On that house, I'd do a high-gloss black door.

Gorgeous house, btw.

Thank you Tibbrix. I never thought of black. Do you mean just for the front door or the mud room and garage doors as well?

I'd do the mudroom and front door in the same color and stain the garage doors a rich, natural stain and give them a high gloss as well. Something along these lines:

Btw, unsolicited advice, but on the mudroom door, I'd put two lamps on either side, but on the front door, I'd hang a pendant lamp that matches the mudroom door lamps.

Thank you. I do actually want a nice hanging lantern on the front porch. Something really neat.

What color metal do you think I should do for the lanterns and landscaping lights? Black, copper, oil rubbed bronze, etc?

PS I love those garage doors, that's a style I'm looking at. I don't know why, but the brown color of the house is just throwing me off on door and garage door color. Is anyone liking the red front door idea?

We considered doing the house another color, like a natural color. There will be some shingles on front but siding on side. When I drove around the neighborhood, there are other tan/natural color houses though. Never thought I'd want a brown house, but I kind of like it. I think it's grown on me because this is the pic that came with our plans so it's been engrained in my brain!

I would totally go with a glossy red front door! The door will come ready to paint, which is what you want so you can pick the exact shade of red.

I'd reserve the red only for the front door and go with stained wood for both your mud room door and the garage doors.

I think satin or flat for the naturally stained garage doors. Hi gloss shows every imperfection and the garage doors are exposed to weather much more than the front door.

That kind of house is, IMO, meant to be a natural color. I just love that style. I wouldn't worry too much about the color of wood garage doors. Wood, because of its natural nature, tends to go with everything.

On black doors, I'd put ORB knobs and lighting, I think, esp. on your house. Or black for the lighting.

Check out this Hinkley Sedgwick Collection. I think it would look amazing on your house.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hinkley Sedgwick

Does anyone else read the siding color as more gray than brown? Maybe it's just my monitor....

We got a new front door last year and you could choose from numerous colors. We chose a burgundy color for the exterior and white for the interior...no need to paint. Im not sure if they do custom colors. I think the make is ProVia.

Your house is beautiful!

Jewel654, I see what you mean. I don't want a very dark brown, but yet now a light brown either. The other color option I wanted was a natural shingle color with black shutters and doors. It 's still up in the air, but my husband doesn't want a tan or green house. I have a pic of the other color I like and will post it later on when I get home.

The siding is very taupe on my screen---- beautiful, btw. I think a red door would be utterly fabulous! Would do black iron hardware, not ORB, on lock sets and other hardware. A stained and varnished medium toned wood for the mud room door and garage doors would be very appropriate and be a nice addition to the house. I always wonder, when people urge homeowners to paint the garage door the same color of the house, if they really think that is going to hide it. Having a finish on the garage door that reflects its function is the best approach, IMO.

Here is a pic of another color palette I liked, the natural with the black. I love this, but please keep in mind the side and back of the house will be siding, not cedar siding. This being said, out of this color combo and the brownish color, what one does everyone like? Also, I'm new to this so, if one would fade quicker, etc., pleas let me know. Our home will be nestled in with a bunch of large pine trees.

Also, what does ORB mean? I'm sorry, I don't know all the abbreviations used on here. Thank you

Tis pic gives an idea of the house surroundings.

I have to say I adore this house and color palette, even the doors and garage! I swear sometimes I'm color blind as I see this as a light green, someone else said it was gray. I don't want a gray house. Thoughts? I just love everything about this.

I think it's gray, but then who cares what it's called as long as you like it. (P.S. I don't like green)

My house is gray with a bright red door, so obviously I love red doors. However, would you consider a dark blue door with the originally posted colors? Like this:

The idea behind the front door being a distinctive color on its own is to strongly define it as the place the public should enter. That is why I think the mudroom should not be the same color as the front door especially when it is in the front of the house. It should not stand out so much so people are not confused where to enter. Some strong entryway landscaping will reinforce that.

