It looks really good with both roof and window colors and would complement a lighter trim color, something like cream or even Sail Cloth PM-21 — just enough of a contrast without being too yellow or too light.
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/pm21
You might consider bronze for your metal color (lights, etc).
Then for your main house, I would definitely go with a Dark Brown metal roof (instead of green). The brown will be very easy to tie together with your guest house (the brown metal) and will go with just about everything. You can bring the green and red in with door colors or other accents (chairs, flower pots, deck furniture).
And if you go with a natural wood stain on the big house, pick one with warm tones that will tie in the guest house.
See what you think of that idea.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Thank you! The Richmond Gold looks beautiful, and it’s a relief to know we can get the colors sorted out when it comes time to build the other house. You have been so very helpful. I’m sure I’ll be back in the future.
Maria
My wife and I have used your services a few times and have always loved the results. As such, any time I hear of someone debating a color choice, I tell them about you.
We are going to put our son (5) and daughter (4) in bunk beds with my son on top and my daughter on bottom (and free up another room). So, we need a wall color that will work for both. We have already purchased bedding. His is sporty and a darker blue. Hers has light pinks and such. There are two windows in the room. One facing the east and one facing north. Again, the room is small (~10’x11’). The room is currently fairly dark, and I think we’d like to move away from that. The bunk beds will dominate the room. Hence, this will be mostly for sleeping. Their other furniture will likely be in another room. So, what wall color would be best?
I’m not sure if I am posting this in the correct place. I already paid and am now trying to figure out how to post the question. If this is wrong, please let me know. The bed comes tomorrow! 🙂 Thanks again!
Hi Bill,
Thanks for coming back!
Take a look at Ben Moore’s Cayman Islands. It’s a warm sandy color that seems to go with just about everything. It can provide a neutral for the darker blue sporty bedding as well as the pinks. And it will help to lighten and brighten the small room. See what you think.
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/caymanislands
Hope that helps.
Thanks again.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi!
We are in the process of updating the exterior of our home. The “cream” brick has become a stumbling block for me. Originally I believe the siding on the top of the home was a dark brown that matched the gutters. It was painted over at one point and has chalked horribly. The plan is to put a new roof, siding, trim and gutters on the home. The windows are newer and will not be changing. We will be using CertainTeed Landmark Pro roofing, Mastic siding (Quest) and Alcoa gutter products. We are also considering using a stone veneer product to cover all or part of the garage face on the left of our home, but this will need to be done at a later date.
I am not a fan of brown trim but I do like the more contemporary look of gutters that match the siding color. I just can’t visualize how that will work out with the white windows and trim that we currently have. I also like the clean white trim of a more traditional home. A good punch of color always makes me happy and I am willing to add that with shutters and/or front door color. I could use an experienced set of eyes!
A picture will be sent via email shortly.
Thanks!
Diane
Hi Diane,
One option is to go with Silver Gray siding, Pewter roof color, white trim, black shutters, stonework in grays/golds, and a Concord Ivory (Ben Moore HC-12) or Marblehead Gold (Ben Moore HC-11) front door. The yellow and gray combination is fresh, yet timeless. And the grays give you the option of painting the front door other colors. (“Gray is the new beige” — as they say around here.)
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/concordivory
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/marbleheadgold
See what you think of that combo. The stonework (should you choose to do that) will look spectacular against the grays.
The gutters would match the white trim. Easy. Downspouts can be painted to match the siding color.
Hope that works. But the alternatives are endless. If grays are not your style, let me know what you’re leaning toward.
Thanks for posting.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara,
Wow! It would really change up the very beige siding we see around these parts. I hadn’t even considered the greys! But I really like it! I had been leaning towards Wicker or Sandstone for the siding. Do you think I could go darker on the siding with the Victorian Grey? And what do you think about the “Weathered Wood” option for the roof? It has some of the brown/gold mixed in with the grey.
One thing that I have been thinking about is how this really makes my home look “color blocked”, especially once I get the stone on the garage. Do I just need to let that go?
I think with the front door I need a stronger color to make me happy. What about exotic purple or plum royale if we go ahead with a grey siding?
