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About to move in to my first house, what color scheme would be great?

Jhonny g
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago

Hi all,

After going through the crazy housing market, we finally have a place of our own. I am a First time home buyer and pretty excited to make it look "good". As a first step, I am thinking of painting the exterior. However, I am not sure what color scheme would go well. Few concerns

1. This house has a low sloped roof but most homes in the neighborhood have a steep slope so the house doesn't stand out as much

2. This house is smaller compared to most homes around so want to make it pop out rather than feel like a tiny box

3. It has some brick parts at the front, and also a brick fence base, right now it's red (and I'll add a white fence later) but not sure which color would look good.

4. There is a tree in the front yard blocking the view, should I get rid of it before painting?

My style is clean, minimal but stylish.

I was thinking white and chocolate but I am totally open to any suggestions.


Comments (33)

  • User
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    What a great looking house! Seriously. It has wonderful angles and you are lucky to have inherited such beautiful plantings.

    A bright popping color can actually make a house look smaller, so be careful. Also want to to point that unless you commit the crime of chopping it down, that tree is a show stealer. you want the house to be a great foil for the tree, and not upstage It.

    I think I probably won’t be the last person to tell you that you should live in that house for a while before changing anything about the exterior. If it were me, I’d be thinking very carefully about replacing the garage door — but with what, I don’t know.

  • User
    2 years ago

    Want to underscore that you will seriously damage the value of your house if you cut down that tree.

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  • KATHY
    2 years ago

    Right now I really don’t think it needs anything, it is an attractive house with an attractive yard. If anything maybe a color on the door and like others have said live there for a good while before you start doing too much to it


    Jhonny g thanked KATHY
  • Rs S
    2 years ago

    I could be wrong, but it looks like a Magnolia. I would never remove it. You will certainly enjoy it, especially when it blooms. I might remove the big shrubs closer to the house, to open it up and plant lower colorful plantings. A nice color you like would be good for the door.

  • Yvonne Martin
    2 years ago

    i'd keep the red brick and the magnolia, but paint the garage door the color of the house or perhaps just a shade darker.

    Jhonny g thanked Yvonne Martin
  • Rs S
    2 years ago

    Oh, I agree regarding the garage door. I would paint it the same color as the house, but I would keep the house color light. So many light colors, you’ll just have to look and decide. But if you don’t want to paint now, then really it’s not necessary..
    It looks good as is. Just remove the large shrubs close to the house, open it up and plant some colorful low plantings that are doable in your planting zone. You could even do some low evergreens as well as flowering perineal or/and annuals. Ask your local nursery for advice.

    Jhonny g thanked Rs S
  • calidesign
    2 years ago

    You can have that beautiful magnolia tree trimmed to a more manageable size so it's not encroaching on your walkway or your neighbors yard. Absolutely do not remove it. I'd keep your brick, paint the house white, and paint the trim in the iron color from your fence railings. You can either keep the garage white, or paint it in the darker trim color. Do trim down the shrubs in front of the windows, especially the largest one by the walkway. Is it a jasmine plant? You may even want to remove it completely if it's something that can't be trimmed well. You don't want anything blocking the view to your door. The taller roses are fine.

    Jhonny g thanked calidesign
  • aelem
    2 years ago

    Congratulations on your new home ! It is outstanding.. Echoing what others have said: 1. Keep the tree! 2: hire a professional to trim the tree and plantings {or transplant} 3. Change color of garage door. That is all you need. Less is more.

    Jhonny g thanked aelem
  • Angel 18432
    2 years ago

    Congrats on the new home. I would have the big tree professionally trimmed and remove all the shrubs that are blocking the house around the door area.

    Perhaps 3 large planters to the left of the driveway to give some softening and interest.

    Or dig out that strip of concrete to the right of the fence and have soil/shrubs.


    Jhonny g thanked Angel 18432
  • happyleg
    2 years ago

    Your door is dark, no brown. You have the lovely tree keep house a light color.

    Jhonny g thanked happyleg
  • suezbell
    2 years ago

    Congratulations. Great find. Really nice house and yard.

    Unless the exterior actually needs new paint right away, would live with what you have for a few more months and then decide how you like it ... or not.

    You mentioned chocolate brown but that might well be too dark and defeat the purpose of enhancing your front entry to make it the focal point of your home and add "pop" to the look of your home.

    Budget permitting, of course, there may be another option to add "pop" -- to increase curb appeal.

    You move the shrubs away from the porch (perhaps to the back yard or groupings in the center of the front yard that do not impede your view when exiting/entering your driveway.

    Then remove the current porch roof and the pair of small thin (not particularly well placed) posts supporting it.

