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logansmum

Exterior Paint color--Please help! Painter is starting early

logansmum
15 years ago

The painter had a cancellation and wants to start this week. EEKK--I'm still undecided on colors. Please ignore the overgrown bushes and otherwise icky landscape. That is next on the to-do list.

The house is 2 story, rock and siding on the front with red brick and siding on the sides and back. So I have lots of textures and colors to coordinate with. The current grayish/blue and brown works nicely with the stone colors (which I think is Tenessee flag stone--gold/brown/silver tones). But I think the palette (the blue especially) is a little dated and wanted to update the shades. Here is the house currently:

I am considering a sagey green for the siding, and a lighter brown or maybe a greenish brown for the darker trim. The windows are painted cream on face and mullions, but the window trim itself is the brown. Do you think that looks weird? I am afraid if I paint the entire window in the cream, it will blend in on the front where the rock is:

Here is the palette I am considering from Sherwin Williams.I picked a cream for the window inside trim (Muslin). There are two dark trim colors--should I go with a similar but lighter chocolate brown (Cobble Brown) or do I go with something more green (Virtual Taupe). There are a couple of green options. Finally, I want to paint the door a statement color (Dahlia). I love periwinkle and think it would be really pretty with the rock. But I could go with an orange/rust door or even a brighter shade of green. I just wanted a fun door.

For the siding color, I am picking two shades of green or whatever color because I am getting a carriage look door and I want to paint it the siding green and use one shade darker of that green on the accent boards (so it would be Svelte Sage with Connected Gray or Softened Green with Clary Sage). This is the style of garage door:

Finally, we have a new deck on the back of the house and the carpenter framed in the porch supports with a bigger 8" column and added arches. Originally, the columns were painted brown, but I think the columns and the arches are very pretty and I want to play that up. Would you paint them brown or the color of the siding?

Thanks for reading through this (if you made it this far ;-) I'm sorry if the pictures are too big. I am new to this and I am tried to size it down in photobucket but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

I'll go to the store on Monday and get quart paint samples--I realize it's hard to tell from the little paint squares. It is just so much money to get the house painted and I am afraid of making a mistake. I would appreciated any advice or suggestions.

Best regards, Susan

Comments (17)

  • kateskouros
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    the only way NOT to make a mistake is to get samples mixed of all the colors you might want to use and slap them up on the siding. paint large sections (5-6ft squares) including the trim and wait a few days.
    i've never had a painter show up to start without having my choice figured out first. don't let him push you into picking something on the spot. take your time and be sure. good luck!

  • Oakley
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I am sooo paint challenged, but what I do know is I love your house! :)

  • mitchdesj
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Definitely look at your paint samples/boards, outside in full daylight; I agree with kate above to get your colors mixed and sampled, even a one day delay would help you in finalizing them.

    I love the idea of the fun front door.

  • CaroleOH
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I agree that I wouldn't let the painter pressure you into making a costly color decision.

    To be honest, I'm not feeling the greens with your stone. I'm not feeling the dalhia blue either. The greens may be fine - I just can't picture it! You do need to get some sample quarts and paint trim and siding beside the stone. I think the green will make the stone really pop - which may be a good thing, but I really like the blue with it already.

    One last thought is to use your trim color around the carriage door vs. another green. I'd keep it to two colors on the house - one trim and one siding.

    Your current house colors really coordinate well with the stone - the blues/browns. Your proposed color scheme isn't as coordinated with the stone, so you need to think if you're going to like that you've basically ignoring your stone colors - which may be ok, but could also look a bit disjointed when it's all done.

    I'd paint the back posts whatever you choose for the trim color - they look great.

  • caminnc
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What a beautiful house. Sorry, I'm not feeling the green either. I would like to see a goldish darker brown for the siding and black shutters. Maybe someone will do some mockups for you. Tell the painter to hold off until you a happy with your colors.

  • logansmum
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks so much for the input and the compliments on the house--I went to bed all freaked out last night, but I am feeling much better this morning. I am definitely headed to the paint store to get some samples.

