Exterior color palette makeover, English cottage style
My house needs a new roof, and while contemplating what style roof to replace the current one with, I have hatched a plan to make it part of a whole exterior makeover. I inherited this house and have never really liked it, particularly the exterior. I am slowly revamping the landscaping. Transitioning loosely to cottage style. Lots of projects, so don't need advice for that, most of it is a work in progress.
The home is a mish mash of architecture, so while googling inspiration photos for the exterior using "brick cottage roofs" I stumbled upon the "Tudor" style, (as opposed to maybe something like "Cotswold" style cottage.) Right now the color palette of my house is vaguely colonial with a "red white and blue (ish grey)" look which I hate. I want to transform it into a more natural color palette with a less contrasting roof color, picking up on some of the brownish grey, bronze, beige and putty tones in the brick. Planning on redoing the white siding (it was improperly installed), and new gutters, downspouts and painting the garage doors. (Can't afford new ones).
I'm posting here because I'm not naturally good at this kind of thing and was wondering if anyone here has any advice and especially web sites or photos they found helpful making such a transition. Here is a photo of my house, front and back. Not good but just for color example, I don't have better shots. Deck has been redone, white lattice painted matching red, dying shrubs removed, fire pit added. White siding redo will be part of the makeover. Also a photo of a couple of my inspirations. Not the style, the color palette. My brick is mottled. I don't want a white and grey "Magnolia" style makeover. Earth tones. Again for emphasis, I am not painting the brick. Just a roof, trim and siding redo.
This shows the current color palette pretty well.
Photos for colors only, examples of less contrasting color palette with brick. I realize my brick is more reddish.
Comments (10)
2 months ago- 2 months agolast modified: 2 months ago
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Comments (20)fwiw, we owned a 3br/2ba 1950s ranch for 20 years. Purchased when we had 2, then had a 3rd. Looked to move but couldn't find a house that had rooms as big as ours and a nice corner lot. So we added a partial 2nd story master suite (bedroom, bath and sitting room). We already had a full set up steps going up to the attic, but no room to walk. Since the house was a built with old brick matching so that there wasn't a line was impossible, so we shingled the front and back of addition. DH boxed in the front porch column and did a shingle base. The front and back were the same - bay window that extended up to 2nd story bay window. We also added a smaller bay in the breakfast room. So brick and shingles can be done, but it's tricky in existing homes, imo. Our shingles and siding on the addition were painted the trim color. We began our addition the week of Spring Break. Several neighbors went to the beach, shocked to see a different house when they returned and that we were dried in after only a week. I won't post pictures since our house is different than yours. One thing I would change on your house is the shutters. They are too skinny for the window on the right. To size, they should each be half of the window. You could also add grilles to mimic divided glass windows, adds cottage charm. Add a chimney cap. The front porch posts could be beefier. Can't see the front door. We added a custom wooden (painted trim color) glass door to have open during the day. Kept the solid wooden door for at night/when away for security purposes. Larger front porch light. Maybe pretty house numbers or a mailbox next to the door (for looks). I agree landscaping will also make a big difference. I think the house is charming and is a good start already towards your goal....See MoreFrench/English country, French/English cottage, cottage, shabby chic
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2 months ago- 2 months agolast modified: 2 months ago
Yes, looking for a modified cedar shake look, like a greyed brown which is the color cedar gets when it's weathered. Once we get the roof style nailed down, we'll pick our other colors from there. I like the idea of switching out the garage light fixtures too, I've always disliked those, although enviro-frugal me might end up just spray painting them . . . Right now I'm thinking I might try to match the putty color between the brick for the garage doors and siding. I don't want dark brown blobs, since my house is actually very "garage forward." But dark bronze trim would make the lights and windows pop, but in the opposite way they pop now! There's a bay window hidden by shrubs that will eventually get exposed when I cut down the shrubs and it will look good with dark bronze trim. Here's the only other photo I have right now showing the front, including the big white blob garage doors. It's actually a photo showing off my pepper harvest, but that's all I've got. I just want something warmer that isn't as "contrasting" but doesn't clash. That's harder than it seems when it comes to mixing colors with brick. Grey as a high contrast is lots easier than matching brick tones without clashing.
Wood-look garage doors with bigger windows would be nice, but given all the other expenses I'm shelling out for, totally replacing the doors with something expensive would have to wait. We are also redoing our back porch to enclose it and install a wood stove.
Hoping for a redo with colors more like this . . .
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You seem to want something that pops! Here's a scheme that works well with your bricks.
beeboo22