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frmrsdghtr

Curb appeal help please...

10 years ago

We just moved into this home and need some color help. We will be patching and paintings the wood siding and waves, replacing the garage door and paintings the front door. I'm so stuck on color! I actually like the brick but the dark brown is awful. Can anyone Photoshop some different colors for me?

Comments (46)

  • 10 years ago

    The whole side And back is also dark brown wood.

  • 10 years ago

    I actually don't mind al the brown. It works with that style of house. But the front door/sidelight should be painted. Although your house looks to be ca 1975-85, it has a little bit of a mid-century feel. Maybe a nice orange for the front door?

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    I think it has tons of potential but the brown is too heavy . Have you considered either a light gray or mid range gray to replace the dark brown? Then you can use any color for the door, citrus green or orange would be pretty. Trim and garage, I'd go white

    Samples for inspiration

    Love how this is opposite gray trim, white walls. wood is fabulous



  • 10 years ago

    Cute house! I rather like it as is, except for the front door.

    Our brick is somewhat similar, and I'm planning to copy a house in the next neighborhood with similar brick. They used a soft, fair green, the green that reminds you of spring just as the trees and bushes are starting to think about leafing out, with cream trim. I think it looks like a fresh morning, and yet I'd never have imagined green with the brick.

    Or, a caramel or a khaki, one of the lighter colors in the brick.

  • 10 years ago

    I just have to ask, is this in a town sometimes abbreviated L'ville? It just looks familiar somehow...don't want to give your location away too much.

  • 10 years ago

    I think lukki posted some great choices. Can you post a close up pic of the brick so we can see it better. I'm wondering if it's too warm for a dark gray, but if it would work it would be stunning. I really like the lighter taupe she posted in the 3rd pic with the white trim, too. Then you could do a teal door (my choice) or many other colors.

  • 10 years ago

    Oh, thanks for the help. I see so much potential (and work) ahead of us :). I will post a close up during daylight. We aren't anywhere near that town :). I think the brick is too warm for grey. Besides I just redid our master bedroom and bath and I'm a bit sick of gray. Hope to go a bit warmer :)

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Here is your brick enlarged. This is from the section to the left of garage door.

    Here are some WARM GRAYS that would work with the BRICK. Not true grays but nice. If it were me I'd do Perfect Geige, it's not too light or too dark for blending the brick. However, it is much much lighter than what you have now. A lighter shade down from Griege will make your brick pop a bit more so it all depends on the look you are after. I would paint the garage door the same color.

    If you want it a little darker go with Spalding Gray. That will give a little more modern look. NOTE: both Spalding and Greige show a little lighter than chit. when up and covering a large area.

    Look how nice Perfect Greige is with the Heron Plume trim.

    Then do a brighter or (?) door color that you love. How about something in a green tone? As you can see with the brick close-up there is a tiny tiny tic of pink undertone in some parts. You may not be able to see it but it's there, same as the paint samples I've shown ...so,good match. Some sort of green door color would be the nice contrast. The lightest Heron Plume above would be a nice trim color, it shows a bit lighter in real life.

    Or, maybe one of these shades for a door. Not yellow I don't think, but the rest are pretty.

  • 10 years ago

    I would stick to the color palate in the brick. Grays are all the rage, but will pass. Your home is solidly in the brown family, embrace it. Adding a new color (green) will only make people assume it is your favorite--but doesn't really make sense. Right now the front door has too big a contrast, it may be fine once the siding is painted a soft light brown tone, but more likely you will need to find an off white for it to blend. What will your garage door look like? Perhaps they should match your front door. The style these days is all one color, window trim, siding, fascia. It is not my favoite look as it flattens a home but perhaps with all the different colors in your brick it is the way to go. Your garage door/access door and siding are all different browns. Pictures are tough but none of them seem quite right to me. They make me want you to try a lighter shade in your brick, it gives you your palate, find some paint cards with the same range of browns. I agree the dark needs to be let go.

