Vix thanks for stopping by! How have you been?! Yes, you're right re the sheen aspect; I was thinking that about trims, especially. I'm guessing you used Devine paint? :) Or what did you use? (and I'm glad you reminded me about Metro--I have a garage full of silly samples to get rid of)

lindy, thanks for doing the greys! They're gorgeous. I am tending toward the Briarwood, because it's got some red in it. But I swear, I don't know what I'm going to do. And lindy & tamberc, now you see my problem: they *all* look good! I'm way too libra to decide on this...we're actually going to print them all out in color tonight. It's worth it.

Squirrel, continued prostrate thanks for your generosity and brilliance. I found the globe light and although it's got a nice tight swivel mount, it's not outdoor rated. :( But you know, I started thinking about what would happen if the kind of wind that destroyed our tree got through into our walkway...that light would be completely shattered against a wall...and I can't find *outdoor* globe lamps anywhere (so far). Would I want a cord or a metal mounting pole? I don't know...but at least I'm definitely getting new sconces.

What does anyone think of the reddish browns? I still like what they do to the garden.

I found a garage door that looks good in flush panel (has some dimensionality to it anyway)--it's Martin flushline. Have to decide between that and the Newport.

Thank all three of you photoshop goddesses so very very much. OH, do I need to have full photoshop or is there a way I can learn to do this with photoshop elements? Thanks for any insights on that, too.

Was looking around at some Eichlers and there seems to be a lot of light, fresh colors. White trim or even colors. Think I was in CA though. So, trying a less woodsy beige. It looks great with a burgundy leaf color, too, although I took that tree out. I do love the earthy, woodsy look in your setting though. I grew up with some MCM schoolmates here who lived 'on the mountain' and those places are very earthy. I remember a lot of dark brown wood on the exteriors. They weren't sunny places inside, but had a very special and wonderful feel about them.

Fly...I am using PHotoshop Elements 5.0. If that's what you have, just start playing around with it. Start with simple cut and pasting of objects. When you are ready to start painting, you can use the magnetic lasso tool that selects out a section and then "fill layer" with color. It's actually a long learning curve on that program. I've had it over a year and still don't know how to do half the things Squirrel does. (she uses a different program anyhow)

By the way Squirrel...thought you went Pro. Did you get your business up and running?

Lindy

Here's the same beige but with some red in it and more muted.

Trying a flat panel with some dimension. They are good looking doors. I like the way they have it downlit, otherwise it gets really flat. Doesn't look possible on your door, but maybe an eve light, washing over the door and house numbers? So, dark trim around the light gd, or not. lol.

Bummer, the globe light is on a metal rod (I wouldn't use a line; even just aesthetically, it's very sleek and fitting with the rod). Maybe see if others in the area use them? I'm sure a local lighting expert could advise. There might even be a code to comply with if the winds are bad. Maybe just use a canned downlight washing down on the entrance? And seeing a globe on the interior through the window?

I would just get PS elements, not the professional level version -- which is hundreds of dollars anyway : )

No, Lindy, but I really need to venture out a bit and see what happens. Thanks for asking : )

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We now have a "dream book" of all these fabulous house colors -- how immensely cool is that!

Excellent point about the lighting on the flat panels. They do make make me nervous--I have seen some around here and they don't seem to age as well as the paneled ones. I'd be very interested in your opinion of the Wayne Dalton 9700 Newport (below). I've mocked it up with the Sandy Hook Gray house and I'm trying out different paint schemes on it (the Wayne Dalton visualizer is really fun :) -- definitely the best website-based visualizer I've seen).

DH likes the numbers down where you had them before...it's funny, I wish I had a pic of the HUGE numbers that were original to the house. I usually would have said to keep anything like that, but even I had my limits :) They had to go and make *incredibly tacky* carefully cut out wooden numbers (I've still got them, I'm not tossing them--maybe someone else will love them in a way I can't) and make them something like 10" tall!

We're definitely staining our driveway...

Here is a link that might be useful: the Newport's down on the right...has tall rectangles

Oh, I've got too many house projects and too little money -- same old same old!

