I like them both mdln. I will be able to decide better after we have done a careful photo replication. The 12 sections will be there regardless (your photo removes some of them), but we don't have to have all 12 sections scream for attention. I think I like your version divided into thirds a bit better.

Carol

I really like mdln's version of how to do the garage trim.

As far as extending the deck posts down, I meant something like this-

915 Bellevue · More Info

See how the deck posts are attached on the outside of the facade, rather than sitting on top? Here's another example, a bit more extreme, and of course your deck isn't covered so the posts wouldn't be this tall-

Canmore Collosal Collaboration · More Info

And here's a couple more pics, just for inspiration-

Tigertail Ridge - Architectural · More Info

Florin Night · More Info

Front IPE driveway · More Info

I really like the first example jlc posted-Belleview.also, check out French-porteFrench porte garage doors

Thanks jlc for those inspiration pictures and for clarifying your meaning of extending the deck railing. I am not sure if the extension could be done in our case, but we will explore for sure. Those decks over the garage look nice, as do the front facing garage doors. When you say you like mdln's version do you mean you like the way she divided the garage with trim into 3 tall rectangles? She also showed how to trim out just windows. So which version posted by mdln did you like the best?

I think the French porte garage doors posted by cyn427 are gorgeous. If I was installing the garage door all over again, I would look carefully at that style of front facing garage door (especially if the house is a bit modern looking). Not sure how thermal it would be for our climate though. Thanks cyn for the link.

Carol

Matching a paint color to brick works sometimes. After seeing the mock up, in this case it does not look good. I like the color of the body of the house as well as matching it to the front door.

I know that all Canadians are nice but if you were in USA I would not plant a tree in between the houses. It could become the subject of argument between neighbors.

Thanks emmarene for your votes. The tree I was proposing was a skinny variety that would not be any wider than 6-10 feet wide at maturity. Still feel the same?

It looks like you have space to landscape the corner where the driveway meets the street on the right side of the driveway (when viewing from the street). If I see it correctly, the grass overlaps the garage a little from the straight on front view. I would do a low corner planting so you don't obstruct the view of the front door from the street or the street when backing out. I think this will soften the look of the garage and driveway.

I would like to see a mock-up with the garage door painted the same color as the siding and the garage windows trimmed in the white of the house windows. I wouldn't trim the panels or sides of the doors other than around the windows. I think you want to tie the garage in visually to the rest of the house as much as possible.

Also I think that you could paint your roofline trim in a color similar to the brick to tie the lower floor to the upper floor. You have a pretty house with good height and this would tie it together and draw the eye up to emphasize the upper floor(s). That upper gable with the windows is a really nice element that could be emphasized more. You posted a picture of a green house with two reddish brown garage doors above. The roofline trim on that house is the same as the garage door and makes it all look cohesive.

I hope I've explainded this clearly. These are my ideas but I never can tell until I see a mock-up.

I love your white birch tree. Maybe ask your neighbor about what they think of you planting a tree in that area. Personally, I would love my neighbors to plant some more trees between their house and mine. I'd even be willing to pay for part of the cost.

Which color do you like best - the taupe siding, grey trim, roof or door color? Which do you like least?

If you paint the brick color (and I would be tempted to do that, I love brick), I would get several samples to test. My neighbor painted siding in an attempt to match his brick - didn't quite get it right, does not look good. Right now, I think any color would look better than the mismatched reds on his house.

Thanks remodelor for your excellent points. I like your ideas. I will try to add the roofline trim in a colour similar to the brick in a mock-up. You are right that it would be worth seeing -- I like that inspiration picture you referred to. Not sure we would be up to the job irl as the roofline trim is very high on the sides of the property where the ground slopes (takes scaffolding).

mdln,

Thanks again for your help.

I like all the house colours. I love the door colour, but would not have wanted too much of that dark colour. I least like the siding colour (taupe) There are some mistakes in the install of the brick (mortar blotches and one patch where grout does not match rest of grout which still need fixing). However, as far as red brick goes (DH insisted on red brick) I do like the shade and variation of the red.

