I'd go with a dark hunter green. Or a moss green. My brother has a similar combination on his home and the result is stunning.

See the deep gold of the gourd on the front steps in the distance picture? That is what I would do. A deep gold is wonderful with burgundy, but will bring some light on the entry, which is in shadow.

Would those colors work if I kept the storm door the original color? I really, really don't want to paint the storm door.

That gourd is an orange pumpkin- I assume you don't mean that, right? I hadn't considered gold- that's an interesting option.

I do have a SW color fan if that helps to name some colors. I wish I knew how to use Photoshop to play around with different color options.
Thanks again.
Astrid

I am really wondering how it would look to change the color of the doors and sidelights but leave the storm door the original color. Can anyone please help me?
Astrid

The storm door can stay the burgundy as long as the shutters will be that color - there isn't that much burgundy visible, either. The sidelights should be the color of the trim, imo, NOT the color of the door. Let the door stand alone and shine!

Yes, I do mean that pumpkin, but in the color that it appears to be in the distance shot, not a pumpkin color that it probably is up close. Think in terms of a really rich fall gold, not bright like the sunflowers on the door.

FWIW, I would take the star off of the portico and put it up on the house between the windows at the center. It will let your door be more important when it is not fighting for attention there.

I'd change the shutters to a shade/tone or 2 deeper than the body of the house. I prefer subtler transitions between house "body" and shutters.

I do the trim work around the front door a shade/tone lighter than the body of the house and paint the door a nice, muted pumpkin-y color. The door sort of gets lost in the darkness of the couvert. I'd paint the storm door to match the color of the front door, too. (You can paint anything if you make the time to learn how and follow the directions, trust me!).

I totally agree with Chelone. The lighter trim will make the body of the house look larger, make the confines disappear, sotaspeak and the shutters will be subtly there and appear to be useful, attractive but enough difference to accent them. Then make your door pop out.
.

I think I'm a little confused. I should state that at this time I am not able to change the shutters. That means that whatever color the door is it will have to work with the shutters.

When you say the color of the sidelights should match the color of the trim work are you referring to the tan vinyl siding color or the white trim around the windows?

I have very little time- I guess I was hoping for a quick fix for the front door while I still can paint (before it gets too cold)- finding a color that would work better with the colors already existing on the house (vinyl siding, vinyl trim, vinyl shutters).

Thanks.
Astrid

I vote for white sidelights to match the white trim around the whole doorway area.

THEN paint the front door in the same burgandy as the storm door (and the shutters) -- this move which would make the storm door seem to "disappear" -- and the front door itself would appear to be larger in scale.

And paint out the window boxes in burgandy to match the shutters (and the front door)

Remove the the different pots around the doorway (too much visual clutter) -- and add two very dark green large pots or urns with tall trees (and cover with little holiday lights) and a large simple green doormat.

I was afraid you would say that. I think the color of the shutters is what needs to be changed first. Only after changing that should you begin to consider changing the color of your entry door.

Sorry, JMO.

I think the photo color of the shutters reads a bit pink which makes it difficult, but here is a bunch of stuff to look at. I was initially going to say, just white, then have a lot of fun with the colorful accessories, as I see you're doing -- but see that's where you're coming from.

There are some traditional schemes in there. I also like your idea of having fun with the flag colors. If you go with a burgundy/shutter color door, maybe a blue star? If a blue door, maybe a blue or even white with silver star?

If you go all burgundy to match the shutters, I'd change the star color :) It looks like you may have beige trim? If so, I'm thinking making the front posts beige instead of white. They look small for the porch and it stands out more in a bright white.

HTH

{{!gwi}}

Different color star, too

Saw a couple suggestions for pumpkin, but couldn't get one to come up nicely (with the pinkish shutters).

squirrelheaven- Thank YOU! That is exactly what I needed! Do you think you could change the color of the window boxes? Please??? I wonder what it would look like if they matched the shutters.
The shutters are cranberry (they're really not as pink as the photos shows). The trim is white. I hated it when the doors and sidelights were white- that's what they were before I painted them.

It'd be really nice if I could change out the shutters (by I honestly like the little bit of color they add) BUT I think dh would have a fit. AND I'm desperately trying to get us to buy much-needed furniture.
Astrid

My favorites from looking at the images:

#3 Burg Door & Star
#10 Burg Door, Gray/Blue Star
#12 Gray/Blue Door & Star

Also, since you tried the fun blue color but weren't crazy for it on the house - why not use it as an accent somewhere else outside. For example, if you go with #3 Burg Door / Star you could then have a blue bench or blue adirondack chairs out in the garden. That might staisfy your desire for that color without having to commit to it on the house itself. However, I think this works best in small doses so I would limit the nonplant items in the garden and only have a few accent items.

