I haven't a clue as to roof color, though a dark red might look good. I know you only have azaleas for a "short" time, but yours are spectacular. We don't have the right soil for azaleas where we live. Thanks for sharing those picturs.

Holy guacamole, I want your house! I take it you have to replace the roof for some reason beyond changing the color?

Your shutters look to be a deep red color. I think you could pull it off on the roof.

Oh what a gorgeous place! The setting, landscaping, etc - just beautiful. Yes I agree you could have a color like your shutters on the roof. I really like the house paint color. I want to live there, too! :)

I think red would look wondeful on your roof. What a beautiful spot you have. I also LOVE red roofs. I say go for it.

Oh, I love your home and views. Lovely, simply lovely. Roofs don't normally come in the same color as your shutters, but here are a couple of samples that look like some I've seen. I don't have a lot of time to play today, but, hope this helps.

BM Tea Room

French Press

Rustique

I hate to say I disagree. Your home is situated on a little piece of heaven, my goodness the views must be breathtaking! Now the house harmonizes with the natural setting and looks like it belongs, it dosen't compete with nature. If you put a red roof on it would spoil the beauty of your home. Sorry!

Marg411, Graywings, Ruthy1 and Roseabbey, thank you so much for your kind words and thoughts. We've been working on this house for over two years...total renovation inside and out. We're pooped. The "cottage" (as I call it) on the right was built in 1952. The building on the left has a garage in front and then double levels on the back. It was built in the 1990's.

Lukkiirsh, THANK YOU for the mock-ups! That's just what I'm looking for. I DO NOT want to make a mistake on the roof. I feel my paint color turned out a little too dark. In real life it is like the last photo...the rear one with the azaleas...not the other pics as they look lighter then what the paint really is. I will say this...I'm not going for that Rustique color. HA!

Susanilz5, thank you for your thoughts. I'm looking for dissenters, too, as I just don't know what to do. In real life the roof that's on there is too blah. And you can see around the chimney where we had to add several shingles and they don't match at all. One other thing I might throw out, hubby doesn't want a wood shake roof as the wind sometimes is unbelievable. We figure we'd be picking up shingles across the street in the neighbor's yard if we went that way.

Now remember voters, you are seeing the house right now when there is a TON of color going on with spring blooms. Later on it's more subdued. I'm going for a cottagey kind of look if that helps. In the fourth pic you may notice a port hole vent thing at the top left side of the cottage roof. I'm going to paint those white. There's another one on the other end of that building. And there's one at the front and back of the newer dwelling. I think that will add more pop.

Any other improvement ideas would be appreciated. I think the roof is the biggie, though, because, well, it's BIG!

Thank you,
pup

I'd go for the French press look. I love the green siding color and think the brown roof would look great - not red. I'll bet it looks great with those lob-lolly pines! Are you in SC?

We are putting a red roof on a stone shed my husband has been building. It looks fabulous with stone:

It matches the red roof we put on our house:

It looks so crisp in summer, and of course looks great in fall and on a snowy winter day.

Newhomebuilder, green? HUH? Oh, I see. In the first pic it DOES look green. IT IS NOT! Look at the very last pic, the one with all the azaleas. That's the color. It is a dark gray...darker then I wanted. That's one reason I don't know what color roof to put on it. Like I said, I love red roofs. I've seen some that have a bit of red and black combined. Maybe that would work? I'm hoping the roof fairy will come along and tell me, no, SHOW ME, just what to do.

I'm in Arkansas, but I love South Carolina! I'm watching the Harbour Town golf tourney on TV that's being played in Hilton Head right now.

pup

Awm03, that looks GREAT! Can you tell me what brand and color of shingles you are using? That picture is very helpful as you can see I have the stone fireplace with some similar colors as your stone. GREAT SHED and HOME!

Thank you so much,
pupwhipped

I agree with Susanilz's thoughts above. The setting is fantastic. Perhaps lots of potted plants or something for pops of color when the azaleas aren't in bloom, but no red roof IMO.

Thanks! It's Certainteed's Grand Manor in Georgian Brick. It's not a brick red at all though, & in fact tends toward a cool red. It has a bit of black mixed in, hence the cool red color. It would look wonderful with a gray house.

Yes, I noticed all the wonderful stone on your lovely home, and thought, "Yep, that home needs a red roof." I didn't save the magazine, but there was a feature about a year ago on a huge lake house that had gray siding and a red roof. It was terrific. Maybe I can find the image on the web. Will look for it.

If ya want a red roof...I say go for it. I like that BM Tea Room that was posted as it goes well with your shutters. I think a dark red would blend into nature well. Your house and property are FABULOUS!!!

Can't find a photo of the home I wrote about, but here's a gray home with red roof:

Awn03, thanks for that pic. What a beautiful home! And thanks, also, for the info on your shingles. They sure look good in your setting.

Vampiressrn, thanks for the "red" encouragement and for your compliment. I just don't know...I just don't know? aggggg!

