Q: We are going to paint the outside of our house. I am SO eager to update it but I'm paralyzed because I'm having a hard time choosing paint colors for the trim, siding and porch (which is concrete). As much as I'd like to, removing the scallops is not an option. We would have to replace all of the trim and we are not going to be in this house long enough to justify the expense/labor.
We have thought about painting the brick, but again, decided it wouldn't be worth it given the amount of time we'll be spending in the house. We also live in a traditional/established neighborhood and it might set our neighbors off. We are thinking about getting some sort of railing to define the porch, so any thoughts on that would be great:
I should note that I intensly dislike the gingerbread house look of the current trim (so much that it almost kept us from buying the house) and am generally not a fan of brown on houses. My husband has requested that we get navy blue shutters. He rarely has an opinion on things house related, so if I can, I'd like to give him what he wants. :)
Since these pictures were taken we have removed the satellite dish, repaired the streakiness on the roof, replaced some windows, and finished landscaping the backyard. I've also added some flower pots and furniture to the front porch (these chairs and a white garden stool (neither of these have to be permanent)). Thanks in advance!
Sent by Megan
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I think black or white will mask the parts of the trim that are brown now and make your white paned windows pop.
I know you said you weren't going to be there long enough to justify painting the brick but we have a house we drive by all the time that did there brick and trim all white. They have multi paned French doors...it looks nice. I would bet it would be a lot of upkeep though with having to repaint every so often. Cute house! Good luck!!
I just saw a red brick home painted with deep gray accents (trim, windows, etc.,) (http://www.houzz.com/discussions/52538/Help-----I-have-a-traditional-red-brick-home---)
If you painted all your trim that deep gray it would minimize the scallops and gingerbready feel. And deep blue shutters would be a nice compliment to the deep quiet gray.
If you paint the scallops and their background the same color, they will nearly disappear. Maybe just all white scallops/trim, with navy on the shutters and also maybe the front door or garage door?
Hmm, you could you paint the scallops the same colour as the trim that it is pasted against. Right now there is a big contrast between the white of the underneath trim and the brown of the scallops so it's quite noticeable. Maybe you could paint it all white? Or what might look nice is painting all of the white on the house plus the scallops a dark muddy grey (with brown undertones).
Kendra
I think you have to unify the look of your house by only choosing one color for all of the trim and scalloping. Otherwise, it'll look disjointed and draw attention to the scalloping you hate. Instead of navy blue, I suggest black. Black and brick are a classic combination. It looks like you already have a black door, so put a fresh coat of glossy black paint on that and you will have a better idea of how good brick looks against black.
Also, remove the white screen door, or replace it with a black screen door.
And remove the dated flower box that is under the window.
Paint the scallop trim all white, or paint the scallops just 1-2 shades darker than the rest of the trim. Paint/stain the porch dark brown or brick red to blend in better with the brick facade. Get a slightly larger, more clean-lined light for above the garage and powerwash the driveway.
As for the rest of the house colors, play around in Photoshop (or GIMP or even MS Paint if that's what you've got) to see what you like. I'd try "painting" the shutters as well as the garage door navy to see if you like the balance.
Remove the scallop trim. I've seen photos where people went with the craftsman look by adding some beams and earth tones. Maybe even add stone/slate tiles to the front porch and stairs.
Is there any way to add a veneer of a less offensive molding/trim OVERTOP of the scallops? They would not need to be removed.
For heavens sake don't paint the brick! Wash the brick, paint the trim white and call it a day. If your planning on leaving soon, why make a drastic change that others may not like? Just my $.02
I also vote that all the trim, scallops, shutters, and siding being white (or the same color as the grout) - it's on the safe side, but if you don't plan to live there long, it's better to be safe in my opinion. I think a nice bright blue front door would look very lovely and inviting against the red brick. Navy might be a little dark, but a blue door might be a lovely compromise and one better than shutter color.
I don't get it. You don't think you're going to be in the house long enough to rip off the scallops but you aren't ruling out painting the trim except that you can't pick colors. But then you're going to be in the house long enough that you're more than willing to paint the brick. Again, you don't know what color.
