Oh my goodness! It sounds so wonderful!!!!!! Is there a particular brand of paint that the painters are using? I have SW and BM decks to flip through.

I agree that you should do colored trim and I love your inspiration pic!

I can't wait to see the photos! I love the black rooms I've been seeing lately and can imagine how neat it would be as an exterior paint.

I must admit, though, when you mentioned an orange door my first thought was Halloween. I do like the black & green in your inspiration pic.

Jennifer

Oh, you are a tease.

The inspiration photo link isn't working on my computer. So,this is really a double tease.

The orange door.....hmmmm. What other colors had you considered? Since I'm always suggesting crazy things, what would Wasabi look like? And as far as the trim...I think that since the black is so extreme (in a good way!), to do white trim is another extreme. I would say a gray that is light would be nice.

You can play on Ben Moore's website, under Explore Color, then pick your own "room", but pick the exteriors--and find one that is similar to your own home. It will give you an idea.

Surely, you can get the camera, and get in the car, back out of the driveway and take a photo for us....

Ta dah!

The colour is definitely a brown minky black. After having the blue for so long, I wanted to make sure there was no blue in the colour I chose. I think it might be similar to your sealskin (is that the name?) black, ttodd.

Can you see the tiny samples of the trim I'm considering? Probably not. They are sort of stone coloured with a hint of green.

Yes, please, I need to see pics of this. I like your inspiration paired with the grayed green, but also am finding it difficult to envision an orange door. I agree with beekeeperswife about the white trim being another extreme.

I may have missed something but is the house next door also black?

no orange door?

Here is a link that might be useful: orange door

Andresrr, it must be the gloomy day, but their hosue is actually a bluey green.

What about this orange door on Lauren L.'s door.

How do you paste pics from websites within the message?

Here is a link that might be useful: another orange door

to post internet photos: these were posted a long time ago by someone, who should get credit, but I forget...sorry!

Posting a photo from another website -
Go to the website with the photo, put your cursor on the photo and RIGHT click and a box will pop up.
LEFT click on VIEW IMAGE INFO
A box will appear with the line LOCATION: followed by that photo's location on the web starting with HTTP and ending with JPG.
Copy and paste the location into your post at GardenWeb.
Type in front of it img src=
It will look like this:
img src=http and so on, ending with jpg
Then add carets at the beginning and end.
Preview the message and if you don't see the photo, something has gone wrong.

It is complicated to explain, easy to do. It's easier if you print this out and follow the instructions.

I have to say that I'm really liking the idea of an orange door! And looking at the pics taht have been posted I think I like the white trim w/ the orange.

I don't think that it will look like Halloween.

Lovin' this!

I love the orange doors in the links, but both houses are grey, not black. I'm afraid I would be thinking 'Halloween' as well. Love the idea of the green trim, though.

Like Cyn said, your house will look like Halloween all year long because of the black. Since Lauren's house is a light color she can get away with an orange door.

The house next door looks almost similar to your's. Because of that I wouldn't do a white trim.

I like the idea of green trim but it would have to be a light green in order to notice it because of the black.

I can definitely see an antique red for a trim, along with a red door.

I think the black gives you a wonderful opportunity to use something a little more vibrant then just the gray green which wouldn't really show. Why not try doing some mock ups on the Sherwin William or Benjamin Moore sites? I think a even a pretty silver color with the orange or even a Teal colored door would be cool looking.

I may well be the only that doesn't think it will look like Halloween all of the time. Oh well!

Love these orange doors!

Here is a link that might be useful: Orange Doors

Maybe a light creamy yellow? Something on the borderline between yellow and cream. You've got to do something that will differentiate your home from the one next door. The colors are way too close without something very different happening with your trim.

Love, love. There are several houses in my area which are black or a very, very dark brown or dark charcoal. Some of these are stained rather than painted, and all are from the 1800s or older. In those cases, the trim is actually the same color - think House of Seven Gables. (Do a Google Image search and you'll see what I mean.)

Before I saw your photo, I was going to suggest keeping the trim the same color as the siding. But now that I see the pics, since you have a somewhat more modern (though still relatively traditional) house, I do agree with the idea of keeping the trim white, or maybe an off-white or a beige. I do like the trim samples you're considering.