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/exoticpurple
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/plumroyale#ce_s=plum royale
Hi Diane,
Sure, you can go darker with the siding. As long as you have white trim between the siding and the roof, there will be enough contrast. And yes to the Weathered Wood — although it sometimes introduces a green undertone. Check for that. The Pewter sometimes has a blue undertone. Get LARGE samples from your roofer. A must!
I assumed you were siding over the painted brick. Is that right? Or are you leaving it? If you are leaving it, then a blending color is needed to avoid a major color blocking effect. Your house isn’t modern enough to pull that off. A warm light to medium neutral like the Wicker/Sandstone will work and the Weathered Wood or Driftwood for the roof.
Purple is a great front door color. And I like both of the colors you linked here. But check out the bright warm yellow with the gray (if you’re still doing it, that is…). Yellow is a wonderfully cheerful front-door color.
Let me know if I can help further.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara,
I’ve looked a few times at the Silver Grey siding and Pewter Roof combination today and it’s growing on me. I like the idea better than putting up the Wicker or Sandstone siding color. But can we do it successfully with the brick? We are not siding over the brick on the bottom half of the house. It’s not painted, just a very unusual color for brick. The fact that the brick on the bottom of the house is staying is why I am hesitant to use the yellow for the door. The mortar between the brick is a grey color. The brick is going to be cleaned which will lighten it slightly from the picture I provided.
What do you suggest for a blending color and how do we introduce that until we get the stone veneer put on? If we were to put a stone veneer on do you have any suggestions for colors or styles. We like the look of Ridgestone by Ply Gem and the Weather Edge by Eldorado Stone.
Diane
Hi Diane,
If you’re keeping the yellow brick, then I would go with more of a taupe and not a light gray. Rugged Canyon is perfect. http://www.ryan-ws.com/documents/Mastic-Quest-Lengths-Brochure.pdf But it is a premium color. Also check out Harbor Grey– with the Weathered Wood roof. Again, get large samples. For stonework, I would blend the brick and stone. See Ridgestone Honey (http://mastic.plygem.com/wps/portal/mastic/masticroot/viewpage?cid=Mdesignstudio).
See if that helps. Sorry for the confusion on the brick and siding.
-Barbara
Barbara,
We really like the Rugged Canyon with the brick. Instead of installing the stone what about running a piece of white trim under the “gable” area of garage and then putting the Rugged Canyon color in the gable in either a shake or siding? That way the line of the brick continues and the garage gets broken up without adding another design element? Also, are you suggesting the Weathered Wood roof with the Rugged Canyon siding?
Let me check, Diane. I am traveling and on my phone.
Hi, Barbara,
Are you available for questions NOW? I see your last one was in April….
Hi mloub,
Yes, I am still answering questions. Sometimes people email them to me so the responses do not end up on the blog directly. But yes, feel free to post a question and email me your photos at bmeglis@yahoo.com. The PayPal button on the blog is easy to use and completely safe. Thanks for your inquiry.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Barbara,
So glad to have found your website. I emailed you a picture of my house that is in need of a new roof. Hope you can see the many different colors of brick that make up the exterior of the 1950’s house that has had two additions thus the extended roof line.
Will be keeping the trim color, Pittsburgh Paint Pawnee. Don’t mind changing the door and shingle color.
Please advise on a color for the singles.
Thank you,
MaryAnn
Hi MaryAnn,
Take a look at Certainteed’s Pewterwood for the roof shingles. It’s a great color that goes with everything and will look very nice with your brick.
http://www.certainteed.com/products/308747
Then for the front door and shutters, you might consider a rich eggplant that I see in your brick. Check out Ben Moore’s Vintage Wine (2116-20). http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/vintagewine
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hello Barbara.
I am back for the third time once again needing your expertise. Your advice in the past has been invaluable and I have incorporated all suggestions you have given me.
I have sent you pics of my living room. As you will see it is fairly neutral. The floral design is what is on the drapes and couch cushions. My problem is that the room needs tweeking. I want to buy new lamps but am completely confused about the type, material, color, size, etc. I also would like new side tables but again am confused about what style/material to consider. Please have a look and let me know what you think will help the room achieve a finished look. Thank you so much, Barbara. I look forward to your help and any suggestions you can offer. Holly
I am sending you a picture of our 1965 Ranch style home and am
in need of advice on what colors to paint the trim , shutters, front door and color for new roof soon to be put on. The windows off to the side and garage door have to remain white as they have just been installed. New landscaping will be added to the front of the home iwithn the next month .
