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sandeep_singh6695

Am I overthinking it or did I mess up? Need some insight please.

4 years ago

First time buyers we ended up going with a builder. Picked out our designs at a design center and everything has been coming along smoothly the last few months.


However now the stone has put on the last few weeks, we're not exactly thrilled about the color scheme/stone exterior that we chose. At the design center all the color combinations that we saw (brick/stone/siding) looked great under the bright lights and we thought the color scheme we also chose would turn out really nice. And I mean it doesn't look bad but it just doesn't scream curbside appeal. If anything the more I look at it seems like the stone is jumping out a little too much compared to the overall paint color of the home. All the other houses in the neighborhood seem to have a "reasonable flow" of colors from their exteriors.


So my question is what kind of change do you think we can do? Kind of a stupid question, but is it possible to maybe paint over the stone to a different color? Perhaps more of a reddish hue? Or should we consider repainting a part of the house to work in with the stone a little bit?


Stone color is Ohio Blue Vein cut stone







Comments (130)

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    I think you house is a beautiful home, wait till you put in the landscaping. After the landscaping is done, if you find it needs more punch, you can introduce a 3rd colour such as black to complement the scheme:




  • 4 years ago

    I think your stone work is pretty. it's the siding color next to the roof color that's throwing you off. They are too similar. Consider a lighter blue/grey for the siding.

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    Completely agree with the Original Author. The house looks OK, but something prevents full joy. I think the house looks flat, cos the greyish colour of the roof and blue-greyish colour of the house don't make any contrast. And together they don't make a good match to the stone. White trim also doesn't match with the stone. I would consider to find different colour for the house and for the trim. Of course you need the answer what colour it might be, but from this point there is not enough close pictures of the stone colour to figure out. Use https://www.dulux.ca/diy/colour/paint-colour-visualizer. It takes time, but it worth to do.

  • 4 years ago

    @lisedv wow that actually looks a lot better. Thank you for taking the time to do that. The landscaping does make it look more vibrant to work with.

  • 4 years ago

    @Arslonga I can't really change the siding now since it's too late. But I'm gonna try to make the landscaping work in with the house for now and see how that goes. Maybe then I'll think about changing the paint on the door/garage if need be.

  • 4 years ago

    @Gram 1954 yeah that's what I'm thinking

  • 4 years ago

    I’ve looked at all the pictures and read all the comments. The pictures you submitted do a disservice because apparently there’s more color and architectural detail that has been added and even more still to come (white columns etc.). Typical of most of my clients, they see a project half done and begin to second guess. Wait until the house is almost complete, at least on the exterior, before you start changing things. You’ll probably surprise yourself with what a great job you’ve actually done. Also keep in mind whether or not there are any guidelines or regulations that might be imposed by either the builder or a neighborhood governing body (HOA) regarding colors and or architectural elements for the Neighborhood/subdivision.

    Keep us posted and please take some pictures of the house with more work completed on the exterior, and please take them on a sunny day

  • 4 years ago

    Beautiful, all that is required here is painting the Front entrance door & garage door. Too much white is jumping out. Think a muted colour with grey undertones or a soft tan colour. Tip: if your front entrance door has a glass insert please paint the white trim the same door colour. Has a huge impact

  • 4 years ago

    I've read all comments and here's my take:

    1. agree that everyone has a different take! That makes it hard for you to hold on to any one thing as good advice. Trust your gut.

    2. I think what may be throwing you off is that your stone color is warm without much gray in it, and your house color is cool. Changing the house color to a warmer color would be what I would do. In lieu of that, see #3.

    3. I love the idea of natural wood columns and door, and would include the shutters in that as well. This look is very "in" right now, and it would definitely give you an upgrade.

    4. Your shutters are a stock type and don't match the style of your house. I'd go with a board and batten shutter instead. If you don't want to go with a natural wood, they should be a deep charcoal - almost black.


    S S thanked Nancy Boyken
  • 4 years ago

    I like the blue and stone. I wish my house had stone instead of brick. I would leave it and wait to improve your views with landscaping. However, if after that you still find it off then I would redo the stone on the garage with additional siding to reduce the 50/50 split. I also think the 3rd color idea is a good one. Maybe change out garage doors to a black.

