Do you by chance live in Ocala? That's where I'm from, originally! Those trees definitely say central Florida to me. ;-)

Is that area around the windows to the left of the pic wood? It looks like it's painted black? I actually really like that, I think it looks sharp.

I'm not sure I'd go monochromatic - I think the house will look too plain when it's done. There is a house near our summer house that did that and every time I walk by it I think it just doesn't look right - but that might just be a personal preference.

Is it the contrast you don't like, or the fact that they're brown? Because just about every single house you see has that contrast with shutters - think of all the white hosues with black shutters around - and they look good! (IMO.)

Honestly I'd paint them black. I think it would look great with the creamy brick. Then make the door pop with red or burgundy. It's a traditional look.

I was thinking the exact same thing. I thought they were black and I really like that look.

Laurie

I also like the contrast. If it were my house I'd do nothing, it's gorgeous just the way it is. You did a great job with the flower beds, love all of it!

I am not feeling that shade of green with your brick and quite honestly the landscaping. The sea green looks too minty against the lush green foliage.

If you love the monochromatic look, I'd find a Sherwin Williams strip of paint colors that coordinates with your brick. You could do the trim in the lightest color on the strip and the shutters in either the second or third color.

I like the Divine White/Kilim Beige/Nomadic Desert strip or the Moderate White/Softer Tan/Macadamia.

I think the soft cream/tan colors will give you that monochromatic look you're after and will look classy and will be a perfect backdrop to your landscaping.

Honestly, I would just take off the shutters. They are way too small for the windows, and don't really add anything to the look of your pretty house.

Paint the wood door if you must, but I think the wood suits the setting of your home.

However, if you are set on the shutters, I would look for a more olive/mossy green, rather than something so mint/blue-green.

I was going to suggest going with a wider shutter - like the one you have painted the green - it looks a little wider than what's on there now. But if you are keeping your shutters then I do think they'd look great painted black. Or maybe a deep black/green, if you wanted to go with green.

I like the cream and black combo too and a really great door color..but I think there is too much shrubbery at the front of the house against the brick...I would take a lot of that out It is too much , I think .

Hi -- Thank you all so much for your comments -- even though what I really wanted was for everyone to say how much they like my Coastal plain colored shutter! :-)
Kpaquette, we live in Gainesville, which as you know is just 30 miles up the road from Ocala. The greenery is very similar if not the same.
The current shutters and the wood around the window are painted dark brown and they just look very harsh to me.
You are right that the current shutters are too skinny! We are replacing the current 14-inch shutters with 18-inch wide ones, like the one painted green. We are also planning to place shutters on either side of the bank of windows with the wood trim -- not sure how that we'll look, but we will give it a try.
The new door will be a traditional 6-panel with four vertical windows across the top and part of the door and sidelights on either side. We were going to paint the door a dark color and the sidelights a light trim color.
The walkways are moving over some -- you probably can't tell, but our lot is very sloped and the current walkway is an obstacle course. As part of the new landscaping, we will have a small landing area with two facing benches -- need to pick a color for those, too!
So back to the colors -- is there no monochromatic look that would work? I am going to check out your suggestion, Caroleah (I think you also gave me kitchen advice back in the day -- still no backsplash for me!)
More suggestions -- or photos -- will be greatly appreciated. I really feel my house is a bit of an ugly duckling!
Thanks.

I kind of think of shutters as eyelashes for your house - monochromatic would mean no mascara! ;-) Also, if you were going to go light then your wider shutters would be a waste - part of why the ones on there look too skinny is because of the window size and the amount of brick - that would only be accentuated with a monochrome scheme, IMO.

Since you're replacing those shutters anyway, why not paint a couple and see what you think? Do one window with black, and another with the other color. Those two at ground level would be easy to get to.

I think the monochromatic look is a nice look - not every house needs to have contrasting shutters.

I drove my son to school this morning and there are two house on the way that are very monochromatic. The first is a brick ranch where the house is painted a pale gray and the shutters are just a tad darker - just the slightest difference. The other house is a cape cod with a stone half front but the rest of the house and shutters are painted a light taupe.

Very understated and elegant in a simple way. I'm not saying it's going to be perfect with your house, and getting just the right color will be a challenge, but I'd paint a shutter or two lighter colors and see which looks best to you.

Black shutters or dark green will always look great, but I'd go out on a limb and try the lighter shades if that's the look you're after.

I think the house looks great as is HONESTLY!!! It has a lot of character and I really like it a lot. I too love the contrast.... I think the landscaping looks nice too. Sorry - I'm no help to you, but maybe it makes you feel good to know you've got a great thing going!!

Thanks so much for the kind words and we probably will end up with a contrasting trim. But if there is anyone out there with some photos of a monochromatic exterior or any more thoughts on how to achieve it, I would love to see them. It's just calling out to me!

I'm bumping my own message up in hopes there's someone out there with some ideas for how to give this house a monochromatic, yet interesting, look. We need to get our new shutters and door installed and it's all determined by picking the paint colors. My landscape architect wants us to go with SW Privilege Green (it's the darkest green paint on the board in the photo) for the shutters and SW Rock Garden, the darkest on the strip with Privilege Green (not shown) for our new 6-panel door.
I just wonder if there is a way to make the house look more harmonious with something closer to the Ocala brick (taupey, gray) in tone.
Photos would be great, but suggestions would be most appreciated, too.
Thanks!