    Then extend the garage roof over the right side of the structure, preferably even also extending the roof forward to increase your porch depth. Support the new roof with stronger looking and better placed porch posts.

    Then, in lieu of replacing the siding where the old roof had been attached to the exterior wall above the door, replace all the siding within the porch niche with MCM style exterior wood paneling which would look really good with the altered, more MCM sloped porch roof.

    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/211174971854854/ 

    Shade trees in a yard are an asset as long as they are healthy and their roots or limbs are not damaging the house. Keep the tree.

    Really like the current fence and its brick base. Keep it. Would not paint any brick.

    Your vertical gutter downspout (left side) appears to be brown. It should match the siding color you choose for your home so it better visually disappears. With your fascia white, your horizontal gutter should be white as well.

    Current exterior siding color appears to be a medium / light shade of yellow. Current trim color appears to be white.

    Your neighbor's fence is white brick and white metal ... and that should at least be considered as well when you choose an exterior color change since you will see it every day.

    If / when you do decide to repaint your exterior, and if you're seeking a minimal but stylish vibe -- consider painting the siding and the garage door and garage door trim and the gutter downspouts your favorite medium / light shade of exterior gray, keeping white trim for the window trim and choose either a dark charcoal gray or black for metal such as your fencing and lamp post and exterior light fixtures and light post and mailbox and its post.

    Note: that mailbox may need to be moved back to the road if, where you live, you only get door delivery if you have a disability -- perhaps the prior resident did.

    Jhonny g thanked suezbell
  • tangerinedoor
    2 years ago

    This house is FABULOUS. I love all of it. And the tree is fantastic; don't let anyone get brutal with the trimming. That tree is likely worth $10,000+.


    I wouldn't do anything for now, at least on the exterior. Just get used to it for a year. I would expend all my energy getting settled on the inside. You might have furnishings you need to get, figuring out where to put things, how the light works, getting some new fixtures, etc. That's a lot right there.


    Some colorful plants out front might be nice, but you can do this with annuals in pots.

    Jhonny g thanked tangerinedoor
  • Jhonny g
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    thanks everyone,

    all great suggestions

    I have so many ideas to work with now

    Is it ok if I go with an off-white exterior and some dark trim color, keep the garage white or paint some design at the top row and install a white picket fence instead of the black metal fence?


  • happyleg
    2 years ago

    Some decor show said if white u see that item. If dark fence u see through it. Dark windows are ok. I like the fence. A pewter fence will look nice. U could try photo shop the color.

  • cat_ky
    2 years ago

    I understand your excitement, because first houses are very exciting, and you want to do lots and make it your own. However, please slow down, and enjoy your new house, and dont make any decisions about anything, unless it is something that is in need of repair right away. You need to live in the house for a while. Once you have lived there 6 months to a yr, the house will speak to you, and you will know just what you need to do, to make it work for you and your family. About 95 percent of the time, what you end up wanting to do, is nothing like what you thought you wanted at first. Your house looks very nice, and appears to be maintained, and not need any immediate work done to it.

  • HU-187528210
    2 years ago

    Amazing house!! Really very nice.
    I’d trim the landscaping. Paint the doors coordinating colors. And new mailbox.
    The actual home colors work. And don’t need redoing. I’d live with it like that for a bit and then create this into your dream oasis when you can.

  • User
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    For the fence, take a walk around the neighborhood and if you see a neighbor’s fence you like, figure out why you like it (sometimes it turns out what really makes it work is something you can’t do at your house). Focus on houses that are a modern style like yours, not Spanish or colonial. If you see some great picket fences, ask your neighbors who built their fence. If you are going to be the only house with a picket fence, think twice. I’m not for conformity, but sometimes you won’t be doing your house any favors if you make it an oddity in the local landscape. Your house is modern, and most modern houses don’t take a picket fence very well (and most picket fences don’t sit on top of a brick curb). Redoing that much fence on a corner lot is going to be very expensive if you want it to look nice. (Which it already does).

    When I first looked at your house I looked to see if your metal fence was actually fully extended across you driveway, and if you just had yours open. That would be my first instinct for changing the fence. Creating an automatic gate in the same style. But again, it’s expensive and not a necessity. (It also runs the risk of making the house look like it’s behind a fortress, while now it is pleasantly open.) I’d rather spend my money on a professional landscape designer.

    There are paint “apps” that will let you take your photo of your house and let you see (sort of) how your house will look with off white and dark trim. But before you do that, trim the hedges (but do check first if this is the right time of year to do it so you don’t damage them.)

