Yes!

A very dark blue-grey would look great with the existing trim.

Love the idea of the black shutters ang grey roof.

A design blog that I subscribe to says always put a black roof on a house. I recently redid my roof and did it black, and it looks fabulous!

I think you are on the right track with the colors and I like the idea of the black roof too. But,...don't stop there, you need a little help with landscaping. I know you didn't ask for it, but those bushes are so round they might uproot and roll away! Think about some changes there as well (budget permitting), and you will have some great overall curb appeal.

I still like the grey because it feels more like a slate roof but that is why this a great site we can agree to disagree ! You have a lovely home and we all want you to make it your own! Take all our comments and throw them up in the air and decide what works for you.

Before you choose a roof color, consider where you live. If it's in the South, you might not want a black roof; it makes the AC work harder. (I am replacing my roof next month and went through the color dilemma. I chose a medium gray.)

You should paint the gutter system. Having it all be white sort of ruins the whole effect. It's a necessary utility, not a design feature. It requires disguising so that it blends.

Actually, I rather like the rounded bushes; they provide a counterpoint to all the "squareness" of the house. I would add some color: daylilies require little attention and bloom not only all summer, but come back next year.

ANd a colored front door. It really needs a pop of color. Pick a color you like, although yellow and red are the most attractive combinations with this color scheme. I have the same glass storm door; I painted the frame the same color as the trim around it. Otherwise, it stands out like the downspouts.

This is a neat attractive house. Looks great. GOod luck!

I love what Dytecture says --- now I think the landscaping needs a little work. The walkway is not up to the elegance of the house . The walk needs to be wider perhaps add some brick on the edges - several rows. Trim the bushes a little and pull the planting bed out on the right side and curve out the shape of the bed and add some hostas and more flowers etc. And I think you need a few trees . If your walkway only goes to a driveway then concider another walkway from the front so people don't have to go on the driveway to get to the front door.Think about adding a nice pole light and some other landscape lighting.

Actually, this photo is a month old. I removed all the bushes several weeks ago and had a lanscaper come up with a new design. When we removed the bushes we found several rotting boards. We were going to replace the roof sometime this year however after the bushes were removed we figured we needed to go ahead and replace the roof and also so that we can replace the rotten wood and restain the house. Sigh!! Once that is done we can replant bushes!

Architectural roofing comes in multi-tones of light grey/charcoal to black. Choose the roof first. Then charcoal shutters with a hint of blue in the tone, and white trim would look dynamite. (Actually, all blacks, greys etc have either a greenish or bluish tone, or taupy tone, and a good paint store will custom mix. Hold a sample against white, and against the house color to choose. Your eye sees color by comparing it with OTHER color. That's why the shutters bother you. Too harsh. Red/blue combos look best at the shore....or on flags.......? Good luck!

Black shutters, paint out the edging trim, trim above the bottom windows and frieze board the same color as the siding but leave the trim around the door as is. There is a lot going on with your house.

Ten years ago, a Ben Moore paint rep gave me advice that has stood the test of time and might be of help to you. I was then looking at a color scheme similar to yours and he steered me away from strong contrast. He suggested I choose three colors adjacent on the color strip with the lighter for body of the house, the midtone for trim and the darkest for accent--we did as suggested and are still loving the results. I think this might work for you as it would soften the strong vertical lines of your home & perhaps visually expand its presence within the landscape. The colors we used have a gray-green undertone so the house harmonizes well with our landscape throughout the seasons. We had a black roof so added touches of black in light fixtures and iron railings to tie everything together. Hope this helps!

Love your home and think the black shutters and black roof would be fabulous.
A couple of things I would consider changing include: the white of the glass storm door,
the color of the trim running horizontally above the windows, directly below the roof line
and also the color of the trim running vertically on the corners.

I would paint the storm door the same color as the front door so it disappears and let's your eye focus on the detail of the trim around the front door and the door itself. I would change the color of the horizontal trim running along the roofline to the same color as the house. It makes the windows and shutters look a little squished. You could add an additional piece of trim similar to the lower windows just above the window part not the shutters in the darker color.I also would paint the vertical trim on the corners the same color as the house so that the eye focused on the front door. The lighter color would also help the gutters blend in more.

Good luck.

I love your home and you are on the right track. I agree with what Dytecture is saying as well.

Good luck and do share an after photo with us.

