having painted the same deck 5 times ... let me give you a couple of observations ... white/light stays cooler .. but can be blinding to sit on .. dark will allow you to cook an egg on it ... while you sit there ... you didnt post a pic... but my recall .. for what thats worth.. lol .. its that there is an orange flavor to the deck and house ... any chance i recall correctly .. im thinking its the orange tinge that is bothering you ... but you will also have to take into account the new color with the house color ... unless you are painting that also.. though i suspect not ... the point is.. if i have one ... [never say that to your spouse during an argument] ... is that though the house color might be easily changed in the future... and trust me on this ... repainting the deck a new color.. might be a giant PIA ... in other words ... its easier to repaint the house.. if you mess up the color scheme ... ken ps: and NEVER.. EVER.. paint the deck teal ... aquamarine ... or what we called when i grew up ... turquoise ... thats a story for another day .. lol ..

We are also considering a border around the deck to coordinate with hardscape. What did you decide to do? Please post photos if you have them!

My hubby was a little worried about staining on the lighter gray. It just so happened that we found a gorgeous reddish brown mahogany front door so we already have the color to pull from. It was so hard...I just loved Island Mist but it was going to be right next to the brick (outdoor fireplace) and our brick was more of a gray with purple undertones and some red/purple brick mixed in. I just kept looking at the sample next to the brick an it was way off. If you can get a sample I recommend looking at it next to your exterior in different natural lights. It gives you the true color

it depends on what side of the house. A dark deck on the south or west side will get direct sunlight and HEAT UP, stay away from dark colors. if you are north facing, dark may be suitable. Staining over trex? I doubt it will be a good finish. as the manufacturer for thoughts.