    The only thing I would be impatient to do at your house would be getting rid of the small brick lampost, which isn’t my style and I don’t think compliments the house or the tree. I’d replace it with walkway lighting at ground level, which would help emphasize the nice curve of the walk and lovely at night. Your house is a tiny bit Japanese in feeling, so that would be a kind of discipline, to keep it simple and clean.

  • arcy_gw
    2 years ago

    Leave the base white and paint all trim black. This gives you the added plus of not "needing" to trash the expensive black iron fencing it will then blend into the rest of the trim. Touching the tree would be an assault I won't even discuss. You really are a new home owner. You will learn, trees=$$$$ You can do NOTHING to that house that will give you more beauty/pleasure than that tree will.

  • calidesign
    2 years ago

    Don't change the fence! It's more modern and updated as it is. Putting in a white picket fence wouldn't match the style of your home and would make it look more dated and take away from the clean lines of your house. Stick to a MCM style for your home.

  • User
    2 years ago

    I would definitely not paint the trim black. You’ll make your house look like a cartoon.


    You have a 20thc. western wood bungalow that was designed to sit carefree on the land, under the open sky. It looks to me like when a previous owner did the fencing, they got the bricklayer to add brick to the foundation. Fortunately it’s okay and adds a bit of a craftsman touch. But the house isn’t supposed to “pop”. It’s supposed to look handmade.


    You can definitely personalise the house as you go along (try not to turn it into a 60s hippie cottage), but it’s just a nice, cheerful looking house already. Love your tree.



  • ptreckel
    2 years ago

    NO to a picket fence! Your black metal fence looks modern and appropriate for your home.

  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    2 years ago

    Live there a bit and then decide. I'll bet there is money to spend on the inside of the house before you paint the exterior. Also if the paint is done correctly you should get 10 years out of a paint job. Paint is no longer cheap.

    Paint the garage door the same color as your gable and nothing else. BTW used acrylic paint NOT OIL PAINT on the metal garage door otherwise you will void the warranty on the garage door.


  • lynne3450
    2 years ago

    Congratulations! Beautiful house and property!

    Be sure to use a certified arborist to trim your tree, and for the sake of the creatures we share this earth with, kindly wait until the fall when nesting seasons over! ❤️

  • partim
    2 years ago

    I do like this rendition of your house in your ideabooks, where you stain the brick a charcoal colour and paint the house white. Romabio paint/stain is the product you want for brick. But I would not do a white fence, picket or otherwise - black or charcoal is better.


  • tangerinedoor
    2 years ago

    Keep the fence. It looks like it goes with the neighborhood.


    NO on picket: that's for quaint cottages, and absolutely not for MCM.

  • User
    2 years ago

    Fwiw it’s worth I think the black and white rendition of your house looks awful and sucks all the life and charm out of your gem.

  • eld6161
    2 years ago

    Very exciting time for you. I would hold off painting your house as it is not in disrepair, you are just concerned with esthetic.

    I agree with perusing the neighborhood to get decorating ideas. See what colors others have done. Just don’t copy anyone close by.

    I think you can do a lot with landscaping. That is where I would start.

    I prefer light neutral colors on small homes, but you can do do a pretty color for the door.

    Again, do your research, look on the internet for color combinations.

  • Maureen
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Congratulations on your new home. For now, I would paint garage door the same color as house. Suggest editing some of the shrubs between garage and front door, so front porch is more visible.

    I’d paint the front door and add a new lantern at door and over garage. Definitely keep tree and the fence as is for now.

    These changes are inexpensive, and will freshen up the house until you have a good grasp on what you want to do.


  • PRO
    Hilotech construction
    2 years ago

    Keep the tree, it's really beautiful. Repaint the exterior with white, skating gray. The fence looks ok. As for garage door, repaint with gray too. The footwall needs to be retouch. That should do, just be patient and live there for a few months and see. After you can look at the roof.


  • User
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    One of the problems with using black or gray on your house is that It will unite with the gray metal fence, turning that into an accent feature. Right now the fence just disappears to the eye. It’s not an eyesore to begin with, but it’s “down” color is just upstaged completely by the tree and the house, and the friendly light-colored path to the door. If you outline the house in black or dark gray, it pulls attention to the fence and its forbidding mood.

  • tangerinedoor
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    I agree with @User. The white with black rendition of the house is AWFUL. Bright white does not belong on MCM. Someone did that in my neighborhood: they probably dropped the value of their house $20k; it was a beautiful, newly painted MCM when they bought it.

    Your wonderful house doesn't scream "I need a new paint job." Only the garage door is kind of a sore thumb, but that's an easy fix. I would paint the front door, but just for fun.

    Focus on the interior. Make a plan for adding solar, so you can reduce your utility bills. Drape the front with bougainvillea.

  • PRO