Dytecture I agree with. You home is such a beautiful classic style all you need to do is enhance this. Have fun!

Thank you for your suggestions , I will share the final with you all

The white window frames are the most distracting part to me (other comments about trim are good ones, too). The frames should be either the same color as the siding or the same color as the trim, depending on your final choices. The white is part of the eye's confusion.

Have you considered not having shutters? I see quite a few vertical lines but little horizontal interest for balance. Have you considered painting the horizontal lines on the front door columns as an accent?

My best suggestion is to find a photo program which lets you upload and color your own photos. I wouldn't go for a black roof, but I like roofs to be darker than the house colors. You'll never be wrong with a classic medium to dark gray architectural shingle.

If you like texture, you might like painting your shutters in a shade of grey that blends with the body of the house. This will also make the rooms look wider from the outside. With dark shutters the house looks like it's all windows...which is also a look you might like. On my own house I painted the shutters white on a federal style 2 story colonial giving the house some visual width. The front door is painted Maine Blueberry which gives a nice pop of color and the roof, while originally black, was changed to a cedar shake look with greyiish taupe tones. It works for this property. Good luck with your project. You've been given some good input from a variety of sources.

The classiest roof I have ever seen is an architectural shingle called Weathered Wood. Certainteed and also I think other brands make this color. It is a dark grey/brown mix, beautiful. I would paint all windows and door surround a creamy white such as White Dove (BMoore) and all gutters and downspouts a very dark bronze. Shutters-satin black. The light by the door is too small and should be dark bronze. The front door, either painted black or a new one in walnut stain. With this color scheme and new plantings, yours will be the best house on the street, I promise!

Btw-the bronze gutters make the roofline blend in with the roof color and so the roof appears to have a taller "pitch", very up to date. Old copper gutters turn this color and it is very high-end looking, and suitable for a colonial-style home. Best of luck! Great color costs the same as navy blue!

Yes, the Weathered Wood shingle produced by Certainteed and other companies, gives a great look for any house and looks good on our house in a wooded area. I, too, love B. Moore paints and use them exclusively in every home. Again, you've been given a lot of great insight from all of the above comments. Consider that weathered roof and then decide from all of the input if you want to soften and widen the look of your house with subtle texture provided by what you do with the shutters and downspouts, or jazz things up with the use of distinctive colors. You can't miss with that roof and lots of white trim paint as basics to start with.

consider Farrow and Balls Hague Blue for the shutters.

I do like Dytecture depiction with the dark blue

Instead of replacing the bushes on the right side of the house (from the picture) how about putting in some pea gravel and creating a seating area beyond the walkway- it would expand the entry and make a nice welcoming space. Dress it with a couple of rockers to start or some adirondac chairs with some colorful pillows- and perhaps a planter pot with some colorful flowers.

Alittle late to the party, but I would remove shutters from window over the door, so the entry stand out more - maybe even add a little more detail to that window? That would also visually offset the fact that one side steps back, but the left side of the door does not......

good point! We also may remove the one in the laundry room off to the left side facing the house.

I like medium gray trim and dark gray shutters. Black could be too much contrast. Gray can be very classy and is a hot color right now.

We have weathered wood roof and really looks great. As far as the landscape I would layer the bushes. Keeping bushes to the bottom of the window and then lower ones in front. Would draw the eyes into the house and be more welcoming in my mind anyway. To the right front corner of the sidewalk I would begin that side with a angle bringing the plants to meet that last bush near corner of the house on right with a small ornamental tree at the end. Another idea on landscaping. Have you ever considered moving all the plantings from left from of house under the windows to the other side of the sidewalk and tying it all into the right side planting.

Hi everyone, this is my updated house, thanks for all of your suggestions.

It looks Amazing , where is this ? is that a solar panel on the Roof !

Love it!!

Good choice on shutter style. Much less encroaching on the body of the house. Congratulations on a nicely freshened exterior!

Yes, we decided since we were replacing the roof we should install the solar panels as well.

I like the way you left out the shutters in the middle. Less clutter! Nice.

Instead of black I am really liking navy these days. And someone used Polo Blue by Benj Moore on a chair and I am really loving that color. http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/poloblue

WOW! I love the threads I can catch that have the befores, the advice, and the after shot! What a difference, your house looks wonderful and I love that you went with solar panels as well!