  • 4 years ago

    I really like the paint color with the stone. I agree that a wood front door would give warmth to the look and make it more welcoming. After all is done and landscaping goes in, you might consider changing the color of the garage door. Quite an expanse of white but might be fine once greenery softens everything. There was a photo posted with no shutters but wider trim around windows. Like that look. better than the shutters. Enjoy your new home!

  • 4 years ago

    I think you made good choices. Looks very nice.

    I do think the shutters look good, especially when painted black.

    They make the upstairs windows wider which makes their width more in line with the downstairs windows.

    All in all--very nice!!

  • 4 years ago

    Paint shutters, front door and garage door black

  • 4 years ago

    As a realtor, I think you've made good choices.......the stone contrast against the blue works well.

    Right now you have a building-in-progress sitting on dirt, as opposed to a completed home tied into it's surroundings. Good landscaping is TRULY the curb appeal element that will help soften the exterior and bring things together.

    S S thanked Donna McGreal
  • 4 years ago

    What i see is a stone that is bossing you around. It looks like you have charcoal roofing that works with the gray blue of the siding and then when the warmth of the stone went on it threw everything off. The cheapest option is to repaint the siding with a color that will both work with the shingles and the stone, and if needed, to then find a trim color to work with the siding, shingles, and stone. The more expensive option would be to remove the stone and replace with the gray blue siding because when I look at your house it looks like a very nice farmhouse style and those normally don't have stone on them. You have a very nice house it is just the combination of the cool and the warm that is throwing it off. Some warm whites, taupe's, or
    maybe a warm gray might work for paint colors and then the trim could be a warm color as well. Just my opinion.

    S S thanked rallendale
  • 4 years ago

    Leave the shutters. You need them to ground upper level.

    i might have gone with a honey coloured wooden front door - solid - v- groove, wider board - chunky - simple - no distracting detail - no side light - include transom at top.

    I don‘t see a garage door - if not purchased then perhaps something to complementary the suggested honey coloured wooden front door with window pane style to match transom over front door?

    The above suggestion for doors will add brightness & texture you desire to kick up curb appeal.

    It is a lovely house. Brick is beautiful. I think what has happened is the siding and roof colours are similar in their depth of colour.

    You could cap the 1/2 pillars or planter stands? at front door with same colour wood trim. If they are to be used as planters - use greenery that is billowy & cascading for softness.

    Again it is already a beautiful house. Enjoy!

  • 4 years ago

    I would live with it for at least a year - through all the seasons. Drive around and look at other houses with similar stone.

  • 4 years ago

    I like the contrast of the stone and the blue gray paint. Adding in the black trim and shutters that some suggested is a great idea. I live in Ohio and the color combos you chose are very trendy here. I also agree once you get some green from the landscape that will soften the entire home.

  • 4 years ago

    Get rid of the white, it’s always dirty looking and the garage door is glaring and dominates

  • 4 years ago

    Less is more. The stone is warm and the blue is cold along with the white. I suggest going with a taupe color house and an off white trim.
    I'd rather see grained stained wood garage and front doors. If the doors are not wood a good dark brown paint like the color of walnut would be nice.

  • 4 years ago

    I'd like to see the house repainted taupe and the trim an off white. the garage and front doors I recommend painting a dark chestnut wood color. I'd rather use real wood doors but thats my choice. The shutters could be a deep forest green, like the Evergreen tree color.

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    You are STILL overthinking it.

  • 4 years ago

    Print these photographs many times on plain paper. Mix a few water colour paints or use some coloured charcoal and try different colours for the siding, the trim, the brick in soft and deep tones. Study each picture and see what your gut feel is. Add grass to the picture.


    Personally, every where that I see white, (garage, trim, shutters, door), I’d paint the white a midnight blue or bold grey. Right now the brick and the face of the house is competing and the white is pronouncing that rather than balancing.

  • 4 years ago

    Agree with those who say the white should go. It looks like primer and not part of the overall continuity of the house. A deep taupe for trim and definitely tone down the colour of the garage. Your focal point should never be your garage. Landscaping will help as well.

  • 4 years ago

    I actually love the blue and white...very classic combo. I’d get rid of the shutters, paint the front door and garage a deep color. Landscaping as well as outdoor/landscape lighting will make it feel inviting. Very pretty house!