I don't think this is a problem of colors or time. Like a lot of people who ask these kinds of questions, it's more of a psychological conundrum. It's a matter of indecision on your part. You need to decide how long you intend to stay in this house, how much you're willing to spend to make it look nice and mostly, why you are having such a hard time to committing to a course of action.
IMHO, the most sensible thing to do is rip off the scallops and paint the trim. My guess is that a contractor will do it for you for about $1200. If you are looking for paint combos that go together with your brick, go to the Benjamin Moore color gallery and pick the color closest to your brick, then see what colors they recommend. Here's what I found just by eyeballing your brick color:
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/redrock
Then, do some relandscaping and put a little seating area or bench on the porch.
Here's a different set of color combinations based on the color "rustic brick":
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/rusticbrick
Pick a creamy color for the trim and an accent color for the door.
@KHinNJ - Well put. I have trouble with questions about indecision. To me, paint decisions are easy. It's a relatively low expense, and if you don't like it, do it over again.
Agree totally with @Matthew77
Don't paint the brick, especially when you plan on leaving. Leave the option for the future longer-term owners who actually like the house.
white for the trim/shutters
stain the porch
then forget about it and concentrate your efforts on the pot plants you've already started as you can take with when you move. You will get more personal satisfaction out of them and will home-ify the house when you come to sell.
Paint all the trim white. With no contrast, the scallops just become a textural difference, not a design focus.
If you want navy blue shutters, paint them navy blue. (I like the white, but it's not my house.) I'd also paint the front door the same color, but leave all the other trim white. I'd either paint the garage door the color of the brick or the color of the front door, especially if you change the shutters to a dark color. (Right now the shutters and garage door, both being white, balance each other. If you darken the shutters, you don't want the garage door to be a big white glare all by itself.)
Leave the porch alone, except maybe for an attractive container planting and a couple of outdoor chairs.
Think in term of changes that will enhance or at least not deter from resale, especially since you don't expect to say there long.
I'd paint all of the trim white (or at least the same color) which will make the scallops pop less, which is what you seem to want.
The shutters really need to stay white because if you paint them dark, they won't balance out the window to the right of the door - though you might be able to get away with painting the slats navy, leavingthe frame white.
I agree you should leave the brick. Paint the scallops and trim a dark grey (nice photo from above). Paint the garage door and white siding a lighter grey Or taupe-grey and then paint the shutters an dfront door Navy or a slightly lighter than navy blue(replace the front screen door with a darker colour). I think the front porch is alright, but if you're painting it then go for the same dark grey. It'll help anchor the house. Then add some large planters with bright flowers. I would also change the white flower box to a wood one.
I would go with Benjamin Moore Black Beauty for the trim (low lustre for the trim, gloss for the screen door and shutters) and Ben Moore Gray for the garage door and siding. For the concrete, a warmer taupe gray like Barnwood.
Do not paint the brick.
@PI: I know of which I speak because I go through this all the time. I have a very hard time making decisions. I've had to find shortcuts, like checking color galleries and letting experts make these decisions for me. But mostly, when I have a hard time making decisions, I have to sit down and figure out what my motivations are. There's usually some other issue, personal or otherwise, that's at the bottom of it. Once I get that sorted out, it becomes easier to commit to a plan of action.
I'm still trying to get to the bottom of this. Could it be that the husband's desire to have navy blue shutters is causing the impasse? If you paint the shutters navy blue, you have to paint or remove the scallops. You could paint them white to be consistent, but then you have a red, white and blue house. Why not just nail some stars to the roof and call it a day?
If you don't want the fourth of july look, then you have to change the brick to some other color to go with navy blue shutters. So, riffing off the navy blue shutters idea, here are some complementary paint colors for navy blue. http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/admiralblue
You could paint the brick gray or cream. That would certainly change the whole appearance of the house. Which makes me now understand why the homeowner says she's not planning to stay in this house. It's not really their ideal house. At all. Not even a little bit. They like a lighter exterior with darker trim.
That sucks.
Here's what you have: a cute little house that needs a refreshing new trim. That's it. You can't make this into your French provincial cottage of your dreams. Ain't never going to happen. So, make THIS house live up to ITS potential. Don't make it be something it's not.
Or get rid of your husband. Navy blue shutters sound great on a ship with one of those mermaid thingies on the prow. On a brick house? Ehhhhh, not so much.
