I took this picture later this evening, so the shadows are stronger. But thought it would give you a better overall idea. What is pink now, would be green?, what is green now would be ivory/gold? and what is dark brown now would be rust? Too much? Better colors? I have realized that I am really working with 4 colors here, as the brick adds the 4th color?

Bumping for you before this falls off. I don't have time right now to sit and really take this all in, hopefully someone does. You have a darling home and I think some paint changes will wake it up. BTW - I don't have a problem with your new roof color - looks fine to me.

I am terrible with exterior colors. At my last house I tried so many test patches since I so wanted to put my own stamp on the house since it had to be restained anway. Ended up breaking off a board and having the current stain matched. I have no vision!

I just wanted to say I don't think I have ever seen the outside of your house Mary Lu and it is GORGEOUS. I love it!

"I think some paint changes will wake it up"
dlm2000...that is exactly what we were thinking. Just not sure what color! After we get the colors right, then it will be deciding if we stay with the same areas painted as trim or what?

boopadaboo...thank you. It was originally a school built in 1868. Then in the late 1800's it was purchased by a locally well known civil war veteran and turned into a home. We believe that it was then that the additions and bay window were added. She is somewhat of a "painted lady" wannabe.

What a wonderful home. When driving through my town there are so many similar styles to yours and the creative colors used have been in broad ranges. So many possibilities, I would be having a very difficult time selecting colors. Hope you get lots of responses as I'd love to see what your final decision is.

Beautiful home. I can't wait to see what changes you decide on.

I like your proposed color changes and this is why:

-I agree the "pink" is too similar to the beautiful brick, but yet it's not brick. It would be nice for that to be a proud addition.

-The green you (currently) have as your trim is a beautiful color, so I really love the green you chose (which would now be the siding color). I think you could even use the same (as the trim) green for the siding -- it really is a lovely tea green. But the new green is great as well!

-I love the warmth and depth of your "old ivory" color, and I think it will look lovely against the green siding.

That being said, I really love the way your "turret" looks now, and I'm having a hard time envisioning it with the color changes. I guess I just like the amount of tea green you have there now, so it's hard for me to see that so greatly reduced with the bulk of the color being the "old ivory" color. I'm not saying it would be unattractive, merely that I'm having a hard time picturing it ....

Okay, I took a l-o-n-g break to really look at your pictures, squinting my eyes this way and that, and I can see it better now.

But I still wonder about your turret and front entry: what about keeping them the same, meaning when you repaint, painting what is currently green the new green, what is currently pink the new "old ivory," and what is currently brown the new rust?

I hope someone with photoshopping skills jumps in because it could make it easier to envision.

I LOVE your garden and your house!

I love your unique house... and your paint color choices. I adore the muted, earthy qualities. It's going to look beautiful!

I like the color that it is, and was not going to say so because I knew that was not what you wanted, but I think the house looks wonderful. Maybe it just needs a fresh coat to liven it up.

Your house is lovely. I am sure whatever you choose will be wonderful and we will love it.

emagineer and mammie...thank you. If only picking the colors were easier. I have often heard "it's only paint, you can always repaint", however for us it would be a major deal breaker as there is just no time! Not sure how we'll even find the time to get it all painted once!

rmkitchen...the "new" green is actually the "old" green that is used on the trim now. I went down into the basement and got a partial gallon that we had left from the trim and that is what I painted as the siding color in the picture. Also, I too am having some trouble picturing the colors on the bay. As, like you, I do like the look as it is now. I did run over to True Value this afternoon and had them color mix a SW color called Downing Straw. It is more of a golden ivory with a hint of green and I think it looks much softer and is pretty close to the color I worked up on the computer earlier.

patricia43... thank you also. No, it may not be exactly what I wanted to hear, but I AM asking for input and all is valued and appreciated! :-) The main reason we are considering repainting is that the green trim "fades away" into the shadows on the soffit(sp?) boards and there is no real visual between the roof and the brick. We are thinking that if there were a visual between the two, that the color of the roof would look better. As it is now, it doesn't exactly blend or be totally different either.... I do wish we had chosen a different color for the roof, but no use crying over spilt milk, what's done is done. To change the trim color means changing out the other colors as well...:-( But....by using the "grandma" green on the siding, I would get to keep the green I love! :-)

I am thinking of leaving the front of house the way it is except painting the little insets in the turret part rust instead of pinky-ivory.
Then paint the whole addition the same green with rust trim.
I also hope someone will photoshop for you. That is one nice house.

ok, did a few more pictures just now. I think I like the color combo, but like everyone above, just not sure how it will play out on the bay window and porches. I think the terracotta color looks pretty good with the brick?

So are you thinkng the terracotta on the siding or the trim? It is a great color!

boopadaboo....green on the siding, straw for trim and terracotta for accent. Basically the windows would be painted like in the first picture with the siding the green. Just not sure how that will play out on the porches and bay window. As the porches are green now and would, with the new colors, be the straw and then we would accent with the terracotta. Right now the porches are green and no accents.

I'm stuck too because I lovelovelove your green! And I really love seeing it on your porch but with the new pictures I can see how the green disappears in the eaves and doesn't help demarcate the roof.

Shoot!

But couldn't you still leave your porch green and paint your siding green, and then use the straw on the eaves / trim and the rust for your windows?

I know I am not being helpful (other than to tell you you did a brilliant job picking out that green!), but looking at your final picture I can see how even if you kept the green on the porch having your eaves the straw color could still work because it will tie in with the trim on the windows. ???

