So cute! Not a pro but I really like the contrast of the white trim in your 3rd, 4th and 6th pics. Don’t like the brown in #5. The siding color in the 3rd pic looks especially nice with the roof, at least on my screen.

Since you say there is some green in the roof color, I would go with a light green exterior, white trim and you could still have a blue door if you choose the shade carefully. I like all of your photoshopped ideas except the dark brown.

Modern Bungalow · More Info

Pick up some colors from your stones.

If you like the red, stay white with the garage.

If it is in your budget, consider replacing the front shingles with clapboard. You could repaint the white for the other three sides.

Not sure if you know this, but a front siding of clapboard back in the day was showing off...telling your neighbors that you were rich and could afford strips of wood.

If you stay with the white, have fun with the garage.

elcieg Thanks! Not in the budget, I fear - wood siding costs are outrageous now. I think the shingles are original to this house. They don't make a ton of "sense" per se, but the house is sort of cobbled together (1800s barn converted to a house in 1900) and I like to preserve its quirks.

kandrewspa Love that inspiration photo! Do you like the dark-painted windows, or would you match to the trim? I fear that dark may be too trendy...

That canopy over the entrance seems like it just doesn't fit. Shout have been a shed roof style IMO to not interfere with the window.

I am fond of gray with crisp white trim

Holy smokes - what a dreamy house! I LOVE the blue-grey, and I think it works with the darker detached garage. Love all of the rubble stone.

Please don't change your entrance - it's charming AF as is.

And NO to dark windows. Your instinct is correct - it's too trendy.

Jefferson · More Info

Cute house! This is my office, I think the colors (top half only!) could work well for you- BM Linen White trim with SW Bunglehouse Grey siding. Normally I would paint the garage to match the house but I also like your idea of painting it away- SW Black Fox and Urbane Bronze are favorites. And of course black!

@HALLETT & Co. what a great commercial building. Maybe it is the camera angle, but is it a Flatiron?

HAHA no just a rectangular 1850 brick grocery store that gained an Italianate second story in 1902 to match a grand house on the other face of the lot. Here it is in 1968 before it got heavily remodeled to be two apartments.

I like the idea of a colonial yellow for this house:

A Young Colonial Grows Up · More Info

Thank you all for the suggestions! What a breath of fresh air - after hanging out in the kitchen forum for a while, I was preparing myself for a barrage of brusque comments, unyielding dictates, and harsh criticisms.

Here are some pale greens I tried out in the visualizer (obviously I will test finalists IRL). Curious what folks would suggest for a front door (dark green? trim coordinating? I'm dead set on a high gloss finish) and garage in combination with this.

Misted green:

Aganthus green:

Sagebrush:

October mist:

Sabrina Alfin Interiors That house is beautiful, but I've always hated yellow houses. Just a preference thing. I also not a fan of tan or greige (so have to be careful with some of the more sage-y greens!).

All, don't worry - I am not going to change the awning. My goal is to preserve the historic integrity of the house and reuse everything that can be because modern materials are inferior and reuse is green. Also, I like this awning and replacing it ain't in the budget!

The pale greens would be a nice choice. I would consider a cranberry red or perhaps a plum color for the front door rather than another green. That is a very cute house!

Something is singing in the misted green visualisation! It has my vote. How about a red door, a red that is leaning towards the richer dark side, maybe a deep maroon red? I think I’m seeing the stylised red in Xmas holly as the deeper red in my mind.

Look at Benjamin Morre's historic colors. One that came to my mind is Hawthorne Yellow.

This is another great color.

Love your light green with whitish trim and darker blue door!!!

Your home will give you the color you long for in those 6 months when things are more drab which is what a more neutral, especially gray color would IMO do.

Follow your instinct with the light green and the blue door. You could play with the blue a bit. LOVE your cottage. Following….

