I love it. Looks similar to what I am building.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg102052482505.html?19

Here is a link that might be useful: My Build

I. Love. It. I wanted to do white at first but hoa rejected. My second choice is a charcoal or blue...which I am sure they will reject. :( Here are two of my favorite dark houses.

[Traditional Exterior design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-exterior-home-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_736~s_2107) by Minneapolis General Contractor Hendel Homes, Rick & Amy Hendel

I love those photos! And building-a-house, your home is going to be gorgeous! I had never thought before of an HOA dictating a house color. What color are the houses generally in your area gaonmymind? It's so interesting to me how much of a drastcic change my mind is taking from the light blue/green/gray world to now very dark!
Here is a photo of our exterior design at this point. Do you think the colors would go with the look? What we're worried about slightly is that all of the other houses on our street (not the development, just up and down the street) are some form of tan/brown. We have 3.5 acres with woods that I think this color could really make pop, but I'm worried if it'll look too bold, especially with the white trim up next to the other brownish houses with almond or brown trim...In other thoughts though we feel like it has classic elegance. Any other thoughts?

LOVE the dark houses with the bright white trim. That was one of my original inspiration photos. In the end we decided it wasn't worth the additional expense, but maybe someday. :)

It was interesting because in the thread/discussion that I started more people posted that didn't like my house color/style choice than did.

To each their own I guess. Glad there are others that have the same taste.

@livingreen --- Yes, I think these colors would do very well with your plan. We are also building on a wooded lot (3.7 acres) in a planned neighborhood where each lot is 2-5 acres. Frankly I don't care what the other houses look like that are around me.

Close-up of front to see front elevation better...

mineapolisite- I was curious what extra expense you guys ran into? Was it just the extra cost of wider trim?
Building-a-home- I love your house plan. I've always loved the inspiration photo you posted. I agree, everyone's taste is different...

I really like it. We are doing a dark grey/slate blue with white trim. with stone accents and a timber frame porch. I think that your house would look great with this color scheme.

Karen.1288- I would love to see what colors you are doing. Do you have the name of any of the materials/color choices! Thanks!

Here is something else I played with on photoshop- added a wood door (possibly garage doors too?) and a possible gray roof option.

We did wider trim around the entire house. The extra expense we ran into was doing a dark non-standard color for the Hardi siding. I can't remember whether it required several coats of paint after install, or whether we had to special order a special color from the manufacturer, but either way it wasn't worth it to me...especially since there is another house in our neighborhood with similar colors and the whole point in the dark color is to be unique. :)

The colors are nice, but if you'll notice, the home only has one type of siding on one of the sections. Stone for an entire gable. Shakes for the other. No mixing of shakes and board and batten and stone all mixed up. That is why you've probably gotten a negative reaction. Mixing siding on a single section is an overdone budget builder tactic to "add interest" when all it does is look unrealistic or overly complex. Take your styling cues from the home as well. Choose board and batten for one section. Choose stone for another. Choose shakes for another. Whole body sections. Not all mixed up. It will look much more cohesive and less "mill plan" like.

great color scheme.

I guess I didn't think I was getting negative reactions...This particular house didn't have any stone on it other than the chimney so I'm not sure what gable you're refering to. The stone I added to this photo was from another photo I just photoshoped in to be a "mood board" of sorts. Could you be more specific? I really would love to hear specifics. As of now, I thought we were trying to keep the materials to specific places- board and batten on the body- all around the back, shake siding in the peaks only, and stone on the front of the garage, bottom of columns, and around the front door. Any thoughts, both negative or positive are appreciated. Thanks again.

I like your inspiration photos, but I'm not sure it will translate as well to your elevation. In your inspiration photo with the dark shakes, the windows and trim appear to be cream. You stated your windows have to be white, if that is the case then I think stark white trim may not look good with shakes/siding in that color. Also, I like the stone in your inspiration photo, but Im not sure how I'd like it in just small amounts as it appears you have in your elevation. And lastly, your roof. Unlike the inspiration photos, it seems to me that your roof will be much more visible. What color roof would you be doing?

Thanks for the feedback olivesmom! That's what we're wondering about- how it will translate to our design. It's so hard to picture it without seeing the whole thing together. Such is building a custom house from paper to end, right? :) I think we'll definitely go with a creamier trim, which I think we'll still be able to pull off with the windows. I agree that white would be too stark. We're heading to the stone guys later today to see what options we could come up with for the whole face of the garage, front entry and columns. The roof as of now would be like the shingle photo I have at the bottom right of my mood board- gray with black/charcoal accents. I am worried with how that will play off of such a dark house and contrasting trim. Lots to think about...

Isn't stark contrast what this is all about? I know the title of this discussion is "bold colors" but really there is nothing bold about dark grey, dark blue, charcoal, etc. Instead it should be titled "bold colors" or even better... "start contrast". To me that's what using dark colors with the contrast of white trim is all about.

Sorry... meant it should be titled "bold contrast" or "stark contrast"

Definitely! The contrast is definitely what is drawing us to the palette. I just think that we'd prefer a more creamy white againt the darker backdrop, and not bright white and solid black.

I think it's definitely a look that some may love and some may not. I think for us, it's becoming more clear that we love the look of it. I think it lets the land and landscaping come into focus too! Now to find that stone!

livingreen...just curious what you decided on and if you have any pictures to follow up with. Sorry I didn't reply to your question, this thread got lost somehow. We are now in the process of picking our siding color. I'm torn between a dark blue/grey and a dark grey that I think may have a bit too much brown hue to it. I like them both for different reasons. What did you end up with and do you love it!