Please Help: Color Choices for 1970s Mansard & Exterior Refresh
We purchased our home in 2016 and would like to refresh the exterior, including the roof. But, we're stuck on color choices and would love some advice.
We like the Mansard roof, but do not like the brown shingles. But, changing the roof color will likely require us to change the trim, shutters, garage doors, front door, and even our huge covered patio in the back of the house--as the posts and beams are very dark brown to match the current color scheme.
Our brick looks like it has been lime washed, and has light tan, pink, or grey tones, depending on the light. We do not plan to make any changes to the brick, so its color drives all of the other color choices. The windows are a creamy ivory, with a strong yellow-tan tint when next to a true white.
For the Mansard roof, I would like Certainteed's Carriage House shingles, as I think the scalloped shingle would add charm. We're thinking a mid- to dark grey for the roof, which would highlight the pink and grey tones in the brick. I'd like to lean into the French cottage potential our home has, thanks to its Mansard roof, and I also like the thought more adventurous shutters and front door, such as dusty teal, light aqua, or French blue.
We'd love for ideas about color or design choices for any/all of the following, as we're open to replacing the garage and front doors and plan to entirely replace the shutters:
- Roof (color, material, type)
- Trim
- Garage doors (color and/or type)
- Front door (color and/or type)
- Shutters (color and/or type)
- Covered Patio posts and beams (we might have this re-constructed, as we're planning to screen it)
We're also interested in anything we can do to add dimension or more visual interest on the front. If adding a portico is too expensive, we'd do a permanent awning above the front door. I also like the thought of window boxes on the upper windows in the front.
Here are photos of our house:
Here's a sample Mansard with Carriage House shingles:
Comments (24)
houssaon
3 years agoFor my taste, the Carriage House shingle is too kitschy. I think the Grand Manor Shingle Roof in the color, Stonegate Gray, would be a much better choice.
CertainTeed Shingle Roof · More InfoThis house reminds me of yours. I like the light color trim and the lighter shutters. In this photo the roof look gray, but it is actually brown. I like the gray better.
New Residence 2 · More InfoBasil
3 years agoRelated Discussions
help me transform my 1970s-era (but new to me!) kitchen
Comments (27)Hi Roulie, I was looking at the beautiful blue kitchens in your thread about painting your cabs, and went looking for this thread for more pictures and info about your kitchen. (I would try the SW Naval from Deb's island on one of your trial boards, it just rocks!) I have an opinion about the hole in your counter. I love the idea of using stainless, and if the Jenn-aire that was removed is the griddle next to the big Garland, I would suggest that you have someone come and fabricate a stainless steel cover that simply butts up to the range and covers the whole counter top surface, front overhang and all, for the length of counter top hole in the wood. That will give you a bulletproof landing spot for messy cooking. YOU may not need it, but you have at least one young person, and a messy spill on your butcher block with a stainless steel insert in the hole in the wood will be a lot harder to clean up than on a seamless sheet of steel. Have the fabricator match the finish as much as possible to that of the Garland, and it may not seem so much like another added texture in the room. It also occurred to me, looking at the photo, that there does not seem to be a range hood. Is that a problem for you, or do you not put a lot of grease into the air when you cook? A metal fabricator could fashion one to fit below that cabinet, and you could put the guts in the cab. Just something to think about if you have someone out to see about the hole in the counter. I went looking for your thread about your butcher block counter refinishing. The problem with wood near your sink area made me think of old porcelain 1920s to 1930s sinks as a solution. In my first search result I saw the one linked below, and it fit the one in my mind's eye perfectly. Something like this will better protect that beautiful refinished counter of yours. It prevents any more deterioration where the wood meets the back splash, as well, and does not go very far up the wall. Check out the link below. I think I am interested in your project because it reminds me of my own. I refinished a used bead board kitchen almost three years ago.I have an island top that is 25 years old sitting in my garage that is very similar to your butcher block. I did not use it when I bought it with my Green Demolition kitchen. I refinished my beaded-board oak cabinets from GD by hand sanding and re-staining them with a creamy oil-based stain that my local Sherwin Williams mixed up for me. I could not get a "pickled" stain in water-base. My routed-out lines were far closer together than yours, but you have a LOT of cabs to do, too. If I had to do it again, I think I might paint. I do not have tons of wood grain around like you do, and really like the grain peeking through, so staining was a good choice for me at the time. My problem was in getting the stain to stick to end grain. All my rounded edges exposed me to end grain, but I did not realize that this was my problem at the time. Stain