Actually wasn't testing Devine as much as Miller's historic palette. Same pouch-y samples. [They've got a color viewer thing online if you want to look and ask your Pshoppers to play.] Figure if anyone knows our climate....

We're leaving the PO's still-hanging-in-dangit body color for now and it's a bear to deal with, so I tested way too many shades. But as we're also pretty greened-in, I'm pretty sure I want to go with a reddish-brown body if we do change out down the line. So I did (small-scale) tests of Miller's historic line Palomino (coffee/light cream) and Nankeen (cafe au lait). Was thinking the former would be too dark but I bet once I get a big old window-size patch up there for scrutiny it'd be perfect. You might want to take a gander at those two....

ps Gedney Green is a great super-dark-green; it's got a hint of blue. [You probably don't need the name of my marigold trim!]

Fly, I can't figure out which door the Newport is (or the Martin, forget what was there). Any pics of it that aren't line drawings? I see carriage house style doors for the Newport.

Morning, squirrel :) The Newport is the one with three rows of tall rectangles that are two across, if that makes sense...it *looks like a carriage door* but it goes up like a usual overhead door.

The general hope is that by the time I'm done painting the door, it won't look like a carriage door at all. The tall rectangles echo the tall rectangles of the windows and door area of our house and the thing I was going to do with it was to paint the center stile and then the two horizontals...it's the closest I can come to the cool paned garage door (with three horizontals, not two) that you found. I want to keep it as simple as possible and the carriage door panels are cleaner than the usual "raised panel" doors, while having enough interest not to come across as flat like the flushline doors without the downlight on them. (That was so smart of you to notice, btw.)

Ah, vix, yes, Miller's (or Duron's or whoever's they're the same across the country, I learned). I'll take a look at those colors today. When I was looking for greys, I couldn't find anything I really liked. But the red sure does make the surroundings come out! And what sheen were you thinking of using on the siding of your house, of the Millers--satin, velvet, or flat? Whenever I have really liked a house enough to go up and ask what the paint is (yes, I do that :)), I hear "satin" as the sheen. I wonder if we can get away with that or we have to stay with velvet...

We're currently tied between trying to find a slightly redder Briarwood (and slightly deeper, along vix's line of thinking) and the ever-popular Sandy Hook Gray, which looks so great with the charcoal trim and the red door...

Oh, and I agree with you about the line/rod issue, squirrel--I was just trying to think about what would be the strongest installation...but I never in my life would have predicted that we'd get a kind of wind that could take that healthy tree down...so I'm probably being over-safe in planning for the worst of Oregon vs. the worst of northern CA (Eichler-land).

lindybarts, thanks for the information on PS Elements. I'll try the lasso today. It's all so opaque to me at this point...but now I'll know that it's *in there* somewhere and I *can* learn it if I just give it enough time.

I can't wait to see what you choose. There's so many great choices. At first I was leaning towards the Sandy Hook Gray and Nantucket Gray. Now I'm really liking the 1st one Squirrel posted at 1:38, the 2nd and 3rd ones posted at 2:05, both browns posted at 9:01.

Laurie

Fly, just smack some keys around and don't worry about what the quality looks like or even what happens. Just notice! and play. When I first opened the digital photo sw, I hadn't a clue what all the stuff was -- it looked very scientific! -- and I would totally glaze over and hit Exit : ) But, I just kept going back and doodling around and let the software teach me : )

So, the Newport without any windows, right? I'll have to check it out again, as I kept getting carriage doors with windows.

ok, I found the other door configs in the pdf brochure.

okay, I really like #2 at 9:31 also :)

Laurie

Oh Laurie, you're making me laugh :) It's hard, isn't it? Of course we have sun today -- I need to get sample boards up to see what they look like in sun *and* the soup/cloud cover we usually have from November - May (don't want to paint on the house until I'm positive everything's happening--too many things have not gone acc. to schedule recently so no direct house paint sampling will be occurring -- there's enough of that in our kitchen/family room LOL). The 9:01 colors are a definite possibility, along with any from the "streamlined lighting" post, and lindybarts' last three finalist grey colors --I want to see what they look like on other people's houses--we're going to drive around with our sample book and match up colors today, I'm not kidding...

