i'm no designer but i think that color with the red tile roofs would look weird. i have red tile roofs and the beautiful white walls. there is a beautiful building in santa barbara that has been aged wonderfully. greens and grays accentuate the stucco cracks so it looks as if it's been there for 100 years!

This is something to contemplate over a sweet vermouth on the rocks, with a twist.

I lived in Rome for one term of architecture school and understand the appeal of the beautiful colors of the buildings. They have patinaed over many centuries and have had layer upon layer of refinishing in colors that may be close to the original, but not exact. There in lies some of the beauty---the irregularities of layers of colors. There are ways to duplicate the effect. Most likely it will take a professional to have satisfactory results that you seek, but it is possible. Several coats of exactly the same color will not produce the effect of age and patina---it will result in a look that is flat and dull. Venetian plaster on the interior walls of a home is as close as I can think to describe a newly applied finish what would be a similar look to the aged plaster on the exterior of a building. The variations of color in the exterior walls need not clash with nor compete with tile roof color. Nearly every roof in Rome is tile!

I too was obsessed with this when in Rome - alas, I think trying to replicate it is not a great idea. I think it is one of the elements of magic that only Rome has - it's just part of the overall environment, the history, that just can not be reproduced in washes. Viva!

Actually, I think yellow with a red tile roof looks great. Maybe you just need a deeper, more orange-y, earthy yellow? I've also seen a slate grey and deep mossy green done. They offset the red beautifully and look good in the fog!

I live in a rainy West Coast city, too, and I can understand the desire to replicate the feel of more sun-drenched climes. But it often doesn't look quite right when people try to import an aesthetic that's specific to a different climate.

can you post a picture of your house? the stone lintels and black shutters in the photos you posted provide a necessary contrast to the large expanses of terracotta color. as long as your home has some sort of similar effect to break up the monotony, i'd say go for it!

Whilst not identical, you can get interesting effects from using a lime wash paint.

As mentioned above, what you see when you look at those buildings is ages of patina and weather. Using a single colour will only look flat and dead regardless of how great the colour you use is. The look you're after can be simulated. Using 3 or 4 colours simultaneously is one way to get what you're after. Another technique is lime wash. Of the 2 techniques, lime wash is the closest to traditional materials used in Italy. The lime wash has been used there for centuries but needs to be applied in successive coats to build up depth. Many coats of slightly varying tints will look aged and weathered. The most common red colour is...Venetian Red or Iron Oxide Red. Adding other tints can adjust the base colour from pink to earth toned. It takes a fair amount of work but the final results can be amazing!

Um. No. No lime wash. No faux finish. Bad color.

This is Northern California, not Italy ... you will hate that color in this light on a house ...

Could you post a picture of your house? It is too abstract to try to do this theoretically.

However, I have to agree with many of the earlier posters -- and as you point out, the light in San Francisco is very different from that of Rome, and even if, through great effort and expense, you manage to achieve a semblance of the colour through layering, you will never succeed in capturing the colour you love.

But there is another alternative that would suit your house and your context... and that will be largely dictated by your house.

What's wrong with accepting the fact that Rome is Rome? Embrace the style and beauty of your own region and keep your beautiful memories of Rome as memories, rather than trying to recreate them in San Francisco.

Don't forget to add trompe l'oeil lintels, faux window landscapes, and maybe some little gnomes too.

Had a small Spanish style house by the beach in So. Cal that we painted terra cotta - slightly different than the one above - more orange. It came out almost the exact color of the roof tiles. I think the color above has too much pink. We have since moved but the house is still painted that color and has aged nicely - all reds fade considerably. We painted the trim white and had colorful tiles on steps and mixed in around terra cotta patio. Lots of plants created the needed contrast.

Just and aside I think exteriors look the best when you use three colors - either walls in two different colors or two different trim colors. Also against trying to replicate Rome just doesn't work.

ElleBee, I'll have one too. And I'd like to say a prayer and drink to world peace.

I know, it happens: After a summer in Tuscany, I now have clay tiles on my kitchen floor. They would be just fine in Siena, but just so wrong in my kitchen.

When IN Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Northern California, I'd paint the house white, like the Spanish missions and accent with blue window frames. That would be California.

Sorry, it may be that I am just on a mission against faux Mission. Have fun!

I have found instructions for several exterior faux and real painting techniques in three books: "Outdoor Painting Techniques" Niven/Hennigs, "Using Natural Finishes" Weismann/Bryce and "Italian Plaster Techniques" M. Soens. Many of the old techniques have been up-dated using new materials. I used to do scene painting in the Theater, it's all smoke and mirrors!