Well, if the past month is indicative of how the rest of the Summer will go posting-wise then it may be sporadic until the end of August (when the kids go back to school)! Thank you for bearing with me til then!!
l’ve had exterior paint and color schemes on my mind as of late because I am trying to decide if I should change my home’s exterior paint color.
Our home is 15 years old and it’s exterior paint has never been refreshed. It is pretty dirty/dingy looking up close so a paint job is inevitable.
I don’t mind it’s current color which I would describe as a light/medium greige.
CURRENT COLOR
But if I’m going to paint the house I’m tempted to go white (because I love big, white houses and I cannot lie).
This one’s a favorite right now.
via Pinterest
SHOULD I GO LIGHTER?
A photoshopped depiction of our home lighter.
However I don’t think this is our forever home and my hunch is that more people would want to buy a light tan house than a white house…what is your opinion (please let me know your opinion in the comments)??
Curb appeal can be a deal breaker when selling a home! If you’ve been following the blog for awhile you know I’ve been helping my friend, Lolly, makeover her home one room at a time.
Well, last Fall her husband lost his job. Soon after her husband got a job offer in another state and they needed to sell their home as quickly as possible so their family could relocate (thankfully we had already made over their Laundry Room, Master Bedroom, Powder Bath, and Daughter’s Room).
But their home’s exterior was in need of some TLC before they could list it. The main culprit was mismatched upper and lower shutter colors and just an overall meh (forgettable) appearance.
Lolly’s Exterior Before
I suggested going a deep, glossy chocolate brown on the shutters and front door and bright white (instead of tan) on the garage door.
In-Process Photos
Her husband bravely took the climb to paint the upper shutters.
Lolly’s Exterior After
It turned out so pretty and I’m happy to say it went into contract just 2 weeks after being put on the market (happy for them but sad to see a friend go).
If you are looking to paint your house but are not a big fan of white or tan exteriors consider a dark blue-ish gray color. A house in our neighborhood recently when from this tan color.
Before
To blue!
After
I think their color palette choice was inspired by this other blue/gray exterior in our neighborhood
So what are your thoughts? Should I go white or stay tan? Are you crushing on any particular exterior color palettes right now? Would love to hear your thoughts!
And for my fellow American readers I hope you have a happy and safe 4th of July!!:-)
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Benjamin Moore’s 2018 Color of the Year
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White
Thanks for your feedback, Janice!!
I am pretty much obsessed with white houses and that inspiration photo is one of my favorites! I think if your house is in need of a paint job, then I would paint it the color you want. Even if it is not your forever home, you never know how long you will be there so you might as well be happy with the color every time you drive up! For resale, I would think a crisp clean white would appeal to buyers and it would be the easiest color to paint over if they wanted to. Good luck with your decision and have a wonderful weekend!
Shelley
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on the matter, Shelley! It’s so true that pulling up to a white house would bring me a lot of joy.:-)
Go white -you can’t go wrong with it. I love the blue gray ones you’ve shared but I’m not sure everyone would. White with black trim is so classic and suits the style of your home.
Thank you so much for your input, Marilyn! It helps a lot!
I love big white houses too! They always draw my eye. The picture you photoshopped looks ivory rather than a crisp white so the picture isnt too appealing. White is classic, fresh and clean. Its gorgeous with good landscaping a flowers! You can have fun with the front door color!
I’m so glad to hear I’m not the only one who loves big white houses too! Thanks for your response, Chris!!
I love the idea of white exterior! It looks classic and I think it opens more options on shutter and front door colors. Whatever you choose will look beautiful I’m sure!
~Rhonda
Aww thanks, Rhonda, that means a lot!!:-)
Paint it white
Thanks for your input, Beth!!
As wonderful as white is, some people don’t like the look of a white house in the winter with snow on the ground. The thinking, I guess, is that (1) a white house surrounded with white snow disappears into its surroundings, and (2) a white house doesn’t look cozy in the winter.
Proponents of this line of thought would say that white is a wonderful color for a house in the deep south but not in the north.
As I’m sure that you know, the possibilities if you don’t want white are endless. For what it’s worth, right now in our neck of the woods, gray, especially dark gray with white trim, is becoming increasingly popular. Another possibility is medium gray with white trim, darker gray shutters, and a black front door. Warmer colors such as beige, tan, and taupe are becoming less popular. (For the record, “our neck of the woods” is Ann Arbor, Michigan.)
That said, I do really like the all-white house that you show . . . .
Great points Kris.
Thanks so much for your thoughts, Kris! I love a medium gray exterior with white trim like in this photo. The photo didn’t want to load so here is the link to it, https://www.houzz.com/photos/2101997/Custom-Architecture-traditional-exterior-chicago.:-)
Ha! I love that house too. (The architecture as well as the paint colors.) In fact, I saved it a while back. 🙂
It is such a lovely house, isn’t it!?:-)
I think it would look great in white.
Thanks, MaryLee! I really appreciate your feedback!
I think that you have a beautiful home. I have painted many houses over the years, and I have always told the homeowners to go with their gut instinct! If you like the white and that is what you are leaning towards, then is that what your gut is telling you?? You can always go with some beautiful colors on the shutters and door. The door and shutters would be more cost effective for the new homeowner to cover than the whole house to be repainted. Some beautiful colors are out there…like a deep navy for the shutters and door. The small railing above your front door can make a great focal point in a POP of a great accent color to. Remember…you want your house to say “look at me” when people drive buy…and that’s a great thing. Good luck with whatever you choose!!
Very helpful, Debbie, thank you!!
Go white Tamara. It’s still traditional enough that it won’t detract future buyers. Trust your gut- you have excellent taste and the next owner will be grateful:)
You are so sweet, Wendy! Thank you for your confidence my firiend!!:-)
Hi. I love white houses, too. They are classically beautiful, especially with pretty green grass and nice landscaping (both of which you already have) Sooo pretty! That being said, I always notice shutter size. Are they large enough to cover the windows if they were actually operable. The size makes a HUGE difference. Saying that, I can also say that a white house with black shutters cannot be topped. I always wanted that and finally got it in one of my husband’s job transfers. Sadly had to leave it with next move. I so much hope to have another. I say Go For It! Wishing you a wonderful day.
Hi, Donna, thank you for your thoughts! So interesting about shutter size! I hope you you get another white house with black shutters too! Thanks for your encouragement to go for it!
I like white but I’d change the front door color to give it some pop!
Thanks for your input, Jen!:-) Hope you and family are doing well!!
I think your house would look great in a dusky coastal blue-green (such as Valspar’s “Secluded Garden” #5002-4A – Lowe’s) with black shutters and white trim.
Thanks for the suggestion, Beverly! Going to check it out right now!:-)
I also love white houses! I’m a little prejudiced because my home is white with brown shutters!
Your home sounds so pretty, Bonnie!
I would much rather have a white house than a tan one.
Thanks for the feedback, Aril! Very helpful!
light gray with bright white trim and black shutters. Red (brings money into the house, among other things) or black front door with gold kickplate and fixtures. Bright white garage door to blend in. When it’s a front entry garage, do not emphasize. Will look fresh, bright, classic & expensive, just what you want a buyer to see!
I can picture that combination looking really sharp, Charley! Great advice.