Or am I totally making more trouble than I'm worth?!?

Thing is, you've got a lovely sense of color and I really do like both the old AND new colors you've selected, so whatever you do it's going to be great.

rmkitchen...no, you're not making more trouble. Just experiencing exactly what I am feeling!! :-)

And now tonight I am starting to second guess the terracotta and the straw colors. Thinking that maybe they are too bright and would look gaudy? Looked through all my paint chips again, but just too tired to run to the store and buy more paint tonight...

Another thought I had was to use my "grandma green" (as it has been referred to here by some because I don't know the real name. It was a color match)on the siding, but maybe use a darker blackish green for the eves and trim and a darker orange brown for accent(if there is such a thing). That would tone it down some?

As you can tell, I am really struggling with this.

Yum yum! I love the sound of your new colors. Actually, of all your colors.

First I want to doublecheck with you about whatever color you choose for your eaves: in your first post you write that the current "grandma green" fades away. While I love a black watch green I think it will fade even more into your eaves. I think it could also highlight the black in your roof shingles.

I know your first choices (straw, rust) seem v. bright but that's partly because you're unused to them. Anything over time loses its pop! And yes, the straw and rust are brighter than your current colors ("grandma green" and dark brown).

That being said, your current color combination (which is on your house) is more sedate but does not draw attention to the windows / doors. Is that something you want to do? To draw attention to the windows / doors?

Okay, as mad as I am for the green, what do you think about painting the addition's siding the rust color and then also using it (the rust) for your eaves? Or painting the addition and under the eaves the dark brown (the dark brown you currently have on your windows)? That way you don't have to change anything other than the siding / eaves. Or, just painting the eaves the dark brown and leaving the siding that pretty pink?

Rereading your posts I'm getting the feel that you want to both play up the eaves as well as distract your eye from the new roof (which you dislike but which I think looks great). Before you purchase any more paint, let's think about what you're really after so you don't have to paint any more (or any less) to get what will make you happier about your beautiful lady!

rm kitchen...thanks for "sticking" with me! :-)

"While I love a black watch green I think it will fade even more into your eaves. I think it could also highlight the black in your roof shingles."
Never thought of that. I think you are right. Forget that idea.

"To draw attention to the windows / doors?"
Well, what I had thought to do was to draw more attention to the bay and the porches, which really do not catch the eye. Especially the trim on the porches as they are painted all one color.

"...you want to both play up the eaves as well as distract your eye from the new roof..."
Not really play up the eves, but yes, draw attention away from the roof.

"let's think about what you're really after so you don't have to paint any more"
I guess what I am really after is to make her look prettier than she does, to draw the eye to some of her better points, the porches and bay, and finally to get rid of the pink! I know it looks pretty good and many people have said they like the pink, but I really want to move away from that. Also would like to use colors from the period (mid to late 1800's)

Finally, I know she is not a painted lady, however when the bay and porches were added, it is apparent that the intent of the owner was to give her a painted lady look. We believe the bay, porches and additions were added in the late 1880's.

Does any of this make any sense? I sure wish I could find pictures of her from back in the day, but the oldest pictures we have been able to find are from the 1960's and she was 100 years old already then! :-(

Hi Mary Lu.

I'm really bad with names, but I never forget a ground plan. Don't I know this house from someplace else? Or from a long long time ago? I'd swear I have some interior shots in the Magnaverde Archives. Isn't this wonderful house somewhere in the upper-Eastern Midwest? Wasn't it a maybe plan to turn it into something? I just remember I was ready to come out in person. And eat.

Of course, I'm always ready to eat, but still, I'm sure we've met before...

mary_lu -- I wish I were your neighbor (or lived near you) because I think painting your porches and bay is going to be so much fun!

Based on my interpretation (reading into!) of your last post, I think you can leave your eaves and windows as-is, focusing on the addition's siding and the bay and porches. ???

You can use your "new" colors (the rust and straw) with wild (albeit thoughtful) abandon on your bay and porches and you don't even have to touch your eaves or windows. You can use the rust on the addition to help tie the addition in with the brick so to the casual passer-by your house will read as one unit.

What do you think about on your beautiful bay using the straw where the pink currently is and the rust where the brown is? (meaning, the brown on the turret -- not having to repaint all your windows)

If you want to you could repaint your windows with the rust in place of the dark brown (although I am awfully fond of the grandma green and brown combo on your windows!).

On your porches, I'm afraid the pictures aren't big enough (nor am I gifted enough with photoshop!) to give any advice on where to add straw and rust. Although, since as you know I have started a love affair with your green, I am advocating for the base color remaining that gorgeous green!

But I'm going to look at the photos some more and, fingers crossed, if no child starts screaming at me tonight, give it a good think!

magnaverde...you are welcome to stop by anytime! :-)
I believe you might be referring to a discussion on another forum of turning our home into a B&B when we retire? And yup, we are in the upper-Midwest. Great memory! You always have such great decorating suggestions, have any for me? I might even feed you when you stop by!

rmkitchen...I will be going back and rereading your last post with care. But for now my initial thought is that I think I am mentally stuck into painting the bay areas in colorways that the PO did. By that I mean the rectangles painted the same as the siding, the main trim the same as house trim, and the ornate pieces as the accent color. I have to admit that I am a symmetrical type of person. :-( By tying the colors in this way, it does give symmetry...at least I think it does?

I am just off to the paint store now to try a quart in a darker gold color and a red-brown that is not quite so vibrant but much redder than the brown that is on there now.