I never think of it for myself, but every time I see a home in that colonial, blue/grey with black shutters and white trim, I swear I will have that next time. I just love the look.

Jacqueline Dennis... my siding is vinyl.

You can use this visualizer to try different colors on your house or one of their samples. You can pick roofing, siding, trim, masonry. It's fun and it helped me a lot when I had the same questions. https://designeyeq.owenscorning.com/designtool/

Kim's sage green is lovely!

I agree with krakn - the digital color visualizers can be very helpful for exterior projects. The roofing manufacturer visualizers allow you to try out siding, trim and roofing options. Finding someone in your area who can assist is a good idea if you're not one to do it on your own. ColorJive has Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, PPG (and more) palettes, but would not provide for changing the roof shingles.

Mark - what do you use/recommend for this type of rendering? I've seen your comments with renderings on this and a few other design question/dilemmas.

I use adobe photoshop. The picture of the house is not clear or close enough for me to work on. I'm still learning how to use the program. Grover is the best at doing this type of work on here. If she see's this perhaps she will lend her expert hands on this dilemma.

what color is your roof?

it looks like it is a dark beige/medium light brown.

I would try to coordinate the roof color with the rest of the scheme.

I would select an exterior wall color that is darker than the roof.

personally, I think a light moss color would work better than a grey blue.

I would not do a pure white trim.

we're you planning to use prepainted siding and trim and using the available colors or are you going to do a custom color.

as for siding, I have strong preference for mitred corners vs. using trim to cover the seams.

I realize that mired corners cost more and require more skill.

if mitred corners are not an option, then definitely use the wall color for the trim pieces to cover the corners just as your house currently has on the seam on the bay windows.

Why don't you do a different color than blue or green which is so common?

I like exteriors that are greens and blues. They blend with natural surroundings and make a house feel more like it belongs in the outside space.

Jacqueline, it is part of the pre-colored selection that Hardie has. It is called mountain sage.

Hire a designer proficient in Photoshop and have them give your house a virtual makeover with the colors you're thinking of first. The cost is small compared to repainting. I do this for all my clients and then give them some color choices they haven't even thought of. They invariably go with the less conservative choice once they can see the results without having to just imagine it. Some paint companies even have a program that can do this but I've never found one that works as well as good old Photoshop.

Google "Benjamin Moore" and when Google lists choices, you will see Benjamin Moore, and under that, on the Google page, click on "COLOR VISUALIZER". Then, on that page it has several choices for "Start a New Project with our Sample Room Designs" and go to the bottom of those pictures and select "EXTERIOR". There are 8 different style houses and one looks very much like your house. Click on the HOME SWEET HOME picture. On the right side of the page, it has hundreds of colors to choose from, and when you click on one, it changes the color of the house. You can even choose different colors for the 'BODY', 'TRIM', SHUTTERS, DOOR.!!!! The beauty of this is you can keep trying different colors until you find one you love for your house! here's a link: http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/personal-color-viewer?action=category&page=/en-us/photos/exterior HOPE THIS HELPS!

You might also visit a paint store that local architects use, and ask the manager what is their top selling color paint for exteriors. I did this on one of my houses and there was one color that outsold others by far! I got that one, and LOVE the outcome! Different colors are favored in different parts of the country, so maybe the paint store can help you narrow down your choices. Be sure to post a picture when it's finished!

My thoughts are a dark bluish grey siding for house and garage, paint the garage doors black (professionally painted is best) or buy some stylish black garage doors, front door black more glass, white and/or black trim around windows wider around bottom windows.

Maybe also thicken and use molding on the columns on the porch with a little decorative

railing, top decorative "corner" molding, keeping white accents. I really like decorative wooden screen doors on this style of house also. Use lots of colour rich flowers to make it pop more (hanging baskets, and some perennials).

Since you're not certain on the color direction (mossy greens vs blue grays) you want to go, why not get a gallon of each color choice matched to the corresponding siding color you are considering and paint one side of the house 1/2 of one color and 1/2 of the other color. (Maybe use a side other than the front of house though :) That way you can "live" with the color and see how it looks in the differing lights and really get a feel for what you like.