I love the black and dark green colors as well. However, seeing your lovely surroundings, how about matching the spanish moss color, grey/blue or close to the color of your brick grout for the shutters.

Enailes, one of the colors on the board I painted there is called "Contented" and it actually is close to the color you are talking about. Unfortunately, I think it may look a trifle cold. For those who have ever tried to work with Ocala block/brick, it's just very hard to match. Many people around here paint it because it's so difficult, but my husband would be very unhappy with that prospect!

OK, so here's an update of my exterior color situation, although without photos for the moment. After I bring the situation up to date, I will ask more opinions.
I enlisted the help of a decorator, who hated all my green shutter choices and came up with a tone-on-tone look for the shutters that I wanted. So we painted the new shutters (wider than the ones you see on the picture) ICI Heron Grey, which is a taupey gray. But now that we have the shutters and are hanging them up, they look only about one shade darker than the brick. After my intial -- YIKES -- I am now beginning to like them. It is certainly the tone-on-tone look I was hoping for.
We also replaced the elbaorate door with a very traditional 6-panel-style door with sidelites to the ground. (There are only four panels, actually, because there are four windows across the top.)
We are thinking of painting the wood trim around the door and sidelights and the wood under the five front windows with SW Steamed Milk at 120 percent. It's lighter than the shutters but not white.
But here's the big question -- finally. What color should we paint the door, given this whole tone-on-tone look? The decorator says we should go with the same color as the shutters, but I'm not so sure.
Thanks!

The houses I've seen that are monochromatic have the door painted the same color as the trim or shutters.

I think we'd have to see a picture to tell for sure. Painting an accent color for the door may look great, but could also ruin your whole monochromatic look.

It sounds wonderful would love to see pictures. A black door would be classic, the same color of the shutters would give you the tone-on-tone flow. I need to think
about this for a bit.

You've gotten lots of good advice but I just want to say hi to ya'll because I am from Ocala originally myself!
I went to Oak Crest Elementary and Ocala High School, graduated in '66! I grew up not very far from where
John Travolta now has a home!! It's really so tragic--the loss of their son and I was so proud of Ocala and
Anthony for respecting their privacy and grief, and having reached out to them with love!

Love your home 'fromFlorida' and the colors you're choosing from and the setting does remind me a lot of Ocala,
which sure has changed a lot since I moved from there, 40 yrs. ago!! :o) Gainesville is a lovely town!

Janice

Thanks for all your comments and I hope I'll be able to get new pictures and post them by tomorrow. It will still be a work in progress, though.
Yes, Janice, Ocala has really changed and so has Gainesville!

Here are some photos of the new shutters and door. I know it is maybe too blah for many. I'm considering BM Cottage Red and BM Mediterranean Teal.
I'll also be getting a new landscape, pathways and benches. Any thoughts on door color?

Here is a link that might be useful:

The house looks beautiful, I love the color of the shutters! If I didn't do a black door, I would consider
a muted burgundy/berry color. I love the contrast of
the Japanese maple color against the brick. (A Black door would be very formal and the berry would give the home a more relaxed look). The shutter color would be pretty as well for a uniform look. What color is the new walkway going in as that might affect a color selection for the door.

I would consider the landscaping for the door color. I like the idea of a Cottage Red or burgundy/berry color as the last poster suggested and would try ti incorporate more of that color with plant material. Can you grow Crinums there, or are you too far north? How about Loropetalum? I was gardening in Zone 10a, and I know things there are very different...

Love the house, btw! It's a great example of how a split (a style many do not like) can be very classy. I am sure it will look wonderful with the new walkway and plantings.

Love your new colors! I like the color the door is now, but if you want something that pops, I think either the aqua or red would work, but I'd go with whatever color your landscape plantings tend to lean towards. If you use pinks/purples - I'd paint it the aqua. If you go more red/yellow/orange - I'd paint it the red.

Also, please don't be angry at me for suggesting this, but I think your curb appeal makeover includes having your roof washed. The new refreshed paint makes the roof look even more dirty with the black residue. Maybe in real life it's not so noticeable, but I noticed it right away in the new pictures.

I came late to this thread but wanted to say I like the monochromatic look. I see it on some Cape Cod/Saltbox style houses in my area and think it's lovely.

I love the way it looks on your house. I'm tending to agree with those who are telling you to go for some sort of berry color for your door. Please post more pictures as your landscaping, etc. comes together. You have a beautiful home.

Thanks so much for all your comments -- and for not going "yech" when you saw my tone-on-tone shutters. I can always paint them again later, but sure don't feel like doing it now.
Enailes, the pathway, which will widen to 10 by 10 at one spot to accommodate facing benches -- will be a stamped concrete in a coquina (light creamy tan color) banded in a taupey brick shade a bit darker than the shutters. The benches (Ellsworth on benches.com) have been painted to match the shutters. I like them.
Amysrq, the plants you mention sound interesting and I will pass them along to our wonderful landscape architect. Thanks.
Caroleah -- no offense taken on the roof suggestion. Yes, we're planning on cleaning it -- just trying to find something that will not damage the roof like pressure washing can.
Next week the digging up of the old walkway and some plants will begin. That's why we have to figure out the door color.
So I hear it for a dark berry or black -- any green/teal fans out there or anything else?
Thanks so much to all!

The landscaping and new walk and benches sound so nice! I think all 3 color choices would work great with the
new walk; however, if it were up to me, I would
wait until it is all in and see the total picture
before icing the cake (door).

You might be right, enailes. I just hope the whole thing doesn't look too boring!