1. Congratulations on completing your paint job after twenty years! Begin by removing those two bushes by the front gate. They aren’t helping your landscaping, and they will make it harder to get a good paint job. What color are you planning to paint all the ironwork?

Yes, I definitely want to remove them. The painter suggested NOT painting them as they gavinized-dipped iron. He suggested that if I paint them now, I would need to paint them regularly for maintenance. The gates were darker at some point but have faded over the years.

Google small stucco houses for ideas. Here are a few.

off white

Beige with cream trim

I think something like a pale gray with white trim would work well. A wood look fiberglass or steel door with Spanish styling would finish it off.

I would also add a Spanish style coach light between the arched opening and garage door.

We had a roof one time like neighbor's roof: a slate-like blue-green, like spruce trees of that wonderful color.... similar to kate's, I'd photoshop the roof color [for yours], and maybe a softer brown for garage.

Nice pics from saypoint and kat. I especially like the beige with cream trim.

Thank you saypoint and katinparadise! I also like the beige with cream. I’ve been playing around with DE browns and golds, especially DE Madera 728 and a darker DE With the Grain 668, but both are either too light or too dark. If the beige look, what specific colors/blends would you choose?

The carriage door door look is beautiful, and I can see it goes well with the gray. I agree with a whiter gray vs blue-gray. Would you say it’s a warmer shade of gray? We live in a rather foggier and windy part of SF Bay and it’s overcast most of the time. I would like something contrasts with the gloomy weather.

You're welcome. I agree that with gloomier, foggier weather you want to stick to warmer colors. What color is your roof? You could also consider a warmer, creamier white with white trim.

A fiberglass door can be gel stained to look like wood grain with iron handles added to achieve the look of a more expensive wood door.

More muted yellow, gold, even some clay can work well in overcast weather. You want to “work with” the weather than against. Just like how a bright pink house seems at home in the Caribbean and out of place in the PNW, a muted but dark blue can seem at home in the PNW, and out of place in the Caribbean.

But, also look around neighborhood. What colours do the neighbours in area seem to use? It’s okay to be the only green house on block, but you don’t want to also be the only green AND shockingly bright house on the block.

If you are in an area that is often overcast and gloomy, look for inspiration in photos of homes in places like Seattle, Vancouver, even Nova Scotia, etc.

I really hope you post after photos! I think fresh paint will really transform your home :)

Katinparadise: the roof is a dark/charcoal shingle. I do love the creamy colors. Would it look too light with a creamy and white trim?

Thank you Rai Kai - I will definitely checkout Seattle and PNW pictures for inspiration. And yes I will definitely post pics after!!!

Here are some colors I painted on weeks ago. Note it’s darker in person. My first choice was third from the bottom - With a Grain. Over time it has become a darker brown, kind of flat and dull without much of warmth and richness.

I like this one a lot. The camera doesn’t capture the more yellow tone. Not sure if it’s too light.

This is a very creamy white - Hollywood Age. This is beautiful but I can’t envision it around the entire house by itself. It would be nice with a second color but don’t know which or where to paint it. The right is a warm brown/beige with green undertone called Warm and Toasty.

Here is my opinion - these are Dunn-Edwards paint colors too. I even like that the garage door is dark, contrary to my usual suggestion. May as well make it a feature in your home since the front door isn't visible from the street. Dunn-Edwards Paints paint colors - Body: Cool December DEW383 Garage Door: Engine DE6350 for the first pic below.

Traditional · More Info

Spanish Home · More Info

Deer Creek House · More Info

Dunn-Edwards Paints paint colors - Body: Whisper DEW340 Trim: Weathered Brown DEC756

One more: Dunn-Edwards Paints color -Exterior body: Pewter Patter DET627
Front door: Clematis Blue DET587
Beams: Weathered Brown DEC756

KUD Properties, Inc. Desert Eichler 5 · More Info

I believe your paint samples have too much yellow.

I agree that the paint samples run a bit too yellow. If you want to stay warmer, try something like Trite White or Milk Mustache.