So far I have not liked the mock-ups that much with the red colour. Maybe, like your neighbour, we have not get the red shade right (or maybe our brick has too much variance in it to make the brick speak to a single red coloured garage.

Everyone:

Here are two mock-ups with white around the windows (one with sides of garage white and one with just windows). Several of you suggested this might be worth strongly considering. These are my favourite mock-ups so far. It seems in our efforts to mock-up the horizontal trim was erased a bit on the garage door with is not true to door. We will work on other versions tomorrow evening.

New Version A (Body of garage taupe siding colour with white trim sides and windows):

New Version B (taupe body colour for garage with white trim around windows only)

Carol

Here are two more versions:

New Version C (taupe body colour with grey trim to divide door in thirds)

New Version D (taupe body colour with white trim to divide door in thirds)

More versions coming tomorrow. However, at this point I like version A the best. What do you think? What other versions would you still like to see mocked up so you can make your final vote?

Carol

Both new versions look fantastic, the best by far!

What would you think about painting the trim around your pretty front door white?

A or C, maybe try reversing the colors on C - grey body w/ taupe trim

I'm no help; I like all the new versions :) And I would think I would like D the least, but the way it mimics the lower window on the right brings a balance that is pleasing to my eye. Good luck picking one!

Still might consider a version of this. It would like less uniform brown irl as we would stain the door like the front door was stained. Thought the coach lights would be oil rubbed bronze. I could try trimming it in white.

New Version E (door to be stained, not painted, the same mahagony brown as the front door)

jlc, do you happen to have a favourite among the 5 posted? The trim around the new door inside and out is real stained mahogany wood inside and out. The door itself is fiberglass stained as carefully as possible to look like wood. So no, I would not consider painting over the real mahogany wood trim.

mdln,

I will work on the reverse of C tomorrow.

One of the reasons the white trim seems to grab me, is before we were completely ignoring the white in the windows. In order to make white windows work, it is a good idea to repeat white somewhere I have read. We had thought initially to do white railing, but it did not look as good as the grey (railing colour was the subject of another post where grey was the clear winner).

Carol

New Version F (solid taupe colour for garage door)

This might still be in the running. In any event, it is good to put a letter label on all possible versions so posters can communicate their vote. This one would be simple to paint.

I like them all, but particularly A, with the addition of painting the very bottom trim rail white, to make a full square.

I really like C too, but it needs a teeny bit of white added. Maybe the just the windows trimmed in white, Or the trim around the outside of the door in white?

I really don't care for E.

So if we go for version A (taupe garage door with white trim around windows and siding), what colour coach lights do we do. Can you find coach lights in the trim colour (the grey around windows and shown in mock deck railing)?

Thanks jlc for your continued input. I will get DH to mock up some more with your tweak ideas.

Carol

These look great!

I really like C, which was not what I suggested :) The gray trim on the garage and the taupe for the garage body color has the effect of coordinating the garage better with the gable trim - and no scaffolding required! I would like to see A with the trim gray instead of white and also the version of C that mdln just suggested.

I really like A too, but the white looks a little too bright and makes it stand out too much. I don't know if the photoshop is accurate but the trim is wider on the garage than around the house windows so my eye is drawn to it. The garage looks smaller with the trim painted on the sides of the garage door and that's good.

Version G (version A with bottom trim white too)

As per jlc's add-on, here is a tweak to version A that I like a lot:

Jumping in to vote for C! Love it! F for second place, and A for third.

G looks great!

For lights, I think bronze or pewter finish would work.

Minka Lavery Bay Crest 1 Light Wall Mount - Dorian Bronze · More Info

Kichler Lighting 49467PL Rivera Contemporary Outdoor Wall Light - Small · More Info

Kichler Lighting Pacific Edge Modern / Contemporary Outdoor Wall Sconce X-ZA5439 · More Info

So nice to get those votes. Thank you all. We will get to those tweaks you guys have suggested soon. Yes the white trim around the garage is wider than the white around the windows. There is no way around that as the garage trim we would be painting on the perimeter is wide. The white was matched to the window white. So yes it is bright. We could go for a warmer or cooler white so it is less bright. Somehow it seems, given the white windows, we need to repeat the white somewhere on the exterior. We will also have Muskoka chairs on the garage deck which can be painted white? Any other way to bring in white rather than the garage?