I prefer cool tones to warm so prefer your idea of grey-blue or even grey rather than mossy green. Especially I think more interesting colors can go with it.

Your front porch is close enough to the ground that I don't think you need to add a railing - that can just interfere with your view while sitting and enjoying your porch. A friend of mine when doing a Reno left that stuff off and I really liked the final look. She did however go with beefier columns and think that would look good for you too.

I like what he other person said about going wider with your trim - it goes more with the time period of homes with turrets.

Keep your trim bright white. Helps the color next to it "Pop" more, and also looks cleaner and more "timeless" - stay away from trends!

Add zing with a bright colored front door - coral, purple, etc. my friend who updated her porch went with a darker grey exterior- with the bright white trim all zingy clots go with it - I think she did it lime green the first time - fabulous!

Actually, I wouldn't have thought to go darker but it really worked - the key is keeping it neutral for greater complementary color options and wider appeal when selling.

Perhaps add some window boxes too...

Big houses can take bold colors. So whichever color is brighter - go BOLD! Yes, definitely change the color of the doors as well. 3 color houses are nice.

That yellow is meek-looking. A darker colonial yellow would have looked terrific, but vinyl siding companies only make pale weak colors.

Trimming the windows will add nice weight to the house. The columns are also too thin. Clad them thicker with trim - it would give the porch more presence.

you have a great deal of advice here, but the overriding best way to proceed wisdom, in my humble opinion, is to ask a design professional to do some renderings for you. i like the idea of sage/moss green, and it will hide some of the moss problems until you get around to removing it. i also use a photoshop type program to show my clients the color, material & trim options. here is how it is done. cost range for design & rendering is $100-$500, depending on the detailing.

Painting your house with blue-gray is tones would be so refreshing. On a sunny day you'll feel like an ocean is close by.

Ok, what I did with my last house was paint it a medium colored green, cream trim and the accent color was brick red. The trim is the secondary color - around the eaves, boards around the windows. The accent color was the front door and a 1" trim board on the cream board around the windows. Accent colors are not a lot, but add that extra umph! Have fun!

Welcome to houzz, where a beautiful home like yours with a simple question will get lots of advice. Due to the earth tones on the roof, I believe that earth tones will give you a better result than a blue gray . . unless you go to a very pale muted blue green . . then the green in the blue green is enough to tie back into the roof and give you color harmony. Hardie has some great colors but not sure a soft muted blue green is one of them yet. Their soft greens however are proven . . wider window trim would be wonderful and with the earth toned roof and the soft green siding, allow me to suggest that a dark white / nearly off white with brown undertones like the roof will be the most elegant. Do the garage door in the same off white -

Then, yes - paint the front door and sidelight and this is where I would indulge the love of blue - a muted blue green like historic bm mill springs blue http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/millspringsblue

will add a lot of charm .. with green though, your choices are endless - red is lovely and classic, a buttery yellow will evoke spring, a pinker red like geranium can be very playful, an eggplant color can add a throwback to the 20's feel that is modern as well. Change the door every few years and cycle through many colors as you like. That is the other terrific thing about the neutral green siding - it is classic and will never go out of style.

POP comes from the use of complimentary colors. Check out color schemes used in interior rooms: Imagine the siding color being walls, with an accent color for large furniture pieces and third (less used) accent being the pillows or artwork.

The complimentary color of blue is orange, so for a blueish grey, orange would be too much, but coral would work and orangey toned wood look awesome because the browns/caramels in wood grain soften orange in the same way that grey softens the blue. Green and red are complimentary colors, so brick red (or actual brick) or rusty red would be good. Once you settle on a scheme, pick a stark contrast for your window trim and accessories. Black is a good neutral to use here. Think not only window trim, but exterior lighting, wrought iron fencing. White would also work.