On the pic you posted with the black door and the natural siding, I think the frame and the sidelights should have been the white trim color, not the black door color. Make sure they only paint the actual door the door color.

I personally like the body color of the first house you posted best. But, it's your house. The house is so gorgeous, I don't think you can go wrong in any of the colors you are considering..

I think you can do a red door with either option. The house is beautiful. The first house you posted does look dark taupey brown to me, but a very nice color. The last house you posted looks like a gray cedar shingle, or what happens to shingles when they age naturally. You can't go wrong.

The pic with the gray shingles and black door is stunning. But red will work too! As others have suggested, I would do the color on the front door and leave the mudroom and garage doors the stained wood. Gorgeous.

Yes, I would only do the main entry door red and leave the mud room and garage doors in a wood tone color. I have always loved a red door :) I tried to think about all the holidays and how my decor would match (door wreaths etc) lol and it would seem to work well I think as I normally do red geraniums in the summer because I like how the red can last into fall. I've done pink in the past and as soon as fall comes,even if it's warm, I rip them out because the pink will bother me lol.
I truly appreciate all your advice and comments, it's a big decision and I've never built before. I have attached another house I consider brown and like this color as well, I think it's similar to the original pic I posted.
I'm only stumped on a few things, the family room fireplace is the next post :)

If you have always had your heart set on a red door, I don't think there is any reason not to do one. I might try to err toward barn reds.

OTOH, I do like black doors. We had a black door on our former house and i loved the color. It was an historic black called Inkwell by SW.

Good luck!

chloenkitty, ORB = oil rubbed bronze.

I think black doors are so sophisticated and give houses a very distinctive and refined look. Personally, I don't think the style of your house lends itself to a red door, which I think goes better on a cottage or Colonial.

funny you mentioned red door and pink flowers. That reminded me that I once had a barn red door. That was the color when we bought the house and, silly me, I didn't even consider changing it for a very long time! I am an intense gardener so I focused on bronze-red foiiage plants and lots of white flowers (I don't like yellow flowers against a beige house ) so my color pallet was quite limited and that bothered me being a plant nut. Fall was my best season for the front of the house. When I got rid of the barn red, I was so relieved.

food for thought.

I have a gray house and I love it. If you called it "cloud" or "ash" or" smoky" it would be fine. What's in a name?

For whatever reason, I just cannot imagine a black door on this house if we go with the original color in the first pic. I guess it because i would never wear brown with black or navy with black in clothing lol. Odd, I know :)

I would love a black door if the house was in that natural color.

Brown and black are a fantastic combo! Get a black skirt with chocolate brown tights and a creamy white cashmere top with chocolate brown suede penny loafersâ¦gorgeous!

Lol.

But seriously, I think black and brown go together fantastically.

Leaving all of the doors in natural wood would be beautiful with that house. Only color I really see would be a deep plum/eggplant kind of thing.

Just a note, if you want to have the option of natural wood, make sure you specify that when they order the doors so they do not order just "paint grade" wood.

I love the gentle sophistication of the white front door in the last photo you posted above, chloenkitty. Depending on the siding color, I would also consider the black with the other doors in wood, or even the serenity of all wood doors; no one will ever confuse which is the actual front door on this home!

I can see your point about black on that first color. It might be a little dark on dark, lacking some contrast.

For comparison purposes, suppose the first color is this (BM Taos Taupe):

and you lightened it up just a little bit to something like this (BM Squirrel Tale):

Or a bit more BM Copley Gray

the last one, tone changed a bit, but the point is you should be able to get the effect of 1st photo and have a gorgeous black door.

Your new home is beautiful! Pick the siding color/combo you love, it's the most permanent. Door can be painted. I personally like either white or black, or wood to match your garage/mud room doors. I agree that with this home, there'll be no confusion as to the main entrance. As you look at the other homes in the neighborhood, take note of how the door color looks on the homes with porch overhangs. A black door may be lost and appear like a big dark hole. There is alot that meets the eye on your home, not sure I'd like a door painted a different accent color on this style. But good thing about paint, it's easily changed. Beautiful home and setting!

