I'm so happy to see you did the double columns in front! :) You are really making progress!

Thanks!! I think they really helped... Think we should stain the cedar shake body color as well ?

Staining the cedar siding the same color as the brick would be a good idea given if you enhance the architectural feature of the exterior as well such as the fascia board and trim work in a different color.

They have started on the trim... It's sw anonymous gray facia...

I agree that the cedar should be stained the same as the brick.

I think you should keep the cedar shake...stain the columns with the same stain as shake and stain the front door the same as shake and columns.

Does anyone have any photo shop skills?? :)

I agree with Lisa Glidden.

thanks all !!

I think the cedar shake should stay in it's natural color with a stain over it and the front door should have the same stain and then I would stain the posts the same stain as the door and shake...otherwise what is the point of having the shake...

Then it's just like every other painted brick house...

Stain the shakes, post, and door.... More accents. It'll make the house pop more than if you make it the same color as the brick!

I would definitely paint the shakes the same as the brick. I find the current look very disjointed. It is distracting from the form of the house.

I would not paint to match the brick, but rather stain to contrast the brick. I am assuming that the current photo are the cedar shakes prior to any treatment. They are in the natural form. If you leave them long, they will start to discolor, so you need to decide fairly soon. They take on a grey tone without any treatment at all. I would not go natural, but I would look at translucent stain options.
Should you be interested in further discussion, please do not hesitate to contact me here or moniqueflesher@gmail.com.
Cheers!
m.

Here is an update still not done we have to choose stain colors by Monday... How hard is it going to be to match the preasure treated posts (doing a semi transparent stain most likely sw Hawthorne ) with the shake (not sure what stain yet) and the fir front door(thinking minwax fruitwood).

Here's a few updated pics ....

Monique - thank you so much for your suggestions.... What colors would you recommend the shake /posts and door to tie them in....but mainly the semi transparent on the shake as the posts and door are going to be stained a natural color...

Here's a photo shop....

Let me think on this. Have you thought about your facia color? Is your roofing material chosen? What color will it be? I can not tell if shingles are on here or not, I am thinking that they are not. Do you have some favorite colors that you wanted to work with? Is the existing brick white or ivory, painted?
Cheers!
m.

I like the photo shopped photo brought in by timglidden, but I am thinking a bit more contrast would be great. You could do a translucent grey and then bring in charcoal as your facia, timbers & door color. That could be stunning with the light brick tone you have.
Let me know your thoughts on that combination! Also, what line of stain are you looking to use?
Cheers!
m.

Brick is painted sw wool skein. The roof is "weather wood". Here are the latest pictures.... The posts were just stained sw Hawthorne....

i would stain cedar shake a wood stain similar to door and posts personally...perhaps a stain with a grey hue.

Monique the soffit facia color is already on the house i think its intellectual gray as well as the "weatherwood" (almost a charcoal) roof is finished.... The only thing left is the stain of the door and shakes... Being a flat facade i think it looks too busy... and three different types of wood with stain (posts pressure treated yellow pine , red cedar shake and fir door) that's going to add three more colors to our exterior...

What abot letting the cedar age naturally so it turns gray?

no...

Hello!
You could go natural, but the grey tone is usually not a pretty tone, usually it's very ashy and dull feeling. I would do a translucent stain. If my memory is serving me correctly, these are cedar shakes. We do not want to disguise the beauty of the cedar grain detail. That is probably the reason why you chose cedar shakes! :) So, if we do a translucent stain detail, then we will still be able to admire the grain detail underneath. I hope that this makes sense.

Here are a couple of beautiful combinations: Shakes would be either Cliffside Gray or Platinum Gray with the timbers and the front door being the Ashland Gray. There is a primer than you can apply to the pine first, so that you are not getting so much of the yellow coming through. BUT on the timbers and the door, you would step up the intensity, using a non-transparent stain.

Cliffside Gray:
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/pm5

Platinum Gray:
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/pm7

Ashland Gray:
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/ashlandslate

Hope this helps!
These colors would tie in your facia and your roof tones!
Cheers!
m.

The door was just stained today here are the pictures.... I feel like it may get lost in a darker tone shake... And yes I agree with the semi or transparent stain...

Thank you so much for all your help!!! By the way :)

I like the Grays!!

Cliffside Gray or Platinum Gray would be a beautiful addition to this door color!
I think that once the shakes are lighter and in tone with the home, the door will pop!
Something that I propose you consider is beefing up the timbers. I would clad them and make them feel more substantial. Once that is done, I would stain them to match the front door. You could clad them in fir. What do you think about that thought?
Cheers!
m.

Your welcome! Love knowing that I am helping! I adore the gray's. I feel that the timbers are very skinny in appearance, thus the reason for my last thought. I think that the timbers and the door could tie it all together for you! It is really coming along, it is these final touches that will bring it all together!
Cheers!
m.

Once the shakes are colored, the timbers current size will probably be okay, especially once they are stained, if being stained dark to match the door. The darker tone will provide them with substance too!

The timbers were just installed and stained... We couldn't go any larger then the 6x6 due to the porch floor footprint and replacing the old 4x4s... We could add cladding to the side but that may not look right...

The timbers were just installed and stained... We couldn't go any larger then the 6x6 due to the porch floor footprint and replacing the old 4x4s... We could add cladding to the side but that may not look right...

Anything lighter will help bring the emphasis on the door and posts... Right now they get lost... Too much contrast...

When I went back through the various phases of photos, I realized that they were stained too.
I think once they are not competing with the unstained shakes, they will be fine. They might need another coat(s) of stain. From the photo, they seem browner than the door, did you use the same color stain? This could also be the yellow of the pine playing with the color tone too!

I agree completely about the post and doors getting lost right now. I mentioned previously above. Love those two grey stain colors that I mentioned above for the shakes! I think that color of the shakes will be the finishing touch!
Please post your Afters! Excited to see the end results!
Cheers!
m.

What about cabots bleeching oil on the shakes?

Anyone ever used the bleeching oil?

Neither myself nor my husband have used the Cabot Bleaching Oil. We have used Cabot products, but not this particular one. My husband said that this is usually used on shingles to provide a feel of new life to older shingles, etc. The photo above is beautiful! make sure you have a grey undertone, because otherwise, you will be very similar to your current brick color.
Cheers!
m.

So it turned out a purplish gray color with the bleeching oil mixed with weathering stain...
Not too happy with it...

Think we can use a solid stain over it? Or will we have to resand or power wash it off??

We have been getting mixed responses about now being able to use a solid stain over top of the bleeching oil and weather gray 50-50 mix....

Anyone have any experience using a solid over top of what I guess is now essentially a semi transparent?

Heres a few recent photo's......after living with the bleeching oil for a year or so. What are your thoughts? Go over the bleeching oil with a solid stain the same color as brick/body of the house???

the problem is the trim is the same color as the brick as the trim doesnt case the windows completely in all areas......and the windows are beige vinyl so they cant be painted....

Traditional Exterior by Falls Church Design-Build Firms Sagatov Design-Build

Something more uniform like this with the shake matching the brick???

Traditional Exterior by Falls Church Design-Build Firms Sagatov Design-Build

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/siding-dsvw-vd~863161

Spaces by Asheville Architects & Designers ACM Design


Traditional Exterior by Falls Church Design-Build Firms Sagatov Design-Build


these are similar with single color on the body of the house.....

thoughts??