Robin’s Color Conundrum
When we heard that Robin was in desperate need of some exterior color advice, we whipped out our paint chips and got right to work. Here’s her letter:
I’m in need of some color guidance! I will be closing next week on a new-to-me home. The new hardi-board siding on both sides and the back needs to be painted and I’d decided to paint it a light gray (and paint the accents near the garage a darker gray) but now that the time has come, I can’t seem to make a decision! The roof is a light blue/gray color, and the painter will be painting the soffit and fascia along with the walls of the house. I really like the idea of painting the front door a different color and was thinking of something in a reddish, purple-gray, or burgundy. Then there’s my indecision about whether I should paint the garage door. I found two color combos that I like, but I am not sure how dark or light they will look on a whole house. The house is only about 1100 square feet, so I’m afraid of making it look smaller. This led me to think that maybe I should stick with white as the main color, which would mean I wouldn’t necessarily have to repaint the garage door or the window frame, and then I could have the front door color pretty much any color I want. As you can see, I really could use your help!! Thanks a bunch! – Robin
We love Robin’s charming new home already, and a bit of color is just what the doctor ordered to add some curb appeal and look-at-me style to spare. So without further ado, three paint palettes that we painstakingly selected to turn Robin’s new home into home sweet home:
Here’s the color scheme breakdown.
Although Robin was considering painting her home in varying tones of gray to work with the roof, we think too much gray on every surface (from the roof to the facade and the trim) will take away from the dimension and the subtle contrast that really gives a home great curb appeal. So although the bottom swatch in each color scheme is the same cool gray tone (to represent the color of the roof), we brought in some soft hues with cool gray undertones (all of which will work with the roof) while adding loads of style and curb appeal to spare. It’s just up to Robin to pull each of the paint swatches that we’re suggesting (which are of course a lot more dimensional in person as opposed to on-screen) and hold them up outside of her house to select the perfect palette. And we can’t wait to see what she’ll choose…
1. Our first color scheme brings in some subtle gray-green paint for the body of the house (Behr’s Sage Tint) and some crisp white trim paint (Behr’s Ultra Pure White). Paired with a deep, glossy eggplant door (Behr’s Crowning) the pale sage colored home with the clean white trim and the gray roof will be both welcoming and sophisticated. Oh and when it comes to the garage door, we think it should always stay the same color as the body of the house to help it blend in no matter the palette- especially since it’s not the most symmetrical element, and we wouldn’t really want to draw attention to such a dominant feature.
2. Our second scheme involves a crisp white body (like the existing white or Behr’s Ultra Pure White) and a soft gray tone for the trim (Behr’s Silver Sands), which is still light enough when compared to the roof to allow for enough contrast and interest to really pop from the street. Paired with a sleek periwinkle blue door (Behr’s Bleached Denim- or Behr’s bolder Castle Moat if Robin dares) this house will whisper “welcome home” to everyone in the neighborhood.
3. Our third palette features some khaki-gray-green for the body (Behr’s Sierra Madre) with an extremely light taupey-gray-tan for the trim (Behr’s Pebbled Shore). The addition of a glossy red door (Behr’s Red Hawk) will keep everything crisp, classic and inviting. And much like pairing a subtle green body of the home with an eggplant door (which we did in our first palette), pairing a soft khaki colored tone with a bright red door will also play with the complements of the tones and bring out the best in both colors for a look that says ooh-la-la.
So there it is. Three ways for Robin to add classic style and charm to her already adorable new home. We can’t wait to hear what you guys think- especially you Robin!
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Comments
I LOVE #1 and LIKE #3. #2 is nice, but way too safe. I think #1 will bring some new life to your cute new place!
Oooh..How to choose #1 or #3!?! I love the eggplant door with the first option. However, #3 is definitely more of a classic look. Thank goodness I don’t have to choose! Good luck Robin!
I like both #2 and #3, but #3 is definitely my favorite! It’s timeless without being boring or traditional…
#1….I like that green and eggplant combo. Another thing to consider is what is in the neighborhood…i.e. what are some of the other color trends?
by seeing that blue sky, I would guess you live in the south where people tend to be a little more adventurous with their exterior paint.
I vote for #3, but I love red doors, so I am a bit biased. :)