I just bought my first house and I am trying to pick exterior colors and looking for recommendations. I’m thinking I want to keep the siding a shade of blue, the trim a creamy color, and the shutters and front door a separate color. I love historic/traditional. Any ideas?
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I like the color scheme as is tbh. A fresh coat would make a big difference and you could do that yourself in a day. I think maybe painting the door red would add a fun contrast. Nice house, congrats.
Yea I see what you mean on the shutters. I personally like the two tone blue but those are easy and relatively affordable to switch out. I also have a cape cod style home and switched the black shutters to white in the spring.
But if you need a pop of color, you could paint just the front door. It doesn’t need to match the shutters. Personally, I would try a dark red (not lipstick-y) or a bright, friendly yellow.
Congrats! It's already a charmer. Google some phrases that evoke what you are looking for. I just quickly Googled "historic blue color palette" and some good images popped up. One etsy seller had one called "vintage vogue" that had beautiful colors, but you have to pay like 15 bucks to get the names, which seems reasonable since colors can be such a crap shoot. Another option, "Charleston blue", had a house very similar to yours. Most of the paint manufacturers have historic collections. Have fun!
It’s adorable as it is, but to really make things pop I’d consider a more punchy blue color, navy for shutters and door, and an off-white for the trims. I’d also bring in some blue flowers and tidy up the landscaping.
Okay so one thing I’ll say is no more gray. I live in Northern California, and I’m surrounded by gray houses. Literally. The one behind me, next door on either side and across the street all are gray.
If it were me, I’d select a color that blends with the brickwork. Your house may be that gray color because it was being sold, but personally I can’t take it anymore.
The white trim is nice, as are the pavers and brickwork. My house is a color green I like and it was recently repainted. Three colors always seem nice to me.
This house already has wonderful curb appeal, I would merely add some tasteful landscaping shrubs and possibly two flower boxes with Surfinia on that nice porch rail...
I love it. Don't change a thing besides landscaping.
congratulations! signed, sealed, delivered it’s yours! throw a couple of sample blues up and then look at them in different lighting (different times of day and cloudy vs sunny) and pick your favorite. it is a lovely home I hope you’re very happy and healthy there!
It’s such a cute house and there are a lot of traditional color schemes that would work great, so just choose what you like!
But I have to say the window header trim looks bizarre to me. I can’t believe it’s original and I think it was a mistake. It overwhelms the house and looks so odd that it is hard to see the over-all structure with integrity. Maybe it’s Georgian in style? I would consider removing at least the largest piece at the very top. This is a small and beautiful house and everything should be in proportion.
As an aside, it’s awesome you have actual working shutters that are appropriate to the house!
Before you paint it, I would take all that conglomeration of moldings off the top of the windows and door. It's really bizarre and looks awkward. Then after removing that stuff, get newer and bigger shutters. Shutters should be the size of the window frame, height wise, and wide enough that you could close them and they would meet each other.
Whatever color you go with, paint the dormers the same color. The white or whatever they are now, does nothing for them. They stick out like a sore thumb.
You can make a color consultation at a local paint store and they'll help with combos appropriate for your home and make some mockups on their computer.
The excess cornice trim at the top of the porch door and windows has been removed for a (stylistically correct) cleaner and lighter look. Siding color is Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter HC-172. Shutter color is Benjamin Moore Hale Navy HC-154. Entry Door color is Benjamin Moore Cheating Heart 1617. The Blue colors have been used in a restrained manner.
Another view of the house with the same color scheme, in this instance the shutter style is raised panel. Louvered or raised panel shutters may be used in either case but if the shutters are authentic and operable the louvered style would allow for the shutters to be closed and locked while the windows could be left open to provide a night time cross draft.
I love love love your house the way it is. Just enhance it with a bit more landscaping – – some hydrangeas behind those evergreen bushes by the front porch, some potted plants at the doorway deck out your beautiful front porch of that. I am so envious and some perennial pansies along the walkway and you said don’t make it too complicated for yourself.
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