Ah geez. What is with all the pale washed out grays and blues. If white goes dull and dreary during winter months then I dont think pale grays and blues are gonna do it for you. Those are the colors of a cold dreary November sky after all! I think you were on the right track.... sorta... with the brown. It just needs to be more of a green or gray brown (to better work with your roof assuming that is staying). Or better, a rich olive witih light cream trim - this would have benefit of being a classic circa 1900 color combination, while at the same time quite current. No, of course you dont have to get al geeky about historic accuracy.... but original colors and color placement is always a good place to start the creative process. Ive even liked to see if I can find what were the very first colors.

If it just HAS to be blue or gray... make a commitment, do midtone or dark, now is not the time to wimp out! As it happens Ive been spending the last few weeks looking at vacation rental listings and its interesting how many feature vibrant color combinations and go all in for historical quirkiness...., those are the ones that draw my eye and judging from the popularity/reviews other people like them as well. No you didnt say this was a vacation rental, my point is simply that if you are drawn to color and want something that will bring the house more to life, then yeah,,,, go for it!

Fabulous house! when we were painting our 1920’s house we referenced the book House Colors by Susan Hershman - it’s a great resource

FWIW, this is BM Saybrook Sage with blue door.

Thanks all! The blue door is the existing color (BM Van Deusen Blue), which I like, but is totally changeable as I'm planning to get a new Dutch front door as part of my renovation.

LOVE the idea of a Dutch Front Door!!!!!!! So damn cute!

Damn cute is right!!!

I like the misted green, and I would keep the blue door. Its very cute, and will be even cuter, once its all painted up and a few potted plants are out on the doorstep.

I lean towards a mid tone-ish green, such as Great Barrington Green. The house is small and it can take some real color. Love the house.

I tried out Great Barrington and a few other darker/richer olives per suggestions. Not totally convinced and also worry that a darker warm green might clash with dark gray/green roofing materials. I also added some inspiration photos for the brown just so people can see what I thinking there.

Great Barrington (looks too pea soup to me?):

Dark Olive:

Fatigue Green:

Examples of what inspired me to consider brown:

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It is a cottage. Whimsy is its middle name! Go with a light color. Misty Green with blue (Dutch!) door and white trim. Flower pots full of colorful plants. Yes…it snows in Connecticut. But a good 9 months of the year it doesn’t! Don’t do dark, drab greens or browns.

The darker browns make it look like a murder shack to me. The inspiration photos are much larger homes and the colors work, but you have a charming cottage - I'd keep it lighter.

There is a vintage brown shingled cottage in my neighborhood that looks great, but it is literally surrounded by mature landscaping (it's set sort of below street level - we're in the hills) - because of all of the greenery, it gives "enchanted forest cottage" vibes. Without all that landscaping, a dark brown cottage can seem foreboding to me for some reason (realizing I may have watched way too many horror movies - just can't put my finger on it).

I hear what you're saying about the mid-tone green, but if you had a nice yellow door it would spark it up and make it fun. Anyway, I would try to make the home look inviting through an interesting trim or door color.

I do have some mature landscaping that aren't seen in the first photo - two large crabapple trees just to the left, a large Japanese Stewartia to the right; the area in front is a cottage garden with poppies, lavender, allium, etc.; and the side patio has mature hydrangea, boxwood, etc. You also approach this house from a long hedged driveway and arrive in a little turnaround (former barn, remember, so it is set back behind another house and oriented to the side). I *think* it wouldn't come off as a murder house, especially with white trim, dutch door, window box, etc... but I can see why you'd say that, and maybe it's a risk not worth taking.

ETA some photos better depicting the front/side yard (excuse trash cans/general construction mess)

Saw an interesting chalky green/gray today that I thought might work (possibly for garage if not house?). Thoughts and any ideas on what this shade might be? It looks closer in color to the first photo IRL, but slightly less green.

Unfortunately this is an empty commercial building so finding the owner is likely to take some homework!

Maybe get some paint chips, and just stop by there and see what is the closest match.

Love the Ben Moore historic colors pallette. There must be a few there that would do your house proud.