Side note: I’ve been planning green with white trim for quite awhile but I’m not sure it looks right.

Hi Lacy-

Actually, I think the color of the house is just fine. Maybe the garage color could be less obtrusive, maybe someone with a photo editing program could try some other colors on the garage.

What I would like for your house would be to add to the landscaping plants along the left side of the driveway and add some varying height and color, and along the sidewalk in front of the house if you don't think dogs would urinate all over them and ruin them.

I think also the house's appearance might be improved by beefing up the columns as well, they seem a bit too thin in proportion to the house.

I might get some larger, more interesting light fixtures in a brass or brass look for the sides of the garage.

Also, I would put plantings in your windowboxes and the planting area under the windowboxes.

I like the idea of green. Not exactly the same, but to show half green with reddish masonry:

I think cedar posts and garage door would look great, too, but understand if not in the budget (or you don’t like the look).

If you’d like to beef up the posts, leaving them white, you can get wraps:

@Lacy Meade - I like the green on bottom board - sort of sagey. I see that you’ve painted a sample next to the brick which I’d need to see to be sure. White trim looks good with that green but I wouldn’t want the garage door to be white - I’d paint it green. Have you gone online to try a color visualizer tool with either Sherwin Wms or Ben Moore paint. On a side note - reading @loobab comments, I do agree about the porch posts. I think they’d add a lot to the house if they were beefier posts

Long straight lines like that can hold darker colors. Kendall Charcoal, Urbane Bronze kind of dark. You'd have to use the darkest color in the brick to inform paint color options.

And, of course, you'd have to verify that the siding material can be painted a darker color than its original color. You'll find that info in the color specs where it mentions Light Reflectance Value (LRV).

I was thinking darker too. the green tones you've picked are a little too 'spring-like' for the brick color and type of home. Darker, sage, forest green tones would be better. the greens you've picked are better suited for a cottage home.

This would be comperable to Urbane Bronze. notice the darker garage door.

This one shows the darker tones. new lights. I like what they've done in the gable.

tried to photoshop a lot of extras so you can get an idea. I didn't do the siding color or trim color, But, I did the darker garage door (with carriage hardware), exterior lights, two diff spots for the address (pick one obviously. over the garage is better visibly) , some copper planters,

cedar porch posts (you can wrap what you have w/the wood option), wood front door, and a window box.

I'm also digging this darker Blue-Gray color. Not sure exactly what it is, So I attached a few colors here. I like the dark garage door with it too. You'd also do the trim.

Or, do the trim in a soft creamy white (softer than alabaster, maybe Swiss coffee) as well as the garage door. you don't want a bright white w/this palette.

Granite Peak is prob a closer match.

Love all the others too. I have Wrought Iron on my home.

See what they did above the garage door? they did a vertical board and batten instead of the siding. and here's a much darker charcoal/blue gray w/the off white trim

This combo could work. (riverway on the front door if you like). pick the other two for siding/trim.

This one has the dark trim (think Black Fox, Urbane Bronze, Iron Ore) around the windows and roof trim, and a lighter stucco color. looks nice w/the brick

This siding color is Kendall Charcoal w/wood color garage doors.

If you ever decide to paint your brick a creamy white, this siding color and wood accents would look gorgeous.

no brick, but just to show you the color combos. (and if you are ever up for a new roof, do this color)

I love the wood accents. ever thought about doing your brick (Romabio masonry lime paint)

Just another option for you.

similar style home w/an upgraded, more modern look

I really like Celery’s rendition. Those dark colors make the house look forlorn.

photoshopped your brick on here so you could see. I like this shade w/the brick. and it works w/the reddish brown room.

I really like the board and batten over the garage door.

and, the exterior light. Copper would look amazing next to that color and your brick!

(you can buy the cheap black one at home depot and a spray paint of copper color enamel, and spray one to look like copper. Cheap and easy. )

or, go for the blue w/the copper gooseneck (you can always spray it copper )

you can put it above the door (two of them) or on the sides.

and for sure do the carriage hardware on the garage door. Amazon carries it. cheap.

find the copper ones, or spray these too

grapefruit1_ar

12 minutes ago

I really like Celery’s rendition. Those dark colors make the house look forlorn.

********

I agree.

she already has a light tan. If she's repainting and asking for new colors, should we just say, "stick w/what you have? " Or show her other alternatives and let her decide?

