Thursday, July 26, 2012

Exterior Paint Colours


Our brick is quite orange...

We have white windows now...they were white in the 1920's...I think I like white the best.

We will add back shutters...They were originally white.  I like black the best...BUT...

We have a brown roof, brown eaves, and the top of the portico was painted brown.  Can I mix black and brown? (I can paint the top of the portico black, the rest stays brown)

Door will stay black. Because my head will explode before I can come up with a perfect complimentary shade.

I like the idea of grey shutters, to tie into the grey walkway...but grey is not looking so hot on the computer...(please click to enlarge...I wish I could supersize these all for you! And I don't know why they house looks so dark!)



What do you think!?

I need to walk around the neighbourhood with my camera and see what is working on other houses.  I stare down houses everyday, it is not making my decision any easier! 

ps. The house in 1973
  one LAST LAST one....sandy brown shutters and sandy brown accent in the peak



18 comments:

  1. Grey doesn't seem to go all that well with the bricks. I don't seem much of the brown roof from street level, and the brown eaves just blend into the bricks. I would think black and white combination still looks the best.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Really hard to see any brown in these photos, but I think I like the last one the best. I love your comment about staring down other houses in the neighbourhood. I totally do that too!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yah, I guess I see what I know is there...
    I added some little photos that are straight on...wait a sec ...I will try and add a jumbo...

    ReplyDelete
  4. I bit of the roof peaks...I wish I could make all of these photos super sized...but even still it is hard to decide!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I vote for all white. Something about it makes the house look bigger...wider. Like it was meant to be. Love the black door!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh man...I seem to be the lone person in this comment list that doesn't LOVE the white. (Yes, it may be a first). I think I'd opt for something like the first two pics in the right hand column. And then if you feel you need more white around the house you can plant white flowers??!? I'm not an expert at exterior paint colours (or any colours for that matter - ha!) but I usually think a house looks more cohesive when colours are chosen from the brick/cement colours. Oh jeez...it'll be great to refresh the exterior but this is a tough decision. What does your window company suggest? They've seen a lot of houses, I'm sure!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I didn't think I'd like the grey, but when I saw the photo I liked it. They are all good choices!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh I have been debating the same thing with our brick house for year! Some things I had thought - If you go white, can you paint the soffits white? I kind of like the stucco part painted darker... And what about replacing all the white with black or dark grey?

    ReplyDelete
  9. The thing is Jordana, we aren't painting...so there are a fixed (4-5) number of colours we can go with

    The house next door and across the street went with sandy brown tones that look updated and fresh, but do not show off the house. My way of saying - major fail!

    Not to mention we aren't changing the soffit and facia and eaves and roof. White and Brown are the two predominant colours of our house already...and orange...I have to get a photo with the sun shining down on the front of the house so you can really see that orange glow!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh, houses with more shade than ours also can play with darker colours...

    I think

    I have noticed the houses with massive shade trees do well with sombre colour schemes.

    We have a few decades before our ginkos become granddaddy shade trees!

    ReplyDelete
  11. A house around the corner has grey, I am often drawn to it
    And a shady house across the street has a grey door and lintel...it is beautiful

    ReplyDelete
  12. Have you thought of painting all of your trim a dark warm gray like Benjamin Moore's Iron Mountain and change out your door to a nice bright colour making it your main focal point? I did something similar to my house and would be happy to email you a picture or two if you are interested.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'd love to see a photo!
    I have very little imagination when it comes to this stuff!

    ReplyDelete
  14. The soffits ARE white - just dirty

    ReplyDelete
  15. I think the grey is too muted against the brick and roof color. Stick to black shutters :) Go with your first instincts.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sorry to just get back to you now. Here is our place. When we bought it, the trim was taupe with a red door. We changed out the door and repainted everything. The brick is quite orange and the roof a not so flattering brown. My friend Connie Braemer talked me into painting it BMoore Iron Mountain and we love it. Hope this helps with your decision.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I just discovered iron mountain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    LOVE YOUR PLACE!
    I am officially going dark!

    ReplyDelete
  18. A classic look. An American stylish home. www.temeculaareahomes.com

    ReplyDelete