Thank you all for the great suggestions and renderings! So inspiring!

i can envision phuninthesun’s SW rendering with the wood carriage door with white body instead of Brainstorm Bronze. However I just noticed the fascia above my garage is not symmetrical with the door nor the roof line. The arch of the fascia is not in line with the center garage line. Would that be an issue? If so should I consider a different style but keep the dark look?

The arch is not a problem, but why does the fascia run past the roof line on the ends? I would probably cut those off.

You would have to rebuild the entire roof to fix it so I don't think it's something you need to worry about it. Keeping house and trim colors close will draw less attention to the assymetry.

yes phun, yes

Wow! Thank you all for the input! I love both renderings.

RL: what are the names of the colors used? And what is the garage door also carriage or another wood design?

phun: I love the rich dark trims - is that DE Weathered Brown? Would RL’s body color work with this trim as well?

DE Weathered Brown would probably work fine with RL's body, but try some samples just in case.

SW creme and connected gray. but i do like it with the brown as well. carriage, Spanish style

Ps the light I posted is probably from A-19, its ceramic and can be painted any color you like they have different cut outs as well. I like it because it weathers well and allows light to shine up and down with out blinding you . plus you will have a unique light fixture at an affordable price.

Thank you RL! I love the light options. i'm hoping to replace the two bushes with a more modern wooden square planter that matches the bronze lamps, but that will be sometime in the future. Now to find the right garage door for the focal point. With a dark brown door like above (either wood-like steel or real wood carriage), would a white trim still be an option as opposed to dark trims?

No to white trim. otherwise you are on a great path!

Have you decided yet on a body color?

@katinparadise I’m so sorry it took so long to reply. Yes, after over 20 paint samples, I decided on DE Boutique Beige with Frosting Cream trim. There were so many beautiful colors to choose from, especially the clean and modern greiges. My 70plus year old mother is dead set against grays as they aren’t “happy colors” lol. I’m just happy to get this house painted! I’ll post pics once done. Thanks to all for their advice and help!

So happy you found something that will work. I just wasn't seeing your house in gray. I'm looking forward to seeing pictures when it's finished. I just painted mine last year and it makes me much happier to pull into the driveway and enjoy the way my house looks.

Any plans for the garage door? If you can't afford to switch it out to wood, you could paint it the same as the house body and add carriage hardware to dress it up a little.

And don't forget a great new carriage light!

@katinparadise the paint is finally complete! So below is the paint finish, but I still need a new door and lights. To be totally honest, I feel the body is a bit too light and the trim is way too white. I feel it should be somewhat creamier. But anything is better than what I had before. I’m thinking if I should have the trim repainted to not look so stark white...

As for the door, I’m leaning on a steel foot that looks like wood. My painter suggests not getting anything dark as he says “will look like a big square dark thing”. What do you think? The carriage look is nice; not sure if I can pull it off since it’s wide for two cars.

And I just went shopping for the light.... I think I’ll have a better idea once I install the door.

thoughts?

Oh wow! Amazing! I don't think it's too light at all. I do agree that the white is pretty bright though and a creamier off white might be a better bet.

As far as the door, you can go to the Clopay website and try on different garage doors. I would suggest something with windows to break up the large look of the door. If you get the right door, I don't think you'll need carriage hardware. If you can do something like this, I think it would look amazing.

Wow, what an improvement! I think it looks great. I bet the neighbors love it! :)

I like the garage door style proposed above by Kat, but adding carriage hardware seems like the wrong style.

Thanks @katinparadise and @gm_tx! Yes, I’m not thrilled with the stark white trim. If possible, I’m going to see if I can repaint with a creamier color.

I was totally thinking the same about the carriage door; I like the door but not the hardware. I just need one handle for manual pulling. Thank you for the advice on the style door and window option. I couldn’t decide on whether to get windows or not.

also, any faux-wood color suggestion? I received some samples from CHI doors ... walnut, traditional oak, modern oak, mahogany, etc. Not sure whether to get a darker shade like walnut which looks a dark blackish/brown, or mahogany that has a red undertone, but only visible when you walk up to the door.

I think windows are a good option to break up the solid mass of the door, especially since your garage sits directly in front of the house. Which CHI style are you looking at?

I played around on the Clopay site for you.