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Exterior color advice needed! Dark color wrong for a small house?

Kisha Petticolas

6 years ago

I bought this 804 sq ft house last spring and am finally ready to get it painted. All of the other houses in the neighborhood are white with the exception of three which are yellow, a bluish gray, and brown. It’s my first house and I’m very nervous about picking a color. I want my house to be different but not gaudy. I’m thinking about Sherwin Williams “Dignified” for the House, “Alabaster” for the trim, and leaving the shutters as they are. Any thoughts on how this might look? If this is a bad choice, I’d welcome any suggestions. Thanks!

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Comments (4)

PRO
Aaron Holland Painting, LLC.
6 years ago
The colors you picked out should look nice on your home. The reddish colored bricks may contrast slightly, but if that is the look you want, go for it!

*When using darker colors, the South and West sides may show fading more quickly than the rest of the house.

**It looks as if you have some raw aluminum. It is important that your painter pressure washes the siding well, and primes the raw aluminum with a suitable primer, prior to painting, or you may end up with peeling paint in those areas.
Denita
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
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:)
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I have no knowledge of the paint you are looking for but just want to say how much I like your house and yard!! Beautiful! I would like having the porch and trim a different color from the body of the house. The gray goes really well with the white. If you are going for a more monochromatic look, maybe paint the trim and porch a really pale shade of gray?
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What chloebud said. Few garage doors are attractive or special enough to highlight. If you paint your garage door the same color as the body of the house the huge blank space of the garage tends to blend in which is a good thing. Just like "hiding " down spouts with same/similar is a good thing. In your case you might choose a garage door color that "reads" like the overall color of the brick. That might be easiest to do by standing across the street with paint color samples and hold up a few that look like they will blend in with the brick. I agree blue might be a touch one to coordinate with your brick. I like the cream and gray/tan colors for the body of the house and the black accent color would look sharp. Garage door color same/similar as house color: (photos not loading. But google "garage door colors same as house " or similar search on Houzz and those photos are helpful to visualize.)
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Thank you Celerygirl! I think we will go for the navy blue. Now time to find the right blue. Any suggestions? We want to use Benjamin Moore paint.
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Keep the shakes! They lend your house character and texture and are fitting for the style. I think it would be bland without them. However, that doesn't necessarily mean you need to keep them stained. Paint is always an option. White is always a classic choice and never goes out of style, whether you keep the shingles stained or not. Greys have been around for some time now and may begin to look dated sooner than you'd like. One idea that I have been loving a LOT is to go darker. Just an idea! Best of luck!
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Denita
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I think the blue can be very nice, with the right color blue and the right color trim and shutters. Here is a blue that works well with brick and Sherwin Willimams (and other paint co's) have a way to color match the Hardy siding if you like this color blue (called Evening Blue).

^Another great blue with contrasting trim. Great color combo.

Landscaping and a wide walkway to the front porch will be the key to finishing your home:

^ This is just one example to show you how landscaping makes a huge difference. This might be a little formal for you. Find a good local landscape co to come up with a plan for you that you can implement as time and budget allow.
mimimomy
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
That house is adorable. Congratulations! I love the color you've picked out but *in my opinion only* you might want to go with something lighter. Dark colors show all dust/dirt, fade very quickly, and I do think tend to make small houses look smaller.

Perhaps use the lovely "Dignified" color in the front porch area, rather than as the main color? With a modern bronze colored light fixture it would I think, look super.

This could be paired with a more neutral all over-color and contrasting shutters/door?

Just some thoughts to consider... I definitely think you can move away from white, just not sure that the dark blue is the way to go!

P.S. First Star might be a good pick out of that same color strip.

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