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mistyjones

Help with old house -exterior paint colors

14 years ago
Our 1830 village colonial is currently half-painted with primer - yuck (sadly it has been that way for a year, since hubby was overseas and it was too hard to make decisions long-distance).

We like lighter combinations. The windows are (or will be) all white - no shutters. The door can be painted. There are cute details on the porch - we dont' know if they should be painted with an accent color?

For context - We live in a small village area with a gorgeous white old church across the street - and several other old houses in close proximity.

We also have a barn which will be painted too.

I've attached a photo from 100 years ago - house & barn are basically the same except for shutters and fences.

Any help would be much appreciated!
Misty

Comments (26)

  • 14 years ago
    I adore your house. How lucky you are to have that great photo from so long ago too!

    One option is an all white look:
    Walnut Hill Ranch · More Info


    This one is a nice pale yellow with white trim.
    Traditional Exterior · More Info


    One thing I've seen that I always think is great is when people paint the underside of the porch roof a pale blue. You can see it in this photo, for instance.
    JacksonBuilt Custom Homes · More Info
  • PRO
    14 years ago
    crchappell and I are on the same page. I would love to see all the trim white and the siding a light gray with a cranberry red door. Example below.
    Exterior - Front · More Info
  • 14 years ago
    i love the yellow and white, white
    trim, and maybe some coloured shutters
  • 14 years ago
    I like the pale yellow pic above, but I think the black mullions make it extra nice. Even with white trim and white mullions, it could still look sweet.

    The first color I thought of was red, but that would be very drastic and may make for extra maintenance.

    A fresh celery on the body would be nice with the white trim too.
  • 14 years ago
    Khaki siding white trim blue or green front door. Ceiling of porch should always be painted blue. In the south we always paint the porch ceilings blue and the porch floor dark green. Sky and grass. I would replace the porch wrought iron columns with wooden columns like a traditional farmhouse but that's just me
  • PRO
    14 years ago
    I thought those columns were wood!
  • PRO
    14 years ago
    I absolutely love your house..I am so partial to the older style architecture..Where I live we do not have that history unfortunately..
    I would like you to check out Benjamin Moore CC-218-Corn Silk..This colour would look beautiful on the exterior of your home..The colour is yellow however, not too yellow. it is very soft and fresh and clean looking..keep all the trim white..
  • 14 years ago
    Definitely the yellow one!
  • 14 years ago
    Warm gray w/white trim.
  • 14 years ago
    I have had the same experience dealing with a home built in 1896 very similar to yours. A soft khaki green, but on the lighter side would be beautiful for the siding. Your white trim will really pop. If you paint your door a deep red, then you could chose whether to paint your posts the same red, which would really highlight the front of your house, and the side entry. Or you could paint the floor of your front veranda and back the red, which is very inviting to walk up and into your home. Something like having your own red carpet walkway. I would try and change out the front scroll work posts to match the ones on the side. It would give it a more cohesive look, and be more fitting to the era of the house. Best of luck.
  • 14 years ago
    last modified: 14 years ago
    The main part of house should be a pale peach or cream color, the metal-wrought iron pillars black, dental work underneath porch overhang a pale teal, and the wide trim at roof line teal with a hint of pink trim right next to the roof line. Window trim, teal. This will be a Beautiful Painted Lady Victorian house.
  • 14 years ago
    Yellow with white trim. The light gray may look too washed out. Perhaps a very dark red door similar to the yellow house above. Some natural wicker furniture with pillows that have red in them would be beautiful on your great front porch.
  • 14 years ago
    last modified: 14 years ago
    I love this house, too. It's really great that whoever has owned it over the years kept so much of its historic integrity in terms of the exterior features-kudos to you and your husband for doing the same. I hope that they left some inside, too. I think the colors suggested sound great. One thing I would do for the porch pillars is to paint the outside frame one color-say whatever you paint the trim-and the criss cross part the color of the house. Another thing I think would be great would be if you replaced the small posts on the side porch with the same kind of posts that it shows in the old photo. I would also paint the dental molding around the top of the porch whatever contrasting color you choose for the rest of the house. I also would paint the porch ceiling the sky blue, as that is very traditional.
    Please post photos when you are through!
  • 14 years ago
    Usually a grey with a little blue in it with white trim or you might try a yellow that is greyed down with off white trim for the porch and windows. Most paint companies have historic palettes that will give you a wide range of choices. When you do get this wonderful house painted don't forget to post a picture for us, please.
  • 14 years ago
    Light teal type bluish color for the body of the home and keep a bright but pale yellow for your accents.
  • 14 years ago
    My suggestion is........paint the house a soft yellow and the trim in a soft moss green.
  • 14 years ago
    I love your home, I like the idea of a soft yellow body, white trim color...love those front cross pillars:)>>>>and a deep charcoal added around the window trim, then a black door.,,just a thought..good luck:)
  • PRO
    14 years ago
    last modified: 14 years ago
    I'm of the same view as Emily , White colour will revive it .
  • 14 years ago
    Wow - thank you for the nice comments and suggestions. I can't wait to get this poor thing painted.

    You guys are all hitting on the colors we liked best! The porch posts are wood, though these things are hard to tell with the photos. On the old picture, the side porch and front porch have different posts & detail - I'm not sure which one fits the house better? I like the old-time side porch details - tapered post and scrollwork - better than the criss-cross in the front.

    The house was grey with cream/yellow - and the barn was painted the opposite, cream//yellow with grey trim ( I think the yellow was called benjamin moore Alaska White).

    misty
  • PRO
    14 years ago
    Hey mistyjones, so White it is .
  • 14 years ago
    last modified: 14 years ago
    Riverview House · More Info

    Traditional Exterior · More Info


    You have a beautiful Greek Revival house. I vote for white on the house and red on the garage (original barn).
  • PRO
    14 years ago
    For older, traditional homes, I'm a big fan of using a soft sage green for the siding, with ivory trim for the windows and porch supports. For the doors, I'd accent those colors with either a dark barn red or even a marine/teal blue.
  • PRO
    14 years ago
    Great house. I would paint it light yellow ...will make your white window frames pop out !
  • 14 years ago
    Because the home is old, I would make sure it is not on a historical home list. The color and otherwise just about everything else about the exterior would need to match the requirements. You don't want to paint it and then have to return it to the original white color. I love the idea of sage green siding with red front door also. You could paint the barn red also.
  • PRO
    14 years ago
    Try Monroe Bisque by Benjamin Moore. Would feel a bit like this...
    Keasey Exterior · More Info

    Monroe Bisque HC-26 Paint · More Info

    Keep your white trim, it looks fine. Hope that helps. Charmean Neithart
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