Expert: Richard Taylor, AIA - 1/20/2006

Question
Hi Richard.  
Thanks for taking a look at my question.   We have a 1960's Ranch-style home in rural Oklahoma.  The house is YELLOW BRICK.  I know what you're thinking.  Anyway,  my husband is not interested in painting the brick and the wood trim has always been painted white.  I wanted to kick it up a notch and have tried a mushroom brown color that didn't seem to stand out enough.  I tried an Earthy green (which had  brown tones) and it just looks out of place.  The roof shingles are golden brown and the only wood on the house are the eaves and roof-fascia board.  What color direction would you suggest I consider?  Do you think a deep, rich charcoal grey would look like some kind of scary Halloween experiement?  How about a brownish-deep barn red?  
Can you give me some direction to consider? I've kept an eye open for yellow bick houses.  They've all got white trim.  
B-o-r-i-n-g!
Thanks again for your time and much appreciated advise.
Shari

Answer
Hi Shari - thanks for your entertaining question!

A yellow house...hmm...one thing's for sure - don't use any trim color that's anywhere near brown (including mushroom, earthy green, taupe, etc.).  That would look too much like my junior high school yearbook.

Most of the time you want to avoid dark trim colors when you have a lighter field color - it "picture-frames" the elements of the house and you don't want that effect!  Actually, the white trim color isn't a bad start, although the shade of white might need adjustment.  "Pure" white often looks unfinished, as if it were a prime coat waiting for the "real" paint to be added.  If that sounds like your house, consider a less-bright white with a hint of color (brown or warm grey perhaps).  That would liven things up a bit.

But the real problem might be the lack of an "accent" color - most compositions are better with three colors: field, trim, and accent.  You're trying to achieve the impact of an accent color using the trim color.  Instead, allow the trim color to take a secondard role in the scheme - it's there to "set off" the field color, not overwhelm it (that's why it mustn't be darker than the field).  The accent color is the eye-catcher.

Good places for the accent color are the front door, garage door, shutters, even the window sashes (not the trim!).  The colors you've explored already (except the mushroom brown) are very good choices for use as an accent.  Don't try to change too much at once - as the late Harvey Penick once said, "...take just a sip of medicine; don't swallow the whole bottle at once!"  You might be surprised how much a small change can improve the overall look of the house.

Hope this helps!

Richard Taylor, AIA
Richard Taylor Architects, LLC
www.rtastudio.com
www.betterhomedesign.blogspot.com