Wow, excellent work on these - I am a big fan of 1-1 and 2-1, both olive trim and it appears you reversed the 2 buff-colored body colors on them. Your house is so massive I would recommend the darker trim colors. I like the value of the colors in the ones with the plum trim (but I am not a fan of purple on old houses - that's just me) and I think from a "massing" point, they are the best options. The visual weight they give to your roof line, with so many varied gables, gives it such a presence on your property. Hope this helps - I think I am the only one, sometimes, who prefers visually heavy houses - massive and a wee-bit foreboding ... spooky, even. I am so happy seeing all your "colorations" since I have been doing the same (thank goodness for PhotoShop). Here's our favored one. I did 2 trim colors, Buff for the windows and dark olive/shutter green for the gables - The roof seemed to blow off when the gables were buff. Mine is a simple house, not the excessive details you have (I am jealous). Here is a link that might be useful: The Joshua Shively House

dirtymartini...did you paint your house yet? Have you changed your mind about the bonefish colors? I'm currently in a home I'd have never chosen but I'm determined to bloom where I'm planted. It's very contemporary in style and is imposing on the lot. The roof is NOT neutral...it's that orangey-brown shingle color and I've tried to figure out exterior colors for over a year...and then...your post! I think I have a touch more brown in my shingles than in your roof...my roof color is more along the lines of the wood trim on the bonefish example you posted above and not as deep as the awning...but I still think the colors may work. I'd love to see your home finished. Please keep us posted.

Be very careful. I hired a designer at 150 an hour. I put a cap on ten hours. I wanted her to help me with the (dreaded) backsplash, kitchen window treatment and kitchen chair cushions. Long story short, she gave a lovely presentation with the professional board display, but I didn't use any of it! Not even the fabric for curtains! If I would do it over, I would have asked around and possibly seen work of the designer. So say, if I liked what they did in your house, not that I would copy it, but maybe the vision would be similar. Have you seen the Color me Happy blog? Some people here have used her. She is in Vancouver but evidently can help you with photos and talking to you on the phone.

I'm still at it ya'll. My GC just met with a second painting contractor today, so I expect we'll get a quote soon. (Just in time for me to go out of town for a bit too.) I've acquired a truly absurd number of paint samples, and now possess both sherwin williams and ben moore fan decks:) I would have done better to just choose from the limited Hardie colors. (tone is hard to convey on the internet, this is all in good humor, with me more or less mocking myself). The good news is, I know what I want to do! (hurrah!) I found a new inspiration picture, and both DH and I went "aha, that's it." The previous photos are fine, but this is the one we both definitely like the best: there are a bunch more photos of this house here - http://www.houzz.com/projects/1042760/burwood-custom-home-grand-rapids-mi I didn't think I wanted to go dark with our black metal roof, but there it is, the first color scheme we're both happy about. I think there will still be enough contrast. They claim the color above is Ben Moore Kitty Gray 1589. So, here are some samples: Sorry about the mud splash, should probably clean that off. From left to right: 1) SW dovetail 7018 2) SW gauntlet gray 7019 3) BM Kitty Gray 1589 *- the one in the insp photo above 4) BM quarry rock 1568 5) BM knoxville gray HC-160 So, internet house color support group, what say you? Kitty gray does not look as vibrant (dark, saturated?) to me in real life or in the photos as it does in the inspiration picture. It looks more gray, as opposed to having some dark blue/green. However, I think I'm just going to stop thumb sucking and pick this color. quarry rock has more green knoxville gray is fairly saturated in real life. it really might be dark teal. maybe that's good, I dunno. Then I have to decide a trim color, whether to paint a contrasting trim around the windows, and what color to paint the garage doors. Whew! getting closer:)