  • 4 years ago

    I bet after all of these contradicting and varying opinions you are ultimately confused. For what a stranger's opinion is really worth, the house is beautiful and I'd just leave it alone until you've had time to see it complete and have all your landscaping etc. in, and I'm not even a fan of blue for homes, but it looks really pretty.

  • 4 years ago

    It is a beautiful combination. Wait until the landscape is done and give it a year. I think you will be very pleased.

  • 4 years ago

    NEVER paint the stone. Yes, add the mullions to the center 2nd story window. Congratulations on your first house. It probably won't be your last "dream" home.

    S S thanked arrbe
  • 4 years ago

    Following up on my original comment: I love everything about this house: trim, stone, shutters, etc. And landscaping will make a big difference. Even the siding color and roof color are each really nice. They just don't have enough contrast from each other. The reason it looks better in sunlight is because it's a contrast issue. The shadows produced by sunlight help combat the flatness. Getting your builder to paint your siding a lighter grey-blue is a relatively simple, affordable fix that will make a huge difference in what you're seeing without making drastic changes to the style of the home.

    S S thanked Kate Hip
  • 4 years ago

    Omg it looks lovely, I promise and I’m no pro but we purchased a fixer upper 7years ago and I started with the landscape Aka curb appeal first not on purpose but the pros were working inside and I busied myself outside cause no way I could afford to pay for both. You need to finish the landscape get some white hydrangeas maybe a rose bush or two and some shrubbery, then step back and see your creation. The problem right now is that you have on an evening gown with no jewelry and shoes. you’ll always feel like it’s not right!!!!

    S S thanked Mjbmusiclover
  • 4 years ago

    I think it's beautiful. Once you have your landscaping in and garage doors on, it will all come together. You can tweak things down the road, but it's very pretty with what you have!

  • 4 years ago

    I can really understand how you're feeling. As a designer, I sometimes have to ask clients to wait out the process with a bit of patience. Until you have all your landscaping in place, as well as your outdoor decorating, the colours are going to look a little stark, maybe even 'wrong' to you. I think it looks just fine, I would give it more time and assess the 'finished' look, rather than a 'work-in-progress'.

  • 4 years ago

    Lots of good advice above and agree the house looks great as is. It really will be transformed with landscaping - especially if you echo some of the blue with plants that are deep green-blue like blue spruce, certain grasses, hosta etc. I definitely would try to tweak it now--both because it's probably not necessary for your ultimate happiness and because changes only add costs and delay completion of the project-- far more painful than being patient and watching it evolve!

  • 4 years ago

    I'm not a professional, but just recently painted our 50-year-old house and it was a daunting task because it took me more than a year to decide on a color that would compliment the original new-brick accents to the front of the house. Therefore, I agree that waiting at least a year (after the landscaping is in and you've experienced all 4 seasons) before making any changes is the way to go. However, if you have to make decisions now, I'd suggest you

    1. never paint that beautiful stonework (wish I had it on my house!)

    2. leave all the trim white

    3. ditch the shutters (too distracting)

    4. paint the siding a more toned-down blue color (maybe more of a "dusty" blue?)

    5. paint the garage door the same color as the siding (the white draws too much attention to the least interesting feature of the house; instead try to make it "blend in")

    6. replace the front door with a nicely-stained wood one

    Happy New House!

    S S thanked reginagayle
  • 4 years ago

    Really quite nice. If you aren’t completely satisfied ,now wait a bit. Landscaping and perhaps some porch decor or seating will soften it up. It is still quite raw now. If anything the best bang and simplest approach would be to change the colour of the shutters and the front door if you still aren’t 100% happy with it.

    S S thanked denjen
  • 4 years ago

    It's very nice. Congratulations on your new house.


  • 4 years ago

    Personally I can see why you don’t like the stones.
    When we built our house 75%of the new builds had this type bricks on them. It reminded me of the way stones look on castles. So I opted for no stones at all.
    Some houses opted for two different colors and minimal stones to on the bottom skirt to balance out the look.