Hi Barbara,
I am trying to figure out what color to paint my front door. I have cream or off white siding, gray roof, burgandy shutters and light tan on my deck. Can you help me out? Thanks
Hi Hope,
You might consider painting your shutters a dark gray to coordinate with the gray roof– something like Ben Moore’s Kendall Charcoal (http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/kendallcharcoal). That will neutralize the house and allow you to pick a nice rich red for the front door. Or burgundy. Look at Ben Moore’s Dinner Party (http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/dinnerparty). Or Moroccan Red (http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/dinnerparty).
See what you think of that idea.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
We are very happy to have found your website and we are sure you will be able to help us.
My daughter and her husband and my husband and I recently bought two houses that are attached. The houses face east. They are brick houses with white trim which we think is very boring and could look so much better. The roof is green/red shingles –quite subtle. We would like to change the color of the trim, doors and dormers etc. We think that it would help to add shutters and perhaps window boxes. We wonder if we should paint the foundation a gray or red color or perhaps it will be fine after we add landscaping.
We have thought of using grays, taupe, green, teal, even purple but we are unable to decide what would be the best color combination to use with the brick and roof colors. We are open to suggestions.
Perhaps you could also make some suggestions about landscaping.
I would like to add pictures of the house but I don’t see where to do that. We look forward to receiving your suggestions..
Hi Margaret,
Thank you for posting! You can send photos to my email (bmeglis@yahoo.com) and I will be sure to see them there.
More soon.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara. (Before I forget, Sherwin Williams paints are the most available to me. I could get BM, but it would be a pain;) I have a two story house. It has red brick on the bottom, siding on the second floor, and a new Owens Corning Chateau Green roof. I am wanting to paint my siding, trim and garage door. I don’t have any idea of the paint color or whether to paint the trim a different color from the siding. Should the garage door be the same color as the siding? Right now, the siding and trim are the same color (off white-ish). The red brick has a bit of a salmon hint to it – not a dark red. I have a lot of trees and ivy around my house and love green – hence the green roof. I am going to email you several pictures of the house and brick. I am also going to send two pictures that are kinda inspirational to me. Both were red brick with green trim, but now that I have the new green roof, I am not sure that would work. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Hi Laura,
I tried every conceivable neutral for the siding on your house and didn’t like any of them really. More of the same…
So then I tried a dusty blue-green since you do love green and dark-trimmed houses. Give this combination a try. Your windows are light so there would be some contrast there. But see if you like this overall look — much more like your dream homes than if you continue with the light or even darker beiges on the siding.
Siding color:
Studio Blue Green SW 0047 –
Trim color including shutters and garage door:
Roycroft Bottle Green SW 2847 – Historic Color Paint Color – Sherwin-Williams
I didn’t see the front door area, but wait on that color til you’re done with the rest of the house.
See what you think.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I’ve entered a $25 paypal payment. How do I send you a picture etc for suggestions on my exterior project?
Hi Janna,
You can ask a question right here in the comment box or send me an email. Attach photos to the email: bmeglis@yahoo.com. I’ll be sure to see them there. Looking forward to helping you with your color dilemma.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I stumbled upon your services just in the nick of time. I am in need of an expert who can help confirm what I’ve come up with or provide some other thoughts. Thank you for your assistance!
I am building a new home (colonial style) outside of Boston.
Here are my selections based on builders’ vendors:
-Mastic Carvedwood 44 vinyl siding: Pebblestone Clay (picking dutch lap woodgrain)
-Girardin shutters: Musket Brown
-selecting a similar paint as shutters for front door and garage (not sure what kind yet, just want it all to match)
-Certainteed Landmark designer roof: Driftwood (I debated selecting Pewterwood)
-Trex Select deck: Saddle
-Trim for bow window paneling, doors, windows- off white/cream
-I will have copper hoods over the bow windows instead of shingles
I want to leave the possibility that in 8-10 years I change the shutters/door/garage to either a berry or burgundy.
My question is – how did I do with these selections? Does this all match or do you have a better suggestion for any?