Love those light finish options in the different bronzes, jlc! They are much lighter and better than oil rubbed bronze. We will also look into pewter.

Carol

Here are two more versions. Who would have thought I would have so many great options to consider. They are all so much better than where we started. Let me know if there are anymore versions to try. I can try red body of garage and taupe trim or any other garage trim/body combination still worth considering.

Version H (taupe body with some grey trim)

Version I (grey body and some taupe trim). I think this one plays nice with the roof. It also gives some relieve from the siding colour. I don't love the taupe siding colour as much as I thought--it is a bit pinky beige. So the grey garage might be just what we need. The solid grey garage door was not good but the combo -- love.

Let me know if you want to see any other versions. This thread has helped us enormously. Thanks to all. Please vote if all options you need are already pictured. Any ideas on repeating white somewhere else if we don't use it in the garage?

Here is a long shot on the house so you can see more roof (this one does not have the deck railings photoshopped in. IRL the roof is Cambridge Charcoal grey (lots of different greys). It looks bluer in this shot than IRL. Lots of roof shows though so not a bad idea to connect garage colour and roof.

Of all the options, I'm really enjoying that 'thirds' treatment, introduced by mdln. Until I saw that one, I hadn't seen that second floor 'attic' beautiful window. And the thirds seems to make it become the focus. I know this can be an eye trick with photos. (All honesty, I stopped reading about other options after seeing it!)

Of your two versions, the one with the darker detail. (Not suggesting this would be a deciding factor, but this version means just painting the trim and leaving the garage in its current color?) (Matching the roof color, I think.) (Maybe you could do a mock up IRL by using dark color of duct tape?)
Yes, I do have an issue with parentheses.

My vote is for I.

It really seems to do everything: connect with the house, tie in with the roof, not stand out in an unattractive manner, add appeal to a protruding garage (our house has one too, and it's not as attractive as your garage).

The doors with light trim also look nice, I'd choose G as a runner-up, but I think adding all that white trim makes the garage door a focal point. I think highlighting the entry with some white, if possible, would be better.

If this appeals to you, since you don't want to paint your entry door, paint the inside and ceiling color of your entry siding either a light color or the main brick color to draw the eye. I think that would be a nice way to enhance the entry.

Wow, you have been busy! Can you try dividing I into thirds?

I like the less taupe best because like you, it is the color I like least of all the colors you have, so less of it is better.

Thanks meanom for your comments. I am not sure which thirds version is your favourite from you comments. Can you please pick a version by letter so I know? The garage door in it's current state is not quite the siding colour just the closest match from the garage maker's choices. In all scenarios we would paint the door, not leave it the near miss beige.

Thanks melle_sacto for your vote and explanation why you like it best. I do love the front door as is as it looks like real wood to me. I will get DH to mock up the idea of painting the siding white in the recessed area of the entry as well as the soffits white over the recessed entry. Creative solution for adding white.

Carol

mdln, thanks you have helped so much. Here is the modification you suggested. Loving the less taupe and more grey too.

Version J (grey body, taupe trim in thirds)

I thought I posted but don't see it. I like C and J the best. You can't go wrong now. All your recent versions are good.

You could bring some white down to the garage area with landscaping - either pots or dwarf white flowering bushes would look great at the foundation.

Your home is going to look so pretty!

Yes, C and J.

C would be more taupe and J would be less taupe.

(Once that is decided, then onto considering ways of emphasizing your entrance. Maybe that can happen while you work on your landscaping.)

I like J best, C second best While I like the idea of repeating the white, I think white on the garage door brings more attention to it than you want.

