Need Suggestions on Exterior Colors of 1911 House

9 years ago

Hi,

I am hoping you nice people here at 'Old Houses' can help me out. My husband and I own a 1911 home which is in need of some TLC on the exterior. New facscia, soffit, paint, replacement of cedar shakes on gable, small repair to water damage cracks in the stucco. Luckily the roof is relatively new, with red/brown shingles.

My problem is that I just can't start to think outside the box when it comes to colors for this house. I initially thought dark or black (fascia/soffit) and a cream tone paint. However I saw pictures from the 90's where the shingles were black and the house more a white color and it looked positively stark and drab.

In some ways, I feel limited by the color of the roof, and the bright red front door (which I love, but willing to paint if necessary). I could either go for a nice warm palette, or something darker and cool. So confused!!

I can't seem to visualize a color palette that is too different from what is already there.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

This post was edited by b_valancy on Sun, Jul 27, 14 at 19:28

Comments (11)

b_valancy
Original Author
9 years ago
Front of House
b_valancy
Original Author
9 years ago
Back of house.
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powermuffin
9 years ago
If you want black trim, I would warm up the stucco to either a taupe, a medium gray or a butterscotch color. Any of these would add some richness to the house and look nice with most reds. If you want a difference between the stucco and the shakes, I would go with a darker or lighter version of the stucco color that you decide on. Some Benjamin Moore colors to look at are Chestertown Buff, Serengeti Sand, Stonybrook, Baked Cumin and Thunder.
Diane
sombreuil_mongrel
9 years ago
In 1910, shingle stain colors were very limited, like red, green, brown, and buff.
I think Buff on the stucco, off-white for trim, and a green or red for the accent color. Your door being red in the pic, that would work. The shingled gables may look well in another color as long as it is not a deep value or a primary color. Something like a slightly darker shade of the stucco color.
I'd recommend staying away from the outlining effect in a dark color of the trims, it makes an already-small structure look more cut up (busy is a word I hate to use, but it fits in this instance, meaning visual clutter)
Casey
b_valancy
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for your suggestions.

I found a site that could help me visual my color choices, (Better Homes and Gardens); though they had a limited colour palette selection.

I'll post a few of my favorites and hopefully with some votes I can make the best choice.

Off white, with darker trim; I found white trim and the white paint was very bad combination. Very similar to existing color scheme.
b_valancy
Original Author
9 years ago
This color scheme was not even on my radar until I starting playing around.
b_valancy
Original Author
9 years ago
Option #3
b_valancy
Original Author
9 years ago
Option #4
sombreuil_mongrel
9 years ago
I would not go with a dark-value siding color on such a small house; it will virtually disappear.
Casey
sunnyca_gw
9 years ago
Those dark colors absorb the sun's heat & you will be living in a "hot house" . And it's true it will make it look smaller. It looks like the roof is brown in the 1st pic. I would think you would want that to be considered in your color choice. Maybe a light sage green or a light mocha color with white trim.
suz16
9 years ago
I vote for a light grayish putty color on entire house, dark navy blue or black trim and leave the door the color it is. Simplicity is always best.Your house is adorable!