  • 4 years ago

    I think when you had snow on the ground as in the first picture it looked lovely- then the snow melted and that dirt made the stone color really stand out, so now you have to be patient and wait to see what it looks like with lovely green grass and sidewalks. I bet that you will be happy with your color choices again!

  • 4 years ago

    @dee_mckervey good point

  • 4 years ago

    I think your house is lovely and that you should wait until the landscaping is in before you decide to do anything. If after that time you are not satisfied start with the trim in a taupe to tie it more directly to your lovely brick.

    S S thanked katsamdave
  • 4 years ago

    it’s beautiful, just thr garage door color is overpowering, rest u r overthinking

    S S thanked gurdeep kaur
  • PRO
    4 years ago

    stain the rock maybe an option

    S S thanked BeaverRenovations
  • 4 years ago

    I think this is a beautiful house and I love the stone. I think the color of the stone would go much better with a warmer house color, I could see it working great with something like a warm dark terra cotta. This would also add to the contrast with the roof color.


    And I totally agree with letting the project get finished before making any decisions. I'm an art teacher and artist and I cannot tell you how many students get into the middle of an artwork and hate it -- but then like it when it's finished. I have done that too. It's so common to have lots of doubts during the creative process and you are second guessing a bit here. Give it time and like one poster said, wait a year and see how the house looks in every season. Enjoy your beautiful new house!

    S S thanked hsmeghan
  • 4 years ago

    I hope you already noticed this... most houses either have shutters on all their windows in the front or none at all on the top and bottom windows. Your window casings and windows are also different and not consistent in shape and look.
    Also you have two different textures on the front boards of your house this makes your house look split where the garage is.

  • 4 years ago

    I love the house color with the stone. I do agree that the shutters can go, maybe just “beef” up the trim a little so the windows look finished. The white trim isn’t awful but I would live in the house for a year and then decide..black trim could look nice with the other colors you have. Front door colors are a matter of taste. If you have a lot of green landscaping you may want to pull a shade of that to your door. If you have a particular color landscape, flowering shrubs and plants in a color you love,, you could pick a shade of the flowering plants to put on your door.
    I built my house a year ago. I have HardyPlank siding in Deep ocean blue, black trim , black standing seam metal roof and a chartreuse front door. I like to use plants (in planters and pots) around the front of the house that pick up the front door color.
    I get a lot of compliments on the color combinations and especially on the front door color.
    You are still looking at a building lot. Things will look much different when you have some landscaping, even if it’s just some bushes the builder puts in. Look at landscaping designs on Houzz, in magazines and Pinterest . You will see things much differently after living in you house for awhile. Take your time making decisions, your perfect home will come in time.

    S S thanked mutti536
  • 4 years ago

    As Kat said, I would wait until it’s done and live with it for a while. Then if you still don’t like it, I would look at painting trim, possibly the siding, but NEVER the stone.

  • 4 years ago

    Brick is neutral. Looks great. Paint the door and garage door add some dark accents like planters, nice chairs on the porch and lighting. Greenery will add more curb appeal and everything will balance it out. Don't stress out. House is beautiful.

    S S thanked Agnes
  • 4 years ago

    I'd paint the front door and shutters a warm rust.

  • 4 years ago

    Don't ever paint the stone. Paint the shutters, door and garage door first. If you still don't like it, paint the siding a slightly lighter color or maybe a warmer color.

  • 4 years ago

    Lots of advice to consider. But I think you can be comforted by the notion that general consensus is that your house is lovely and landscaping will make all the difference. That being said - and since you asked :-) - my thought is that the front door (trim included) should be a darker colour, such as a beautiful gray, or bolder, such as a deep bronze. Or completely replace the door, side light and transom with a stained wooden door set for more presence. Whatever you do, a heavier lock set (and maybe a nice door knocker) is needed to hold its own against the weightiness of the stone. I also think hits of black would help. The lights on either side of the garage are a hint of how more black would help ground the house. If your driveway is going to be asphalt, it will help to anchor the house to the entire property. Some ideas to consider...A black mailbox, black house numbers, black porch railing, black shutters, black garage door. Black will elevate the whole look and provide much-needed contrast. But even if you didn’t do another thing to the house, you can rest easy knowing it is certainly no slouch!

    S S thanked Carol Ann Burrell