And squirrel, YES, that glazed-over "what the *heck* did I just do" look? I know it well :)

Maybe it's hormones, maybe it's back pain making me feel emotional, but I really want to say *thank you* again to reno, lindy, and squirrel...you all are the *best* and without you we wouldn't have this unbelievably helpful color book to guide us in bringing out house (and yard) out of this minor disaster that we *really* didn't need right now, into something better than she ever was before. I give each of you a huge hug.

Here's the Briarwood, slightly redder and deeper, with the Newport doors. First driveway picks up more brown of the house, second the deep charcoal, but still some warmth. Closer, to see more of the red of the door.

So, can some red go lavendar in the blue PNW light???

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And the Sandy Hook with the Westfield door.

(Wow, that was a slightly diff Briarwood earlier, which now looks quite different! : )

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Thanks, squirrel...maybe we'll just go with the simpler one and avoid the extra unpainted rectangles. It looks fine. And that color, I tell you...it was one of the first Amy came up with, and it's holding off the competition pretty easily...I need to find the LRV of it, to compare it to others we saw in Rummer land today, which were pretty much all done in Miller paint (local brand). A few of the *one-story* Rummers still had their original globe lights on downrods, which is exactly what I've got, same length rod and everything (and they're mounted over the entry door, outside--but a downrod long enough for our house would really be asking for trouble, IMO. Right? Or not?

And we learned that while the reddish brown I'd been envisioning works in theory, in reality it ends up looking like a bandaid, unfortunately, from what we saw today.

I also learned that looking at colors for too long with a back support brace on makes me *sick at my stomach*! I couldn't take looking at one more color after a while.

oh, the last one, the Sandy Hook! they're all gorgeous. squirrel, Lindy, you're amazing. Fly, are you better yet?

You're in a back brace from running??? ugh. Go girl! lol.

I would check with a local lighting store or the township on codes and recommendations. I have no idea how sturdy those things are or what the weather is like out there. Not sure if I've seen long ones like that outdoors or not : )

I like the simpler Westfield, which looks more contemporary. Looks great, imo : ) Good find!

walkin, isn't it eerie--that was one of the first ones mentioned and it still always stops us (our family) as I scroll through. In whatever formulation.

squirrel, I'm actually in a back brace from exacerbating a disc problem from doing an exercise wrong because I was trying to compensate for a stress fracture I got in my foot because I was trying to favor an area of that foot that had a blister on it. Makes me want to scream. It's taking a long time to get better (the back...well, the foot too) and I'm so impatient--and I sat at the track meet all day yesterday (it's DD's turn, and DH is one of the coaches) on the stands with no back brace...I'm paying for it now. (

Yes, I like the Westfield better, now that I think about it--good find to you too!

It's so hard, because I want to get a color that really looks mid-century, and I see all these muted tones I'm also drawn to on the faux-craftsman things that are being built now...I don't want to make our house look like the faux-craftsman houses...saw a *wild* combination on a Rummer today--I'd do it in a second but DH was, um...hesitant :) But I also love the more muted PNW Contemporary look, which uses those colors...I think the trim and the door will carry the mcm message, yes?

On another topic: watched Cranford tonight--did you all see it? We loved it, here. DD, 10, even loved it--I'm so happy that she's growing up willing to think at that pace and at that depth--positively anachronistic :)

I don't know the historical MCM colors, but did see fresh looking colors when browsing the CA homes -- but that *is Sunny California : ) There's an earthy MCM too. The historical Driftwood Gray, ps'd above, has a fresh look about it. That's the DING DING DING one : ) Don't know if the Sandy Hook is MCM, but its green tones settle in nicely with the landscape, while still having a light, fresh feel about it.

I would think about how you want things to feel, and how the interior feels, since the two color directions you could take -- a light/fresh modern or an earthy/muted modern -- would each make your home feel very different.

That would make me want to scream too. How frustrating!

Flyleft, no fun! I hope you heal quickly!

Just wanted to cast my vote(s) (Do I get more than one?) for the deep Spruce and Pewter tones with the darker garage doors. IMO, those just bring out the 'woody' nature of the site more than the lighter colors or warmer tans.

