Exterior paint colors choice needed this weekend!
The painters are coming Monday to prep and will paint 2 sample colors for us. I have a lot more than 2 on my list still! It's so frustrating to find photos of actual houses painted candidate colors, Pinterest has taken over image search and more often than it the paint color is just any "gray".
My biggest fear is it turning out mint green or baby blue, there are plenty of funky colors in our neighborhood (next door house is lavender and 2 doors down dark teal) but I would prefer an understated and more earthy tone.
We recently installed a new white garage garage door and although the advice is usually to paint it to blend it in, I think with our house layout that would be impossible so we may leave it white because I actually like it that way right now. The new windows are white trimmed too, and gutters to be installed can be matched as closely as possible. The trim would also be white and matched to the door (see other thread about Fleur de Sel) so really the only painted trim visible at the front is around the garage door. We will use landscaping and potted plants etc to increase attention to the hidden front door. The covered and recessed entryway is always shadowed - any thoughts on making it look more prominent with our paint choices?
The new roof is certainteed Weathered Wood (southwest zone) which looks pretty gray but with some brown in it. We are in coastal Northern California with lots of sun, some fog, and no snow to think about.
We want a gray color with either blue or green undertones, maybe a bit "muddy".
When choosing exterior paint (which I've never done) should I assume it will look much lighter and brighter than the fan deck due to sunlight? I was pretty shocked by how minty Sea Salt looked in our kitchen and dining room - fortunately I still like it but it's not what I'd planned!
here is my not-so-short short list:
Hammered silver 2840
Chelsea gray 2850
Uncertain gray 6234
Morning fog 6255
Dorian Gray 7017
Stonington Gray HC-170
Storm AF-700
Sag Harbor Gray
And thanks to another gardenweber I have a few more possible combos (the white trim would likely have to match the door instead)
SW Oyster Bay/ Greek Villa
SW Unusual Gray/ Reserved White/ Waterloo on door
SW Acacia Haze/ Spare White
SW Mineral Deposit/Eider White
help please!
Morning sun (house faces north so front is often shadow btw)
Evening
Mid-day before window and garage door replacement
Comments (21)
Tmnca
6 years agobeanie1922
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Ready to paint exterior - need help w/choices - photoshop anyone?
Comments (104)jejvtr: I like the first link you showed, but the second one did not work. You are right the columns look similar. Perhaps you should leave them afterall, they are growing on me. It has a certain delicacy with the arched roof and you may change you mind also once the trim is painted different than the house color. Which is probably another reason my vote is for a non-white base color--to accentuate your lovely trimwork. I'm glad you are looking at other homes similar to yours for inspiration. When we were remodeling last year, I always kept a digital camera in my car and I would snap pics of features/colors/etc of houses I liked--usually while picking up or dropping off my kids from school or sports practices. I would try to drive a bit in the residential areas. Then when we were finalizing paint, I had my paint swatches with me and I would go up to houses which I liked and compare paint swatches. Once you and your DH find an inspiration pic I think this is helpful to narrow down to an actual color. You will always see things we don't, like lighting and how it works from various angles. What does DH think? Still white/red?...See MoreNeed your opinions on my exterior color choices!
Comments (8)What a tough thing to do-- choosing everything before you have begun. First, I really like everything that you have chosen. They all are very pretty in their own right. In fact, I think that Tony Taupe is a particularly pretty exterior color. That being said, I wonder if the Tony Taupe doesn't have a lot more undertones of green, rather than the more red undertones of the stone. It is really hard to tell given the small samples and the variations on computer monitors, but that would be my only concern. Does your builder have a list of people who have that stone on their houses? If not, does the stone supplier have such a list. It may be a little crazy, but maybe you could paint some big posterboard (s) and put it next to the rock that has already been put up. I always think posterboards and quarts are worth it....See MoreNeed help with exterior paint choice
Comments (3)Thanks for your response! I find this color of brick very hard to work with. I can see the black, or perhaps, medium charcoal, working. The front now looks like it does in the top picture. That is wrought iron fencing around the plantings. Do you think it would, visually, work, if just the window trim was painted, which would leave the white window. Or just leave the windows unpainted? The sliders would remain white. Can you visualize everything across painted black, and then all the brick...would that be too dark? Perhaps I could add color in the door area ( painting entrance door and switching to a full view storm door??...See MoreNeeding help with Exterior Color Choices
Comments (5)I know you are not painting your brick but this house immediately stood out in my mind. The brick color is very similar to yours and the ivory painted trim on this house I find beautiful to enhancing the brick. I realize this is a traditional home but color is color. The front door and the french doors are a reddish wood but you could paint your front door in puce - a color that is coming back in fashion. It would look great on your front door. The current green scheme looks tired and is dated. It needs a happy light color to allow your home to shine and be the updated happy house you'd love! https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/puce...See MoreTmnca
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
Elizabeth B
6 years agoTmnca
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoTmnca
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoI think we've narrowed it down to Stonington Gray and Salomar Silver as the body color candidates. After reading more about LRV and how it could affect the temperature of our non-air-conditioned home, we are taking the advice to stay with LRV over 50 which eliminates many of the colors we were considering. These 2 are over 50 and look nice. Salomar Silver should be more blue than Stonington.
Since our front door is not visible from the street, I was thinking of having some fun with it and bringing it out as much as possible with a light color... maybe a bright aqua or turquoise such as one of the colors on the strips I have beside the Salomar Silver here. Would these look good, or is that too "traditional" for our house? We are trying to move toward a bit more modern but not all out MCM.
Tmnca
6 years agoSamples are on - Salomar Silver is definitely too blue! We picked stonington Gray (top one) it looks great with the roof.
Any suggestions for a bright aqua or turquoise door color? Or another color if that's a terrible idea :) Here are some inspiration pics too.
PROLori A. Sawaya
6 years agoWe picked stonington Gray (top one) it looks great with the roof.
It does. Good choice. Color trends are fun to follow so when I saw your inspiration pix for the front door color, I immediately thought of SW's new color of the year, Oceanside. Could be fun.
Tmnca thanked Lori A. SawayaElizabeth B
6 years agoTmnca
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoTmnca
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoI'm a bit disappinted by how washed out the color looks on our house - it looks much lighter than I thought the sample did. At least it's nice contrast with the roof and will keep the house cooler, and be a nice backdrop for sages and lavenders. I think a turquoise door will be nice not too light since the body color is so light. Masking is still on.
Kelly Moore sacred turquiose is looking good for door color to me - and maybe I can paint some pots to match for the porch area.
Tmnca
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
cpartist
6 years agoTmnca
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoIt's done and looks fantastic - I will take some photos once the paint is dry enough to close the door. I have lots of leftover paint, so I will be on the lookout for a suitable bench or chair, and will paint some pots or maybe terra cotta pots with a bench or chair painted to match the door. Also a new light fixture for the porch - maybe this one?
- PRO
User
6 years agoI am thinking Dunn Edwards Cape Cod Blue or even Tranquil Sea Shore with Perhaps our Fine Grain as the body and Whisper on trim!
Hi there I am a Professional Color Advisor with Dunn Edwards, I'd love to help you out. I am a free serivce, if you'd like to schedule a free color consultation or just e-mail me for a few design ideas. I can also do free photoshop renderings as well.
Happy Patining! 1-626-335-7900, Glendoracoloradvisor@dunnedwards.com Tmnca
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoGlendora the house is already painted, but thanks!
Gutters will be installed next week.
- PRO
Lori A. Sawaya
6 years ago Elizabeth B
6 years ago
Lori A. Sawaya