[houzz=]

how about a brown and cream trim

check this houzz site for paint colors on this pic https://www.houzz.com/photos/rustic-exterior-rustic-exterior-burlington-phvw-vp~107179

You could paint a light er shade of grey and contrast the railing color

It's interesting that this combination is suggested. I have attached a picture of the back of the cottage which you will see already has a contrast very much like that suggested. Thanks :)

hardy plank timber bark is a great color choice with what you have already selected

I really like that color but am unable to find where to buy the paint. Is there a specific brand I should be looking for? Thanks.

Upon digging further, I gather timber bark is the color of a siding. Can anyone suggest a good paint color match for this color?

In your first photo the house has a darker shade than the last pic you posted of the back of the house. Are these 2 different colors.?
I think that the railing at the front would look better in natural wood as shown at the back of the house, But maybe there is a paint out there that can achieve this effect.
We'll need to have the paint experts on here to answer that question..

https://www.google.ca/search?q=timber+bark+paint+color&client=firefox-a&hs=LiS&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=vkxnUY_bFsLk4AP_tIHoDA&ved=0CDUQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=606
check this site for match colors to timber bark

Hi Anne. Thanks so much for that link. The cottage is supposed to be the same color. However, my husband was the painter and when he ran out of paint, he had it remixed at a different store and thus the color difference. You have a good eye. I was hoping no one would notice!!

I hope the link helps some. Well it's the back of the house. Whose lookin' :)

I think we have a paint expert in MWDH.

Amazing! I do love the color suggestions from MWDH as gray has always been in the back of my mind. Our shingles are actually called weatherwood, and although they appear quite brown, at times they can look gray. The front (lakeside) of the cottage has been completed, but the back has yet to be shingled. Do you have an idea of a color for the floor and stairs? Thank you so much for everyone for their help! So much appreciated!!

Look at sw smokehouse to match the timberbark. You might look at link gray and its lighter tones, as it goes kind of green which gives you the earthiness under the warm roof - straight gray is going to fight with the roof, I think, but a taupe or green-gray will be terrific. Since you have white windows, and a lot of your deck and railings are in the earthy taupe family now, let me suggest some other options to consider.

Your house now looks a lot like sw studio taupe. http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW7549-studio-taupe/ As a stand in, I've linked it because I might use some of it since you have so much to paint. Of course this photo shows flowers and green like spring is busting out, but even in the bare winter, the moss on those rocks would welcome an earthy green.

I would be inclined (unless for maintenance reasons they beg to be painted) to leave the deck and stairs and railings all this shade (it is a warm neutral tho on the cool side - it approximates wood tone and you know it works with your roof). Your exposed foundation and screening underslab is already painted and these areas are the most time consuming to paint.

Maybe take the body of the house in this sage direction for charm http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW6178-clary-sage/ sw clary sage. Try to select a lighter tan like sw relaxed khaki (in the same tone as the decking appears to be) for all the trim at eaves and around the doors and windows. http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW6149-relaxed-khaki/ Important as the lighter tan will bridge they eye from the white white of the newer vinyl windows and doors to the natural tones of the setting and help it not jar. Lighter trim than body color is also more modern and charming on a cottage.

I would put a beautiful deep blue-green like sw drizzle on the front door - http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW6479-drizzle/

The painted windows that are now tan would get a two tone treatment to help them appear like the new white vinyl / read consistent across the house. Here's how - take the drizzle's white shade to paint out all the sashes of windows that can be painted - http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW6476-glimmer/
I'm guessing that you have both vinyl and painted windows. Right now it appears that trim around the windows and doors has been all painted the same shade. Trim would contrast with windows a tad in my scheme. If all your windows and doors are paintable, then I'd go to the next deeper shade on the drizzle card and paint them all sw Lagoon

Where the charming wood shingle is on the cottage and hasn't been painted, I would paint it in the clary sage too. So to recap -

Body of house sw clary sage 6178
trim eaves sw relaxed khaki 6149
decking and railings and stairs as is - looks like sw studio taupe 7549 (I used as reference shade)
front door - sw drizzle 6479
painted window sashes - glimmer 6476 or if all paintable 6480 lagoon


If you want to make the cottage look more like a ranch / shorter and wider, you could paint out the horizontal banding a deeper shade of green from the clary - like http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW6180-oakmoss/

Thank you for putting in so much time and effort into my cottage color scheme. Your recommendations and inclusion of paint colors and numbers, along with all the other useful information, is awesome. So much to think about!! :)

I like current color or similar color.Paint railings to contrast either white ,cream or chocolate if you stay with brown tones. Charcoal if you go with gray.Paint adirondack chairs red.You need apop of color.

I have some red in the kitchen, so painting the Adirondacks red is a great idea!! Thanks.

FYI. If you put green undertones with taupe which has some pink in it, the green will bring out the taupe and I don't think that's the look you are after. The timber bark in case you're wondering is a James hardie fibre cement color. If you go to James hardie.com click on residential and you can select a style of cottage or house and play around with color. I still think rock port gray is lovely as long as you add lots of white to keep it fresh. Gray needs colour to bring it to life. If you have white and gray can can almost accent with any bright colour. Painting your railings and risers white will give you a high end look for little money, just some elbow grease.

I really love Rockport Gray. Do you think it would work okay with my shingle color (above)? If you do, then I think that is the direction I am going to go. Also, would it blend okay with the shakes at the back of the cottage or would you paint those out as well. Thanks again!!

Absolutely Rockport Gray will go with your roof. The undertone in Rockport Gray is green so it will complement it nicely. As far as white trim, if you like something between a cream and a white you can use BM Cloud White or Simply White is gorgeous. Good luck!

Thanks! Can't wait for the warm weather to get here so we can begin the transformation. So exciting!!

Your welcome! It's a lot of fun when you are happy with the results. Keep searching houzz for inspiration there's so much there.

rockport gray is a beautiful color, but very close to what you have now but darker in tone - you will want the body of your home to be lighter than the roof, and I'm not sure this will do that for you. Still, it has a lot to recommend it -

got carried away above - love your place! best of luck!

Thanks libradesigneye for your thoughts, I'll have to think this all over before starting the job later in the spring!!

Hi Holly, the timber bark color is a hardy plank color. Slegg lumber managed to mix the right color for me for my main trim. The hardy plank color Cobblestone is a nice addition to use as well for accents. (I've used it for my doors and window frames).

Hi Holly,

I really like your current color or something similar- sounds like you're on the same page. But I think painting your deck and railings white would be a great shift! Contrast... And I love the painted chair idea. Good luck!

Thanks adrianadamdrew and Color Zen. I appreciate all the feedback and information!

A n amazing INTERIOR neutral color you may want to check out is Martha Stewarts Sharkey Grey. I have yet to find anything even close to it. Awesome.