@KHinNJ - This might help you. When I see colors I like in online paint galleries, I google that paint color name to see it in different kinds of photos. I look at amateur photos, which may show a paint color in harsh light, and also professional photos, like from AT or other design sites. The combination of the two shows me how a paint might look in real life situations and will help me determine whether I like the color.
It's your house, paint the shutters navy blue if you want. Here's a photo that could show you how classy that could be. http://community.certapro.com/forums/t/1470.aspx
If you paint the trim all white, with no contrast to the scallops, they will disappear.
@PI- I have the paint thing down now. I've developed a pretty good eye for color these days and can easily discern undertones, etc. Color combinations are also easier once I see professionally matched color palettes. It helps narrow down options. Then I buy samples, paint big squares on of all my different walls and choose one. So, this isn't an issue for me anymore.
But that doesn't really seem to be this homeowner's problem. The problem is that she doesn't really like this house. It's like, it would be great if it weren't red brick with a scalloped trim and looked exactly like it looks. Know what I'm saying? It's a starter house. We've all had them. You need to work with what you've got and what you can afford. It can look adorable from the street but it's not the kind of house that will ever be stately or chic or rustic or has a patina or modern or {{fill in the blank}}. The homeowner needs to come to terms with the fact that this is not the home of her dreams. It's the home of someone's dreams in the late 50s, early 60s. Suck it up and paint the trim. Painting the brick is just going to frustrate the conservationist who buys the house off of her who likes the vintage look.
Why bother to change it at all (beyond maintenance of the existing paint) if you will be there such a short time? If you already have one foot out the door, it's best to maintain it and sell it. Save your money and time for a place you can love.
Also, make that front walk more inviting by cutting away about 1.5 to 2 feet of grass/sod on the left side to meet with the bed on the left side of the house, and plant with a plethora of perrenials to perk up the house with merry yellows and oranges in the bed on both sides of the walk.
@KHinNJ - I totally understand that sentiment. I wanted a chic mid-century house that was really interesting to look at..but I bought a bland, white box because newer construction was more affordable and required fewer renovations. Turns out, I love my house, I love how it looks on the inside and the changes I've made, and I even love the bland, white boxness of it because it became LESS of a problem for me once I saw the potential that was beyond the boring front door.
Your house looks perfectly fine - starter, finisher or in-betweener. The cuteness of the scallops will be counteracted by the many suggestions to paint them out in a more sophisticated charcoal color complimenting the navy shutters and by using that same color on the scallops as the currently white parts. Some pink shrub roses like a KnockOut rose interplanted with Japanese anemones, perennial geraniums and some daffodils (all soon to be on sale everywhere) will go a long way to making you feel better by making the house look better. It really is a fine looking house. Now it's your turn to transform it into your home.
My house looks QUITE similar, and I would say do all the trim (gingerbread and the like) one color so it blends in. And then the blue shutters. I have all my trim and shutters white, simply bec I can't figure out any other color that looks good with that color brick...
As others have said, painting the scallops the same color as the trim under them, will make them pretty much disappear.
Select a greyed navy color for the shutters by holding paint samples against the bricks - there's bound to be a greyed tone in them somewhere. You're looking for a navy that works with the bricks. Then, use that color to select a couple of other shades in the greyed-navy family. Use these for the trim and the gables and garage doors.
DO NOT paint the brick! Once you paint brick it has to be painted regularly FOREVER. As someone who is living in a 1925 home where half the original detail has been stripped or mutilated - please consider a light touch. If this isn't your "forever home" please leave the gingerbread and just paint the trim all one color as suggested. You may not like it, but keep in mind - what's offensive to you is architectural interest for someone down the line.
Please get rid of the white on everything, especially the garage door and downspout, your house is too small to be chopped up by this color, plus it does nothing for the bricks.
I like the grey mentioned by earlier posters, it will be sophisticated and unify all the elements, it will also allow you to use a vivid eye catching accent color on the shutters and front door.
Please make sure you paint the storm the same color as the front door to unify them. The downspout is not an accent, you want it to fade into oblivion, so paint it a flat brick color. The garage door is not a feature either, make that fade as well by painting it a dark grey. You want all your focus to be on the front door.
