Shawn’s Color Conundrum
When we heard that Shawn and his crew were in desperate need of a new exterior paint color for the 50′s rancher that they’re currently renovating, we couldn’t wait to step in and offer some handy hue advice. Here’s his letter:
I’ve been renovating a mid-century modern house for the last few months (too many) and I need some color help. In most areas the owner has given me complete freedom to do as I see fit, however he’s very attached to the house and has strong opinions about the exterior color scheme. He wanted to paint the siding a dark orange-brown (darker for the trim and a little lighter for the siding). We talked him into at least doing the trim in a dark brown, but couldn’t talk him out of the orange siding color. So we went with it. But when the owner saw it even he agreed that it didn’t work. He thinks it still looks too dark. We don’t want to have to repaint the dark brown trim if at all possible and would prefer to just repaint the siding on the gables. I’m partial to Benjamin Moore, so I’d prefer that the new color suggestion is also BM. We used Van Buren Brown HC-70 on the trim and Briarwood underneath the soffits. Even before you launched your color consulting service, I saw your moodboard service and figured I would email you about just coming up with colors and then literally the next day you announced the color consulting. Sweet. – Shawn
The brick ranch had definitely come a long way before we came into the picture. Here’s the dreary before:
And the much improved after:
After all their hard work, we were more than happy to whip up three exterior color suggestions for those orange gables:
Our color swatches above might seem similar thanks to the fact that each group features the deep brown trim color and a deep red tone pulled from the brick & the vertical redwood siding, but the top color swatch in each color palette has a different undertone which will make for three slightly different exterior color scheme outcomes. And since we liked all three of these variations, we decided to share them all to allow Shawn and his crew to select their favorite (which will hopefully tickle the homeowner’s fancy as well). Here’s the color scheme breakdown.
1. In this scheme we actually suggested repainting those dark orange gables in the taupey-gray color that Shawn and his crew used under the soffit (Benjamin Moore’s Briarwood). This subtle neutral tone with a bit of coolness to it (thanks to the gray undertones) will break up all the red and orange tones going on in the brick and the redwood to create a crisp and light contrast to make the house pop. We’d also suggest bringing the same color into the front door for that much needed contrast (so it doesn’t look camouflaged and attracts the eye right away). We think it’ll shout welcome home and make for a crisp and current color palette all around. But don’t take our word for it, here’s a digital rendering of color scheme #1. Of course it’s only as accurate as Shawn’s computer monitor, but it’ll give him an idea of what the lighter and more neutral tone will do for the entire house:
Now for the other two paint palette explanations.
2. The second suggested gable color that we dug up (and also propose for the front door) is a light cream tone. It seems similar, but this color is actually a shade or two lighter than Briarwood and has a lot less gray in it (think tan undertones instead of gray) for a lighter and warmer overall effect. It’s Benjamin Moore’s Carlisle Cream (1031), and it will provide even more contrast from the deep chocolate trim to expertly emphasize the rancher’s angular architecture while keeping things nice and airy. Bringing it down to the front door will again break up all that deep brown and red going on and draw people right in:
3. This last color scheme features Benjamin Moore’s Oat Straw (AF-340 from the Affinity series) as the proposed color for those orange gables. The tawny yellow undertones in this neutral tan truly create a warm and rich feeling that works seamlessly with the rest of the exterior coloring. Again, we’d suggest carrying the color down to the front door for a warm and welcoming entryway that glows in the sunlight.
For some reason this last color choice seems more craftsman/bungalow to us (so it will definitely emphasize the trimwork and the architecture while seeming a little less common than the other neutral tones above) but no matter what Shawn decides to go with, we’re sure that he’ll end up with something crisp, clean, and current. We can hardly wait to see the pics!
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Comments
Shawn, I like option 2 the best. Option 3 seems to make the house look ‘dated’ and drab to me, much like your current color scheme. Good luck.
I think #1 is a great color combo. I was thinking #3 until I scrolled down to see it “on” the house. Good luck choosing!
I like #1 but if the goal is to stray from being too dark then it would not be a good solution.
#3 is ok but I think the contrast in colors between the garage door and the smaller entry door is too dramatic.
So, in light of all that, I vote for #2. It lightens the look of the house without being too dramatic of a contrast.
I guess I’m alone, but I love the orange. It’s very mid-century modern. I think with a splash of eggplant purple (like on the front door) it would be more obvious that it was intentional and not necessarily a call for a color correction.
All of the combos are great, but I like the orange gables as is and would personally paint the brick instead of the gables…
Whahoo! I love all the opinions and ideas going on here. It’s a great reminder that color is such a subjective thing- and no matter which palette Shawn decides to go with, we just can’t wait to see the after pictures!
xoxo,
Sherry
Thanks for the presentation of the alternatives for dealing with a brick and siding. I have spent a great deal of time looking for a solution to my painting problem and although this is not an exact duplicate, it is very helpful. in my case I am face with a large area of orange brick, redwood siding in the gables that has been painted with a beige that has turned in to pink, a sizable expanse of board and batten siding painted the same beige color, dark gutters, grey aluiminium windows and a tan roof. thanks
I’m so sorry but we can’t really offer advice without seeing a photo but sometimes it helps to seek out pics online or in magazines for inspiration. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I love the digital renderings you guys did. I am partial to # 3 or # 1. Who am I kidding I can’t decide, hopefully Shawn will not share my indecisiveness. # 3!