The other scheme that works well is using colors in the same family as both main and secondary with a compliment as the accent. Blueish grey for the siding, navy for shutters and black for trim would be quite sharp. Grey-green for the siding, forest green for shutters, black or white window trim and accessories would be lovely with red flowering plants. Staying in the same similar color range for the two main choices is easier to accomplish and can provide the same payoff. You can go crazy with colored foliage or flowering plants.

If this is beyond you, pick up some paint brochures where the colors are pre-coordinated. Designers and paint manufacturers have already done the work for you. Find something close to your two choices, cut out the blocks of color and make yourself a vision board. I wish you luck!

I vote Blue body.....any color blue and bright white trim. or..........Gray with bright white trim and blue door and shutters....

Sherwin Williams has this amazing color visualization tool on their website. You can upload the picture and outline areas on the picture and then select any color from their site. It even tells you if the paint can be used for exterior as long as you let it know when asked about the photo you are uploading. I have used this tool many times and it really helps provide a good visual. It's not exact, but it's as close as you can get without painting the surface.

gardener kaye

You can't go wrong with combinations from nature. Think beautiful green begonias that are wine colored underneath. Yes, vinyl is definitely outdated, not to mention horrible for the environment. Hardy Board is a good choice. Good luck.

Is anyone in your family old enough to remember avocado green appliances? I am so I would not put a trendy color on anything as expensive as this project is likely to be.

You could go with a neutral light tan or beige to go with the brown roof (and beware of the pinkish hues as you chose one). I like the white garage doors but you could paint them (and any trim) a slightly darker color than whatever siding you eventually choose.

If you really like the moss green, perhaps you could paint something else that color -- your current door or chairs or a doghouse or an outbuilding -- to see if you still like it after you live with it a bit. In fact, you could paint the back of the garage that color, if you plan to change the siding anyway, then look at it and think about whether or not you really want to live with that for the next couple of decades.

Good luck.

My parents painted their house light green in 1960; my mother repainted it in the same color 25 years later. I painted my house a gold-green in 1971 and kept that color for 20 years. There are certainly some colors that I'd think twice about, but soft greens aren't among them. And green isn't even one of my favorite colors.

I feel your angst! It is a big decision, and it is hard for my husband and I to visualize things. After months of clipping pictures, going to paint stores and getting samples, and checking houzz online, we decided on our color by simply driving around and looking at houses. When we found one that we both loved, the owner of the house was more than pleased to share the specific color information with us. Give it a try, it is fun (and you'll know it when you see it).

suezbell, I remember those avocado green appliances...and the harvest gold. I have a friend who still has the avocado green ones. Yikes.

Hi, I own a Victorian house & Craftsman style house and the moss green is beautiful as my base color. I have a white trim and an accent color of Victorious Red by Kellymore

Hi Jaqueline! I've never posted a comment before on Houzz. However, as one who struggles greatly with making the right choices, especially when you can't change it once it's done, I felt compelled to offer my 2 cents. My family recently moved to Charleston, SC from WV. We owned a brick house (our first house) for 12 1/2 years. Our new house is a coastal craftsman that is blue gray and has hardiplank siding. I recently painted the front door green because I too wanted the pop. I would ultimately like to have a wooden craftsman style front door in a warm reddish tone, but we have many other home improvement projects happening at once, so painting it was an inexpensive solution for now. As it turns out, it looks pretty good. That said, your house looks more victorian from what I can see. A blue gray would work just fine. If you truly want the house to "pop" or stand out, stay away from green unless it is a vibrant yellow-green. Looking at the photo of your house, there is a LOT of green all around you. You could then paint your front door a nice shade of red or black, and do the garage doors in black. It depends on your taste - mine is more modern. Once you decide, some things you must do in addition to your siding update are: update outdoor lighting, front door and/or door hardware (including the often overlooked doorbell), porch furnishings such as chairs, tables, plants, and the also often overlooked doormat. You CAN mix old with new and have your own unique spin on it. Just make sure it is consistent with your style on the inside of the house as well. Unfortunately, it's a can of worms when it comes to home improvement. Updating one thing can make everything around it look like crap. And if you're investing in new siding, you don't want that! BTW, I totally agree with the idea of ditching the vinyl siding. It's cheap looking in my opinion. And you don't have to justify your choices/decisions to anybody! Well, maybe your husband...... :) Best of luck to you!