did not stick well on the perimeter of all of my 34 doors and 20 drawers, and I have a rubbed-through look in places. I also have a few pieces that are a different color. Don't know if it was a stirring problem, a real color difference in the first stain can, or what. By the time I was done, I just did not want to know! Part of my problem is that I have asthma and had to wear terrible face masks to keep the VOCs out of my lungs. I had to work outside because of the fumes, too. In the steamy heat of the summer of 2010, I had little patience for problems and just let the color differences get by me. I just wanted it DONE. If you can paint with latex, it is a lot less bother and mess than what I went through! Oil-based stains are still the most common with wood. Here is a picture of my doors before I refinished them. If you want to see my kitchen (minus the missing cab door that we found in the carpenter's shop 6 months after I finished staining everything else), you can go to my website and see it at www.pbase.com/nancyb/image/127230055 Here is Here is a link that might be useful:...See MoreIs there any hope for this 1970's "Tudor"
Comments (35)I've decided to not purchase the house, for now anyway. If the bank would accept 50K less than the asking price I'd do it, but the fact that they just raised the price last month after the third failed sale leads me to believe they won't. The house needs new exterior paint, complete interior paint, all new flooring, kitchen cabinets and countertops, new appliances, new furnace and ac, plumbing repair upstairs, 3 fireplaces that need attention, landscape clean up and probably much more. I do like the house and the floor plan though. It's not a traditional split level. Main floor has formal living, dining and eat-in kitchen. Upstairs all the beds two baths. Down 1/2 set of stairs from the eat in kitchen is a den and the laundry plus powder room with the garage entrance. The house has a mountain view from the front and the view out the back over looks Utah Lake with mountains that surround it. I'm going to wait and see what happens. My current home will sell in a flash, so the issue for me is finding a new home. I'd like to reduce my mortgage payment, but home prices are such that it's looking like that won't be much of an option. I really do like my current home except for the fact It's 50 miles from my workplace. I'm going to sit tight for now....See More1970s ranch needs an update
Comments (27)15 months later, bc life happened and I simply couldn’t focus on this project, we finally started. I decided against painting the brick, in favor of preserving as much of the home’s character as I can and still be happy with it. I decided to follow Patricia Colwell Consulting’s advice and address the exterior last, with whatever budget is left. At least for the moment. Norwood Architects, we paid to re-engineer the roof and extended the kitchen, which, as predicted, has eaten up much of the budget. Otherwise, I think I’d love that metal seamed roof you suggested. I posted an update bc all of the exterior framing and roofing is done and I am focused on the interior finishing details. I have changed my mind on the details so much that I’m sure the builder and his design partner have tired of me. But the interior designer and architect, who both seem knowledgeable, agree on little. Leaving me dazed and confused!...See More1966 Mid-Century Ranch Exterior Refresh- Working on a Color Scheme
Comments (88)one more vote for your mockup with teal and chartreuse door (and those windows you chose look so much better). I think if you replaced the hedge by the garage to the front door with a small chartreuse leaved tree, grasses or shrub it would complement the door and make it stand out less. (I don’t have photoshop to put these ideas together) and maybe add some chartreuse lawn chairs? I like the garage door painted the same color as the siding but you could also match the color of the stone instead of bright white. here’s some ideas for plants or check with your local nursery: https://www.finegardening.com/article/chartreuse-foliage-makes-a-splash https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/chartreuse-plants-for-the-garden https://www.thepaintboxgarden.com/category/chartreuse/ https://www.provenwinners.com/learn/top-ten-lists/10-fabulous-chartreuse-plants-make-your-garden-glow...See More
PROBeverlyFLADeziner
3 years agoMansard roofs always look better with a natural cedar shingle, but they require lot of maintenance and sometiimes attract nesting bees, so perhaps consider a synthetic shingle like this one of the many others that are on the market.
Basil thanked BeverlyFLADezinerhoussaon
3 years agoDid you notice the limestone accent? I wonder if you could incorporate some limestone in your design.
The garage that I really like has a creamy trim. I tried to find a color to match the garage color. It looks like a dusty pink, but it really closer to a pale gray. Having these two colors (cream and gray), I think is what makes it work. But I am not sure I would put a light trim on your roof. Probably one that blends would be better.
I have been playing around with the Stonegate Gray roof on you house and I think the color is not going to work. The blue undertones are competing with the pink in the brick.
You might be better with another gray or Weathered Wood. It is brown with a bit of gray, but none of the red in your current roof.
Here is an image in Tudor Brown, a brown with no gray.
