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Architecture/Need opinions on my exterior color choices

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Expert: Rikki Nyman - 8/4/2009


Question

House
Hi, I'm building a new home and just did all of my exterior color selections with the builder's designer yesterday. Here's what we came up with:

SW 7038 Tony Taupe paint on the siding
SW 7035 Aesthetic White on the trim
El Dorado Bridgeport Limestone for the stone (standard grout technique with brown mortar) - has brown and red undertones
Mid-America Musket Brown Shutters
Stained door in mahogany finish
Certainteed Pewter Wood for shingles

How do you think the Tony Taupe will look on the exterior?  It is always hard to tell from a small paint chip and since we're building new construction, we can't test it out on a larger space first.  I just want to make sure it doesn't look too light or beige.  

Also, I picked SW Aesthetic White for the trim because it was on the same paint strip, but I'm wondering if I should go a little whiter for more contrast?  I don't want the trim to look too tan or beige.  

I was also considering a more reddish brown for the shutters called Federal Brown.  What are your thoughts?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Answer
You can get a better idea of the way the colors are going to look by buying a large piece of poster board and painting it with the sample colors in the approximate proportions and relationships, i.e. the Tony Taupe next to the Authentic White, etc. When you're finished, take it outside and look at it in various lights (Northern and Southern exposure, morning, mid day and evening). If you don't like what you see, you can adjust it.  

The colors sound fine as they are. I wouldn't go for any bright whites, personally, as they generally look best with small amount of tint to them. My opinion is that bright white is only good for operating rooms and that might be over doing it.

If the Federal Brown for the shutters offers a bit more vibrancy, I'd go with that if it looks good on your test board.

Hope this helps!

Best regards,
Rikki Nyman
www.antiquehomestyle.com
    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 10Clarity of Response = 10Politeness = 10
    CommentThank you, Rikki! Those are some good suggestions and I appreciate your help!


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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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