Help me liven up our monotone tan exterior!!

9 years ago

We recently purchased this home. It took me some time to figure out what specifically I didn't like about the exterior of this home (at least something more helpful than "It's not the Cape Cod I always dreamed of") and it finally hit me that I don't like the color the previous owners chose for the roof. It seems too similar to the brick color and washes out the entire front of the house. I'm also someone who tends to like cool colors, so the warm oranges/tans/reds are hard for me to accept.

However, the roof is brand new (less than 2 yrs old) so it's not going anywhere. I figure these are my options:

Repainting the shutters and front door (currently a honey oak color). Would that be enough? If so, any color suggestions?
Do I go the route of staining the brick? What color? Darker red? Brown? Greenish?
Do I go the possibly evil route and paint the brick? What color?
Something else entirely?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Featured Answer

RL Relocation LLC

9 years ago

maybe add a trellis or eyebrow over the garage to break up the straight block look. one of the problems is the shutters on the larger windows are too small. also opening up some more landscape to the left of the garage. if you dont love the wishing well... ditch it and add some garden to the foreground. i like the dark gray over the black.

scale up the size of the wall lights, add planter boxes, remove lower shutters, enlarge right window shutters, bulk up the gardens, paint the garage door.

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Comments (14)

acm
9 years ago
You have three orange/brown finishes: roof, brick, and stone. So I'd leave those and see what you can do with the shutters and door. Maybe black for the former and blue for the latter? let me PHotoshop a bit...
acm
9 years ago
Ok, charcoal, not black. It makes a pretty big difference. (Sorry, I had to paint over your wishing well for you to see it. Be sure to paint the sidelights to match the shutters.)
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PRO
Jenn Gers Design
9 years ago
I agree, as an inexpensive start, change the shutters and door color, maybe the garage door also. That may be enough to make you happy with it.
PRO
Barbara Griffith Designs
9 years ago
The blue door is startling and it is the only thing you see. I agree about black shutters, but I would paint the door also black as well as the inside of the arch over the door. I would paint the garage door , sorry to say, the color of the brick so the large piece of white that really goes with nothing will disappear.

On both sides of the door plant a tall green plant/tree (center in the bricked space) add another matching plant/tree between the window and garage, and one more off the left side of the garage.

If you have more to look at, the brick will be minimized, now it is all you see.
Andrea Gardner Apatow
9 years ago
White wash the brick... egg blue shutters and a shade darker blue for front door... tres elegant!
Amanda Rominiecki
Original Author
9 years ago
hmmm something like this perhaps?
Amanda Rominiecki
Original Author
9 years ago
LOVE the idea of a trellis over the garage!!!! And planter boxes on the windows are great too! You're making me feel better about my warm, tan brick house! (The wishing well is covering up the septic access cover in the front flower bed right there. I'm not really in love with it, but not sure what to do with it otherwise. Even if i planted around it, I'd still have a good sized round hole in the bed.)
RL Relocation LLC
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
get one of those fake rocks you can buy online to put over it..........

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Emsco-Large-Resin-Landscape-Rock-in-Deluxe-Natural-Textured-Finish-2881-1/204370018?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-BASE-PLA-D28O-OutdoorGarden%7c&gclid=Cj0KEQjwkZfLBRCzg-69tJy84N8BEiQAffAwqqeH6iMLgtxZ9Oot9uEuV4hFH867fwMoAbP4X3SMJaEaAtvd8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds
RL Relocation LLC
9 years ago
you could also remove the half round design above the door and do a little awning or cover there as well.
PRO
Foresight Custom Homes
9 years ago
Paint the hole House white and go with rustic black shingle roof and dark shutters!
RL Relocation LLC
9 years ago
oh no
Susan Davis
9 years ago
I oddly enough think a creamy warm white or tan would be nice. Remove the shutters, add wide brick moldings around all the windows, and paint them all creme...remove the arch, too stylized and add an awning in black or deep charcoal over the front door and paint the door shiny black.

example of cream trim on tan house.
Valencia 1180 · More Info
RL Relocation LLC
9 years ago
can we see the depth of the walkway garden area?