Jen9, I appreciate your thoughts and I'm actually looking for more "no red roof voters" out there. HA! I'll play my own devil's advocate here. Given the elevation of my house, I do wonder if a red roof would come off looking top heavy? Know what I mean? So, if not my BELOVED red, what roof would add pizazz or at least interest to my house? Maybe it has to be texture more then color? But then again, what color? Lighter, darker.....speckled? hehehe.

I think your house is stunning just as it is. Heavenly!

Well, since you asked...I would love your house regardless of the roof color. The home itself is gorgeous and the setting is breathtaking. As someone else said, you are in this fabulous natural setting and your home is not too intrusive colorwise. A red roof might not be as dominant when viewing the colorful landscape right now, but what about mid winter when the leaves are gone, the nature has a more subdued palette? It seems to me that it would really not fit with your setting. I liked what you said about trying more texture...shakes would be perfect but hubby says no, so what about architectural shingles? I couldn't find a perfect pic, but maybe someone could photo shop more 3D shingles? Just to try?

Here is a link that might be useful:

Not many roofing companies make red shingles, so there isn't a wide choice of shades. I only know of Certainteed & GAF. Certainteed offers red only in a few of their lines, & GAF offers it in two. Certainteed's red shingle is pretty subdued, actually. The shadows inherent in architectural shingles tone down the red a lot.

One of the reasons we went with red is because our winters are gray & bleak. The red roof looks welcoming on a dreary winter day.

Pup yes, that rustique is bright! I saw the notes about the certainteed roofing, that's what we have is Certainteed. We went with a grayish brown. Love the house though, Arkansas is a beautiful state. Do you mind me asking if your on a lake or is that a river? When we lived in Louisiana, we lived on a river and it was amazing to look at and we loved boating on it.

I like the red roof but not in your woodsy waterside location. I like the subdued natural look it has now. What a gorgeous home and yard.

My first thought when looking at your pictures was what a lovely, natural setting you live in, and how perfectly your house suited it. The pictures of red roofs posted here are of rather tall homes, so that when viewed from ground level the color doesn't overwhelm. IMO a red roof would overwhelm your house, sort of "press it down" and look heavy and loud. If I had to re-roof, I would chose a very soft and innocuous color.

Besides, wouldn't red clash with those gorgeous azaleas? I know they only bloom for a short time, but doesn't everyone wait for that time? Why detract from them?

I tend to prefer neutral...but can't decide either- just have to say, what a heavenly home and property!

As I said in my earlier post I think a red roof would look great on your home but if you are considering selling it anytime before the roof needs to be redone I would reconsider the red. There are few choices of red shingles compared to the grays, blacks and browns just because most people prefer those colors. I do like the french press color above as long as it goes well with the brick on your garage, its hard to tell on my monitor. I think you would need to repaint the shutters though in the case.

If by "red" you mean a burgandy color that matches the shutters, I would put a metal roof that color on there in a hot minute!

I think new architectural shingles would made a world of difference. I love shake shingles, and they make shakes that are not real wood - so you don't have the maintenance.

I would think the shake wood shingles could be installed to withstand strong winds. They use them up in Cape Cod etc. where they get some pretty blustery winds.

You have such a large roof and it comes down rather low around your house and garage. I think the red roof would really all you'd ever see once it was installed. I think the roof shouldn't be your focal point when you have such a nice house to show off.

Not to be too negative, but to be honest, some of the most atrocious houses I've seen are ones where the roof has been replaced with a color that is different than the original roof and it just looks odd.

It seems to me it would far less expensive to repaint your house if you want it to pop more than to put a roof on that you may find you hate or looks awful.

More pictures to help you decide. Most are metal per cearbhaill's suggestion, and are brighter than asphalt shingle roofs. At least you can see it on a variety of house styles, some with predominant roofs:

I love this house:

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I want to thank you all for your honest opinions. It has certainly given me some things to think about. It's funny, hubby wanted to paint the whole house red, but I sure didn't have the guts for that. So I thought maybe a red roof cause whenever I see one, it makes me smile! They're so happy looking.

Awm03, thank you for those pictures. Whoa! I swooned over a couple of them. The first one is great, and so is the one you mentioned. Lovin me some red roofs!

I think I will peruse Certainteed's sight later when I have a little more time. I will likely post some options. Maybe the "shake" look that is not real wood would look good. We have considered metal roofs, but I don't know about that. I think shingles might fit better. BTW, is anyone aware of a roofing sight were you can upload your house picture and then try on the shingles for size?

Thank you all again for your time. Your ideas have certainly helped me. And Lucki, it is a lake...not a river.

pup

I LOVE red roofs --
but sorry, not on your house in that setting...

It's the natural setting and the below-street elevation that make it not work, IMO.
Right now, your house is so well-sited, so lovely in it's setting.
The rich grey (which is NOT too dark, IMO) and charming red shutters minimize the impact of 'house upon nature' and create more of a 'house within nature' feeling, which is lovely.

Because your roof is so visible, red would make it a BIG RED ROOF and a major eye-drawing distraction from the beautiful site and view.

If you want to up the cute-factor, what about a fabulous copper weather vane on the garage side? Or more colorful planters with blooming flowers near the street?