Hi Deb,
Looks good but here are my thoughts: You might consider a dark, wood-look door instead of a painted door since your accent color is dark brown anyway. It will be a rich look (Walnut will be perfect).
Driftwood will pull the colors together better than the Pewterwood especially if you’re using brown shutters. I would go with Driftwood.
The Saddlewood deck color is a touch on the “orange” side but it should be fine. You don’t want everything to match anyway.
The only question I have is the copper roof hoods. Copper does age to a pretty blue patina but if that color is not what you are going to like years from now, then I would stick with a bronze metal roof hood. That color will stay in your palette.
Just make sure to add lots of warm color to your landscape plantings (flowering shrubs, etc.) — that will allow you to have a year full of seasonal color without locking any one of them into your house palette.
Hope this helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara –
Thank you for the quick reply, .
Copper hoods – I will check with the builder. They call these copper but they look bronze. Most of the neighbors adding them also have stone on the front of their homes (which I won’t have). Other neighbors just left matched the window hood to their roof. What are your thoughts about doing that instead of copper?
Deck – my choices for Trex Select decking are Saddle, Pebble Grey and Madeira. Do you still think that Saddle is the best option? The vendor has a dark brown color, but it’s not offered as part of this. The Madeira could be nice if I changed to burgundy or berry shutters and garage over time but I have a feeling it will turn more reddish. If the saddle turns a bit orange, it will still match the tan house.
The Mastic Siding Carved Wood 44 options I have don’t seem to provide a taupe (my first choice) which left me between the Pebblestone Clay and Harbor Grey. Do you think the Harbor Grey is closer to a taupe? Wondering if I should switch to that and keep the cocoa brown shutters and garage? Two other homes on the street are using it and I’d be the only one with Pebblestone Clay. I’m at the beginning of the street so it would not matter which one I went with although I wouldn’t be unique. If I switch to the Harbor Grey, then I don’t know if I should do a grey deck and different roof. Thoughts?
Hi Barbara,
I am getting ready to have a new roof put on my early 1960’s mid-west ranch home and have narrowed my colors to “landmark Pro” Max Def Pewter or Max Def Moire Black. My home has a 90% brick front (brick is a traditional combo of red, light red and dark brownd bricks. The 10% siding and trim is white, with a white garage door and a black front door. The sides and back of the house are white siding.
There are 5 windows in the front which have black, recessed shutters. It’s the same color combo you would see on a historical home (I saw your picture) except it’s not historical and it’s only one story. I’m really leaning toward the Max Def Moire Black as there is little color variation, pretty much just black and gray and, I love the demension of the Landmark Pro Color shingles. As you said in your article, the black shingles, black shutters and traditional brick may seem boring but it seems like it may be a tasteful choice. That do you think? Thanks so much.
Candee
Hi Candee,
You really cannot go wrong with either, but the Pewter has a slight blue undertone so with your brick, I would stick with the Moire Black.
Classic all the way!
Thanks for posting.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I thought I might be seeing some blue in the Pewter but wasn’t sure. I can see how that would “clash” with the traditional red brick. I’ve been on the fence for a couple of weeks and can finally stop agonizing over it.! Thank you so much for your advice Barbara.!
You’re most welcome!
Hi Barbara.
The interior of my son’s house is complete and your color suggestions were perfect. The kitchen and living area look fantastic.
We are now concentrating on the exterior of his house and it is a challenge for sure. We are ripping up the unattractive green turf on the stoop for starters and replacing the the light, house number, etc. Would you choose black for these items? Because of the brick, faux stone and expansive white flashing, it is difficult to formulate a plan on how to make the exterior look more cohesive and appealing. We are replacing the front door and I would like your suggestions on door color. We will probably remove the storm door. I would like to keep the look traditional but updated. I sent you an email with the shingle color we will be using as well as pics of the house.
Thanks so much, Barbara, for helping me with this dilemma.
Holly
Thank you for posting, Holly! I will get right back to you shortly.
Hi again, Holly! With so many colors and elements going on with the front facade, I vote for a really simple, mid-century style door with a single vertical “light” in a color that coordinates with the adjoining stonework. That way, the house will actually have a more updated look than if you go with the Craftsman style (still okay) that you sent me. Going a little bit modern will help the house. I will send you links.