Also just to add - your neighborhood looks pretty traditional, a bit conservative. I don't think I'd go wild - I'd keep your color scheme similar to those houses around you. Also, remember resale issues, although you may have no plans to sell anytime soon. Most likely you will eventually want to sell, and if you do something very taste-specific, even if it is "tastefully" done, you may turn off many buyers. (You may also anger neighbors. :-))

IMHO, a residence entirely done with the dark tones as seen on your inspiration picture may get you voted "haunted house on the block" by the neighbourhood kids. Having said that, the charcoal siding is attractive in a man's suit sort of way. I would opt for a warm cream trim (as opposed to your neighbour's sparkling white) punctuated by stormy purple accents (in the tones of your roofing in the picture). A spiced pumpkin shade (not bright orange)would highlight your entry.

adrienne - I agree somewhat but I think it really depends on where the house is. I think you were addressing the OP, not me, but since I mentioned The House of Seven Gables - that house was built in the 1600s, is the inspiration for a book about a cursed house, and just LOOKS haunted. That was just the first house that popped into my mind to provide an idea of what I meant. There are other houses in my neighborhood (in New Hampshire) which are entirely dark-toned and which do not look haunted. These include colonials, saltboxes, and old capes (without dormers.) But, they fit the setting. Considering that the OP's house is in a somewhat more modern neighborhood, I don't think I would go with all dark tones - I think the lighter trim on the dark siding is a classic look for her house style. But, all-dark can look great. It depends on the house and the setting.

Actually Lizzie, there looks like there has been lots of cross-posting in the past half-hour. And, especially since we didn't see each other's input prior to our own submission, it looks like our opinions are remarkably in accordance.

I too think the orange or pumpkin puts in mind the fall and leaves and Halloween so here's what I suggest. Do the trim in a warm tan, nothing prettier than black and tan and then do the door in BM forest moss. I sent the site to see it. Very much like the chairs outside your inspiration picture and your house will look fab.

Here is a link that might be useful: BM forest moss

Well, I've called the painter since I saw the last few comments and starting to regret my choices a tiny bit. I'm really liking the idea of the warm cream. Might not be too late to call him back.

What I did choose was the stone colour for the widest boards and bright white for the rest. I also chose a gold (not quite orange) for the accent that is very close to the colour of the stairs. We need a new front door and will (when I save a few more bucks) get a wooden one and stain it goldy orange like the stairs.

Thanks so much for the pic posting instructions, but I'm a macbook user and right and left click are foreign to me. I'll google it and go over to the test forum to try.

Sorry, yayagal. We must have xposted. I adore the forest moss. I think it might go with the gold I've chosen. There is a thin strip of molding on both the second and third floors that we did in a highlight colour last time. I think I'll do that in the gold and then maybe the door in the forest moss.

I like tans and black, but i'm really liking the contrast of the light and dark. I phoned the painter back and chose a light cream colour for the trim. A bit safe, but will be somewhat different than the neighbours and blend better with the black than the stark white.

Thanks everyone for your input. My good friend and neighbour wants to do her door orange, so she'll be glad you talked me out of it. Now what about hot pink.

Here is a link that might be useful: pink door

Love the house! How about a blue green similar to quiet moments? Here is a house all black trim and all and the light turquoise looks great as an accent. I think rasberry would also work but it is not quite as safe:).

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/painting-fixing-repair/black-painted-house-love-it-or-leave-it-125885

Well here's a vignette that I did earlier in the Summer and am wondering if you might not be able to find inspiration for a color from here. This is the room w/ the Black Seal walls which is heavy on the chocolate undertones as you noted before.

LOve that pic, ttodd. Well, the cream I chose is similar to your lampshade and the goldy/orange strip is like the table. I would love some shiny metal accents - mailbox, house numbers, etc. I would love to find house numbers written out in cursive to do under the front window. Maybe a bright blue or purple front door like in the fab house in roarah's link. What's fun to do is google image "colourful front doors".

I am not sure what finish options there are but I spray painted mine copper you could spray them silver... here is a link for numbers I am sure there are many other companies to look into...

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.mahvelousmailboxes.com/house_numbers/cursive_letters.htm

Love the pink door actually and absolutely adore ttodd's inspiration photo!

Lovely vignette, ttodd. And it also perfectly illustrates the colour palette that I had suggested before - bonus. You even included a punch of the acid green that I had envisioned (but didn't post) as foliage tumbling from window boxes underneath both the top and ground story windows on the right side. Were we separated at birth or something?

Love the black house, it looks great!

My photoshopping is terribly messing this evening but I just had to see what the acid green and black would look like together. I paired it with a dark stained wood door and some of that beautiful foliage from your inspiration pic.

I dig it!

{{!gwi}}

I think the BM Forest Moss or Wasabi would be fabulous. You could choose a lighter tone from the strip for the trim to give you that contrast....
I'd even consider a pale pink if you want to be funky.....

I've always loved this particular door painted BM Spirit In the Sky. It is the last pic in the link. There are also some pretty pink doors in the link.