You can use several shades of gray in the same family for all your trim. Use a darker grey where it is bright and a slightly lighter shade where it is dark. Only you will know you did this, but it will make a big difference.
I totally agree with @Matthew77.
Totally agree with the one-color paint, and I think that a dark, warm gray is the answer. However, just wanted to chime in on your windows, which I think are lending to the cutesy feel of the front. Take out the muntins!! We took them out of all of our sliding doors and you would not believe the difference it made inside and outside! We kept them in our windows only because it looked better, but yours are large enough that experimenting with that is worth it! Depending on your window they may just pop right out. But that large window is far too big for the muntin.
I haven't read through all the comments but I agree on the darker trim colors. Add color in the landscaping though.
Also, get the roof cleaned. I think you'll feel a thousand times better about the house afterwards, and it will influence the color choice.
All white, get rid of the fake shutters.
Get rid of the storm door and paint door solid high gloss ( black, dark green, etc), paint flower box and any other iron black.
My solution is always walking around neighbourhoods I love to find colour/design combinations that are already working well on houses I find attractive.
Hi everyone! This is my house. Thank you so much for all of your suggestions. You've given me a lot to think about. I was leaning towards grey so I've been happy that so many of you suggested it. As far as the indecision goes...you are right. I am being indecisive. I want/need a change (painting has to happen, it's peeling) but I am afraid of doing something that is too personalized and turns off buyers in the next couple of years. I know that I really didn't like the scallops, I know that other people who have looked at our house don't like the scallops. I'm making a bigger deal than I need to and it's probably because I've just been thinking about it too long. I've been very decisive about the inside of my house and am happy with what I've done.
I didn't mention it earlier because my letter was getting so wordy but we have done a lot of landscaping in the front and it's definitely made a difference. And yes @KHinNJ You are correct that I don't like the outside of the house. I know that it's not going to look like my dream house and I don't expect that of it. However, it's the first thing I see when I drive up to it and I'd like to make it as aesthetically pleasing (within reason) as I can while I'm there. And yes, I don't really want a red white and blue house. If my husband hadn't asked for blue shutters I probably would have had all of the trim painted white months ago.
Also, @Celuna...thank you for your fantastic, detailed suggestions!
Gray trim with the gray roof would be much of a muchness. Consider painting all the trim (including both levels of scallops and the garage door) a cream color such as Behr's Capri Cream. Then if you want the navy blue shutters, the overall effect won't be so red-white-and-blue. The cream will harmonize well with the warm tones of the stone of your front steps and walkway. No matter what, don't paint the brick -- anyone buying the house will have to keep the paint in good repair; it's a turn-off.
Don't paint the brick, as stated...don't even consider it.
Yes, paint the scallops trim one color, and you won't see them anymore.
I'd wouldn't do navy blue, too dark with brick. You need to pick a color to harmonize with the brick. I'm thinking something in in the cream or tan or putty family would look best with the brick. I'd do two shades of it - a darker shade on the trim, and possibly on the triangles of siding, and a lighter shade of it on the garage door and window trim. Paint the storm door that color too, if paintable. (If not, stick with its color for the window trims.) Possibly paint the lighter shade on the siding triangles too, and just the darker shade on the scallop trim. A lighter gray could work - dark grey is too dark, like navy is. I'd still stay away from gray, though, as the roof is gray. I'd get rid of the shutters completely, most likely...they aren't really adding anything to this house at all. I'd figure out what to do for a window box once the shutters are gone. I'd probably remove it and not replace it and just focus on the landscaping below.
Ok, you don't like the house. But some simple brick houses look better than others. Look at those around, or pictures. See if you like the shutterless ones better, as I do. See which color trim combinations you like better with houses in your shade of brick with your color roof. This house is classic, and you can make it look classy with the right choices, even without painting the brick or pulling down the scallop trim.
Also, wouldn't stain the concrete. I'd get an outdoor rug and cover it. Cheaper, easier, nicer look. For a railing, I'd have a wrought iron one made, in front of the porch, and wrapping around to provide a railing down that one side of the stairs. It's a nice safety addition (think of an old granny coming to visit.) This will add to curb appeal when you go to sell, too.
Oh, and replace that oval house number sign, and your lamp beside the door and above the garage - they add to the cutesy look you don't like. Replace them with something simple and more modern. It will make a difference.