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sandhyasinghal

Help Pick Exterior Color

sandhyasinghal
9 years ago

Hello, we are getting our house painted. We ware leaning towards Gray colors and until now we have liked Sherwin Williams Gaunttlet Gray and also I am thinking if we can be brave enough and paint our door deep purple, would this work or it would be a crazy house on the street! Inputs and feedback appreciated!
I have uploaded a picture of our house for reference.
Thank you so much.

Comments (32)

  • nanny2a
    9 years ago

    I think that would be a lovely color, and yes, the right color purple would look great with it! I say go for it!

    Here is a link that might be useful: SW Gauntlet Gray

  • sandhyasinghal
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks. Should we keep the shutters all white as they are right now or bring in another color.

  • nanny2a
    9 years ago

    This is a lighter gray than SW Gauntlet, but you see how striking it looks with purple. I would keep the shutters white, however.

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    The Gauntlet is a gorgeous gray.

    Check out BM Dark Purple.

    I definitely paint the shutters, maybe something like BM Bruton White.

    I'm bothered by the white under the windows and those tall shutters. That looks odd to me.

  • ravencajun Zone 8b TX
    9 years ago

    I like the colors you picked, I too am bothered by those lower shutters around a bay window. I would most definitely remove those shutters and live with it for a bit. I think it would look much better. If shutters can not possibly be functional then sometimes they just should not be there. The other top shutters look fine.
    I love a good purple like the pictured one, not a wild and crazy one though.
    beautiful house and property!

  • sandhyasinghal
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I am glad someone said that! We have been contemplating removing those shutters around the bay windows, it seems like a big mass of white there! So that's it, they are going. What about shutters on top, should we paint them...ummm...maybe black, charcoal or white like the trim and all!
    Thank you so much!

  • sandhyasinghal
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Also, should we be thinking of painting the part below the bay windows the same as the siding and not white as it is right now.

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    I think charcoal or black shutters would be perfect, with an off-white trim around the windows.

    I'd then paint the open white area under the lower windows the Gauntlet Gray, paint the outer trim of those windows the same color as the shutters, and paint the inner trim of the windows with the off white. Get rid of white white altogether.

  • theclose
    9 years ago

    +1 to what Tib suggested. It will be beautiful! Very nice house.

  • sandhyasinghal
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I like where we are going with this.....When you say For bay windows "outer trim the same color as shutters" do you mean black/charcoal. And while we are at it....what should be done to the top thick crown (?) of the bay windows?
    Thank you :-)

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    the Gauntlet gray would go up to the bottom sill/trim of the bay windows.

    For the bulk of the window trim, I"d do the charcoal/black of the upper shutters, including the thick crown. Then do a thin inner trim on the wood immediately touching the glass, in an off white, something like BM Muslin.

    Think of it like a painting. You have the painting in the center, which would be your windows; the frame on the outer, which would be the black, and then the thin middle square from a matte between the two to give the painting definition.

    Does that make sense?

    I'm not good at garage doors, though. What do people suggest? Garage doors in the gauntlet gray with the trim black? Or all Gauntlet Gray? I would not do the thin inner ivory trim on the garage, though.

    Front door: door = purple; trim in the off white; switch out lantern for larger one for front door and the mudroom door, and one between the two garage doors wouldn't be a bad idea. Something like this?

  • sandhyasinghal
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    hmmm, the garage doors same as siding....wouldn't we need some contrast?
    I am not very good at these things and really glad for this forum and the members, so please keep the suggestions coming and please keep on pardoning my "design ignorance" :-)

  • ravencajun Zone 8b TX
    9 years ago

    I think that charcoal gray would be great for the shutters and yes I agree there's too much white at the bay Windows. The same charcoal for trim would be great. Really look like a new house.

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    I'd definitely do the garage doors in the same color as the siding. What I'm unsure about is the trim. Maybe someone can do a couple of mockups, using the colors suggested, to give you and idea.

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    That gauntlet gray is too dark for a purple door, IMO. You need a lighter gray for some contrast, unless you decide to paint the door a lighter purple. That would provide contrast, but it seems a generally accepted principle that the door should be bolder than the house.

    I like the gauntlet gray, and white provides a beautiful contrast with it. Keep the shutters and trim white, and the woodwork below the bay windows white as well, it is an architectural feature that is meant to contrast with the siding. With your color scheme I would also keep the doors white, to give an overall crisp and tidy Colonial look--- which is very pleasing. I would paint the door a red/ violet color, the color of that crayola crayon that bridges the gap between red and purple.

    Lovely house, good luck!

  • sandhyasinghal
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Can please someone do the mock ups here? I don't have any photoshop skills or photoshop on my computer!
    Here's a picture I found that is done in a different color, would this also work for us? I do not like the door though :-)

    Here is a link that might be useful: Garage and Siding in Same color

  • sandhyasinghal
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    And I found one house which has gauntlet gray with white garage doors...what do you all say? I can see the style of house is different so what works in this image might not work for our house but I do want opinions :-)

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

  • Lyban zone 4
    9 years ago

    singhai

    I do not know if you looked at this page but if you look at this persons photoshop of Gauntlet grey, it seems to be very tan like in color.
    Maybe just my monitor but that is why it would be important to test.
    in the sunshine it might change colors alot

    Here is a link that might be useful: here is the link

  • sandhyasinghal
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I have done test swatches in two places, one where the sun shines all day long and the other where its mostly shaded....until now I am happy :-) Thanks.

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    That picture you posted at 12:37 is exactly what I envisioned for your house, except with a red violet door!

  • msrose
    9 years ago

    I love the house you found with Gaunlet Gray, white garage doors and black front door. Very classic and beautiful.

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    You can add that carriage house style hardware on the white garage doors per the photo.

  • sandhyasinghal
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    So what purple would go best wih Gauntlet gray? I am looking at BM Wenge...

    Here is a link that might be useful:

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    The gray pictures with the wenge door is much, much lighter than the gray you have chosen. It won't look the same. It might read as black, which would be all right but perhaps not what you are envisioning.

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    BM Wenge is beautiful. Do long as you separate it from the Gauntlet Gray using an ivory, like BM Muslin, I think it would be beautiful. There is a lot of brown in both the Gauntlet Gray and Wenge, so I think they'd they'd work together nicely. But the trim, I think, should also be an ivory.

  • sandhyasinghal
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Alright, we are back to the drawing board as my 9 year DD woke us up from our happy Gray color party and reminded that our deck in the back is also true gray and the house color will not give it any contrast. I love her, She is the coolest girl :-) The deck floor is made of composite material so it can't be painted. Now we have to think of a totally different color scheme. Help help help!! I have researched some and kind of liking BM Hawthorne Yellow with Hale Navy Shutters and soft white trim.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Hawthorne Yellow Exterior

  • tibbrix
    9 years ago

    Why does the deck have to contrast with the house?

  • sandhyasinghal
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    coz the look colors look conflicting together....two shades of gray

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    Deck pix might be of some value at this point.

  • sandhyasinghal
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Yes, I should be doing that in the morning though it will be show better once painters power wash it!!

  • mallorygins
    9 years ago

    Love the light gray exterior.

    This post was edited by GinzHomestead on Sun, Sep 14, 14 at 2:45

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    I'm glad as I was never a fan of the gray idea...I thought it too dark to go with the dark roof.

    Not quite the same as this has the wood roof, but here are some colors I would consider that will also work with a gray deck and you still get your purple door.

    Body: BM Azurite
    Trim: BM Mascarpone
    Shutters: BM Black
    Door: BM caponata