I'm leaning towards #2 since it seems more neutral (looks gray). I have a hard time committing to colors :)

Are they all blue? Must it be blue? Could it be a toned-down blue/gray and use gloss black on the front door with the rest of the facial boards and trim in off-white?

3 is really pretty...

Agree w/Patricia43 re: glossy black door. With the brick and the blueâ¦beautiful.

The brick on my house is similar to yours and I went with a color similar to your #2. This is going to sound strange but I picked mine because it went with the grout (or whatever the mortar between bricks is called).

I vote for # 2...it is a classic combo with the brick. I fear you may grow tired blue. I say keep it neutral. If not gray, then maybe something in the taupe family.

My house is similar to color 3 (Hardie Boothbay Blue) and a similar brick. It goes okay together but it's quite a contrast. I'm not sure I would do it together on the front. The blue looks nice but may look better on its own with a white trim. Mine is brick/stone on the front and other sides are blue.

Patricia43 - no, it doesn't have to be blue but because of the white windows I was thinking green didn't really work. Number 2 is a grayish taupe color that was much deeper and prettier on the card than on the wood.

The door can not be painted black. DH will stain it and the cedar timber porch posts and he will not allow it to be painted. That combo sounds beautiful to me but I like the wood too.

I like all three of them in the shade but not so sure when they are in the sun. Now how goofy is that?

Wood doors are gorgeous! So, blue is great for bringing out the gold richness of wood, so that also bodes well for #3.

I vote for #2. But you will have to take that with a grain of salt because although blue is my favorite color and I love it in interiors, it has never been my favorite color for the outside of a house, and that blue looks pretty vivid! It's so hard to make a decision on just a single board, what are the names so perhaps we can google to find an example of how it looks overall. What will the roof be?

#1 is Valspar Hematite, #2 was color matched in a Benjamin Moore paint to a Glidden paint from Walmart called Disney "Eeyore's Rain Cloud" or something close to that (not real sure where that card is just now) and #3 is Sherwin Williams Outerspace. The roof will be silver metal.

I vote for #3.

I think it goes nice with the brick, is true to the sky blue, and adds depth when viewed from the road. Evergreen shrubs go very nicely all seasons with blue.

I like #1. I like like the contrast between the brick and a darker more saturated tone. I also like It contrasting with white trim. Imagine also, how the tones of landscaping will combine with the shade of blue.

Ok, the tally so far unless I missed one:

#1= 1 vote
#2= 4 votes
#3= 5 votes

Wow, I thought it would be the more neutral #2 by a long shot. Guess I ain't the only one who likes color... ;)

I think it might be easier for you to search some BM and SW colors online to get a better idea how it would look overall. It's so hard picking a color from a small sample. I don't know the color of this one, but it gives you and idea of what a taupey gray would look like.

Here's a blue with red brick

In my experience, the reason for --->Number 2 is a grayish taupe color that was much deeper and prettier on the card than on the wood. IS --->... #2 was color matched in a Benjamin Moore paint to a Glidden paint...

I have tried color matching with various companies, and tried, and retried. While it often times will look as if the little dot on the lid matches the chip, there are often subtle differences in undertones and vibrancy that I can see as soon as I take the first swipe with the brush or roller. I have given up on color matching (whether from HD, Lowes, Dunn Edwards, Walmart, Vista Paint) and saved myself a lot of money and aggravation by just buying from the company that put out the chip color I liked.

My 2 pennies worth. :) Gyr

Here is a darker gray with brick

I don't usually weigh in on the color questions, and I admit to being conservative about outdoor colors, but I feel it's necessary to tie the score -- #2! or something even grey-er.

I vote #2
I prefer a more neutral gray...I think it would look best on the size of your house.
I really like the taupey gray msrose posted.
Good luck!

Another strong vote for #2. Grayer the better with brick and shape of the house

I like #1 the best, really like the contrast.

As the owner, operator of a painting, wallpapering business for over 25 years, my (probably biased) recommendation is for #2. Here are my reasons.

1. House exteriors should be compatible with earth colors to look natural and belong there. More of a warm, welcoming shade. While I love blue, it is a cool, sky color.

2. The gray with taupe brings out the antique grayish overlay of the bricks. Very complimentary.

3. The lighter shade means less contrast with the white giving a cleaner look to the entire house and making the house appear larger. Dark colors with white trim can make a house look chopped up and busy.

4. The taupe tones in the gray is complimentary to the natural wood tones that will be the door and posts.

5. And last but not least...decordummy ia absolutely right...it goes with the grout of the bricks, tying everything together. :)

#2 looks very livable to me :)

I think I should be on the #2 or something even grayer. Someone canceled my vote because I didn't choose a number but I still said gray. LOL. I am taking my toys and going home.

A rather lonely vote for number 1.

I haven't read the replies, but I vote for #2, then 1, then 3.

My brick is the same color as yours and my door and shutters are #2. Great look!

Linda

As far as I can tell, all three colors are shades of blue. Nothing even remotely resembles any of the taupe or gray siding pictures others have posted, so I don't think you should make your decision based on that. I would vote for none of the three colors. None goes especially well with the brick, and none will look very good---IMO--- with a stained door and porch supports. Taupe would be a far better color for the scheme you propose.

#2 for sure. I haven't read all of the other comments but I live in an area where many of our houses are half brick and I have noticed that when people use blue for their shingles, it's rarely successful. Best bet is a very gray blue.

Do you have to decide before the brick is done? I'd want to wait til the brick is done, then make a VERY large sample board of the color you think you want, and have someone hold it up next to the brick at various times of day. I might even want to go a bit grayer than #2. Blues are tricky even indoors, but exterior blues are even more so!