Lot 4 Mill House Place - 2014 · More InfoWhen I had my roof redone, the roof brought out large samples of possible colors and put them on the roof so I could get a better idea of which one I liked the best. It was very helpful and he was the one who suggested it.
Katie B.
3 years agoI think I’d do away with the shutters
This color combo is nice
If you’re willing to do something with your brick any of these are nice depending on your style
this one is very charming
these are more modern
I love this one - this is what I would do...monochromatic
This one has the roof you like- I like it here.
feens81
3 years agoBasil
3 years ago@BeverlyFLADeziner, thank you for your insights! I've always liked cedar shakes on other houses (including the few on our street), but I'm worried they'd look more rustic than what I'd want for our home. I'm not sure why, but I think they look shaggy because of their texture and dimensions, and I wonder if they would date our home. A lot of the 1970s Mansards seem to have been experiments in playing with proportions and bear no resemblance to the elegant French roofs that inspired them. You've given us something to think about, though.
@houssaon, thank you for all of your suggestions! I'm not sure that there's a way for us to include limestone, but I do like the colors you've posted. I played around with a light silver roof on Certainteed (because it's one of their Cool Roofs), and went with an off-white for the garage doors, very light aqua for the shutters, and teal for the front door. The picture is pretty awful because CertainTeed didn't have all the colors I wanted to try, but the house looks completely different. My husband thinks it looks very washed out. I think the color swatches you posted would fit a lighter palette. The roofer won't advise us on the colors other than the roof, so we might have to work with a designer.
Here's the lighter version of our house:
Basil
3 years agoBasil
3 years agoBasil
3 years agolast modified: 3 years ago- PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoIMO an window top door with fewer rectangles at the bottom would look best.
Square windows and fewer rectangles at the bottom
Basil thanked BeverlyFLADeziner Basil
3 years ago@BeverlyFLADeziner, thank you so much! I really like the arched top, too. And, our house has the arches above the garage doors. When we examined them, they seem to be wood pieces, and I'm not sure whether we can remove them to have an arched door or whether they'd stay and we'd have a regular door with arched windows.
I really like both doors you posted and appreciate their fewer rectangles. The one with triangles is a very charming, and I prefer the hardware adornments to really give it an authentic look.
Here is a closeup of our doors:
ourfarmhouse
3 years agoSome suggestions...
1. Paint the trim on the first storey of your house ivory.
2. Replace the shutters with ivory, cottage-style, paneled shutters of the appropriate width (1/2 the window width).
3. Replace the garage doors with carriage-style doors with windows...also in ivory.
4. If you are going to replace the roof, a dark gray shingle would be nice.
5. Add trim to your arched dormers to amp up architectural detail and paint them a zinc color to match a little closer to the roof. This is reminiscent of the mansard roofs in Paris, where the body of the buildings are a smooth limestone look, and the dormers match the roof.
6. Add muntins/mullions to windows, and paint the windows that same zinc color if you can.
7. Add depth to your entryway by building out side columns (attached to the house) and a flat, crosshead pediment. This will inset the door and sidelines a bit more and break the flat plane of the front of the house.
8. Paint the door a deep Aegean Blue. It will add just enough color to the front of the house, but still keep it sophisticated. It also complements the warmth of the brick and helps to cancel the brick's subtle pink takeaway and make it feel a bit more neutral.
It could look like this...
Basil thanked ourfarmhouseBasil
3 years agoKatie B.
3 years agoBasil
3 years agoWe're ready to start planning our project in earnest and aren't sure the order in which we should do the work or how many different types of contractors we need. I'd appreciate any insights you can give. We hope to use the mockup @ourfarmhouse made for us as our goal (see below).
Our exterior projects include:- New roof in grey, which will require changing the color of the gutters, etc.
- Architectural elements, such as the columns at the front entry and on the upper dormer windows, and new shutters
- Painted front door and garage doors (instead of replacing them, for now)
- Repaired/repaved asphalt drive way
- 27'x14' concrete patio has a large crack down the entire length that will need repaired, and we're thinking about a decorative finish like acid-staining
- This same 27'x14' covered patio will be screened-in, and the existing posts might need replaced or refinished; will be changing from brown posts and ceiling to a color that coordinates with the new grey roof.
What types of professionals do we need and/or which types of professionals can be used for multiple projects? For example, can we get by with a roofer (roof/gutters), asphalt/concrete company (driveway/patio), and carpenter (architectural elements, screened porch, painting door/garage door, and hanging shutters)? Is there an advantage to using a general contractor?What order should we follow?
Thank you!
BasilOriginal Author