Beautiful home! White is a traditional color for farmhouses. Although when we re-painted our family farmhouse (200 yrs old) and had to strip multiple layers of paint in some places we found that it had once been painted a light coffee hue (like coffee ice cream) with darker brown (chocolate color) on the trim. Chances are the addition didn't get the copper roof because it is a more expensive option and they were spending a lot of money just to build the addition itself and saved using a less expensive metal. There may have been plans to replace it with something that matched later, that never happened since farming is not always as profitable as farmers would like.

Take a large piece of cardboard and paint it the color you want to paint the house...then maybe paint two of the windows the trim color, one under the porch and one on the open porch, and prop the painted board next to one of the windows at a time to see how you like...may look different given the shade on the porch, etc...may need to leave it a few days to get the feel of it...for the porch ceiling paint a pale pale blue...it will really lighten it up and feel serene...if ceiling is not flat paint the joist white and inside the blue.

Thank you for responding! I appreciate your suggestions. The cardboard is a nice hack. I've swatched in rooms and then been horrified when the paint went onto a whole wall... really good idea.

Your home is going to be so beautiful. Do you mind giving some idea what area it's in?
I think you can go either off-white or a very light gray on the house. If you put shutters on they will also add points of interest, and at least where I'm from, tend to traditionally be dark green or black.

I am located in coastal North Carolina. I love that black-green that's on so many traditional homes in the South, but I am afraid it would be too high-contrast and formal looking. Here is another view of the house. It has a pretty face. I'd love to rip off that cheapo "porch" thingy and replace with a wraparound, but then I'm in bank loan territory! Lol. The doors are currently Marine Blue (what was I thinking?).

That's a beautiful color blue, but I agree it is quite a lot of contrast.

Found this info about blue porch ceilings and thought you might find it of interest: http://www.sherwin-williams.com/home-builders/color/education/sw-article-pro-thewhysbehind.html

Farmhouses usually use traditional white, colonial yellow, or classical grey colors. You can punch it out and go with something like Barn Red with black shutters and white trim.

Paint the the roof black with blue.Replace the porch,the patio,redesign landscape,email me if need more design.

I think white is great for the house. Red or dark green for the doors

@Jessica...thanks for the lesson on blue ceiling...

Hi chevykaylor, I love your farmhouse. We built a farmhouse that we painted barn red (it has board and batten siding and is more of a barn look). We are now deciding on a repaint colour, so I feel your pain. I have been pondering pale yellow or a creamy white. I don't see barn red doing much for your roof. I think, given the classic Greek Revival shape of the house, you should stick with white. You could maybe use black as the trim and for the porch if you really want a change. I'm also not crazy about the idea of shutters; think they might look "tacked on"?

I've been collecting farmhouse photos from Houzz. That might give you some direction as well. Best of luck. I'll be following with interest!


Have you tried uploading photos to Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams websites? They let you try out color combos and can be really helpful.

Beautiful old home and it will look beautiful in a soft white sitting there in the Sandhills of Carolina. Will be very traditional. As much as I love a dark roof, ( dark blue/black), it may absorb too much heat for the house. The green is pretty and traditional. Try adding a beautiful marine green to the front door. It's going to be beautiful!

I like a white farm house with a green roof.

Thank you so much for your feedback! I just love barn red... you're right that it would look terrible with the roof. That roof. So pretty. Makes everything so difficult. :)

Agree with ciscomom4 on the black trim, at least on the fascia -- would really set off the roof. Might paint the window sash (not the trim) black as well.

Or for a different look. Off white for body, very dark green for trim, and a dark red for the window sash.

I rather like the white, but maybe a creamier version. The paler yellow for doors...blue ceiling on the porch. Had a thought that if you added something along the top of the porch...almost like a narrow valance with turned pieces, it might add a little something-something. Would need angled pieces to fill in the sides, but could be worth looking into to dress up the shed roof construction a bit.

Scott Design, those were some extremely creative and inspired suggestions! The weathered barn trim is such a fantastic idea. Couldn't agree more about the "porch." I seriously considered ripping it off with a crowbar and letting the house's "face" show, but frankly it keeps the a/c bill down quite a bit. Some day I will have the budget to put your vision into action. Thanks for taking the time. Much appreciated.

please consider painting your house light yellow with white trim and then the marine green mentioned above for door. this would be in keeping with the house style, and play into the wonderful roof. I feel you do not really need shutters, and would spend that money upgrading the white painted porch. please post pics in before and after when painting is complete. nice house.

You know how we all have certain no-fly zones? Light yellow is one of mine. I lived in a light yellow house with a light yellow kitchen growing up and I am over light yellow. Lol. You are right, it would look lovely. But I would hate it for all the wrong reasons.

With regard to the shutters, I agree that the house would probably look better without them. But Carteret County, NC, is #3 on the list of hurricane strikes in the entire U.S. and functioning shutters have a practical value down here. I am praying for an easy hurricane season. It's been a few years since we've had to deal with anything serious.

Love your house. Take your time. Most people seem to be saying white and I would agree with that for the body of the house. A goal would certainly be getting the roof that is on the main house extended to the addition. I agree with you that a wraparound porch would add a lot to the character of the house. Personally, I am a fan of shutters - particularly on white houses. Shutter color is a good way to use the painted cardboard trick. You can literally create cardboard shutters on the front of the main house and play with a variety of colors until you find something you like. I would consider the roof color in the shutter color choice. They need to work together.

I love your house.....it is really wonderful.......it is very hard to pick paint colors....as I have just been through this process myself.....I have a 1920's farm house which I am painting Chantilly lace by Ben Moore it's a white with a very little bit of yellow, this color has more white pigment than any others by bm. I am doing the doors raspberry truffle which is a deep raspberry color like the name and I am adding shutters in onyx black .........I haven't decided on the porch floor color yet I debating all white or maybe a deep gray.....I love all white houses..............

You already have a white house so maybe you want to change it up........your roof is fabulous and I think would work great with gray......with white trims and an all white porch, which you should keep forever........believe me I feel your pain, I just had to redo a lot of my porch......but it will be worth it in the long term.

How long do you plan to keep the house? People like white houses.....good luck, whatever you chose will be great as the house has fantastic bones........

Red or a dark rusty orange would look good on this house. White trim on red and off-white trim on rusty orange.