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laelas

Need help with exterior colors - white metal roof?

laelas
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago

Hi! We are in the process of adding a porch (craftsman style) to the front of our rancher (thanks to everyone who helped us envision it!) and the next step is the metal roofing and they are coming soon! We had picked out copper metallic but just found out yesterday this particular color is 20% more which blows our budget and now we're struggling to decide. I know a brown would probably make the most sense, but we would like to do something unique (the house right next door is the EXACT same color scheme and we constantly have people using the wrong lane so it would be nice if they were more distinguishable.) Unfortunately we cannot paint or replace the siding right now but would love to do that in the future. What are your thoughts on a white metal roof? With the porch roof and accents (lights, gutters) being a copper color? (2nd photo -- pardon my sad photoshop skills!) Last photo is the metal color choices. Your advice is so appreciated!







Comments (14)

  • PRO
    Patricia Colwell Consulting
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    FYI adding a craftsman type portico on a ranch doed not make it a craftsman the stone bases are too big for the structure and IMO a white roof will in no way help with the change. Get a brown roof do some much needed landscaping and that will make the difference in your house from everone elses Save up and paint the siding and if you insist on the shutters they need to be larger .I would do somethig like this across the front of the house a larger porch with a simpler style not nessessary to change the roof pitch. IMO the house needs a walkway from the street to the door and that alone will make you stand out and then get planning for the landscaping.


    laelas thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
  • laelas
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Okay, I did not mean to imply that our house was craftsman style.... I meant the porch itself.

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  • PRO
    PPF.
    4 years ago

    We are in the process of adding a porch to the front of our rancher


    Have you already started? If not, consider making the porch larger, and the style you show does not really suit the house -- it looks like an addition instead of working with the house.


    Do you need a new roof? If not, maybe just match the shingles for now.


    The house needs landscaping more than anything.




    laelas thanked PPF.
  • laelas
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Thanks for the responses, here is a more current picture. Yes, the roof must be replaced and metal is more affordable by quite a lot in our area. The cover for the porch is being added for ease in bringing firewood in and to incorporate a sentimental porch swing. The beams being used in the porch frame are from our farm. Changing the color of the roof from brown to something else is pretty important... right now trucks from the neighboring farm constantly come up our lane so I'm hoping them being the only "brown house" would make ours safer for our kids.


  • NSdesigns
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Start with the end in mind. What do you want your house to look like when it is complete? What colors are ideal for you for the siding and roof? Choose the roof color based on the overall look you want in the future. It looks like decisions are being made in an isolated thought pattern. Every thing is close to the house: landscaping in narrow band close to house with steps turned sideways; Small porch for entry only; white roof simply to make your home look "different." Think about the space as a whole and create a "tackle it as you can afford It plan" ... I bought a single story home with a white metal roof located in the Northwest. Really difficult to work with a white roof outside of a beachy environment or a two story old farm house look. The house becomes an object separate from the surrounding landscape and looks isolated. A medium color tone in the roof will better tie into the natural wood elements. A larger porch will help balance the windows and create a place to be rather than just pass through. Larger windows would be lovely in the future but adding vertical elements to complement the vertical porch posts would help tie in the front facade with the porch. Play with the idea of longer shutters or wide vertical trim boards with a change in siding under the windows to create a stronger vertical element and some textural interest. Keep the change in siding the same color as horizontal siding so the look does not become spotty. Use some vertical elements in the landscape . The taller landscape elements should not block view and light at the windows so plan the landscaping to utilize blank wall spaces and by all means pull the landscape out from the house to "marry" the house with its surroundings. The comment about masonry post bases being out of proportion is valid. Simplify. Your house has a ranch look ... IMO using natural wood elements is very ranch like and not a craftsman look only so your future finished look should carry that post and beam work elsewhere in your design. For now ... a larger front porch will be money best spent!

    laelas thanked NSdesigns
  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I'd go w/the Ash gray or Charcoal and paint your shutters black


    the gray will go with any color when it comes time to change. But, I like the white if you plan on going w/a darker siding color down the road. Is that your plan?


    although, here's a white metal, white brick, dark door, and wood shutters. If you could do your porch and landscaping like this, it would look cute




    would be nice if you could extend that 'porch' all the way across. i thought you were going to do something like this








    laelas thanked Beth H. :
  • laelas
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Thank you Beth, I love the first and the second picture you posted. The second one seems to be a very similar color to our existing siding.

  • laelas
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Thank you NSdesigns, that is very helpful. I do love the idea of vertical siding.

  • NSdesigns
    4 years ago

    Beth H.: Great second picture. without taller windows it will be more difficult the keep the proportions well designed. Window boxes (in the 5th picture) create a more substantial window area but with the light and dark values of dark looking window glass and white window frame and medium value wood colored shutters and window boxes and then back to light siding it starts to look spotty. The second picture works really well because of the larger windows. Charcoal and white is a classic look and never goes out of style. Its boldness can stand alone and make a statement. But, Iaelas, the look needs to be what you want ... what says welcome home to you. Keep looking at pictures and analyzing them to see why you are drawn to certain looks. Isn't it great that we live in the internet age with so much information at our fingertips ... Trust your instincts when you see what you like and then create your longer term plan to keep budget under control. Best of luck, enjoy the process and Have Fun!

    laelas thanked NSdesigns
  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    4 years ago

    that 2nd picture home is a Joanna Gaines make-over.

  • tatts
    4 years ago

    Not white. A white roof will always be streaked with dirt and leaves--just airborne dirt that streaks when it rains. That's why you never see white roofs (except flat ones, which you can't actually see).

  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I thought we already solved this. BTW your front canopy is not nearly the correct proportion. You don't want it to look like an afterthought. You want it to look like it was planned.

    Make it W I D E R.





    Don't do a white roof with your existing exterior color scheme. See below..........it looks terrible.


    If the siding is light, then the roof should be a bit darker.


    laelas thanked BeverlyFLADeziner
  • laelas
    Original Author
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Thanks for your insight everyone. I apologize for the photoshop version I used in the original question, it is not a representation of the actual porch we are doing at all, I was just trying to get an idea of colors, more of a mood board if you will... (I tried to remove it from the post but it won't let me). The actual porch will be the full width of the concrete foundation. We are leaning towards the charcoal metal roof and are awaiting an estimate on painting our siding white and/or replacing with white vertical. Thanks again.