Thank you so much, Barbara, once again for your invaluable help. I really appreciate your guidance.
Always a pleasure, Holly!
Hi Barbara,
Emailed you, paid, but to recap, need help with roof selection. Sent couple photos. Vinyl siding will be Desert Tan by CertainTeed which is similar to Sherwin Williams Relaxed Khaki color. Front is painted brick, all trim same as house color. Curved brick retaining wall in front that doesn’t show in photo. Have looked at GAF Weathered Wood and Charcoal, as well as CT colors. Love neutrals and formality. Thanks for your help. Frances
Hello Barbara, I sent an email with photos, and payment. I am looking for suggestions for porch floor, ceiling, and door. The body of my 1880 home is BM Gloucester Sage, Trim and porch columns will be BM Bone White. My husabnd does not want a light colored floor as he feels it will show dirt. But I’m open to suggestions. Thanks!!!
Thank you, Amy. I will get back to you tomorrow with some ideas. Thanks for posting.
Morning Amy,
Pretty house!!
I suggest painting the porch floor a color that will coordinate with both house and concrete wall/walkway. A little bit green/little bit gray. Not too dark. Not too light. And not much of a standout color since what you have ON the porch will be more important than the color of the floor. Here’s one idea:
https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW7651-front-porch
As for the porch ceiling… do you HAVE to paint it?? It’s beeeeutiful as it is now. I would just seal it and enjoy the wood colors.
If the photo is doing the ceiling more justice than it’s worth and you need to paint it, here are a couple of ideas:
Trim color (Bone White) will lighten up the porch. Downside? It will mess up the porch “lines” as seen from the sidewalk.
Half value of the porch floor color. It will provide a little contrast with the trim and will lighten the ceiling without introducing another color or blending in with the trim completely.
What doesn’t work? Haint Blue. I often paint porch ceilings a beautiful light blue — very traditional — but with all the other colors in your landscape, the light blue doesn’t really work. If you had a yard full of blue hydrangeas, it might. But right now, I think it would just make the house look color-busy.
Hope that helps. Thanks for coming back!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Great suggestions, thank you! FYI I emailed you another series of questions and submitted a payment. Thanks!
Okay. I’ll get right to them!
Looking at your blackeyed susans (or whatever that perennial is called):
Gloucester Sage HC-100 | Benjamin Moore
Gloucester Sage HC-100 | Benjamin Moore
One of over 3,500 exclusive Benjamin Moore colors.
Ladybug Red 1322 | Benjamin Moore
Ladybug Red 1322 | Benjamin Moore
One of over 3,500 exclusive Benjamin Moore colors.
Summer Plum 2074-20 | Benjamin Moore
Summer Plum 2074-20 | Benjamin Moore
One of over 3,500 exclusive Benjamin Moore colors.
Berry Wine 2003-30 | Benjamin Moore
Berry Wine 2003-30 | Benjamin Moore
One of over 3,500 exclusive Benjamin Moore colors.
Some ideas.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
You advised us on front door, trim, and shutter colors back in 6/2011. We followed your advice for the front door and shutters but decided to leave the trim white. The shutters ended up looking a bit too blue but once we changed our roof the new gray of the roof went nicely with the shutters. Anyway, our red door is still going strong but the shutters need to be repainted. We are thinking to stick with a similar dark gray but would love your pro opinion first. I already donated and will email you photos of our house in its current state. Any suggestions you may have for shutter color and anything else are most welcome! Thank you!
Thank you, Lindy! I will get to your question a bit later today.
More soon.
-Barbara
Hi Lindy,
Pretty white house and trim. And the red is spectacular. For the shutters, though, the medium grays look faded in the sunlight.
I suggest an almost black color for the shutters. It should look really good with the roof.
https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/color-overview/find-your-color/color-a-room/saved-color-selections/?color=2131-10
I will be back in a second with another suggestion.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi again Lindy,
Another suggestion: I recommend getting larger garage/front door lights. The ones on the garage in particular are too small. So larger wrought iron lights will tie in the shutters and give your house more status.
Everything else looks great!
Thanks for coming back. Always a pleasure, Lindy.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach