I like B. The undertones of the upper floor color are very welcoming and contrast with the green trim and the red door perfectly.

They all look nice, but I'm thinking you could go darker only because the FL sun can wash colors out.

I like b.

C. I think the colors look cooler for Florida

They are all nice! Not many picked A but I know how nice that color looks down here. It's hard to pick one over the other. Have you thought about putting the upper color on the lower center section as well? Or, doing that section all river rock?

Actually, A was my choice.

I like A, too. Just remember if you get full sun exposure that darker colors will absorb more heat!

Donna

Yes, and darker colors can look faded with the sun exposure. So for this reason, I would go with a version of B. Dark and lighter beiges.

Thank you everyone. Of course I realize that colors can look different on different monitors. I was looking to get the overall impression as a starting point.

vpierce wrote:

I like C, but with the upper floor color of B.

Here's how that would look. If I did something like this, I'd probably make the door a green color just to give a bit of pop.

I like B. The undertones of the upper floor color are very welcoming and contrast with the green trim and the red door perfectly.

Thank you. I like the overall look of it. And especially the red door!

Annie said:

They all look nice, but I'm thinking you could go darker only because the FL sun can wash colors out.

Thank you. Of course I'll have to play with the colors once I see them in the Fl sun.

Justerrilynn said:

They are all nice! Not many picked A but I know how nice that color looks down here. It's hard to pick one over the other.

My concern about A is that white windows and trim were definitely not craftsman. The whites that were used back then were more creamy or tinted with another color so they had a slightly more "earthy" feel to them. If I could use a less bright white window, I too would really like A myself.

Have you thought about putting the upper color on the lower center section as well? Or, doing that section all river rock?

It's an interesting thought, but craftsman houses were designed to have a low to the ground, horizontal feel to them. If I were to do either of those it would take away from the horizontal feel and it would also pull the emphasis away from the porch/entry which is where you want the emphasis when you pull up to a house. :)

Additionally, the upper section is siding and the lower is stucco, so the idea is to show the "honest" materials for what they are (That's craftsman mumbo jumbo. LOL)

msmeow said:

I like A, too. Just remember if you get full sun exposure that darker colors will absorb more heat!

eld6161 said:

Yes, and darker colors can look faded with the sun exposure. So for this reason, I would go with a version of B. Dark and lighter beiges.

That is definitely a concern of mine.

Oh I don't know...I understand what you are saying but still like the idea of river stone in that end/center section. I really don't think it would take away the focus on the entry but would instead give more character and break up the long run BUT still look low and rambling . I have found several examples of craftsman homes ( this may not be the best example) that have used stone in that section.

I prefer B. It's lovely with a very organic look. The other greens seem a bit unnatural and forced in comparison.

I love B! For me, it really makes the craftsman elements pop!

Oh I don't know...I understand what you are saying but still like the idea of river stone in that end/center section. I really don't think it would take away the focus on the entry but would instead give more character and break up the long run BUT still look low and rambling . I have found several examples of craftsman homes ( this may not be the best example) that have used stone in that section.

Thank you, and while I agree it would work with some houses, I can't see it working with a craftsman house. As someone who's first home was a craftsman house from 1927, I have to say the example you show is very pretty, but it is definitely not true to the style. Unfortunately the term is so misused today. Builders put up houses, throw a knee brace or square tapered columns on and call it craftsman.

While the example is a pretty house, it's not craftsman. Not in the true sense of the word. The boxed in eaves are wrong. The ganged windows with the 4 over 4 window panes are wrong. The shutters are wrong. The way the stone on the front is used is wrong.

My guess is most of the examples you've found (if they are newly built) are also not craftsman but modern versions where the misused label of craftsman is being used. I find that most new homes being built may use the word craftsman but the only thing that is craftsman on them is the porch columns, or they stick that detail like in your photo under the gable.

For those who are truly interested in true craftsman here is some info:

[Roots of Style[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/roots-of-style-see-what-defines-a-craftsman-home-stsetivw-vs~14999574)

Craftsman Style

Craftsman houses

The Craftsman Bungalow

Also if interested research Aladdin homes and Sears homes.

Sorry for the ramble, (and I hope I didn't come off as too pedantic) but I truly am an old house lover and especially old houses from the 1900's-1930's.

Thank you Ida-Claire and Party_music.

Ok, I see I have no idea. This is probably nolonger even a craftsman. One thing is for sure I have been looking at Florida mixy homes so long it's made me clueless.

Forgive me as I'm all about green and I'm reading on my phone. I like c but how would it work if everywhere you had red you went with an ever darker woodsy green and then a maybe a red door?

As we are no longer building, I am living vicariously through you.

This house is near my sons house in Atlanta. It is all shades of green.

This one impressed me with the addition of orange.

This one and all the green!

Maybe in Florida a dark color will absorb too much heat and you need to go lighter.

Ok, I see I have no idea. This is probably nolonger even a craftsman. One thing is for sure I have been looking at Florida mixy homes so long it's made me clueless.

Thank you! I do appreciate your looking and comments. It helps me to look at my house again from a new vantage point and that's always a good thing. I take all comments and suggestions seriously.

And definitely nothing wrong with a nicely designed Florida mixy house! There are some real beauties where I am.

With the stone breaking up the space, notice how it no longer feels low to the ground? Additionally, notice how now the stone actually "competes" with the front door for which you would want to look at first?

Hi Annette!

I like c but how would it work if everywhere you had red you went with an ever darker woodsy green and then a maybe a red door?

Hmm, going to have to try that!