Please keep the garage doors the same color as the house!!! Unless they are the new type that have large hinges and windows with specific style they really are just what they are...garage doors. I feel most garage doors should just look a part of the house.

Best to call attention to the front door area with paint and plantings. It always says welcome come this way....only my opinion.

I also tend to stay with neutral colors on body of house and any color you love on shutters and front doors...makes changes easy in the future and I am going to say "it"....color can greatly effect re-sale...even if not you but your spouse or children.

Please post what your finale choice is.....we all want to see your beautiful home with your choices!!! We are just here throwing out ideas.

My Victorian house colors... Neutral tan siding, sage green front door & windows and porch decking.

Absolutely lovely. These colors really work for this house. Would like to see a full view shot.

SC92483, thanks for the advice on the house color. For a long time I was leaning on the moss green, but now am thinking the blue gray is a better fit. As you said, there is already a lot of green around the house. Ironically, our previous house (over 20 years ago) had yellow aluminum siding. We ended up painting over it using a darker blue. It looked great. I would not consider black for any of the doors since the house will be complemented with wider white trim. We might consider upgrading the garage doors to wood and stain them. We also decided to change the roof of the porch to a stained wood like product. I have one more week to decide, then it's GAME ON. Once we're done, I'll post pictures.

htatt - your home is home that looks very inviting. I do like the color and trim, however, we are surrounded by beige/brown homes. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Oops, I meant to say the ceiling of our porch roof would be a wood stained product.

Hi Jaqueline! I'm glad I could help with your big decision. Your choice for the garage door color sounds like it will go really well with whatever accent colors you choose. The black was just a suggestion. A LOT of houses in the Charleston SC area use black, especially the historic homes. The color is called Charleston Green and it's actually a really dark green that appears black. My house is 3 years old and has the blue gray hardiplank siding with white trim. The shutters are a burgundy brownish color and as I mentioned before, I recently painted my front door to give it that POP. It pops alright! That lovely color is Eccentric Lime by Benjamin Moore. I have modern porch furniture, which you can't really see, with charcoal chair cushions and orange and white throw pillows. My house now stands out in an otherwise conservative neighborhood. I just thought I would share a picture with you so that you could see what the blue gray looks like with green. In this case yellow-green. The good thing is, changing the door color is an easy fix should I grow tired of it it. Have FUN revamping your exterior and do what makes you happy. I can't wait to see it!

Blue-greys are a winner

You'll love it for a very long time! Just a side note, use a white with a slight cream/yellow in it, not a sharp white. The cream will soften it. (Yellow is opposite of blue). Have fun changing the front door color every couple of years. Don't forget to post a couple of pic.'s.

Actually, I believe yellow is the opposite of purple; orange is the opposite of blue. Complementary colors make their opposites brighter -- orange will look more orange, blue will look more blue when they are used together. Cream (light yellow) isn't as stark as plain white, and it does look great on blue.

Our official color is Benjamin Moore Hale Navy with white trim. The porch ceiling will be stained wood. We also opted to add canned lighting on the house and garage. Work is starting this week.
I'm Very excited to see the house finished and will post the outcome.

Looking forward to the pics! :)

Hi all, our house is 99%done and I want to share the progress. The front porch isn't trimmed out yet. I love the change. We'll have to cut down the tree due to ash borer and make some additional landscape changes.... All in due time.

BEAUTIFUL

I love the navy. Not a fan of Bruce's big corner trim on your wonderful feature octagon but that is a personal choice that I'm sure you like. - Congrats on your progress -that is a big job!

Now .. what color for the front door? Soft yellow or apple green