I used Owens Corning's custom design web site to pick a type of shingle and color. You can have your contractor give you a price for each grade. Once you get to the web site select your house type then at the next page select the "custom" tab and then pick which shingle grade you are interested in and then below you will see all the shingles in that line. Select one and you will be amazed. You can save the pictures to file to show your contractor. Also you can experiment with siding and veneer types by selecting the "Collections" tab. I used this site to pick my siding color, type and color of shingles. Here is a link that might be useful: Owens Corning

Do you think another window with shutters will make the front of the house too busy? I hope others will comment with opinions. funcolors...what do you think?? Unless they want/need a window in that spot for interior lighting, like really badly, then I wouldn't bother. Once it's freshened up with new paint and new colors, and landscaping it's going to be fabulous. Again, I'm usually/always in the less is more camp. Don't do the work, spend the money unless there's significant ROI in dollars, function, happiness. And I'm with arcy, the current blue makes quite a statement. :) But with that said, I also love pianolady's neighbor's house. They met a strongly patterned and colored brick with equally strong paint/siding color and the result is balance. If they would have used a light subtle color, all we'd be talking about would be that brick. They also did an excellent job coordinating the roof to the brick - it's a whole package. No one thing stands out and grabs your eyeballs from the curb. The brick in both cases is very bossy. If they want a neutral and not a color, we know from pianolady's example that it shouldn't be too light.

The roof looks like Pewter Gray GAF HD Shingles, (Timberline), the windows were painted - or if those are not, then they will be custom, costing an arm and a leg. The siding looks like Napco, American Tradition, in a Pewter or Silver color - but here are their color choices - you can get around their website through this portal -Napco Trad Lap Siding 5" Colors hope that helps.

This was yesterday when I took a final look at some samples. On the right, supported by the window box brackets, is the Atlas Hickory, with the sample panel hanging below it. On the left is Landmark Burnt Sienna. On the ground, on the left is 1 shingle of the Burnt Sienna, and next to it are 2 Owens Corning Brownwood. I think all these shingles would work. So why pick Atlas Hickory? Although I think Landmark makes some of the nicest looking roofs, the basic Landmark only has a 10 year algae staining warranty, and I am getting feedback that it is staining years before that. The Owens Corning Brownwood also only has 10 year on algae staining, there is much to much color variation and tab width variation and the sample on the roof looked like an ocelot. The light tabs are way too light. And this is actually still my mother's house and she hated it. I have been told numerous times that the Atlas (along with a West Coast brand Malarkey) are the shingles with the best algae resistance. Atlas is really pushing this with a lifetime warranty for algae staining. I was trying to get a sample of the Landmark Pro Burnt Sienna, which offers 15 years on the algae resistance, but it would be a special order and although I think I would find this shingle very attractive, I think it has the same problem as the Owens, with too much color variation. These were the 2 Timberline shingles we originally looked at because all the roofers around here seem to use Timberline and that's all I knew about. I stared at these 2 on the roof for weeks, never liking them. On the left is Barkwood, the right is Hickory. On some houses the barkwood is very nice, always seemed like the colors were perfect for our house, but on our roof in the front it looked pale and peachy. No brown to be found. This is the Timberline samples on the roof. I also never liked the spottiness and the way they do their shading. But, on the right house it looks good and it's grown on me. But, another thing about them, and this is what drew my attention to the algae problems. The following photos are from the south side and the north side of a local church. The roof is less than 10 years old and look at the algae staining on the north side. This is the Timberline Barkwood - pretty in the right place, but I still think too spotty and light and peachy on our roof. And now for the algae staining.... you would think it's a black roof up there. Pretty awful, huh. So, I decided that I would go with the shingle that is offering the best technology, reputation and warranty for algae staining, which is the Atlas, and that left me with the choices in the photo I originally posted with the 4 samples on the roof. I moved some samples of it to the east facing side of the house as well, and I think it'll be ok. But, I still don't know why there are so few options for good brown colors in this style shingle. I see a whole lot more in high end styles, but if I had that much money to spend on a roof, I'd be putting on a metal roof.