I am sick to death of gray and beige myself and painted our house green. It is a bit brighter than I thought it would be but I still like it.

Green was my first choice when I repainted my house, too. Since this area does tend to an abundance of green pretty much year round, one would think that a green house would not make much of a statement plus you run the risk of clashing with all the natural green shades that exist. However, sage green or that very pale, almost a gray-green is nearly a neutral and is light and bright even under very dreary, wet winter condition and somehow manages to blend well with all the natural greens of the landscape. I've yet to discover a plant color that doesn't look against this backdrop. And it is so easy to accent with other colors - either dark, rich jewel tones or bright, nearly electric colors like raspberry or cobalt blue. Or white for a very clean, crisp look.

We painted our house a year and a half ago. It was blue. Like MS Windows taskbar blue from the foundation to the roof trim. Don't use that color.

We went through and looked at a bunch of different colors and ended up painting the concrete foundation back to concrete gray (which is a hard color to match), the bulk of the house red - sort of a bricky, maroony red and then the pointy part of the house is green. The trim is an off-white almost yellow.

The red really stands out from the street but isn't glaring and the plants look great against it and the gray foundation. We did paint the shed the green color which is a lighter green than hanging file folders come in. All the plants near the shed stand out against it just fine as it's kind of sagey.

If your neighborhood is only grey or brown or white houses, drive to and then walk around an older neighborhood and look at the houses. You'll see what you like and don't like and narrow it down.

Painted the house "broadleaf green" with dark brown trim 18 years ago, still looks great. It also looks good in all the various garden shots over the years. The house is not smothered in plants like some, the larger plants are all at a distance.

I think the darker reds look good also.

I kind of like the darker reddish brown overall with a green trim.
But I'm just too worried about no reflected light for the plants.

I'd go with green with purplish trim, but husband really makes a face at that.

Other option is no trim as that seems to cut up the place with all those thin lines every which way. But instead use a dark color for some areas and the lighter color for other larger patches in the shadier areas.

I hope to get out and about and look at colors, but again, the problem is the style of this house (70's angular "NW contemporary")that is so different than in any current developments.

I like the darker colors. Flowers and foliage show up better with a dark background. Also darker houses seem to fit into the landscape better in my minds eye.
I'm not worried one bit about the lack of reflected light. No veggies along the house foundation for me.

My front door is going to be purple. Eggplanty purple.

My house green was supposed to be a dark sage/spruce but the shingles we picked out at Home Depot which were neutral brown were discontinued and the ones DH ordered from a roofing supplier ended up being really orange and needed a warmer green. My house is almost as bright as spring grass...it photographs almost neon green which is why I'm not posting a photo. I swear it is a green found in nature but not according to my digital camera...

Trim is lighter green and windows hunter green. Gutters are chocolate brown. We did fake cedar shakes above garage and front door which are supposed to be the color of a stained cedar fence but painter painted them the wrong color and weather has cooperated to repaint.

I was really, really sick of gray.

Going for a bungalow/Craftsman look.

Found one photo that shows the color accurately (poor trampled lily to the left of the daphne lived :) :

Window colors, not quite finished painting but you can get the idea.

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paint choices:

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It isn't in Sellwood or Hawthorne or Ladd's Edition where many houses are so multi-colored but it is only paint. :) We've got copper colored yard lights on the way that I bought on eBay that will go nicely with the roof and the garden is very colorful. I have lots of red, blue and yellow foliage plants.

You can't go wrong with Hunter Green, I have a touch of that around the place also.

Maybe if I call it British Racing Green, my husband will like it!

Ralph Lauren has British Racing Green paint at Home Depot.
:)

I'm going through the house color thing right now. We've decided on a yellow green with a lot of brown in it for the body color. It's very craftsman (our house was built in 1916). Anything in the garden should go with that. For the trim, we've chosen the color of black cherries. I'm thinking the dark red leaved plants I have should go really well with it. Then, there's white (damn vinyl windows). The front door will be something in the red violet family to go with the trim. The trim color is not quite craftsman, but it's going to be gorgeous.

Our last house was mariner blue, we loved it. We went through many QTs of paint to decide on a color. This house is grey with white trim that will not last much longer.

Lowes has half pint samples. I must have a dozen.