    Janelle Van thanked arcy_gw
  • 10 years ago

    I had to laugh when I saw the sample pictures were nearly all in gray. In my neighborhood virtually all new mcmansions are two stories, painted some shade of gray, have three peaks on the roof, have white trim (one house reversed the trend and was painted white and has gray shutters), have small areas of unpainted shingle as a decoration and have a low water, gravel and Astroturf yard and convey a beachy vibe...Neo-Cape Cod at its finest.

    That said I personally liked the sample above that was white with the pretty wood well under the roof line where it wouldn't be destroyed in the next rainstorm.

    The paint companies now allow you to upload your photo and change all of the paint colors on the house. I would start there.

    Janelle Van thanked practigal
  • 10 years ago

    I think your main changes are either to stay brown or go to a warm grey -- the greige side of brown, but I'm not sure about a true grey or cooler grey. It looks like your brick has some grey in it, so it can lean that way. The browns that are there are colors from the last century -- they fit the age of the house, but they are also faded and tired looking. They also look like they may have faded in a way that they don't go as well with the other as they originally did.

    Can you post a close up photo of the brick? Fresh paint is going to be a big improvement.

    Janelle Van thanked lascatx
  • 10 years ago

    I would repaint the gar. door in light tan or color of your choice and then do the front door the same color, (not a loud color) neither door is all that attractive. Also have your driveway stained it's a whole lot of ugly concrete.

  • 10 years ago

    Wow!

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Don't discount gray with the warm tones in your brick. Lukkiirish's first 2 photos show that a dark gray/blue can work. You need some sort of contrast with your brick.

    Janelle Van thanked User
  • 10 years ago

    Definitely go lighter to update it but I'd stick with the beige/taupe tones in the brick. My local Benjamin Moore store has a color advisor so ask if your store has the same.....it may save you buying lots of test samples. If there is brick on the back of the house don't hesitate to start painting large test samples on the house (next to the brick).

    Also, take a good photo of the brick, enlarge it and take that with you to the paint store.

    Janelle Van thanked annztoo
  • 10 years ago

    Close up of brick -

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Now that I see this ( I was right about the pink) I like my 2nd choice better. SW Spalding Gray.

    Spalding Gray.

    However, Perfect Greige would still work.

    Hmmm, like them both!!!

    Think I like the Heron Plume trim with the Perfect Greige.

    And, the Popular Gray trim with the Spalding Gray. (Note both trim colors show lighter in real life outside.)

  • 10 years ago

    I was thinking a desaturated olive green siding but now that I see all the red tones in your brick it would probably look too pink against a green siding.

  • 10 years ago

    Here is the one with doors a Spalding Gray

  • 10 years ago

    Dian, could you do it with the trim color? That will make a world of difference. If husband wasn't off this week I'd do a nice mockup but don't have time.

  • 10 years ago

    Just so you know, the dark brown has to be painted. It's badly faded in spots and much more ugly IRL: )

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    I hope someone will photoshop a colorful front door with the paint options you'll consider (I don't know how, or I would). They just look so terrific on your style home, I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to have one.

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Frm, can you post another angle of the house that shows the roof line that is covered by the tree?

  • 10 years ago

  • 10 years ago

    Sorry about the truck in the way. Don't have the keys!

  • 10 years ago

    Practigal, maybe the color on your monitor is off, but the samples I posted are not all gray.

    On my monitor, this is actually a blue w/a gray base

    Brown, no gray

    White with charcoal trim

    Yes, Gray, since I suggested it.


    I think the wood is beautiful and is not that unrealistic. It would really add to the style of your house. Using a teak or even walnut with a good waterlox sealer, the wood would hold up for years under most weather conditions.

    The picture you posted is too small digitally to play with on the painting software I have access to, but if you post a larger photo it would be fun to give it a try.

  • 10 years ago

    Frm, are you feeling a direction you want to go yet?

  • 10 years ago

    I would paint the house a light greige/beige to match the light portion of the bricks. I like the chocolate-looking trim around the windows and would continue that as an accent color. You could paint the garage doors to blend in with that lighter color, or, budget permitting, replace them with a wood door or wood-look door as previously mentioned. That house would look nice with wood accents... (garage door, front door, maybe those posts, etc.)

