Exterior paint colors? Any thoughts?

last year

last modified: last year

Hi all! We have decided to paint the exterior of our new home. I’m having a hard time making a decision and would love to get your take.

A little background:
We relocated to Maine and this house sits amongst a neighborhood of closely situated, newer builds. While I want to add color (and some character eventually), I feel like I need to consider my neighbors homes around me. I want the look to fit Maine and its woods and beaches, but again, I want to consider the surrounding homes.

Most of the homes are light gray and white—yet I don’t want to go that route. I’m leaning more toward gray greens and/or gray blues. Sometimes I feel strongly about going with a darker, richer shade of those colors (my previous house was a contemporary style and stained BM Black Beauty) to possibly give it more of an updated look. Like something as dark as SW Urbane Bronze! Or a deep green or deep blue. Other times I feel strongly that I would like it best painted something lighter and more breezy, like SW Evergreen Fog (same color as the shingles in the dormer) and a warm white for the trim.

A few considerations:
As you can see, our home has a giant forehead of a roof and the shingle color leans more brown than gray or black. The front door has been painted a deep green for now. I’d love to get a wood door at some point. We talked about adding more shingle, maybe to the front porch, but decided against it because of the looming shingle roof. We are afraid it would look too busy.

Any opinions or color suggestions? I want it to have a Maine/cottage feel, but also a more modern, updated feel.

Thanks so much!

Featured Answer

HU-918119203

last year

You need some evergreens to pull the green tones and minimize the winter dinginess. I'd do a line of boxwood balls in front of the porch with a big holly as a "button" at the corner. Or I'd plant a mid-sized evergreen tree on the corner of the porch. The landscaping bed you put in is nice, but won't do anything for you in winter.

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Comments (26)

Jilly
last year
I shared this article with another poster a while back and thought of it seeing your pretty house:

https://mainehomedesign.com/features/2091-sustainable-style/

I love the shade of blue they used. But is it too intense?
katatdish thanked Jilly
Susie .
last year
You do have a lot of choices! I like the dormer color and love evergreen fog. There are a couple of homes near me painted that color and I love them every time I drive past. I think it would be beautiful on your home. Blues and greens are fairly timeless. Do you have any inspiration pics?
katatdish thanked Susie .
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I think a medium toned olive would be nice. Too dark, and your roof and house will just blend in together. I would do an warm white trim, not stark white. A rusty red for the front door would really stand out against the olive. Or, consider a warm fall gold color. Be sure you paint the garage door the same color as the house, otherwise the white or off-white massive door will be the focal point. Gate the same as the house color, with the raised panels in the trim color. I would get rid of the overgrown bush to the left of the garage and put a nice planter there instead. I would also think about creating a curved bed that comes from the right side of the house and meanders down to the point where the little sidewalk turns to the front door - right at the point of the angle. That lawn space isn't really useful, but a pretty bed of low plantings and bushes that come up along the front of the house will take the eye to that area of the home, and bring it forward to balance the garage being so far to the front. It is a charming house, and your new colors will really make it feel even more welcoming.
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I really like this color of wood blinds. I had the same in my last two homes and had warm off-whites, khaki, and a lovely green in various rooms. And I had curtains with them. My house now has all white wood blinds, I miss the stained ones! They looked good from outside, too, with my exterior stone. I’m in Texas, same orange peel wall texture. Another thing roundly disliked on these boards, but I personally like the texture. :) Hope you heal quickly! ETA: They can look nice with darker colors, too: Look up inspiration pics for lots of ideas, including rooms with bamboo blinds or indoor shutters, which is a similar look (below). Try ’paint colors with oak blinds’, too. I think these blinds look better in these rooms than white would: This wall color is Dulux Brave Ground, their 2021 Color of The Year:
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Maureen
last year
last modified: last year
The more inspiration pictures you look at, you’ll start to see what you are drawn to. It’s a big decision and perhaps find an on line visualizer or get support. Some paint stores can do as well.
katatdish thanked Maureen
housegal200
last year
While it's understandable to want to make a "statement" with your house color, the current "fog" color harmonizes well with your roof. What's more Maine than a foggy morning? More importantly, the current color allows the beautiful tall Maine pines and other trees to stand out. Why not spend your budget on beautiful native, well designed plantings that extend the Maine landscape? Why not add porch furniture--Adirondack chairs or log furniture--to convey the Maine vibe? Everything looks so raw now because of the new house. It seems to me, you can enhance the setting via landscape and not some intense color that will take away from the Maine setting.
katatdish thanked housegal200
katatdish
Original Author
last year
Hi Jilly, I saw that article and I love that house! 😍 I love the blue but im afraid its too saturated and a bit much for my hood. But thank you so much!
katatdish
Original Author
last year
Susie, I know what you mean about the Evergreen Fog houses you drive by. There are two that i drive by as well and I love them. Its a big contender! Thanks so much!
katatdish
Original Author
last year
Hi Maureen! i really like the greenish blue! I’m sure that I have a sample of that right in front of me because I have SW chips galore! Its stunning on that home, thanks! And I live Hale Navy. 😍
Sigrid
last year
I've seen some warm greens with cream and tan trim that look great around there (coastal southern Maine). These are some examples of the color, which can be lighter, darker, more or less saturated, more olive or purer green. It's a color family that goes well with the woods.

