Expert: Joan Miller - 9/1/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi Joan,

I hope this question falls within your area of interest, since it does relate to our stone and cedar siding home.

I need help with the colours of our home's exterior. I must admit that I am useless when it comes to colours. I've attached a photo.

We are restaining our home in the same forest-green colour (we have 4 other structures on the property in the same green, so we aren't ready to tackle them all just yet). However, we would like to consider a different colour(s) for our doors and windows, and perhaps adding frames around the windows where we can. We are also adding corners to the walls to better seal them, but aren't sure if should stain them the same green as the siding, or another colour. We are also removing all the diagonal boards on the front and reinstalling them (probably vertically to reflect the rest of the home). I'd love to one day see the siding stained in a more natural colour (inside our home we have stone walls and lots of wood trim all in a honey-toned stain (puritan perhaps?) and it's beautiful. Do you think we could do that with just the facade of the home and keep all the other green? (Can you see how lost I am? lol)

Also, if it helps, the house is on a hilly forested site in Quebec's Eastern Townships - lots and lots of tall maples around our house.

Could you please suggest some colours? Colour charts and wheels overwhelm me, so if you can give exact colour numbers or names, I would be forever grateful!

With heartfelt thanks,
Rhonda

ANSWER: Thank you for your question Rhonda. I absolutely love the picture of your home. Very lively and natural.

With regards to the forest green stain and the option of making the facade in a different color, I would recommend that you stay in forest green all in all. If you make the facade a different color, you would tend to only look at the facade and ignore the rest of the house.

You must keep in mind that it is important to harmonize the project and that each particular decoration/color should give value to each other. Meaning, the forest green gives value to the stone, the stone gives a lift to the forest green and the window color...etc. The tip is to correctly harmonize the colors which enables you to always look at the totality of the project itself.  If one colors slips, you will always remark that detail and forget about looking at the rest of the house!

If you wish to go for a new window/door color, with frames, I would like to suggest colors that are already in your stone pattern. A stormy gray, charcoal color would be rich and natural. The corners may also be done in that same color that would definitely highlight the forest green. A second suggestion would be a rust/honey wood color that would reflect the area in which you are located, woods and nature. This color is also represented in your stone pattern.

I would like to suggest a visit your local hardware store and ask to see the GENTEK color chart. GENTEK is available in Québec. Look for "Bronze Fenêtre", "Sablon", and "Charbon" colors. Try to get samples of these colors and this should help you to match a color pattern in your stone.

Hope this helps!

Best regards,

Joan Miller



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

QUESTION: Hi Joan,

Thank you very much for your answer. It's really helpful and giving us a lot to think about.

Another idea we just had was to redo the front door in a natural stain colour (puritan stain, which to my untrained eye, has a "honey" colour).

If we did that, do your colour suggestions still apply for the window trim? Do you think we could keep the reddish brown window trims? Do you think frames around the two upstairs windows will improve the facade?

Also, could you give me your opinion on the diagonal wood siding on the facade? Some people tell us the diagonal siding adds character to the house. Other people tell us it dates the house. I honestly don't even know what I think anymore! lol.

Thanks again - I can't tell you how much we appreciate your advice.

Rhonda  

Answer
Dear Rhonda,

If you wish to redo the front door in a natural stain color, there is no problem with that. I often see many projects in which the windows are of one color, and the door another. They are in a natural pallet of color but not drastically different either. For example, entrance doors and garage doors are often chocolate brown, the windows are Khaki. A good contrast all in the tones of naturals.  

If you are looking at doing window frames in one of the above suggested colors, and wish to keep the trims in the original color you have, it may look odd to your eyes. Try keeping the frames and trims in the same color. Remember that if you put too many colors on a house, it will have the overloaded the look. Stick to 5 sets of colors (maximum), one for the stone (even with different ranges is ok, such as what you have), one for the wood siding, one for the windows, one for the door, and last but not least, one for the roofing. If you choose to do window frames, do that for all the windows. If you don't do those on the above level, again the impression that something is missing will hover you.

As for the wood siding, stick to the diagonal look. Your house is a "comforting" chalet look. It is your haven of privacy, in the woods, nature, simply natural all in all. If you set your wood siding vertically, it will transform into a contemporary look and we are certainly not looking to modernize the house here.  

Hoping these guidelines are to your satisfaction. It was a pleasure to help you.

Cordially,

Joan Miller