As we are no longer building, I am living vicariously through you.

OMG! The pressure! LOL.

Annette, love the colors in the last photo!

Actually Annette I like the green too!

Ok so far these are my two favorites. What do you guys think?

I much prefer the green! :) Wish I had a two-story house. Maybe someday!

Are you in the Naples/Ft Myers area? I am in Winter Garden and there are lots of lovely Craftsman homes.

Donna

Thanks Donna. I'm a bit further north than Naples. :)

We had lots of lovely craftsman homes but most have been "updated" over the years and I don't mean that in a positive way. LOL.

I pick B.

I vote-The second one. Hooray! I was thinking yesterday which combo I'd choose, and I liked them all, but this one is ideal to my eyes, because it has all the elements I loved the most.

I like the second one! Beautiful home!

Of the last two, I like the second one :)

Yes, your latest favorites are very nice! I like #2 best. Love the river rock on your picks. I had forgotten how much I loved it. My aunt has a beautiful river rock home in Michigan that is just so charming. And when I say river rock I mean all sides to a two story plus the whole porch and steps.

I like the last one you just posted. Light bottom, green top, darker green trim. That is very pretty.

I like the second of the last two, but don't think you can go wrong with either. Can't wait for you to get started!

Thank you all. I'm really liking the last one too.

Now just to confuse things more, here is the last one

Yep, those columns were bothering me a bit. I like them the same as the rest of the first floor.

Cpartist, the other thing I thought of could be to do the columns in the lighter green. Or even stone all the way up, which I've seen on many homes but those may be prairie or another style. I'm not overly knowledgeable about craftsman so that may not be correct. I just like the stone :).

Yes cpartist, would stone all the way up the columns fit the rules? If it would I'd do that.

Late to the party, glad to see my favorite is rising to the top. But ohh, the columns? I can't decide! The dark columns look so grounded and craftsman, the lighter ones look so fresh and airy. I suppose that even in the Craftsman era, people repainted it they decided they wanted something a bit different. You could start with one, and change it. Painting just the posts would be an easy change, DIY; the rest of the house, not so much.

Looking at it for a bit, I like the darker columns. They frame the door nicely and give it context.

Bpathome, totally with you. I was thinking the same thing, repainting the columns would be an easy update. All my pics of "true" craftsman homes seem to have darker columns. I'm sure the flat nature of a computer image doesn't give the true effect. I like the lighter in the pic but in real life it may not gel.

lily's mom wrote:

cpartist, are you still planning for the windows to be white or bronze? Is the color around the windows the color of your trim? Or are you planning green window frames?

The window frames themselves can be either stark white, beige or bronze. I'm inclined to go with the bronze. The window trim around the windows can be any color I want and that is the different colors shown.

No green window frames. If I had my choice, I'd actually do a dark red/cranberry color but not at 2x the cost of white, beige or bronze.

I grew up in Florida and there were several older craftsman homes, there with stark white windows and white trim. Might have been a tropical thing, but if you like it, I would not be afraid to use it and it will not fade like a darker trim or window frame.

Probably wasn't a tropical thing but what was considered "in" at the time. In reality back in the 20's and earlier, stark white was not an available paint color. The colors were always had a hint of color in them making them less bright.

I can't say I love stark white on a craftsman house. To my eye it feels forced.

Have you picked a paint brand, yet? It would give us a better idea if we could grab our color chips.

Our builder uses SW

We built a craftsman, house, and used a dark green on the lower level and lighter on the shed dormer, with cream trim and windows, plus a red/pink door. Neutral stacked stone on the foundation and base of columns. It was so pretty. Someone told us, that we would be sorry that we choose a dark green, because, dark green absorbs more heat than black. So... in Florida, be sure not to go too dark with the greens.

I will definitely take it under advisement and I may wind up going just a bit brighter than a typical craftsman is just because a typical craftsman color may look too "dull" in the FL sun. I may also take a ride up to Tampa to see the houses up there along the drive.

If your lot has lots of shade, it might not matter, but if your lot is bare, you may want to go with the lightest shades of the color combinations you like best.

Agreed.

Honestly, they all look good.

Thank you.

Annette wrote:

Cpartist, the other thing I thought of could be to do the columns in the lighter green.

I could try that too.

Or even stone all the way up, which I've seen on many homes but those may be prairie or another style. I'm not overly knowledgeable about craftsman so that may not be correct. I just like the stone :).

The stone all the way up would be too heavy for the type of house this is. I think stone all the way up needs to be on a house that is more "solid" for lack of a better word. I think the stone on part of the columns, and surrounding the base of the house will be more than enough to ground the house so it feels like it's sitting on a solid base.

bpathome said:

Late to the party, glad to see my favorite is rising to the top.

Late to the party? You've been with me from the very beginning well over a year ago. And the party hasn't even really started yet!

ohh, the columns? I can't decide! The dark columns look so grounded and craftsman, the lighter ones look so fresh and airy. I suppose that even in the Craftsman era, people repainted it they decided they wanted something a bit different. You could start with one, and change it. Painting just the posts would be an easy change, DIY; the rest of the house, not so much.

Looking at it for a bit, I like the darker columns. They frame the door nicely and give it context.

I'm leaning towards the darker columns too in that not only do they frame the door as you mention, but I also feel it helps "support the gable. With the darker columns it feels like the porch roof is truly "resting" on the stone part of the porch.

Cpartist, I've been enjoying that party, I'm just usually to shy to chime in on colors, especially when there's an artist involved :)

bpathome, please always feel free to chime in. I like hearing others thoughts.