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New paint. Spanish colonial house. What color door?

We're painting our cute little house soon! This is what it looks like now...


We're painting the exterior and trim to match these Dunn-Edwards colors...


But I'm in love with the idea of a Spanish blue door. But which shade?





Comments (27)

  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    5 years ago

    Shame on you for posting a photo of your home that is the size of the stamp!!


    I've blown up the image about 500% and here is what we have.

    So can we assume that the aluminum awning is being permanently removed because there are no aluminum awnings on Spanish style homes?

    Are you painting the trim all dark brown like in your inspiration picture?

    Are you having the home starting at the roof carefully washed prior to painting? You'll need to wait to have the brick moisture dry out so the applied paint has less chance of peeling.

    I would try out paint colors directly on the door after the house is painted.







  • Elizabeth Forrest Lambert
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Great advice, Beverley. Yes, we're bidding farewell to the aluminum awnings, though depending on the level of sun that room kids, we might put up spear awnings at a later point in time. And yes, we're having it all washed beforehand. Our painter does great work - painted our last house, too. Though we are not painting the brick, it's sweet and original so we're letting it shine.


    As for the trim, I'm a little conflicted. I can either paint all the trim dark, or I can skip the windows. The white windows are not original so having them blend might be preferred. Thoughts?

  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    5 years ago

    Sorry I thought you were painting the brick.

  • sloyder
    5 years ago

    I would paint the house white, looks like it is already painted brown. Then you can paint the door some vibrant color, to make the house pop.


    house link

  • Elizabeth Forrest Lambert
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    That's the plan, Sloyder, but I was asking which shade of blue for the door.

  • sloyder
    5 years ago

    I think I would go with Dunn Edwards Snow Lodge



  • palimpsest
    5 years ago

    I would use the brighter of your choices.

  • Elizabeth Forrest Lambert
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Sloyeder - both my husband and I LOVE that color selection and we're going to get a sample of it. Thank you!

  • Elizabeth Forrest Lambert
    Original Author
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago



    Here's a better picture of the house. We're thinking brown for the gutters and columns, white for the plaster above the brick, and blue for the door. Since the bright white windows are a bit awkward, we're thinking that we'll just paint the trim around the windows white so that they blend a bit better.

  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    match your gutters to the house color. I wouldn't have the brick, the white, the red roof, the blue door and then throw in brown gutters. if you really want to jazz it up, do the gutters in a copper (or copper look-alike), but then I would do black trim. copper, black, white and the blue door would look great. just like this.

    if doing the black trim, I'd do the porch posts in black too.

    (and paint the porch black too. or pick a spanish tile and do that)

  • sloyder
    5 years ago

    I would paint the gutters to match the terra cotta tiled roof.

    Benjamin Moore Terra Cotta Tile

  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    redsilver,,,,She's not painting the brick. don't know why you're going off on a tangent. (if the correct paint and prep, like primer, is used for brick, it will last just as long as paint on a house. they have masonry paint that lets brick breathe. and it's lime wash. lyme is a disease)

  • Elizabeth Forrest Lambert
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Thanks, all. When I say "brown" I mean the brown featured in the sample photo. It looks black, But it's actually a very dark brown, Dunn Edwards' Espresso Machiatto.



    At the very least, we'll be painting the posts this color, but we were thinking about doing the gutters (right under the roof line on both tiers) this color as well. Now I'm wondering if we should keep those white, but that may look really funky on the bottom roof tier, as the gutters butt up to the posts.

  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I'd still use a black. that macchiato has a purple/gray undertone.

    whatever the gutters rest on, paint them the same color. if on the plaster, do them in white. if on the trim, paint them the trim color. on the down spout portion, I'd paint them dark so they don't stand out. I still like the black trim option, black window trim, white stucco, and possibly a light lime wash on that brick, depending on how it looks once cleaned, and that darker blue color for the door.

  • emmarene9
    5 years ago

    I like Mission Bay Blue best. It reminds me of this photograph.

  • Elizabeth Forrest Lambert
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    I used Dunn Edwards' visualizer tool to map out the plan. Beth - I tried the stark black on the trim, but I just didn't love it so I went back with the espresso macchiato. However, I do plan to replace the old metal awning with a black spear awning.


    None of the blues we've discussed so far looked right, but then I stumbled upon a shade called Weathered Blue and I think it looks perfect.


    What do you think?


  • sloyder
    5 years ago

    Weathered blue on my screen looks more of a gray, not very exciting

  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I like everything but that blue color. I think you can pick something better. something about that tone just doesn't do anything for the house. It's prob too cool toned for all of the warmer elements around it. try more of a cobalt blue, like this one

    or switch colors completely.

    Black would look good. I like the awning.

    this is Dark Night from SW

  • Elizabeth Forrest Lambert
    Original Author
    5 years ago
    I think we’ve decided to go with San Miguel blue.

    (Note that we’ll be removing the aluminum awning.)
  • Chris S
    5 years ago
    I think it looks very nice. The window looks fine to me. Maybe wait awhile to see if you change your mind because you’re used to seeing something over the window.
  • Mrs. S
    5 years ago

    Just chiming in to say it looks so much better. Suth a cute house. I really like it without the awning. A wood arbor would please my eye much more than an awning, but I defer to experts, like Beth and Palimpsest and Beverly. It might help with glare to investigate glare-reducing film for the windows, and interior shutters/curtains, rather than the awning--just my thoughts.

    Do you like the color of the front steps? I am quibbling here, because it looks quite nice, but I like the muddier color that blends in with the brick a bit better.

    Lastly, I love the color of the front door. Good work.

  • Anne Duke
    5 years ago
    Call in a landscape designer.
  • Elizabeth Forrest Lambert
    Original Author
    5 years ago
    Mrs. S - funny you should mention the steps! We plan to paint them a more neutral light brown to blend with the brick once the weather dries up a bit.
  • Elizabeth Forrest Lambert
    Original Author
    5 years ago
    Anne - we had a landscape architect draw up plans but we’ll be waiting a couple of years to execute the front yard because the backyard is in desperate need of a makeover and I think the front yard isn’t too bad.
  • Elizabeth Forrest Lambert
    Original Author
    5 years ago


    Overbrook Residence · More Info

    I'm looking at a more subtle version of this. An arbor with less depth and bougainvillea trained to climb up the wall.

  • wendito123
    4 years ago

    Beautiful! You made some great choices. What white and dark trim did you go with?