How about something like Burnt Sienna, a Certainteed Landmark Shake variety that has a lot of texture and is a dark reddish brown. It would blend more with nature but might have a red kick to it. We love the architectural shakes on our house. We used a color called Thunderstorm and it seems to change color with the seasons, weather etc.It really does pop, but blends at the same time. Hope that makes sense.
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Here is a link that might be useful: Burnt Sienna roof

I love it as is! It is just so classy and lovely! Can you plant some hydreangeas that bloom all summer or some other plant? I'd call a landscaper for color not a painter. :) I just adore where you live! I am MOVING IN! TOMORROW! ;) I'd do potted plants and add in some other things that flower.

So you said renovations...and your first time posting pics? Can we see more of your little slice of heaven???

I agree that a bright red would detract from the natural beauty of your setting. But, I think that you could get away with a "reddish" color and have it work nicely. I like the last couple of posts of the Burnt Sienna and Grand Manor. Both of these are "red", but they are not jarring at all. But, I would suggest planting some native or well adapted plants in your landscape that have red accents to tie help the house tie in better. I'm not an expert on Arkansas plantings, but maybe hollies (red berries), possumhaw (another holly with red berries), nandina, sumac, deciduous shrubs and trees with warm fall color, etc.

Drop dead gorgeous house and yard!

Whaaaaaaaa, I'm so confused! I'm also in a big ass hurry right now (having a very busy week) but will respond back a little later to some of the ideas. Thought I would post a couple more pics to give a better look at the color of the stone we have. We had this retaining wall put in...it was the very first thing we did when we bought this house. The color of the chimney stone is a little bit different from the wall, but I think it all blends. Please ignore the fire hydrant dog potty. It is definitely NOT the red color I'm thinking about for my roof. HA!

Thanks all!
pup

Please, no red roof there. Let nature take center stage. Absolutely spectacular setting, and that is what your eye should see. Do get something with some dimension, in a color that harmonizes with the trees.

First of all, beautiful home! Just love it. The thing about your roof is that you see so much of it because it sits down in from the road. So whatever you pick, it will be prominent. Your home is so lovely. I want my eyes to focus on the house, not the roof.

I agree that the roof should not overwhelm your beautiful house and garden. Your retaining wall is just fabulous. I love the Burnt Sienna roof posted. Has rich color without overwhelming.
Diane

Hey again you ALL! Sorry I've been missing in action from my own post. I've read and REREAD all the replies and each one makes sense to me. Guess I'm easily swayed. HA!

I'm not going to call you all out by name, but I do want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughts. I very much appreciate the compliments on the exterior of the home because I can't tell you what all we've done to and spent on this place in the last 2+ years. As one example, about two feet from the little curved gate that you see in my wall pic was the biggest pine tree on the whole property...ole Granpappy! Yes, I'm saying it was between the front gate and the house...where you see those stepping stones.....the tree was maybe eight feet from the front door. I was terrified the day the tree guy took it down. I loaded up all my dogs and we went and hid out at Sonic till it was over. My stomach was in some big knots...mostly from my own nerves but the chili cheese dog didn't help either. And then the interior renovations started and I now drink too much. LOL!

A few thoughts I have. I think the house looks blah in person. I think in these pics you guys are most likely seeing the color of the landscaping. I originally was going for kind of a "Cape Cod" look I suppose. And honestly, the house was already painted gray, so being that I have no imagination when it comes to paint, I picked a slightly darker gray color. My husband calls it "Gray Crap." Yikes.

Now just some general questions about roof color. Okay, so if I don't do a version of red, should the roof be darker then the house paint? Or lighter? Should the roof be a solid color or more of a varigated blend? Shouldn't the roof have SOME gray in it? Interestingly enough I have had some roof experience lately...I'm not a total virgin. We have another home (that we haven't been able to sell) and we had to replace the failing roof. It is a totally different style to say the least...old Chicago brick, dark brown stain (SW Shag Bark) on the gables and trim. We chose Certainteed's Landmark shingles in the Heather Blend color. It was between that color and Burnt Sienna that Prairiemom referenced earlier. I really never thought about either of those colors for the lake home, but maybe......see the link below for Heather Blend. It is not as brown as Burnt Sienna and has some gray. Whatcha think?

Thanks,
pup

Here is a link that might be useful: Heather Blend is the fifth one on the top row

Something to consider is that you've got deciduous trees, in the fall they turn colors, and in winter, they're bare. So ask yourself what is the longest season where you live. That is when your roof is going to be most dominant; do you get snow drifts? Muddy winters? Sunny winters?

You could go either way...a deep, bricky red or a nice warm dark color. From a naturalist pov...when you've got your flowers blooming, you want them to be the focal point and have a neutral roof similar to the color you have now. But if you have gray, sunless days for 2 1/2 seasons (like in Oregon!) you'd want to warm it up with the spicier red.

However, I spend a lot of my time out in nature and see a lot of varieties of roofs in woodland settings, and for the most part, they're in conifer forests and the roofs're done in neutral grays or greens.