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Paint Design Dilemma Exterior

Help! Exterior paint color to brighten up a colonial!

6 years ago

We're moving to a new home and want to update the exterior paint - including the home's shutters! The home is a New England colonial with shutters, fairly close to the ocean. There are a good number of trees surrounding the property (as well as the sun traveling from the back of the house to the front) that cast a significant amount of shadow. The current paint colors (attached photo), just look a little drab and sad. I'd like to brighten up the exterior, while still saying in the neutral-color family (perhaps a cool light grey, or something else?)...and as far as a complimentary shutter color, I have NO idea!!

Would love any ideas or tips - I'm having the hardest time and swimming in a sea of Houzz pictures!

Comments (3)

PRO
JudyG Designs
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
You have a wonderful air-lock entry….perfect for N E winters. With all the white and all the muntins, I think whatever siding color you choose, the shutters should be white. Shutters are perfectly size for the windows.

I am a white fan for homes…Boston in my genes…I even like white on white, in two different sheens…more of a matte on the siding and a semi-gloss on the shutters.

Just read the Ace Hardware Kensington-Clark is one of the best exterior paints on the market.

My house, here on Cape, is white. I never get tired of it.
PRO
The Roof Wizard by Allen Roofing and Construction
6 years ago
I was going to suggest white if you don't like your grey. I personally like how it is. Beautiful home.
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Here's a crude mock-up with a charcoal roof -- not bad. I was thinking, though, since your windows look to be brown & probably aren't paintable, a white trim wouldn't look right. Here's an idea-- maybe your house needs some contrast to give the illusion of light and dark. So maybe a gloss black on the shutters & entry door? In this mock-up, I added some nicer garage doors since they're a major component of your house facade (as is the roof). A glass door could add some sparkle, too. I actually like your house: it has nice proportions and interesting lines, the brick is pretty. You're lucky that your roof has nice overhangs at the gable ends instead of stopping at the walls like mine does (now that screams cheap!). I'll bet your new landscaping will do wonders for it. Those birches are fabulous!
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Hmmm I think I need to learn how to do that (change colors in a pic). Could we see something darker/browner to better relate to brick and roof? By griege I was thinking something midway between gray & brown. The above looks very blue and reads almost as a white, at least on my monitor.... If you have a spare shingle OP just pull something out of that, or if you are reroofing then look at that in relation to your red brick. I too have a steep, very visible roof and Im telling ya, that really does play a major role in how your house looks. Jjust google "colors that go with red brick" - lots of possibilities out there.
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The bright white trim and dark blue shutters are not doing this house any favors. I would do a light tan on the trim, remove the shutters and paint the front door a rusty orange. Trim the existing shrubbery.
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Thanks all! I love all the ideas! Have to decide over the weekend. I am thinking about adding tiles to the entryway, but would be nice to add them to the stairs as well!
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Sylvia Gordon
6 years ago
Thought I had posted this, so if you posted the same message somewhere else and that's where I saw it I apologize LOL. White shutters on a Driftwood Gray house are very fresh and clean looking, and since you are close to the ocean, it would fit in well.

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