Loosing track of what I'm trying here! Here's another batch with window box variations. Good idea to paint them!

THANK YOU AGAIN!

I'm having trouble deciding which version I like. I didn't even think that painting the window boxes would change the way it looks...I really like the edited photos of them painted. I think I like the smokey blue color door the best with white sidelights and burgundy boxes. I'm surprised too- I thought the green door would look the best but the green has too much competition from the plants (either grass or garden area). I wish I could envision the yellowish-pumpkin color on the door.

I agree that I should use my favorite cobalt blue as an accent color elsewhere. It just doesn't seem to work on my door. I also see now that I should paint the sidelights white. I had looked at many,many doors before trying to decide how to paint mine and most of the doors I'd seen also had the sidelights painted to match the door. I can see now that it just isn't the right thing for mine.

I also think adding color to the window boxes will make a HUGE difference in the winter when there is very little color elsewhere.

Thanks again for all your help and input.
Astrid

In my opinion the window boxes should be the same color as the house siding. The window boxes are too small and calling attention to them - instead of focusing on generous/spilling plant material - just makes them seem even smaller.

I would rather see the window boxes on the second floor. I think you can add enough color and interest on the ground level with urns, plantings, etc. It is up higher that things get kind of blah.

I wonder if Squirrel could 'move' the boxes, eliminating them down low and putting them up, just to see.

I would like window boxes on the second floor too. Watering them is a big issue though. I will keep the window boxes on the ground floor as I love them. I also love looking from inside out- they add lots of interest to the view. Another HUGE issue is getting my dh to make me four more boxes. He wasn't very happy about making the four existing ones as is. (I could go on a long venting session regarding dh but I shouldn't).

I feel that if I painted the window boxes the color of the siding the house in the winter would look extremely blah. In the summer the window boxes are planted full and are spilling over enough that you don't actually see the boxes anyway. I'd really like to think about what they would look like with absolutely nothing on them and no greenery/plants. Maybe I can find a photo of the house in the winter- maybe that will help.

Do you think the window boxes should have been wider???? The window boxes were put up BEFORE the shutters were installed (another thing dh didn't want to do). Would they look better if they were as wide as the window and shutters?

Heck. Maybe I should try woodworking and make my own boxes. The window boxes are the only thing on this house that I truly love and would never ever get rid of BUT I'd try making some bigger ones if that would look better.

Well, here's a photo I found

Unfortunately I haven't found one of the overall house in the winter. It is extremely blah in the winter and depressing to look at. Hence adding the shutters for the windows that were supposed to be bigger (a huge source of frustration) and trying to paint the door.
Astrid

Geez, you want us to think about the window boxes when you post a pix with such an adorable little girl? What a cutie!

I understand about dealing with the upper boxes as far as watering, etc. Would you consider using faux greenery, etc up there instead, at least part of the time?

Your lower boxes would be wonderful in the winter filled with real or faux evergreens, twigs, larger crabapple or other berry stems and some oversized plastic ornaments for the Christmas season (if you celebrate that holiday). Then perhaps a beautiful bow and faux large dark red and bright green apples when the ornaments are gone.

I love seeing cut greenery in window boxes in the winter time. Tuck in some twigs, berries, conifer cuttings... I'm amazed how long my cut greenery can last.

Hmm... I will try greenery in boxes this year. I've tried it in years past but I just haven't gotten the look right (I probably need to use some styrofoam to stick the greenery in to). I also don't have access to the right kind of greenery (conifers). I think I will invest in some large plastic ornaments and see about fake greenery. I think my girls would like that (plastic heart shaped ornaments probably would work through Valentine's Day too, right?).

I think I'll ask dh what it would take for him to build me four more boxes. I know the four existing ones are made of cedar. I assume I can paint cedar, right? I've been wondering if I should add wood molding to the boxes to add interest to them. I'd also thought of burning or painting a design on them.

Hopefully this will be a nice weekend and I can paint the front door and sidelights. I still haven't quite decided on the color of the door but the sidelights will be white.
Astrid

I'm trying to find a gold in my SW color fan that will work. My shutters and storm door are closest to SW Fine Wine (not an exact match but close).
I do not have a BM or HD nearby.