Suggestion: when buying the actual paint, bring a sample of your siding & roofing to one of the places that has a color consultant. The color consultant at my local Benjamin Moore store was great, she saw undertones I would have missed (and saved me a lot of repainting).

Driving back from the store this AM I noticed a lot more garage doors. There is someone who stained their door the same color as their front door and it looks great! The stain gives it variation in color and it looks like a real wood door. So good, I may do that to my garage door. If it looks bad, I'll just paint over it.

I think the two toned looks really take away from the beauty of the front door-- 2 totally different styles, imo... a plainer look to match the siding(or maybe one shade darker than the siding) and downplay the garage is what I would look into... (along the lines of F)

My garage vote is no white trim. It seems to draw more attention to the garage. I like J the best, the color and how it breaks the garage into thirds.

Since the birch plays a big role in the overall plans, you might want to investigate the bronze birch borer. We lost a birch last year, and it looks like the second birch is on its way out, as well as the neighbor's birches. I think sapsuckers kill the tree by feeding on the borers. The tree defoliates from the top and then the top dies. The first sign I noticed in the years before that happened is droopy branches with bare areas like yours. Look for holes in the bark. D-shaped holes are caused by the borers, and the sapsuckers leave rows of holes. I read that 15 years is about all you should expect from a birch.

Nice to come back to all these votes. You guys are the best. I appreciate the other bits and pieces of advice you have thrown my way including birch tree care, ways to bring white in, colour matching, etc. I think our top two are versions "J" and "I". I am in the camp that says less taupe the better. The north elevation of our house does not flatter the taupe -- it looks better on the other 3 elevations. I am torn between "J" and "I". Version "I" is less busy and I think that is good. However, "I" seems to make the door wider which is not good. Version "J" is busier, but the thirds narrows the door. Does one fit the style of front door better than the other? Busybee pointed out that any two toned look did not suit the door. Darn. I hope that will not be the general impression created.

If you care to vote for your favourite among the final two contestants "J" and "I" please do. I will tally the votes and let you know what is the favourite (truly I am undecided between these 2 choices). Here are the finalists ........ Please cast your final vote one more time ...... Thanks!

Version I (grey body and some taupe trim)

Version J (Grey body, taupe trim in thirds):

Carol

P.S. Please don't forget to vote one more time.

I got DH to Photoshop the top 2 finalists (Version I and J) from further back from the house. Perhaps it will help you give a final vote between the two top contenders.

Version I from further away

Version J From further Away

My vote is for I because it's less busy and your eye can move past it

I like J better, only slightly. Either could work.

I vote for J. On I, my eye keeps looking for the lines between the windows to continue down. It's like they're missing, whereas J looks more complete.

J, it seems to make the house look taller, but I would be fine.

I vote for J

ditto what mdln said earlier... I like J best, C second best While I like the idea of repeating the white, I think white on the garage door brings more attention to it than you want.

J for me, too.

J

In the final vote, it looks like J has it. Thanks so much for your input. Version J is so much nicer. Now I have to decide:

1)What colour to stain or paint two Muskoka chairs teenage son is building for the garage landing and a wood table too (grey, deep red or even white are our thoughts).

2)How and where to repeat some white (flower pots, painting the recessed area of entry, etc

3)Finish on exterior lights (bronze like posted above or pewter).

Simple - start a new thread for the next one that drives you mad!

Thanks. meanom I did start a new thread on adding some whites to speak to the windows. One suggestion was to paint white casing around garage (currently that is grey). Since so many helped on this thread with the difficult garage door decision, I wanted to make sure I wasn't messing with the garage door if we add some white. Here is the long shot. Feel free to comment on the other thread or here.

Please tell me if you like J or this new J with white version:

J with white casing:

Here is the link to the repeating white on the exterior thread, for those that can stomach one more of my exterior design elements. If not, thanks for all the amazing help on my garage door decision. You guys are the best!

Carol

[Thread: Repeating white on the exterior to speak to windows [(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/repeating-white-on-the-exterior-to-speak-to-white-windows-dsvw-vd~3185395)

I prefer your garage without the white.