Great PhotoShopping!

Thanks for voting, sweeby. Those are beautiful in a woodsy-cabin sort of way, aren't they? But *sigh* if we went with the Spruce I might not have a DH by the end of next winter (and I do want him around!). He's rather prone to SAD and in the overcast skies around here the Spruce would be too much for him. The darker Pewter I could go with, though...I think they still may be too dark for DH.

And thanks, oceanna and squirrel, for your commiseration on the Back that a Blister Built...it all comes from impatience (which comes from having just started to get traction on my exercise for the first time in about 7 years --and then I get the blister and I couldn't stand the idea of losing that traction and then and then etc...if I'd just waited the blister out I'd be back exercising by now, silly girl that I am)

And squirrel, I think when all is said and done I'm going for the more PNW look (short of SAD-inducing) than the sunny Eichler look. The Eichlers greys end up looking blue, unfortunately--and I saw some Rummers in grey or blue (several) and they didn't speak to me.

Your help (and everyone's input) has been invaluable. DH and I wish we could find some way to repay you (and lindybarts). At the very least, is there a charity that you especially favor? Lindy, is there one that you favor? I'm serious, please let me know.

If you keep going back to something over a matter of days, then I think that is a pretty good indicator. I love the Sandy Hook. Perhaps why you do not like the red door is because you have a modern, simplier style with a lot of glass so there is not enough of the red to carry the third color. Keeping the door in the trim color sounds like it would be more in keeping with the style.

I only read two posts, looked at a few pics but felt I needed to reply as I saw the words 'SANDY HOOK GREY'. ( I have an appointment in 10 min that I need to get to.)

BM Sandy Hook Gray is the colour I painted my 1940's stucco home. The neighborhood went crazy and so did the local real estate agents who now site our house as an example of the perfect colour. The doors were painted black. No other trim colour was used.

We love Sandy Hook Gray so much that we used it in the guest bathroom, top half of the walls and ceiling - bottom half of the walls is a 'taupe' ceramic same as the floor. (Black towels and accessories complete the look)

If you ask for the recipe for BM Sandy Hook Gray you will note there is no red of any kind. Too many taupes carry a pink undertone that is not noticeable until you paint very large surfaces. BM Sandy Hook Grey is neither gray nor sandy... it is a fantastic dark putty colour that looks fantastic and blends in a real natural way with the landscape.

Just my 2 cents.
D.

Oh no no no, val, I *love* the red door, actually :) A highlight door would be quite in keeping with the modernist "idiom", as it were.

douglas, isn't that interesting-thanks for taking a second to post. I'm really getting a good feeling that this is the color. Amy recommended it, we keep coming back to it, val likes it, you describe your experience with it...

Fly...going back and looking over all the choices, I too am in the Sandy Hook Gray camp. Will this color be okay for DH's SAD? I also love the red door! Hope your back is better soon!

No need for payment to me! I'm not even close to that level yet! LOL!

P.S. Aren't we having a spectacular day in the PNW!!!!!!!!

Hey lindy, YES, it's a splendid day! Absolutely perfect :) Where are you again? I'm in the Portland area.

And re the color: That settles it; it will be the one to beat. I'm going out to get a quart in whatever finish we will use...along with some trim and door paint, too...

I'm loving the Sandy Hook too! Love the red door. There's just something so great about a red door....

The Sandy Hook is very, very nice --
And I like the red door also.

I love all the colors that were photoshopped.
Can someone tell me what is MCM Colors.

Well lyban, what kind of help is that?! (JUST KIDDING:))

MCM stands for mid-century modern...one style of that house that is quite well known out in the west is by a developer named Joseph Eichler. They were built in CA, in several places, but a developer named Rummer from Oregon went down, somehow got his plans, and came back up to Oregon and built "Rummers" in various pockets in Portland. Our family wanted one in the worst way, but the timing was just off. Now, we're rather in love with our house which is *not* a Rummer (they were all single-story) but still lovable anyway :) *especially* with squirrel's *duh* trim painting which makes the house suddenly come alive--it's all I can do not to get out a ladder and paint the trim in the middle of the night--I want it changed NOW!