And I disagree. Forlorn? come on. It's a dark color, not the grim reaper.

No reason to take it so personal.

ETA: I like the blue mock-up you did.

Wow thanks everyone. I’m liking the blue mock-up as well! Will definitely be painting our garage door darker and will be doing cedar posts. Never would have thought of any of this.

Please update us! Love seeing ‘afters’. :)

jinx, I didn't. I was taking the forlorn comment in a different way. nothing personal against your comment. Didn't mean to come 'at you' . Was just making a generalized statement.

Lacy, even if you do the blue color, consider doing the board and batten over the garage door like shown.

and those copper color lights and pots!

Cedar post wrap. you can stain it w/a oil that has UV properties, or stain it a cedar color and then give it a coat of exterior varnish to protect it. The deck stain stuff will work in a pinch, but it won't last as long as the Marine Varnish top coat

Thanks, Beth. :)

I‘ve never seen the cedar wraps like that, very cool!

Question: I have three windows on the front of the home (to the left of the front door). If i go with this really awesome blue-ish color scheme and dark garage door, should i paint the window trim some form of white?

I put some white colors in one of the mock ups w/the blue

but yes, a creamy white (not a super bright white) and it would look like this

do the trim around the garage door like this too.

what do you think about the board and batten above the garage door^

This one is a nice combo, below. you could use the RedBarn for the front door.

another combo. you could use Hale Navy-siding, Storm for the garage. Or, Cheating Heart. Classic Gray for all of the trim:

other blue grays:

Here are color palettes all ready to go. you could even use the 3rd color on the door, or window trim, garage,,,whatever you think

Peppercorn is a nice alternative to the blue. Zurich White-trim

some greens if you want to try that:

I absolutely LOVE the dark forlorn colors, in fact planning on painting the siding of my red brick house magnolia pond stone. however, since your initial inclination was a green here is this

Poppleton Park, Birmingham, MI Exterior Makeover · More Info

With your white windows the deeper blue is perfect. I would definitely wrap those posts with cedar and that would look great with your blue and brick.

Lacy, you are getting some great ideas! I need some, too, so I hope you don’t mind if I ask @Celery. Visualization, Rendering images and @Beth H. : to come visit my thread. "Wanted! Good eye for corner art! Mockup skills a bonus!” (As with many threads, the name no longer reflects the current project.) Thanks. I look forward to seeing what you decide to do. Good luck!

I tried a visualization for you with white trim, and white larger posts. A white arbor over your garage door and painted the garage door same color as brick or a cedar tone. I added large copper exterior lanterns and beefed up landscaping a bit. I removed the overgrown bush or you could transplant it to far left corner of front bed so it has breathing room. I would like some decorative white cross beams or faux window in plain area over garage but couldn’t work it in. Here are some photos to help describe what I am talking about. I think crisp white trim and rusty tone for garage door would minimize front garage and make the house look bigger.

Some options

or

or darker

Like curved walkway and darker color. I would change bed shape to follow curve of sidewalk. Nice job Celery!!

Genuine question, as I’ve never had such dark exterior paint — does it fade faster in the sun than lighter colors? (I’m in Texas and have to deal with very intense sun and heat.)

I’ve been wondering, as darker trim and siding colors are starting to get very popular here.

Good exterior paint holds up well. I am in Gulf Coast Texas!

Thanks, Flo!

O/T ... did you see about the alligator that made it to Padre Island from Louisiana?! It was tagged, so they knew. Poor thing was exhausted and dehydrated, they took it to a rehabilitation place.

No! I didn’t. Wonder if someone moved it. Seems odd. But these animals do crazy things.

I’ve never had such dark exterior paint — does it fade faster in the sun than lighter colors?

Yes. Which is why if you go darker you have to buy top tier from a top brand and always use a stock color because custom colors aren't measured or tested for weather and fade resistance.

Darker colors also hold on to moisture more than lighter colors.

So darker colors are more of a commitment.

In this case totally worth it because the proportion of brick to siding isn't ideal - it's almost exactly split in half. So the top needs to match the bottom to some degree in terms of value in order to bring the proportions into balance.

Great info, Lori, thanks!

We ended up doing blue with white trim 🤗

Video:  how to use gel stain to paint your garage doors to look like wood

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VGgEhUESB8s