Something like SW Ambitious Amber, Viva Gold, Surprise Amber, Humble Gold....I'm just naming a few- I'm just not sure if it should be yellow-yellow, orange-y yellow, greenish yellow, or a muddy yellow. I do agree that perhaps a lighter color would brighten up the shady porch (or whatever the heck you call it).
Astrid

I would get a quick rotary sander and sand those boxes smoother, add some trim (maybe top and bottom, with the top trimming being a bit wider). The boxes look wider than in the photo -- maybe try spilling some greens over the side edges as well as the front? I think paint would be enough and a nice finished look for your style of home :)

Here ya go! I've also added some evergreen foundation plantings (unknown variety :) to ground the house and frame your walkway a bit, along with a white flowering firethorn (now in orange berries). Don't know if that's a go, but just something along that idea. It's nice in wintertime also. I think evergreen material tot he right of the house and your perennial flowering bed where it is would feel more substantial. The garden area along the walk/grass is mulched in deep brown and three evergreen shrubs added for year-round interest and to define it more. Whatever the reddish plant is there on the left, I've added a few more to drift the color en masse :)

Instead of using foam in the windowboxes to stick in the evergreens, get a smaller container that will fit inside and use sand. The stems will lodge in there nicely. The other thing you can do when the weather is sure to be below freezing for a while, especially if you are doing an urn or planter, is to fill a container with water, insert the greenery, etc and let it freeze. Holds them in place perfectly, then just set inside the urn or planter.

For door color I am thinking SW Ceremonial Gold or Golden Rule. Kind of also depends on what works with your siding. Your shutters really do read a lot pinker in these pix than the color is on the paint strips.

What do you think of the star moved up between the windows? I like it there.

Ha! Just did a search for 'star' here, Les. Thought that was my little touch! and was curious why you noted it :) Great minds think alike! The star looks much better up there, imo. But I didn't look w/o the windowboxes on the upper story.

Interesting question about the windowboxes. I have windowboxes on the first and second floor of the roadside facade of our home, also under a bay window in our bedroom (north side).

Those on the front are the same width as the windows, we used 2 boxes when there was a mullion to be considered. The front boxes are painted white to match the vinyl portion of the windows (Andersen "narrowline"), we don't have mouldings around the windows or shutters, those under the bay window are stained to match the body of the house and pergola. We opted for window width and white to give the front of an architecturally dull home a little zip. You might try mocking up the wider width on your home using a piece of cardboard that is the dept of the planned boxes. See what pleases you most. In your case I would probably make sure the window boxes were in keeping with the color of the body of the house.

As for watering; I water the second floor boxes from the inside. I simply pop out the screens, perform the routine deadheading/"fussing", and water. I do this on average every 4-5 days in the warmest months, less frequently in the cooler ones. I feed the plants with every watering to keep them looking full and lush. It's about time for me to bring in enough geraniums to "keep us in flowers" throughout the winter months, and begin thinking about evergreens and Christmas lights... sigh.

I'm painting the sidelights white. I'm hoping the paint will be okay- exterior painting season is over. At least I can take the door of its hinges and paint it inside later. Poor dh is confused.

White flowering firethorn sounds interesting but it is not rated for my zone (I'm in WI).

Dh said he would make me more window boxes and I'll do a mock-up with cardboard first to see what size they should be. Our biggest issue will be weight- the window boxes are very heavy and we have to make sure there is a safe way to attach them (it wasn't such a big issue for the first story windows). Dh doesn't want to make too many holes in our vinyl siding. ((some day we'll replace that siding with something more interesting!!!))

I think after the second story window boxes are in place I'll move the star- that'll probably be in the spring.

Thanks again for all your input.
Astrid

chelone, I was thinking of your house and window boxes as I read through this thread, then saw that you posted. You should post pics of your window boxes in winter (holidays) for Astrid. I still remember them from when you posted pics a long time ago (w/swag over door, etc.). The whole outside of the house was just perfect with those decorations. ;) Perhaps it would provide some inspiration?

Chelone- I'd love to see photos of your house and window boxes.

FYI- painting exterior with hundreds of lady bugs= NOT A GOOD IDEA. I'm still icked out. My skin has that strange crawling sensation. Oh well. I did finish painting the sidelights and I'm sure I'll need to repaint them in the spring. At least it's done- I didn't want to look at those blue sidelights all winter long.
Astrid