I went to Ben Moore today and got a quart of Moorgard Eggshell in the Sandy Hook Gray, and sample pots of two Aura colors, a really great grey-brown called Silhouette, and a red that may work for the door called Rustique. I'm actually going to paint behind the dreaded hose bench (it's wood, it's cool--I promise you won't mind the one we make in its place, squirrel :)) tomorrow and see what the colors look like. And I'm going to put some red on the door! The trim colors are so dead on for what I want, I'll be really surprised if they don't work. And the Sandy Hook? We'll have to see how it work sin this particular light, but right now, and earlier today in the daylight, they looked pretty wonderful together.

I know what I'll be dreaming about tonight :); I'll try to take a pic asap and get it posted so we can see it in reality (if only in small spaces).

Hey Fly, I was going to tell you the LRV of SHG, but I guess you have already found it at the store. (37.9)

Can't wait to hear/see how the quart looks!

Hey, Vix! Nice to see you! Did you hear I'm selling my "House o' Green?" (Your moniker has become famous 'round here!)

Fly, I swear you were in Seattle...silly brain of mine! I'm in Portland too!! On the West side about 10 min. from downtown. I should come over and help you paint, eh?

Crappy rain again today. I want yesterday's 72 degrees back! But I guess this day will give you a better representation of what that Sandy Hook is going to look like 75% of the year. ;c) Can't wait to see it!

Your neighbor Lindy

Fly,

Thanks so much for that explanation on the rummer houses and the MCM colors. Now I know.
As far as choices, I think the sandy Hook and greyish-brown trim you bought today will be perfect. Now I am in Canada and we do not have all the same BM products that are available in the states. In the states you have an exterior ready mixed paint that have a cottage red and a classic burgundy(reddish) that I would love to try up here but cannot get. I thought one of them would be good for your door but maybe that rustique will also be nice. Anxious to see the photos of your sampling. Love the house.

Lindy, we *are* neighbors. Maybe you live right next door :)! Actually probably not--we're not technically in "Portland", but rather in the county next door, in the town that fights with Nike :)

An odd thing happened a couple of weeks ago: I responded to an ad on craigslist in which a person was selling some fabulous tile blend that would work great in our new laundry room (with the Devine Gecko paint--I went a little crazy in there :)). I went over to pick it up, and sure enough it was a Rummer house -- I somehow knew that anyone cool enough to have this tile would probably have a Rummer too -- and he took pity on me and gave me a tour. As we got to the bathroom, I commented on the beautiful vitreous-blend tilework (he'd taken out a tub and made a curbless shower--I *love* those but it wasn't practicable in our house, unfortunately) -- he said he'd done it himself with a great product called Kerdi--of course I knew that (baths forum/john bridge forum people all know Kerdi :)) and said I wish I'd been able to get someone to do it, but out here no one knew about it when we were doing our bath, but that I might try it for our upstairs bath because of what I've learned from a website I frequent. He said he couldn't have done it without the john bridge forum and I mentioned g'web--he said "yes, there's someone on there who did a really helpful series on how to install kerdi" -- that was the famous *mongo*, a dear man who happens to be a renaissance type genius who kindly helps out on g'web! I know that thread--posted on it, saved it to my files--it's a *classic* that g'web could basically make into a book, it's so thorough. We didn't go so far as to ask identities (I guess because we weren't both women--but you know if two women had discovered that we would have jumped immediately to "who are you?!"), but I'm sure I've read his posts and he's probably seen mine. And we didn't recognize each other IRL.

So I'll probably run into you at TJ's sometime this week and we won't know that you're the kind person who helped photoshop our house!

lyban, no problem :) When we first moved here it struck us as quite hilariously typical that someone would rip off what was going on in CA and bring it up here where it's only marginally appropriate (flat roofs are an issue in the PNW). There's a reason why there's a specific style called *PNW* Contemporary :) But I'm glad Rummer did it because they're just beautiful to look at, when they're correctly kept up/remodeled. Many of them (not all) had fallen into unappreciative hands the last several years (like our house-the PO certainly redid a lot, but *not* in the language the house speaks), but my guess is that the wonderful restoration/remodels that have cropped up on a lot of them have to do with Californians moving up and recogizing their fabulousness from back home.

and hmmm...can paint be sent through the mail? If so, I wouldn't mind helping you get whatever colors you're interested in...I've never tried shipping paint before...

