Help me choose exterior paint colors!

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

We will be painting the exterior of our home this spring, and I'd love some advice or ideas on a color scheme. I'm definitely tired of the green.

I have been considering a medium/dark warm gray--Sherwin Williams Gauntlet Gray. I'm conflicted about the trim color. Should I stay with white trim? I'll paint the facia board the same color as window trim. The other option for trim is a dark charcoal color to match the roof. (This picture was taken last summer BEFORE we had the roof replaced--it's now a charcoal gray)

The garage doors--same color as siding or the trim color? We will NOT be painting the vent trim to match the other trim--definitely don't need to highlight those!

(Try to ignore the landscaping--that's another project for this summer)

Thanks for any advice!

Exterior

Featured Answer

chloebud

5 years ago

Based on the "red" tone in the roof and brick color in the OP's photo (and my monitor), Hardware seems to work better to me. Don't think I'd go any darker.

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Comments (17)

armchairshopper
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I looked up Sherwin Williams Gauntlet Gray. Great choice! If you look it up on the Sherwin Williams website, you will see that they recommend Eider White to go with it, which would be a great color for the trim. They also recommend Armagnac, which would be an attention grabbing color for the front door. Since the garage doors are so prominent, they should be the same color as the body color of the house.
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just_terrilynn
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
You could paint your house a shade close to the brick color. Change out the garage doors with ones with side windows (but not ultra modern) and paint the doors a color close to the roof color.

Maybe like the below in style.

Or, paint the brick the same color you choose for the main house.
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Finalizing paint estimates, so I came back here to refresh my memory on the suggestions. And now I see the suggestion about wider window trim, and I'm kinda lost. Am I supposed to paint the window trim a different color than the siding itself? I see tons of white trim in advice threads, but I'm not sure that would work here. Maybe it would, IDK. Settled on the inky blue (siding) and cool cream (brick & garage) combo that was first suggested, and the deck will remain redwood, and the star will be that inky blue. I'm stuck on whether I need to add white trim to the windows(?) and change the door color. Why is this hard? It shouldn't be hard, right?
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Jmint
5 years ago
Good choice. White for the trim will look nice imo. In that case, I would paint the garage door the same as the house.
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chloebud
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Gauntlet Gray appears to be warm enough to work with your roof color and brick. I would keep the garage doors the same color as the siding. However, I think it would be an improvement to add windows across the top of the garage doors. Since the garage is right up front, the windows would help break up the "walls".
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Kathy
5 years ago
This is Sherwin Williams Flexible Gray. I couldn’t get Gauntlet Gray to work but it looks quite dark to me. Sherwin Williams ColorSnap app might help you.
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chloebud
5 years ago
I tend to agree a lighter shade would be a good choice.
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localeater
5 years ago
I considered Gauntlet Gray for my house but ultimately decided to go a bit lighter, I went with Hardware(SW 6172). I'd post a picture, but painting is still only scheduled as we still have quite a bit of snow on the ground.

Gauntlet Gray has an LRV of 17, Hardware is a bit brighter with a LRV of 23.
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armchairshopper
5 years ago
Go to SW and get the sample quarts for less than $10 each. Paint some test areas to help make your decision. In some market areas, dark colors, including black and navy, are being used on the exterior of homes, but the trend (or fad) has not caught on everywhere.
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PRO
Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Gauntlet Gray SW
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PRO
Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
5 years ago
Hardware SW
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armchairshopper
5 years ago
The photo is old. The new roof (not shown) is gray.
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tvq1
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
THANK YOU ALL!

A few notes:

**Our roof is now dark gray--we had it done after this picture was taken. I'll take another pic with the new roof if it ever stops raining......

**As much as I'd love to change out the garage doors--our budget is maxed out with new hardwood floors, roof and exterior paint job!

**I've been playing with SW Color Snap on their website--I must be totally inept--cant seem to get it to work worth a darn! I'd like to see what dark trim around the windows, facia and garage door trim looks like.

**A big thank you to celery girl and kathy. The Gauntlet Gray picture looks much lighter than I thought. Celery girl--can you change the trim from white to a dark gray? I've tried about 100 times--but can't seem to get it .

**I have a sample quart of the Gauntlet Gray--We plan on painting a test area when the rain stops. I'll definitely look at Hardware Gray, too.

**I'm pretty sure I don't want white trim, and will keep the garage doors the same color as the body of the house.

Thank you all again!
cooki1268
5 years ago
One more gray to look at. —mindful gray. We were going with gauntlet and finally ended up with mindful.
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Kathy
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I wondered what dark trim would look like also. I’m happy I’m not the only one who can’t work that app. Celerygirl is so helpful.
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armchairshopper
5 years ago
The colorsnap app will give you a general idea of how a gray will work vs a green or tan, but it really is not useful for trying to decide between two similar shades of a color, and that’s with my 27” monitor. With a smaller monitor, the results are even more difficult to differentiate.
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chloebud
5 years ago
Sorry, not sure how in the heck I missed the roof color change. Gray is much easier to work with.
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