When you say exterior architectural details do you mean like gingerbread trim? My mind is going to Victorian style. If it's Victorian you could use several colors on the trim to highlight different features. I think SW has brochures that show different combinations. The gray/white/black sounds nice, sedate and tasteful. Not really my style - I'd be inclined to get whimsical with the third color. What's your favorite color? Bright blue doors in Jamaica are traditional to ward away evil spirits. Red would be very nice. I have an oval window in my staircase - at times it's matched the trim [boring] been bright yellow [neighbors liked that] and currently it's blue. If it's just small areas I'd go buy a couple quarts of paint and play around.

I really like the color combination you have right now--your roof is dark brown, so it to me is a very restful but welcoming combination which is enhanced by the white trim. I also like the distinctive look the porch rail gives to the house. There is probably no area in which tastes can differ as much as color preference, but I did find one article that claimed that blue is a major preference amog adults: "Adults have been found cross-culturally to prefer blue to other colors. ItâÂÂs a nearly universal preference. But does this preference occur naturally, or do children and infants have different preferences? Prior to 2001, there wasnâÂÂt a definitive answer to this question. In that year, Marcel Zentner of the University of Geneva conducted a study that not only answered that question, but also sought to explore the relationship between color and emotion (âÂÂPreferences for colours and Colour-Emotion Combinations in Early Childhood,â Developmental Science, 2001)." [ http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2005/06/13/color-preference-in-kids-and-a/ ] Another consideration would be how your chosen color is enhanced or detracted by the colors of surrounding houses. You might want to consult with a respected local realtor regarding preferred home colors in your area, since you are thinking of selling in a relatively short time. Realtors seem to be willing to be helpfut to possible future clients.

Well, OK - you know what you want! So, next step is just to try some whites. Ive been using Zinsser Exterior Permawhite in satin for my white trim - straight out of the can - and have had good results with it. In fact it typically lasts better and long onger than the fancy schmancy Sherwin Williams Seafoam Green that I have on the other parts of the house. Its a nice true slightly warm white - not an identical match to the white aluminum storm windows but close enough to read the same. (It is thin and goes on thin, and I often need multiple coats - up to 4 or 5 - but the end result is a nice hard smooth surface. No I dont work for Zinsser LOL.) What color is the roof? Some people ignore the roof thinking it has no bearing on what their wall and trim colors should be, but thats a mistake I think... unless you're planning to replace the roof in the foreseable future I also give some thought to the neighbor's colors, not that anything has to be matchy or harmonize.... just to avoid flagrant clash which would have the effect of possibly making both houses less appealing. It happens sometimes!

Congratulations on your first home! Make sure you test colors on a movable board before you have the exterior painted - the colors look different from the monitor and will look different in various times of the day or evening. Blue is very hard to get right, but looks fabulous when it is done right. I will see if I can find a couple of blue siding homes as insp pics so you can have a place to start your color tests. One comment about your shutters: remove the shutters on the front right double window and add shutter hardware to the other two sets of shutters so they look functional even if they aren't, it will add lots of personality to your home. They need to be sized right (half the size of the window for each shutter). Here is a link to a brief article written by an architect for you Shutters vs Shudders ^See how the each shutter is half the size of the window in width and each has hinges and shutter dogs. I have no idea if these are functional or just look functional, and that is the point:)