What can be painted? What is your aesthetic? It’s a lot of garage with very little house, you need nice garage doors, a trellis over the doors, and great landscaping to define the entry.

Everything can be painted can’t afford new garage doors. I like things that have some charm this has very little. I do not love the shutters they are a little small. Hoping to just paint it and in a couple of years do more. I like greys taupes more natural outdoor colors. Not sure how to de emphasize garage hoping good paint colors can camouflage the elephant

Will the paint job last a bit longer? If so, landscaping will help you accent the house and de-accent the garage. So, that is where I would spend my $. Some landscape companies will do a plan for you for free if you purchase the plants from them - and then you can do the work yourself to save money.

I guess I can’t envision color. Dark blue? Grey? Earth tone? I am not sure why this house is stumping me so much. I am afraid if I go with a dark/mid tone color and paint t the garage the color of siding. It will just look dark and weird. And can’t figure out how to make the entry door more prominent. And I know it needs landscaping it is ugly. Insert 😃

I really like dark colors on small houses...it seems to give them more presence and an updated look. This thread has some great suggestions that might work for you. Instead of a white garage door or one the same color of the house, I might go a bit darker with the trim and garage door, like this:

or same color as the house looks good, too:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5627590/paint-colors-for-my-1980s-rambler-black-or-white-windows-thank-you

I would also clear out the shrubs that are blocking the window. That might be a nice place to make a little sitting area in front and then landscape when you can.

I see the entry door is in a darker color, like Olychick suggested maybe making the garage door dark will help bring the front door forward. Maybe a bit of photo shop might help visualise before commiting. Try the paint store websites to test out color photoshopping

You guys are the best!!! Yes these are good ideas. The inside is a hot wreck. I have 20k to paint replace floors and what ever minor things to make it livable. I think a nice dark blue gray or gray brown color for the exterior would be good. And will definitely paint the garage the same color as the trim. I do look at pics on Houzz but a lot of them are major updates that cost a lot of money. You guys are the best.

Your thought to do a deep blue-gray is a good one. And painting the garage door the same color will help. Landscaping is the easiest way to get everyone looking at the front of the house instead of the prominent garage. A bright door with a medium dark house also gets attention away from the garage. After you paint the body, you can consider yellow, green, light pink, whatever makes you smile for the front door.

It’s a cute house. Just needs some attention. Doing the landscaping yourself saves you a lot of money and many garden places offer free design help. Otherwise you can start a new post JUST for landscaping so the Houzzers who have green thumbs can focus on that with you.

I think you may be able to get the charm you’re seeking by using a two-tone scheme similar to this house.

The Kendall Charcoal seems to be a good match to your roof. It seems dark for the body, but keep in mind that when viewed in the sun it may look up to 30% lighter. Tricorn black might work well for the tops of the gables and the garage door. I like the idea of a white trim to set everything off. If you have a favorite flower you like, think about planting masses of it and painting your door to match the blossoms.

Thank you. I am thinking. Kendall charcoal at 75 percent. Chelsea grey or gauntlet. Any thought on white trim thinking white dove or simply white. Don’t want it to look to stark

I’ve just googled what white paint goes with Chelsea Gray. White Dove was suggested, as well as Pure White. I think you’ll have to play around with samples for a bit until you land on a scheme you really love.

Yes I agree. I will decide which one in the next day or two. Will rip out all the bushes prior to painting. The inside is horrible. Once I have made decisions on the outside will move inside. I really appreciate everyone posting. It’s nice to bounce ideas.

So you have unlimited money and time?

BEFORE you do anything with the shrubs, get them IDed. You can either take a bit to a local nursery, or take pictures and post them either here (Landscape Design) and/or Name That Plant. Once you know what they are, it is easy to figure out how well they can handle severe pruning. If they won't grow back (relatively unlikely), then pulling them out is the most reasonable action. If they can handle severe pruning, then cut them back for the painting, and think seriously whether they are part of the new landscaping plan. We do not know where you are, but most northern landscapes should include a fair number of evergreens for winter interest.

Yes I am in Atlanta. I am a master gardener. They will not be good. We have a landscape place here that is very inexpensive. And I have a gentleman who digs for me. I am a little older. I will figure out what should go there. Won’t spend a lot but…I hate what’s there.

I used Kendall Charcoal on my 1910 house 2 yrs ago with Simply White as trim. if you have white windows you need to match the metal trim on them or it looks off when you paint the house trim . I used Simply White because it matches the metal window frames exactly. I would use the KC at full strength it definitely looks lighter than the sample.

Back garden studio KC and Simply White

Front gardens . let me know if you want more pics

I’m posting this house with the idea it may lure you into painting just a bit of the top portions of the gables dark.

Greeson Cottage · More Info

Trailrunner, that is a wonderful photo of a very well cared for 1910 house! I’m curious about what color you chose for your front door.

Wow love the pictures. Trail runner gorgeous home okay now leaning towards Kendall charcoal at full strength and are those sedums? There lovely. I like the idea of the dark gables but not sure my painter will. Lol.

@ffpalms the original front door and the original screen door are both just stained brown wood. Thank you for loving our house!

@oreolucca1 Thank you! yes they are sedums. The Autumn Joy. I can get a better picture tomorrow but all our gables are the original fish scale shingles snd they are painted KC also. Do go full strength you will see the true beauty of the color. Every Everyone stops to compliment us. The original wood siding was covered by 1950’s era vinyl siding. The wood was in wonderful shape when it was uncovered. My contractor and painters did a great restoration job.

This is the new Black Locust front porch floor. Showing the screen door.

In progress picture and shows part of the screened porch addition . Thank you for the kind words. c

I like trailrunner’s suggestion. And the peaks of your house need to be dark with the white trim in order to get the full effect of a darker house/white trim feel. Your painter works for you, so tell him what you want.

I agree it’s you to pull out anything you hate in your garden. I inherited laurel bushes that I didn’t like and now I’m much happier with my foundation plants. I used dwarf plants since my porch kept getting blocked by those laurel bushes. You sound like you know what you want for your landscaping. Once the house color is done, you will know what colors will look good. I’ve had a white house, a deep blue house and now a brick house so my landscaping choices were different each time.