Am I breaking exterior color design rules?

last year

I’m currently having some sliding doors replaced on my sunroom. I wanted them in a color called canvas which matched my house trim color, SW Maison Blanc, more closely. I had to opt for a color called Sandtone in this series which is close to SW Taupe Tone.

The main of my sunroom is SW Evergreen Fog. I also used this on my front door since my house is brick and Maison Blanc is the trim color on the entire house.

My concern is flipping from the brick part of the house which has Maison Blanc to the Evergreen Fog sunroom with these new Taupe Tone doors and trim around them. I’m worried it looks odd. I can’t paint them either because they’re vinyl and I’m worried about peeling and issues.

My contractor stated he could add quarter round or trim around the new sliding doors which could be painted Maison Blanc to tie it more together.

I’m getting a new deck in the spring which will be stained this taupe color (similar to what’s there now). And I feel like this might pull the taupe door color together with the house — making it feel more cohesive. Maybe?

I’ve just always thought exterior rear doors should traditionally be the same color as the house trim. However, this is a different part of the house with a different main color. Maybe it doesn’t have to be?

How can I pull this all in together so it appears cohesive and makes sense? Can exterior rear doors be a different color than the trim? Should I let my contractor add trim I’ll paint this creamy Maison Blanc to be more like the house?

Your ideas are appreciated.

Thanks

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

PRO
HALLETT & Co.
last year
You have white vinyl windows, and the new door is shown? The door is buff and the rest of your team is a soft green? I’d paint all your trim to match the new door, you don’t need three colors of trim.
mojavemaria
last year
I think it looks fine. Most front doors are a different color than windows and trim so why would it be any different for a back door? No need for trim in the lighter color which would be worse IMO. The door looks about the same color as the railing which lends to the cohesivness.
Related Professionals
Lynchburg Architects & Building Designers · College Station Home Builders · Vincennes Design-Build Firms · Clarksburg Design-Build Firms · Lake Havasu City Design-Build Firms · Butte Design-Build Firms · Niles Interior Designers & Decorators · Baltimore Architects & Building Designers · Frederick Architects & Building Designers · Memphis Architects & Building Designers · Minneapolis Architects & Building Designers · Jacksonville Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Burlington Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Newport News Interior Designers & Decorators · Ithaca Bathroom Remodelers
N K
Original Author
last year
Yes, the new door is the color of the decking, which I’ll be having rebuilt and finished in the same color.

I also debated eventually changing the sunroom siding color to the cream white color. And I didn’t want a monochrome color scheme for that. Thoughts on this idea?

I’d really prefer not to get rid of my cream white trim on the rest of the house.

The cream color wasn’t an option in this new door series and I would have just gotten that. But I needed lower thresholds inside to prevent trip hazard.
Jennifer Hogan
last year
I think it looks fine as is. My sliding glass doors are taupe tone and my window trim is cream. It was that way when I bought the house and I didn't even really notice or think about it until I had to replace one of the sliding glass doors. I replaced with another taupe as the whites were all too bright.
N K
Original Author
last year
AI suggested these options to me and I’m thinking about breaking up the green with my window trim and gutter color on the main part of my sunroom. I feel like that may help everything tie in better.
Jennifer Hogan
last year
I think I like yours better without the trim. Unlike the AI generated pictures your home has narrow trim and not a lot of space between the door and the windows. Right now you have nice balance and symmetry. For me the trim around the door feels too busy. But you are the one who has to love the way your home looks.
N K
Original Author
last year
Yes I agree. But above and between the boards are flat trim boards and T-111 barn siding above. The flat boards, AI suggested painting: these are wide.
N K
Original Author
last year
Here’s a look at the rear of the room. If you zoom in you can see what I mean about boards around doors and windows and barn siding. Someone and AI both suggested to me to paint these flat boards the trim color to break up all the green.
mojavemaria
last year
Do you have to keep the green? Your roof and railing lean red, the brick yellow and the siding green. If you painted the siding either a taupe to go with your roof or a buff to blend with your brick it might be a better look.
N K
Original Author
last year
What about the cream that my trim is painted?
N K
Original Author
last year
I’m very open to this idea…. Thank you. I’m not sold on the green either. It was a spur of the moment idea and I had been torn between Evergreen Fog, neutrals, and a burn orange color. When it was painted Evergreen Fog a few years ago I liked it better than the chocolate brown the previous owners had it. However, it’s wearing on me.

I see pictures like the one below and I’m leaning more towards neutrals.
mojavemaria
last year
Your inspiration pic is great but it doesn't have the reddish roof and yellowish brick that your house has. If you are planning on changing your roof and painting your brick then you can go a lot of different ways but otherwise working with them would look best.

The original color of brown was probably picked because brown has red in it and it would have related to the roof. I have a pink house that looks tan and though I don’t like pink it works with our roof and landscape so it stays. Good Luck!