I'd think about landscaping, too. A beautfiul flowering tree in the front yard. Crapapples and magnolias are in bloom now. Maybe some foundation shrubs. along your porch.

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katatdish thanked Sigrid
tfitz1006
last year
Can we see the green door
HU-918119203
last year
Why not use the color from your dormer on the whole house? It's nice and looks great with your roof color. Then figure out a bright pop of color for your front door until you can replace with wood. That said, I think your siding color is just fine and I personally would not spend a lot of money to paint something that's brand new. Spending the money that painting would cost on professional landscaping, teak outdoor furniture, hardscaping, fencing, a fire pit, etc. is going to do a lot more for your curb appeal and home value than changing the color of your house, IMO.
katatdish thanked HU-918119203
cat_ky
last year
I like the color the house is now. I would spend my money on some new colorful porch furniture, to make it usable and welcoming. Also landscaping is needed badly, since you dont have any. A different color paint, isnt going to make your house welcoming, but, landscaping will. If you cant do it all at once, then have a landscaper draw up a plan and do it little by little, following that plan. Its a very attractive house, just lacking in personality. You could use some smaller type flowering trees in the front yard too.
katatdish thanked cat_ky
Kendrah
last year
I think the current siding color on your house is beautiful. I would keep it, and change the doormer to match. I'd add a stunning wood door down the line but for now paint the door tricorn black (SW) or racoon fur (BM).
katatdish thanked Kendrah
ptreckel
last year
I am loving your dormer color. Very pretty and appropriate. AND, as others have said, it really looks great with your roof. Then, have fun with your charming cottage. I would be pleased if my home were unique in the neighborhood. Not like everyone else’s home. I understand what you mean, BUT…yours has the potential to be special. It is adorable! Accessories (a bright red Swedish POST mailbox?), a colorful front door, a bench on your porch. And then…cottage garden style plantings. Yours will be the envied home on the block!
katatdish thanked ptreckel
ffpalms
last year
I agree with others that the Evergreen Fog of the dormer wall looks beautiful. I love that you are thoughtfully considering the vibe of the neighborhood. I like your idea of a wood door and would paint it a mahogany color for now. Charming landscaping will make your lovely house extraordinary.
katatdish thanked ffpalms
katatdish
Original Author
last year
katatdish
Original Author
last year
katatdish
Original Author
last year
I added more recent pictures with the green front door and some landscaping.
elcieg
last year
last modified: last year
Are you coastal Maine, salt water or inland with lakes?

Coastal I see white with blue door if you can't cedar shingle it and let it weather out. (Just as well, as there aren't any white cedar shingles to be had...Maine to P-town).

Notice board and batten on the porch wall.

Inland, I can see blue with the wood door you want and rockers on the porch.
katatdish thanked elcieg
katatdish
Original Author
last year
Thank you all so much for your comments and thoughts! I appreciate them so much.

Re the front porch…I still haven't decided on porch furniture but that will happen. Also potted plants!

There are more recent pics above. As of 15 min ago!
elcieg
last year
last modified: last year
My mother had a house in Gloucester Ma, on the rocky side. It was built in the late 1800's and when we sat on the porch in the evening we could see the lights from the P-town monument and head lights from cars running along the RTE 1 coast of Maine.

Beautiful state. I just read it comes in #2 for best places for retirees to settle...right after FLA.
katatdish thanked elcieg
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Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
last year
Good looking house!

What about Chelsea Gray BM for body

and Urbane Bronze SW for trim

or Dragon's Breath?
katatdish thanked Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
katatdish
Original Author
last year
Thank you elcieg and Celery! I like many of your suggestions! This is so helpful!
Kendrah
last year
After seeing your new photos with landscaping and blue door, I'm even more convinced that your current siding color is great. Do you really not like it or do you just want a change?
katatdish
Original Author
last year
Hi Kendrah! You and several others are making me think more about leaving it. But at the same time, I just don’t like it. It’s the dingey yellow that gets me. And it looks so dreary in the winter months too.
katatdish
Original Author
last year
I agree about evergreens!