You posted in the "Gallery" section of the Home Decorating board. It doesn't see much traffic. You might want to repost over there on the main board.

If you give me a bit to get it done, I'll paint the house virtually so you can see how different hues can look on the exterior. Tapestry Beige trim and Fairview Taupe body is a very nice exterior color combo.

Thanks funcolors. Wasn't sure about where to post.

If you'd paint the house virutally for me, that would be awesome! Like you, I think that color combo might be great, though my girlfriend and I have just this week been looking at Sherwin Williams' "Messenger Bag," a greenish taupe that looks great with the natural cedar front and back decks. It's not ridiculously green - it's quite earthy.

But yes, would LOVE to see anything you can come up with. How nice of you. Thanks again very much. perhaps I'll repost now on the main board.

gord

I'm sure you know the drill about on-line paint colors. Can't render color on your monitor so it's a true representation of real-life paint chips/colors. So this is just for a general idea. Still have to get chips. Still have to sample.

Fairview

Messenger

Threw in a saddle-type brown for comparison

Good lord! That's exceptional, funcolors. Thank you, thank you, thank you! And you cleaned up my driveway too! :-) I'm liking both Fairview and Messenger (making a final decision won't be easy!), and I really look forward to doing the trim in complimentary colors. And yes, I do know these colors aren't exact.

Would you mind telling me which program does this for you? Or is that top secret? LOL

Thanks again. Very much.

gord

The driveway was kinda killin' the overall vibe of the virtual. lol! It's an easy fix in real life but maybe not quite as fast as it is in Photoshop. :~D

I use Photoshop and Illustrator and sometimes CBN Selector. If you have a PC, I think the Color by Numbers (CBN Selector) program is a dandy little paint program. It's $40, but you could spend that on paint samples in the blink of an eye.

You can't pay any attention to the paint color names.

It helps if you have paint chip in hand to which you try to match monitor color. For the most part we have crappy color *memory*. Your eyeball remembers what it sees for about 24 seconds. Glancing from chips to virtuals gives your brain the best shot at piecing together what the paint color can look and feel like 3D.

I do have the garage doors, front door, steps, and trim "cut" so they can be painted virtually. The tedious work is all done so if you have a combo of colors you'd like to see, just ask It'll take me just a bit to *apply* color and post 'em.

It's a lovely house. It has a lot of fun color potential.

Here is a link that might be useful: CBN Selector

Hey funcolors, is there any chance you could re-post your three pics in the similar thread I started in the Home Decorating main discussion forum? That thread is getting much more interest than this one. Additionally, someone just posted over there, saying they thought Messenger Bag would be a great color, but then posted a makeover pic like yours that definitely wasn't Messenger Bag. Methinks your pics would look really good over there, but of course only if you have the time.

Also, you suggested I give you a trim color. I still think BM's Tapestry Beige would look prety awesome with Fairview Taupe. Any chance you could mock up a pic of those two colors together in one pic for me?

And again, thank you so much for your help.

gord

Sure. Normally, I like to keep the paint specific posts over here on the Paint Forum because it would not be out of the ordinary for someone over there to post and say "hey, ya know there's a Paint Forum". It's a brilliant observation but what those well-meaning fellow posters don't always understand is the lo traffic factor on the Paint Forum. :~D

Just to be clear, on your house I'm including the windows and door trim, gutters, and porch railing as part of the "trim".

The other helpful poster on the Dec Forum probably doesn't understand that one part I mentioned about not paying any attention to the paint color names that those DIY, home visualizer programs provide.

The alternative to using *the color name color*, however, kind of sucks because you have to look at the real-life paint color chip you're trying to mimic and be able to spot its additive color (monitor color) undertones and nuances and then try to translate that *into* your monitor using only the list of colors provided. When using *pro* software, you can build your own colors and profiles and whatnot.

Altho you never know the quality and calibration of the monitor on the other end of your virtuals, experience with color, humans, and computers can bring you a sense of what will interpret well on the other end. But that's only for participation on forums. In real life I print the pictures to go with the paint chips and they "match" in the terms of what a "match" can possibly mean given the fact that monitor color and paint chip color have different modes of appearance or in other words are spaces of color that are relative but will always be unequal.

Here's the Fairview with Tapestry Beige. Tapestry Beige is essentially categorized as a *white* so erring on the side of darker so it shows some of its color virtually is usually best. And you have chips so you should still get a decent sense of the color.

Fairview / Tapestry

Hey funcolors! Awsome work. Really helps a person visualize. Can I make a request? I'd love to see Gord's house a dark green-grey with a darker trim color(like a warm taupe or beige). I think it would make the door the main feature then, rather than your eye wondering around the house looking at the trim. It's a beautiful house!

Good thoughts about making the trim less noticeable. Maybe take a version of the darker grayed green body color lighter and up on the trim and do something fun with the window trim since they're really cool.

Oh, wow! That's much, much nicer, imo. It is so cool.

Thank-you for that!!!

Hey funcolors:

Just thought I'd give you an update. I've now started painting the house Fairwview Taupe. I figure I'm about one-sixth complete, with two coats all around. Am probably going to keep the trim white, using SW's Duration semi-gloss. The rest of the home is in SW's Reslience, flat.

Question for you: Is there any chance you still have that mockup of my house hanging around? If you do, might you be able to do my garage doors in white and re-post the pic? I'm just toying with the idea.

If you don't have the time, that's totally cool.

And thanks again for your help. In the real world, Fairview Taupe is actually a bit brighter and a tiny bit greener than the dgital representation I see on my monitor. It looks awesome - perfectly offsetting all the natural wood and the white trim, and looking not at all out of place with the neighbourhood in general. You REALLY helped in the decision-making process. I wanted you to know that.

gordo

Sure.

I knew you wanted/needed the white trim to stay but the orange was fun to play with :). I'm sure it is coming together beautifully and is looking fabulous in real life. You'll definitely have to post an after picture!

Virtuals are a HUGE help. I know that they are an integral part of the color decision process; it is 2009 after all and it's a progressive way to tackle color confusion. Plus, painting a house isn't getting any cheaper! (:-0

Here's the white garage doors. I don't know if you've ever had white doors before, but... They can be tough to live with. They get dirty, they get scuffed. Duration in semi on the doors would not be my favorite thing. Shiny white doors would conflict with the front porch and door - it'd be a clash of organic vs. sleek and it would be a bear to touch up. A gallon of the white in Duration matte would be a better idea if you decide you what to go with white garage doors.

White Doors