Help choosing paint, trim and roof colors

5 years ago

This is our home in it's current color, it faces north.

We will be getting a new roof this summer, and will be painting the exterior next summer. I want to have the paint color chosen BEFORE I choose the roof shingle color.

We definitely want a change from the current green. I'm thinking a mid range (not too light, not too dark) warm gray for the body, with white trim around the windows. We are considering a dark charcoal (almost black) roof color. (I know this will look kind of awful with our current green paint--but it will just have to do until next summer!)

About the red brick trim--I guess I think of red brick as almost a neutral. I don't mind painting it, but my husband is not in favor of that idea! FYI--there is also brick trim under the front bay windows. My idea is to have the house painted, then decide if we "need" to paint the brick. Maybe a charcoal gray?

Also--what color to paint the facia board under the roof? Do we need a different trim color other than the white? I know I don't want white on the facia board. I'm open to something creative! Currently our front door is red, but we will probably change that.

And...I'm not sure about the attic vents with the white trim around them--seems odd to bring attention to them. Would it be too boring painted the same color as the body of the house?

Lots of questions, I know! Any help or advice is greatly appreciated. Suggestions for a nice warm gray would be very helpful.

Thanks,

TVQ

Featured Answer

User

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

First, please don’t paint the brick. I think it will look very pretty with the gray siding.

Food for thought with the darker roof. 1. The darker it is, the more heat it will absorb. 2. When people look at your home, the dark roof will pull their eyes up to it, if you go with a more medium gray for both the roof & the house it will blend in better.

Fashia should be white. Just my preference and what we did with our home.

Trim color can be white, but you could also branch out a bit and maybe use a dark gray for contrast.

Does your brick have gray in it? If it does, try matching your paint color with a gray from the brick.

For a visual reference, the pics below show samples of roof / paint color combinations.

Dark roof, light gray, see what I mean about the dark roof pulling your eye to it? In this picture, the house gets lost and the roof is all you really see.

Light gray roof & paint, with white trim

A dark roof w/darker paint color makes it blend better.

Two tone darker trim. The earth tones are pretty too.

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Comments (6)

tvq1
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you lurkish--those pictures are very helpful. We are thinking of a darker gray than your first two photos, somewhere between the last two pictures. I'm glad to hear that you think the brick will be fine with a gray color.

Any opinions on the vent trim? Should we keep the trim around the garage doors white? Garage doors same color as body of house?

This is so hard!! When we painted the interior of the house, it was easy to try different colors. In fact, we tried 12 paint samples before choosing on the perfect color! We will be hiring a painting company for the exterior, so we have to be sure on the colors--no second chances!

Thanks again, and any other advice is appreciated.

TVQ
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My3dogs ME zone 5A
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I think lukki's pics show that a gray roof, somewhat darker than the color you choose for paint looks much nicer than a black one.

Can you take a close-up of your brick? It looks brown in the pic, but that may be affected by the colors around it.

Lukki and I differ here. I would want to paint or do a light wash of gray paint over the brick to help it blend somewhat, if it is a color that doesn't look well with the gray. Right now, to me, it makes it look like there are brown vertical stripes on the sides of the garage doors.

If you could widen your trim around the garage doors when you have the house painted, I think it would add a nice touch to the facade.
Also, perhaps something like a pergola over the wider set of garage doors might add interest to the front, especially if you grew trailing plants in large pots on either side of the door.
tvq1 thanked My3dogs ME zone 5A
chispa
5 years ago
I would not highlight your vents and would paint them the same color as the siding.
tvq1 thanked chispa
User
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I have to agree with you about the vents, the white trim draws attention to them. A couple of the pictures I posted have vents, one has painted them all dark, the other all light but see how both match the trim? That may be something to consider.

My3dog’s suggestion to white wash the brick is an interesting one. On my screen it’s hard to tell if the brick is a traditional red or brown so I’m glad she mentioned it could be more brown than red.

Here are some pics I found of the color I thought the brick was or is as well as the white wash I think My3dogs might be referring to.

Here is brick with a darker gray; I like how it picks up some of the dark gray in the brick.

If your brick leans towards the brown side, this is the brick white washed with shutters in a dark gray color next to it. I think both options offer interest.
tvq1 thanked User
tvq1
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you all for the advice! Lurkish-our brick is just like the first picture, definitely red with some grays. I'm much relieved after seeing how nice the brick looks with that particular gray. I'm looking for a gray of about that same value, but with no blue or green hue.

My3dogs-I really like your suggestion for jazzing up the garage doors! Maybe down the line we can look at adding some architectural interest to the very boring front area. For now, I like the idea of widening the trim around the garage doors, but we would only be able to widen it at the top of the doors, as the brick runs right up to the trim on the sides. Any ideas on how to accomplish this simple fix?

Early next week I plan to start the paint color search in earnest. Our local Benjamin Moore dealer has a very experienced and knowledgeable color consultant. I'll take along a close up pic of the brick.

I'll be back for more help, I'm sure.

Thanks again--you are all great!

TVQ