LOL...Yep...we ARE neighbors. Seriously, we must be 5 minutes from each other. I remember the thread over on Conversations where everyone was talking about where they live. There's Noodles, Justnotmartha and Oceanna is only a few hours north. Maybe we should have a get together?

Fly,
What an offer, that was so nice of you to even think of doing that for me. But I do have brothers and sisters who all live in the USA so I could pick up some on my next visits.
I also wanted to mention that I though Aura paint was only for interior but I guess you just got that door color and had them make it up in an exteror paint.

Okay, I'm coming to Portland for a wedding June 19-22. Wedding is Sat. night in Aloha. Who wants to join me for a cup of coffee? I'm coming all the way from the East Coast, so you better not say no!! ;-)

Oh my gosh, amy, *definitely*! When will you have time? We *may* have a track meet on Saturday, may not (depends on qualifying). Any time before the weekend? Maybe a evening out somewhere? (I'm pathetic--I go to bed early, so it wouldn't be too late :)) Or an afternoon at the Japanese Garden, maybe? lindy, what do you think?

Well, I tried the colors out and the Aura colors are really beautiful. I wonder if they'd mix them up for me in an exterior paint--I know they don't do that with interior paints but maybe since there's no exterior Aura formulation, they might. But Silhouette and Rustique are exactly what I had in my mind. That almost never happens.

The Sandy Hook Gray is going to need two coats before I can really evaluate it, as at this point the basic tone is dead on, but it appears a bit *light*. Maybe a second coat will give the depth. I'll see tomorrow. If it doesn't, maybe I could ask for it at 125% intensity?

Hey there, those Aura colors are just gorgeous! The 125% is a good idea. If that doesn't work, try doubling it and work your way back down with a can of untinted base and then have them scan it again for a match. I have to admit, I struggle knowing how to predict the outcomes when changing percentages.

So, we will be hanging out downtown without a car on Friday and Saturday until maybe 4 pm when we head out to B'ham for the wedding. What makes sense for you? I go to bed early too and we'll be on East Coast time anyway. (yawn)

Hmmm...we'll work out something--maybe Friday?

And you know what, I meant to add that I was really underwhelmed by the experience of painting with the MoorGuard. Are Exterior paints generally thinner than interior? I then went in and put on a coat of EK (ICI-Dulux) interior semi-gloss on some window trim and it was a completely different experience. The Aura was more like the ICI.

I'm wondering if there's a better exterior paint that I could mix the Sandy Hook Gray in...I may take the sample in to ICI-Dulux and ask them to mix it in one of their exterior finishes. Any thoughts on that? What exterior paint do folks favor?

I suspect that because exterior paints are often sprayed on they may be formulated thinner. I've used EK Exterior paints and liked the consistency very much. No problems, and I really prefer to work with thick paint. Ultimately, consistency is a matter of personal taste. You have to find whatever works for you.

Friday sounds good. Where's Lindy? :-)

I'm here, I'm here! Those dates sound like they "could" work for me. I am supposed to go to Wisconsin with hubby's side of the family but haven't booked anything yet and the airfares are just outrageous. So, it's quite possible I will be here. Will let you know.

If we do this, I'd love to give some other PNW'ers a chance to come too. We should post an invite when we know the date/time and place!!!! This could be fun!

Lindy

Fly.
Why not ask your question re paint on the paint Forum. Maybe someone over there will know alot more about exterior paints. I hate to see you paint that whole house and not have a good paint.

Thanks, Amy. I guess I'll also have to find whatever the painters like, since I won't be the one getting up on the ladder to paint up in the heights of that walkway :)

Lindy, that would be great--I know uxorial lives around here, and you had mentioned other folks. Wish terriks could happen to be up here at that time, but she's a fair distance away.

lyban, thanks--I've posted over there but haven't received any responses yet. Re "I hate to see you paint that whole house": you and me both :) I think g'web has spoiled me--I'm used to delicious paint now and there's no turning back to regular :)