I like the first inspiration pic but think a 3rd color, a lighter green, would be lovely if done for the trim around the garage and over the door.

This is my lazy suggestion - the last time we painted our house I took a pic of it to my local BM dealer and asked them to pic a colour. Given the design of house (1972 post and beam) and the location ( in the forest) they picked a great colour. I will probably never change it.

First -- do you want the house to stand out from its surroundings? Or blend into the surroundings as it does now -- with its current colors?

Perhaps consider painting the whole house in a lovely deep creamy white (as in the inspiration photo) .... and add punch with black or deep olive green trim around the windows. Add large rustic-style black iron outdoor lanterns. Paint the front porch hand railings and sides in satin black. The front door could be a deep rich red with a black iron knocker.

I would add lighting all along the walkway to the front door. And perhaps -- sometime in the future -- even add a pergola roof to the walkway too ....

Just some thoughts! Hope you don't mind ...

I'm a literalist, preferring that a home sited such as yours be inspired by the trees, rocks and earth around it. For example, a colour palette from Benjamin Moore Paints of mid-tones of dusty green (HC125), brown (HC69) and gray (HC160) - the first two for the siding, the latter for the window trim - although similar to what you have already, is appropriate to the architectural era and respectful of the natural surroundings. It makes the structure seem as if it truly is part of the landscape.

However, on a less conservative day though, I could be tempted to make a really bold statement. Deep red siding(HC65) on the main body, putty (HC89) siding in the west wing nook with charcoal (2118-20) and beige (HC174) window trims throughout would certainly do that.

Use the colour viewers with your own images and have fun playing. Good luck.

Your brick color is similar to the inspiration's stone and doors, so if you like that look you could probably choose a similar buff color if you want your house to no longer blend in with the scenery. I really like the existing colors though as it appears in # 6 & 7 that the main body is a grey green and the garage is more tan. It's a very calm scheme currently.

If you no longer want your house to recede into the environment, the inspiration buff, brown and green also are very natural tones so still harmonize with the natural landscape. I can't see the dark brown working as well on your house so might consider the buff for the main body, a slightly more cognac tone like the bricks but lighter for the garage and maybe a soft grey green for your porch. I'm guessing the side storage on the garage has a door that closes because of your winters, but don't really see any. You could bring the green from the porch to the other side by painting the interior of the garage storage a lighter green. Hard to tell what to do about the door if there's one but I'd probably just keep the entire garage the light cognac.

It seems more natural for your guests to mainly use the west porch, and I like the pop of your yellow rocker there. I'd like to add a couple of large pots of colorful flowers like black eyed susans if they don't require excessive water in your area perhaps where the hose lies and again on the left to the top of the steps, and would do so just for me even if guests don't pass that way and go to the front door instead.

Can't see what's going on with the recessed front door, but think you could introduce the cognac and green there again. Do you need to stain or paint the railing to preserve it or will it last weathered as is?

Thank you, thank you, everyone. What great suggestions that really help us to narrow our focus - it's a daunting move to completely change a house color, but I've never been a fan of the current color. A few more pics below ...

dianalo - I love your suggestion of green as a third color, particularly because it's my favorite color.

blfenton - I'm all for the lazy solution. ;) I thought I'd better post here to the wise ones first in case our local paint dealers are not as creative.

adriennemb - We are very inspired by nature around here. Here's a photo of our views - excuse the excavator ... DH was installing a septic system for a neighbor. :) Your idea of a deep red would truly work - our neighbor is called Red Rock Valley.

teacats - Yes, right now the house definitely blends. Before we changed the roof, it was tan and you couldn't even see a house on Google Earth. We're cautious about competing with nature, maybe don't want to blend as much. The trim color right now is actually dark olive, and I like it very much. We also will be replacing the lights - I like the idea of heavy black lanterns. As for the porch railings, I'd love to replace them with black iron (I can't stand those pickets!), so painting them black in the meantime would really be a good solution. And I also love your idea of the pergola - we are SO open to ideas.

abundantblessings - The side storage you see is sort of a "bike port" - no doors, but DH is going to finish the interior so it looks nicer. Ah, the front door challenge. We tell people we don't have a front door - we've had delivery people circle the entire house. Because there IS no door by that yellow rocker. You drive up to the garage, and have to know to walk to the left, around the corner, down the walkway .... there WAS a door by the yellow rocker, but you would walk into a large closet in my kids' rec room. Awkward. So we actually walled it off.

Here's a pic of the north front door. It's purdy. ;)