Expert: Rikki Nyman - 4/2/2009

Question
QUESTION: We are purchasing a home in Webster Groves, MO, which is an inner ring suburb of St. Louis.  The home was built in 1937 and is located on a quiet cul-de-sac.  We would like to update the exterior color scheme of the home and improve the curb appeal, but are unsure how to incorporate the attached garage.  We want to remain true to the character of the home.  We would prefer not to undertake a huge job at this point, but are looking for small changes with a big impact (and suggestions for bigger changes down the road).  We would appreciate any help you can offer.

ANSWER: What color is your roof? And what color are the adjacent homes?

The simplest solution would be to pull a color out of the brick: choices might include buff, warm sage green, butter yellow. Brick has all kinds of color in it but the color you select should be muted.

Paint the lapped siding and garage that color. Use one shade lighter or darker on sash and trim ... nothing high contrast. The goal for your house should be subtlety and gracefulness.

Another way to tie the house and garage together could include landscaping ... what direction does the front face? An excellent source of information for perennial plantings for your area are the Master Gardeners (http://www.stlmg.com/). They'll know exactly what will live through your winters and be suitable, low maintenance plants.

The more you enhance the landscaping and make that a part of the house, the more the garage will recede in importance. It appears quite prominent now.

You could add carriage lights (black wrought iron would do nicely) to the garage and install a complementary fixture to the porch. If you do that you'll want to coordinate the existing rail and lamp post.

Your house is very attractive, and you have good character to work with.

Hope this helps.
Rikki Nyman
www.antiquehomestyle.com



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much for your help!  The roof is gray and the surrounding houses are mostly brick.  The house across the street is a yellow brick, but most in the area are red brick with white accents.  Would leaving the garage door white be best?  What about a color for the door?  Thanks for all your help!

ANSWER: Let's say, for the sake of argument, that you decide to paint the house a buff. If the gray of your roof is warm, that would be quite nice. Trim and sash might be a shade lighter or darker ... that's a personal preference.

I would paint the garage door the trim color. It should be noticeable enough to add interest without having someone wonder why you did THAT! The white would attract the eye and you want the whole garage to blend in and decrease its visual weight.

The front door is a special case and should be a different color. Its job is to say "Welcome." If you have the earth-toned brick and buff body, you might look at some rich Craftsman-style green-golds like Sherman Williams Roycroft Bronze Green, for example.  

When the weather warms up, get a few quarts of paint in the colors you've selected. Prepare test space in the back of the house and see what works. Make sure your test space includes trim and some surrounding brick. Do two palettes and adjust the colors as necessary.

Look at them in different light over a period of a week or two before you make a commitment. Every climate and latitude have a different quality of light. What looks nice in Southern California, will not necessarily play in St. Louis.

Your house shows strong Colonial influences and its inherent beauty is in its strength of form and simplicity. The more I look at it, the more I like it.

Best,
Rikki
www.antiquehomestyle.com




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello again.  All right, We have decided to go with a warm buff and to do the trim one shade darker.  So, the body of the garage and and the lapped siding will be buff and the garage door the darker shade.  There are, however, various elements that I am not sure about.  Should the window casings, the screened in front porch, and the columns be the darker shade as well?  Essentially, should everything (other than the main siding on the house and garage) that is white be painted the darker shade?  Finally, the window inside the screened in porch area has shutters but the other first floor window does not.  What do you think about adding shutters to the other first floor window (I can tell it used to have them)and then painting all the shutters the darker trim color?  Does the second story window need shutters or any other accent as well?  You have been an amazing help with this process.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Answer
Hi Erica --

I'd do all the trim (casings, screened in porch, and columns) in the darker shade. I tend to stay on the minimalist side of design and like the way your house looks without shutters, but If you do shutters, you might consider matching them to a variant of the roof color. I've noticed that was very common in the paint books and magazines during the period in which your house was built. I think a warm gray might work well.

Since you have a pair, you could try painting them and put them up. See what you think. If you like the look, go for it. It's a pretty house the way it is, but you might decide the shutters are exactly the extra touch it needs, especially since you know it had them originally.

Don't forget to have fun!

Best,
Rikki Nyman
www.antiquehomestyle.com
www.midcenturyhomestyle.com