I agree with KSWL and stick by my first decision that we need to add a gray/taupe in the mix. I really think they all look blue and I was not voting for blue unless it was a gray with a blue undertone. Gray/taupe, gray/taupe, gray/taupe. I'm warning you. I am going to take my toys and go home (or to the oral surgeon) if I don't get my way. ;-)

Personally I like the dark grey. Although in full sun it looks too blue. #1 I'd see if you can find a grey with just a touch of blue, rather than that blue that has some grey

Red brick with darker gray
{{!gwi}}

Another with dk grey, brick isn't quite as red
{{!gwi}}

Have you seen this site
It's PolyGems color visualization tool. Might be something to try.

I came across this blog post on exterior house color and the advice given here is based on history, tradition and location--- right down to the specific latitude! It's very entertaining and the pictures are wonderful. I also happen to think the writer is spot on with most of his pronouncements.

Editing because somehow the link was taken out of my post.....how odd.

Here is a link that might be useful: Exterior house color choices guide

This post was edited by kswl on Tue, Apr 29, 14 at 7:51

out of the 3 colors you show, i would definitely choose #2.....

I meant to say in my other post that 1 and 3 definitely look blue on my monitor.....2 looks like a medium gray. I still say I would stick with gray or taupe...no blue.....light gray or dark gray....however much contrast you prefer....but definitely not anything blue.

I know you will probably be in this house for awhile since you are building, but years ago when we were house hunting the realtor took us to a blue house (admittedly not as nice as the blues you show) and I didnt even want to go inside....I did not like it and knew we could not afford to change the siding. Stay neutral.....you'll be glad you did.

Hmmmmmâ¦after seeing the pic kellienoelle put up, I'm changing my vote from #3 to a darker gray, a la #1.

No 1 looks completely different in the two pics on my monitor (dark gray vs greenish blue). In fact, all colors look way more blue in the pictures against the brick.
No. 3 against the white background in the shade (?) looks very much what I picked for the fish scales on our house to go with the gray of the siding. Well, the whole neighborhood was abuzz because they thought we were painting our house purple.

I'd also go with a slightly bluish gray, not blue because you can go with any color doors you want later on (black, red, green, yellow, navy, etc.)

Informative link KSWL, thanks!
~bgj

Patricia43 - Don't pick up your toys just yet...do you have a particular gray/taupe in mind that I could go grab a sample of?

Mlweaving - I also think that #1 is way too blue in full sun. The front of my house also faces east so it will be in full sun for a good part of the day.

Kswl - That looks to be very interesting blog post. I will sit down and read the whole thing on my lunch break. I appreciate you sharing it.

Joanie - I feel ya. Neutral is safe. I just don't know if I want to play it safe.

So, after reading the feedback up to this point, I'm thinking the blue is a little bit much. I'm thinking I can probably tone it down a bit but that means I must resume my search for the perfect color. I am quite sure that I am way over thinking this. Especially since I've already spent about $40 on samples...lol If anyone has any further color suggestions, please share it. As soon as I get some more color samples painted up, I will post again. As for now, #1 is my favorite, #3 is DH's favorite and #2 is both of our mother's favorite. It looks like #2 ended up winning the most votes here.

Tibbrix - What do you think that paint color is in kellinoelle's pic?

BM Amherst Gray? On the "Goes with" chip, they've got it with a brick red. The color in kellienoelle's pick, the taupeier gray is called Hardiplank Iron (Ben Moore?)

JDez, I just read the link kswl posted - great article BTW, and given where you are, you don't want taupe. I wasn't crazy about the suggestion anyway, but taupe and similar colors where you are (and where I am) tend to look "muddy" acc'd to the article. They work well above the 35th latitude, not below.
The article also nixes the dk grey for below the 35th latitude, and it makes sense. Better color choice for New England or Maine than Cajun country.

About halfway down the article is a home with a color combo that you might like, and is a color without being too dk, deep, etc. Top left, mid aqua blue - works with the red steps so your brick isn't a far stretch.

Thanks Tib & Marji - I just tried to read the article and all the pictures are blocked from from work computer. I'll have to wait until I get home to check it out. Bummer.

Information on that house I posted from houzz, looks like it is James Hardie Cement Board in Iron Gray.

Thanks Kellienoelle.

It's truly all in the eye of the beholder. I for one find most of those gray exteriors very depressing. I'm fully for expanding the choices given there is no time limit on the exterior.

My house is reddish old brick with deep evergreen shade shutters and door. Looking at the color wheel above, I laughed as I seem to have picked a complementary color naturally. But shutters and doors are small surface area in comparison.

The photos of beige sidings are nice.

My bricks are..well a brick colour. My siding colour is called Clay (I think) - a grayish green.

I just meant that I picked mine because it goes really nicely with the grout, an easy (cowardly?) way to tie it all together (thank you Mitsukiwi).

I wasn't voting for gray or any specific colour, just suggesting it may help to look at your grout colour.

I like color, so of the ones you posted, I would go with #1. That being said, I really like the Amherst Gray that Tib posted, and the house that Kelli posted. I think that looks great. I love dark colors with white trim.

DH and I both like this solid color stain. It's called Thunderstorm Gray from Behr premium. What do you think? Is it better than our previous choices or is it too dark?

Just an update. We settled on the color in the above post. Here is what it looks like on the back porch. On the front of the house, we will use white trim but for the back porch, we are keeping it like this with no white trim.

I love it! I think it's going to look fantastic.