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Cottage exterior paint ideas

6 years ago

Looking for a new paint scheme. I'm thinking something light but colorful and cottagey like pale coral or salmon with antique white trim? It needs to be re-roofed as well, so that is something to be considered. I have read that white roofs are more energy efficient, has anyone seen a white roof in action?

please ignore the spiderwebs we are all decorated up for Halloween. Would the addition of gingerbread trim be appropriate for this house?

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Comments (4)

gracie01 zone5 SW of Chicago
6 years ago
My neighbor has a white roof. With all the trees it looks terrible; it was only white for a short while. Now it's a dingy, streaky gray.
cpartist
6 years ago
If you want energy efficiency, do a metal roof. They also have a 50 year life span.

What a cute house you have. When was it built? I love your idea to make it cute, but no, gingerbread trim is not appropriate for your bungalow. A pale coral or salmon could look great or it could look too cutesy. Take a look at Sherwin Williams craftsman colors. I believe they have a nice salmon color. I could see a salmon with light gray/blue window trim.

Personally I would also remove the shutters as they look fake. Shutters should look like they could actually enclose the windows.
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Thank you all for the comments and ideas. After seeing the pics that lukkirish posted, my idea of going redwood-ish is disappearing. I really like that green (3rd pic) with the white trim. Or the yellow. What to do??? Bonnie_ann are you near here? When I was a teen my parents had a cottage in the same community. Driving 'to the lake' was like leaving the state, it seemed sooo far. There was nothing out that way for miles. (The trip now takes us 45 minutes, going the long way.) At that time all the houses were strickly weekend cabins, now most are permanent residents. We are having an arborist out to check on the trees and educate us on the pros and cons of their location. People in this region of Florida are protective of their cypress trees. I am looking forward to napping on the screened porch while listening to the breeze through the cypress, a sound that really is different then most trees. (Sappy but true.) Thank you again, keep the suggestions coming. We have a few weeks before having to decide.
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Honestly, I think this home is adorable and charming as is. It has great curb appeal, and it doesn't read so "fairytale" that it seems childish. The only thing I would change is getting rid of the red and have it match the rest of the trim/windows. If you do want a change take your time because there's no pressing curb appeal issues. I don't think grey or tan will work great, but an ivory/warmer white could work although there may be more upkeep with it.
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goodstuf73
Original Author
6 years ago
That is a good point about the roof. We certainly have a lot leaf drop... and being in the south everything molds instantly. The house was built in 1942. Very cute inside. Cpartist you are right about the gingerbread though. Wishful thinking. I will check out SW craftsman colors. I also love farrow and ball paint. So many good solid colors there, I guess the decision at this point is traditional vs cute. If you took off the shutters would you replace them with anything?
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beanie1922
6 years ago
I'd maybe replace the shutters with flower boxes. There's one white roof in my neighborhood. It stands out... and not in a good way. It's stsrting to streak and looks like a paun to keep clean. A new roof will improve energy efficiency. Perhaps just sticking with the standard weathered wood or black shingle and improving attic insulation will do the trick without locking you in to a color scheme.

I get craftsman vibe from the house too. The wrong coral or salmon may look dollhouse-ish, but could work on the front door. Check out the SW America's Heritage pallette too.
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