BM Covington Blue HC 138 is a really beautiful blue-green that I think would look beautiful w/ highly polished silver or nickel hardware. It looks so updated!

Here is a link that might be useful: More Front Doors

Since you can't really see your front door from a straight on view, why not paint the window sash in the accent color just on the six windows in the box bay as well as the front door.

I would keep all the other trim a near-white and paint just the door (and those sashes) the color for maximum impact.

These houses have been black for 25+ years (they have been repainted recently) The doors have been bright yellow, bright red, turquoise...

I really like the blue that ttodd posted.

Here is a link that might be useful: Venez Voir

kellyeng, I LOVE the trim that colour! I am so torn between the elegant/safe route (cream trim) and the funky/out on a limb look. I hate decisions. I suppose I could have them do the trim in the cream now (I think he's already bought it), live with it for a year and then change it next year myself, if I get brave. I do just the door and few window frames like Palimpset suggests.

I've always had a big window box on the bottom window, but when we had the new stairs built, I had to throw it out because I was worried kids would bump their heads on it. Might put it back - kids heads are pretty tough :-)

Well, I'm a little iffy on trim color, and actually like the idea of white with an interesting door, bravo on the paint color on the body of the house! Love that browny black. It really does convey as mink brown-black and was a brave choice that I think gives you a lot of mileage. It really stands so well on it's own and is so attractive. I'm not liking the introduction of a 3rd color - especially a wild one - other than the door.

I think it's a GOOD idea to go with the stone/cream and live with it for a year after doing something with the door. Ttodd's link has a host of beautiful doors... total eye candy.

The painters appear to be doing a great job - I remember your earlier post, which ended with an announcement that you were firing the ones you had initially hired.

Yes, we did have to fire the first painters and it was the best decision I've made this summer. I have a hard time firing anyone, but it had to be done and this crew is amazing. I can hear them talking when I'm in the house about how to do this or that the right way. They stayed here and worked one day for 13 hours.

I should have posted a before pic. Here's one - a little late. I really love how the garden looks against the black - esp. the hedge. Blue is not a good colour if you like to garden. Nothing looked good against the blue.

With the body of the house in the deep mink I am loving the F&B Churlish Green in Ttod's link from Simplified Bee. There is something about it that is quite striking!

Now that's a fabulous black! Very sophisticated. I like luckiirish's suggestion of silver for the trim. That would work with lots of door colors too.

I could see a yellowish orange on the door, or a pale ballet slipper pink, and that Churlish Green is fresh & different too.

Well they started doing the trim in the cream and we all looked at it and shook our heads. Just not working. Decided it's either got to be a real contrast or stick with white. And since I'm not willing to commit to a colour at this point, white it is. Still leaves me the option of painting the door any colour I want (I could even change it yearly!) or adding colour to the front window frames.

roarah, thanks for the link to the cursive letters. I'm going to measure and see if they'll fit on the window trim. Also found the vinyl ones on etsy, but I'm not sure how reliable they are.

kmcg, I like that churlish green too. It seems similar to the gold I chose for the accent strip. I don't have it on my F&B colour sheet. I wonder if it's new.

They finished the 2nd coat today and started on the trim so they should be done in another day or two. I'll post pix of the finished product. I have to admit I feel as if I've let down the side a bit by going with the safe white. Will really have to find something jazzy for that door.

Daisy, I LOVE what you are doing with the house, even with your "safe" choice of white trim =) Think of what amazing colors you could bring in with window boxes!! And I love that your options are 100% for a fabulous front door color! Yay! Can't wait to see pics!

See now - I don't view a straight white as the 'Safe Choice'. W/ a wickedly beautiful non-traditional front door color I think that it is taking Traditional/ Classicl to new Modern, young, hip height!

There's nothing safe about this house - it's painted black and putting white trim w/ it ain't gonna make it safe.

What do you think about using a lighter shade near the top of the same strip as the body color? When I went back and looked at the one turquoise I saw that the trim was not actually white at all - it was a pale grey.

i think i would go with a medium gray trim---don't love the stark white... (for some reason the black and white looks very old fashioned on your house, imo....totally takes away the drama of the black house.)

i love the spirit in the sky door that ttodd shows---looks beautiful with the gray and i think it would look fabulous with a black house with gray trim!! in fact i think alot of door colors would look REALLY great with a med. gray trim!

I thought of this thread yesterday when I saw a home a few miles away from me painted a dark charcoal. The trim was maybe Dove white, not a deep cream but not a bright white either. The home was drop dead gorgeous.
It looked like they had painted the door the same color as the trim, perhaps that was a missed opportunity to have an extra spark of color, but the whole effect was very nice.