    I am not sure why I picked the green--I love green and I thought an earthy version of it would work with the brown and that green was a "current" color. I guess I had a couple of friends say they thought the blue looked kinda 80s (which may be the last time it was painted ;-).

    Please post any additional feedback. I'll post photos when I get the samples painted. The painter has to pressure wash and fix some rotten wood, so I have a few days I think even if he starts this week. I will not pick a color without looking at a big painted swatch on the house.

    THANK YOU! Susan

  • logansmum
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Caminnc--do you have either a Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore paint fan? I have both if you can give me a number of what color you are thinking about.

    If anyone else has specific color suggestions from either SW or BM, would love to hear them.

    Susan

  • enailes
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love your home too! I would paint the siding the exact same color of your current front door. I love that color and I would paint the shutters in a cream color if you wanted to change or freshen up with black. The blues really make the stone pop, I agree with the others about the green.

  • enailes
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love your home too! I would paint the siding the exact same color of your current front door. I love that color and I would paint the shutters in a cream color if you wanted to change or freshen up with black. The blues really make the stone pop, I agree with the others about the green.

  • bestyears
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh I just love your home -the carriage doors for the garage are beautiful. I am so not a photoshopper, but I just mocked this up quickly using Word to give you a rough idea. I think a taupy gray would be really beautiful, kind of fade into the background and allow the stonework to pop. There is a beautiful BM color called Briarwood. We used it after seeing a number of Calif. houses with it. Sorry don't have any pics!

    {{gwi:1655320}}

    {{gwi:1655321}}

  • Lyban zone 4
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love the color you now have on the siding and front door. I think they are the same color if my monitor is correct. I do not see it as 80's at all.
    Now the back of house with brick rather than stone I find maybe a bit dark with all the brown but then again it is only the back.
    The front is gorgeous.
    I would love to see the new carrage doors for garage done with a mock up of two shades .
    Have you seen this done before on this type of door.
    I cannot visualize without seeing it.

  • logansmum
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bestyears, thanks for the mockup. I do know photoshop--DOH! I guess I should try that myself ;-)

    The blue gray that is the door is the same as the siding. So many of you like that color?? Like I said earlier, I had a couple of friends tell me they thought it was dated, so I guess that is why I was determined to go with another color.

    I think the taupe in the mockup makes the rock pop, but I'm not really a taupe person. I'll have to reconsider that.

    Finally, DO you think I need to add SHUTTERS to the bottom where the rock face is? Does it make it look out of balance to the top? I got this wild idea last night that I and my husband could make board and batten shutters--it's just 2x4s nailed together ;-) He is never going to agree to that.

    Here is example of the shutters I am talking about. Maybe that has to come later ;-)

    Please keep the suggestions coming. Off to the paint store.

    Susan

  • CaroleOH
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sorry, Green is just not attractive next to the stone. Just my opinion of course, but Wow, I love that BM Briarwood color with the black or dark brown shutters. I think that color would also look nice with a dark to medium gray shutter if you didn't want such a big contrast. It looks so elegant but in a cottagey way.

  • suero
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I like the current blue the best, but if you really want to change color, I'd go with taupe, even though I think it looks more boring that the blue you have now.

    {{gwi:1655323}}

  • logansmum
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just a quick followup to anyone who was wondering... It's rained in Georgia all week, which has bought me a little time;-) I have a patchwork of colors painted on the garage door--looks like the Partridge Family lives here. I need to make another run to the paint store--haven't found the color yet. I'll post the door after I put up some more samples.

    Thanks again for all the quick input. I will post a final photo when it's done.

  • amac
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I too was thinking of a beigy, creamy, taupy color - light, like the mock up from best years. Boy, it really lightens up the house and I think it would look fantastic with the brick as well. It really makes the green, in the landscape, look great and your tree as well.. My vote is looks like Bestyears picture

    Best of luck to you in whatever you decide...

  • PRO
    Snuggle Mug Co
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Logansmum,

    Just wondering if you decided on a paint colour yet? I'm in the process of selecting a paint colour to go with my red brick and I'm having a difficult time.

    I would love to see your new paint colours.