Your roof will be black, right?

Black doors: poifect!

I'd do the trim in the white you choose for the wood trim, like this:

And here, with taupe/earthy house color and black roof, white trim:

Ah Tibbrix, I love a white house with black trim and this taupe home with the black door as well. The one photo I posted of the natural color shingled home and black trim is magnificent. If we do go with a more natural/taupe color house, I will definitely do a black door. It's the darn brownish color house, that causes me the grief. I still love the idea of a red door, always have, I just wonder if I'd eventually tire of it and then have to go get a new door. I think what is coming into play with leaning more towards the brownish color is because there are several other natural/taupe color homes in the development. We are on 5 acres, so it's not like another house is right next to us, and the one across the street is white. I just don't want something boring (yet not trendy either) It's a super tough decision. I wish the company we bought the house plans from had more photos of the exterior of our house or I knew someone who built the same home and could see the color scheme they chose. Also, don't forget the cedar shingles on the front will not actually be cedar, the builder said they will be siding and the sides of the house will be your standard horizontal siding. He said real cedar shingles will not wear like siding and will be much more expensive. We have seen them on other homes in the development and they look fine. Please pardon me not knowing all the terms of what some products are, but this is all new to me and I am learning :) I appreciate all your help.

I'm sure the interior doesn't have anything to do with what you do on the exterior, but I'd thought I'd show you the floors we are putting in because I'll have to decide how the inside of the front door will look, what color will go well with them. The floors are a wide plank hickory. They look a little more red in the pic then they are in person. I personally don't like red in flooring or any wood.

Some terminology please... when you say "cedar" vs. "siding", that is a disconnect for me. Siding is generally (always?) horizontal planks of something that covers the house. It can be cedar, vinyl, aluminum, fibercement, etc.

Similarly, shingles can also be varying materials: cedar, vinyl, etc. etc. They are vertical and have that cape code and cottagey feel to them.

Anything wood (cedar typically) can be painted or stained. Not typical to let it weather naturally these days but it can be done.

If you are going with anything other than wood, usually the color pallet is limited and usually lighter tones.

So, given that, what kind of siding are you having?

This post was edited by wendyb on Fri, Mar 28, 14 at 13:09

Oh man, Chloe, I'm coming to your Open House! That house is so beautiful! LOVE those floors.

Paint the inside of the door the same color as the wood trim inside the house, would be my advice.

Wendy, I did mention a few times in other posts that I am new to this and don't always have the correct terminology. Since the exterior has not yet been picked, I cannot say for sure. I do know when I told the builder I liked cedar shingles, he said they never use real cedar unless the owner insisted. I cannot remember, since there is so much going on, but I believe they are vinyl just like the siding would be. I can totally be wrong, but that's my guess, that they are the same material as the rest of the siding will be. We agreed that the sides and the back would not be in the cedar shingle style because you don't really see it and it's less expensive. I hope that helps, but it's honestly all I have for now.

I googled vinyl cedar and this is what came up Wendy. It looks like it, so my guess is this is it. I'd love real cedar, but our builder said we really won't want to deal with the upkeep etc and that no one is right on top of your house to see it's not real cedar. I'm ok with that as long as it looks good and is durable.

Cedar shake siding, I think, is what she is talking about. Is that right, Chloenkitty? P.S. The house is gorgeous. What a dream home. If you want red, go with red for the front only. If your heart does not sing, your feet won't dance and if you have always wanted red, go red. It's a warm inviting color for guests and for you to approach on return home.

I agree with what KSWL said otherwise.

I

Tibbrix, I live in pa if you're close and are certainly welcome :)

And Patricia, I believe yes, cedar shake siding.

Thank you

it's not cedar shake siding. It's vinyl shake siding. "cedar-like".

The point is that your color pallet is limited by the manufacturer because there is no painting involved.

Kitty, if you change your mind about the door color in a few years you can just have it repainted, no need for a completely new door. It's an easy change to effect.