  • 10 years ago

    At first your roof looked more gray-brown, but in the new photo it looks more brown. Which is it irl?

    I like the Spalding Gray suggested and would consider one color down (the Perfect Greige) for the trim and garage door. As long as it doesn't bring out the pink once you paint a sample. Then I'd look at a nice contrast for the front door. I really like the sage green Jterrilynn posted with the greige colors but you could easily do a muted turquoise or teal, gray-blue, or something else to tone down the pink.

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Hey everyone, feel free to use this to add your own colors or wood.

    The door is muti- colored to show how many shades would work.

    SW Perfect Greige 6073

  • 10 years ago

    Thank you so much terri-lynn! Exactly what im looking for. How did you do this?

  • 10 years ago

    Can you do this once more with slightly more brown and a green door?

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Give me some examples of green you like and I will try to do tomorrow : )

    Would you like a door color close to the color I did the plants in?

  • 10 years ago

    The white walls and wood looked good!

  • 10 years ago

    I like wood too but it is probably out of our budget since we are hitting the interior. I agree this home looks mcm and felt a little bummed the first time we went through. It's a split level but works well for our family. I like bright green I think. Maybe something like jukebox? love what you posted too. Awesome visual! Thanks!

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Post some pictures of greens you like and ill try for tomorrow. Have you thought about a concrete cutter and plant bed in the front? You could put a concrete stop/bumper there so no one would run over plants.

  • 10 years ago

    I hadn't thought of it until I saw your pic. Love that idea!

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Well, I have been fooling around with colors. The darker SW Spalding Gray above & below looks great with the brick, it's darker than my mock-up but in the same chit. The problem comes in when I add more brown to it ( as to your request) .I have a problem with door colors jiving. If I add more brown and then a green door it makes the salmon-y pink in the brick POP out not in a good way. I'm not finding a way for it to work. It's so horrible I'm not posting it.

    There is a lady down my street who has Fred Flintstones on her front. She painted her house the most unlikely shade of chartreuse and it looks amazing! However, she has all your brick colors except the salmon-y ishy pink shade in her stone.

    if you go with the darker Spalding or the med tone Perfect Greige and do not like any of the warm door shades in above mock-up perhaps something in the eggplant color family for the door. Otherwise, a shade in the mock-up door works best.

    I realize the door above looks a tad too bright overall but there are some deeper less bright colors in there.

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Still haven't found the green, teal or blue-ish door that will work but maybe others can help. I know the purplish door is a hard sell but it is pretty. I couldn't find the exact wood door shade but here is one. A wood door would be fabulous!!!!

    These are all shades on the same Sherwin Williams chit. The 2nd darkest to right of door is Spalding Gray. The darkest above door is Garret Gray. I can see a green door if using Garret or Splading.

    pretend the side lite is painted.

    SW Garret Gray

    If you want to stay somewhat the same try these. They have more brown.

    Here is SW Cobble Brown 6082

  • 10 years ago

    Nice bright look. Good job with the mock-ups. I'd still vote for something in the blue family or the door if you can't go with wood.

    One thing I'd do which would be very cheap is to beef up the support post at the corner of the porch. In one of the mock-ups it looks a little larger and it really makes a difference. Just cladding over the old one and a little molding should be easy.

  • 10 years ago

    justerrilynn, those mock ups look great! What a difference.

  • 10 years ago

    Amazing! Think I will grab some samples. Love the wood front door too!

  • 10 years ago

    Thanks all!!! Frm, make sure you post an after please.

    Janelle Van thanked just_terrilynn
  • 10 years ago

    Help, I think the home is much more brown irl than the mockup picture. We have painted and replaced with facia with wicker color, and now need a siding color. Front what we have done so far I know I dont want to go to light. But the medium brown siding sample I have is so brown. Boring brown. And I love earth tones. What to do?

  • 10 years ago

    Or something like this?

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