THANK YOU very much for the input and confirming that the Burnt Sienna was not a good idea. We are going to go with the Colonial Slate. The shingles have not been ordered yet, so not a problem. We called our sales agent, and DH will send a fax. Obviously, this is a decision we'd have to live with for a very long time. Plus, if we eventually change the exterior colors (but won't be painting the brick) the slate will match pretty much anything else we choose. Some neighbors have used a light sage-y green on their trim, and I'd really like that, too. At least that's a few years off, though.

Having just gone through this process, I can say that, while a roofer may make a suggestion, it's really up to you to decide. Drive around and look at houses. Black roofs in my area are passe (we've been there, done that on our house too...25 years ago!). Here's a chart based on region: http://www.mclean-roofing.com/PDFfiles/LandmarkColorChart.pdf You can't go wrong with Certainteed Landmark architectual singles. They are all beautiful. We love ours! What you need to keep in mind are: region, weather, contrast and style of your house. Personally I would not defer to the roofer. I think the Moire Black, while lovely, is not right for your house. Perhaps something softer would be more appropriate (others have made good suggestions), given your future plans to change the landscaping and the lighting. If your future plans include changing out the front door, I'd suggest beefing it up w/ one that has side panels of glass. That would be more in keeping w/ the sytle of your house. Also, if you are working on curb appeal, there are ways to diminish the stark look of garage doors that face the front of the house. Re: metal roof. IMHO, don't go there unless you live in a frigid climate like Norhtern New England. My grandparents had that on their house in North Conway, NH. The advantage: the snow literally slides right off. The disadvanate: it's rather ugly (beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?)

Who is the manufacturer? I notice that Driftwood varies from say Owens Corning to GAF to other mfg shingles. Personally I think Driftwood is a great color for a shingle roof. It's neutral. It gives you flexibility. You will need to get the actual shingle(s) so you can see how it looks against your current house color if you aren't up to painting just yet. I also like Weatherwood shingle color. Also neutral.

I personally would vote for the GAF Slateline. To me, the grand manor and carriage house look a bit like a cottage. For our historic home, we chose the GAF Camelot shingles and absolutely love them.