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Architecture/Exterior House Colours

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Expert: Rikki Nyman - 6/25/2009


Question

Brick front cape
Hi there,
I'm looking for advice on painting the exterior of our house. It was fairly
recently painted by the previous owner but unfortunately not completed. I'm
curious as to what colors you could suggest that would go with the brick. We
will be replacing all of the windows with white vinyl. The front two bay
windows we may just have the glass replaced. My worry is the white would be
so much contract with the brick. We considered painting the brick but just
aren't confident it's the best thing to do in consideration of the next owners.
I'm not crazy about the shutters and I find the entire color scheme somewhat
dark for my tastes. The Hunter Green Garage and front door with the taupe
colour trim and siding just really clash, in my opinion.
Many thanks for input you have!

Answer
Capes often look very attractive in blues and grays. Your house in a blue, gray, or better yet a steel blue-gray could be very attractive. That might be a little dark since you've expressed a preference for lighter colors.  Another possibility might be a buttery yellow, which would be nice with both the brick and the roof.  If you go with the yellow, the contrast between the brick and the white windows will be reduced.

A great deal of the character in your home comes from the small-paned windows in the front. Any thing you do to preserve that and meet your maintenance goals would be best from a resale standpoint.

I think you could remove the shutters in the back. They don't really add anything.

It's a fairly simple house, so a simple scheme like the butter yellow body, white trim, and brick would be classic. You could opt for a white front door or, if you want something bold, do black.

Another classic scheme would be light dove gray with white trim. In that case you might choose to paint the front door red or black.  

I hope this helps.

Best,
Rikki Nyman
www.antiquehomestyle.com  

Rikki Nyman

Expertise

Residential architectural questions concerning houses designed between 1900 and 1950, where the question pertains specifically to styles, designs, plans, building materials, color schemes, paint colors, interior finishes and so on. I am NOT qualified to answer engineering questions or issues involving construction methods, plumbing, electrical and the like. For example, I can describe what an appropriate color scheme would be for a vintage 1920s kitchen, or sources for plans for Storybook Style houses. I can not tell someone how to replace the electrical wiring in their old home.

Experience

I have been researching old houses and writing about them for more than five years. (See www.antiquehomestyle.com, which is my site.)

Organizations
Oregon Historical Society Architectural History Center, Portland Oregon

Publications
www.antiquehomestyle.com

Education/Credentials
B.S. History, Minor in Architectural Design

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