Thanks for visiting my blog. I would love to help you. I answer questions on any one room or a home’s exterior for $20 (the cost of a couple sample cans of paint). Click on the secure PayPal button below for your convenience. After receiving payment, I will answer your question directly on the blog. Working together, we can save you from costly mistakes and unnecessary trips to the paint store. Let me help you with your color challenges. -Barbara, Your Home & Color Coach
Thank you! Scroll to the bottom of this page and type your question in the box (include a photo link if you can). Expect an answer to your question within 24 hours!
Hi,
Our house has a brick front. The brick color is close to red and does not have much color variation. Our’s is a corner house so the side and the back views are quite prominent. We recently painted the sidings to greyish green color and the trims are a lighter grey. We really like the look of the house after being painted. The front door and shutters are black in color.
We are absolutely confused as to which roof color would suite our house. Initially we were planning to stick to basics and go with charcoal color but as I see the houses around both I and my husband like the newer homes with a monochromatic color scheme.
We are now inclined towards the barkwood color (brown hue) which might go well with the brick but am not sure how it would look with grey green sidings. We are wondering would the roof just stand out when looked from the side or the back.
I would appreciate your inputs on the same. Please let us know what would you suggest amongst the following options
1) barkwood
2) charcoal
3) weatherwood
All these are GAF timberline 30 shingles.
Thanks,
Kajal
Hi Kajal,
What about “Slate?” That would go with the gray-green (at least on the screen??).
If that’s too green, I would stick with charcoal since you already have two colors on your house, the red brick and the gray-green. I know there are some really interesting roof colors out there, but they don’t always look so great with the houses they’re on.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
My husband and I are building a new home and I am not very color coordinated. These are the colors I have chosen : The house is going to be 3 sides brick and one side vinyl siding, the vinyl siding will be on carport side. We have chosen a brick from Columbus Brick called St. Augustine, vinyl siding is color called Pebblestone Clay and roof is going to be Cedar Shake, Shutters Panels Deep Brown almost color of Hershey bar. It will be a one story house, do you think these color choices will work well together.
I’m having the same issues with a new metal roof. I live in a Victorian home, which is yellow w/ white trim, pollywag green porch floor color. I can’t decide on the roof color. Love the look of crimson red and deep blue, but is that right for this home. It is silver right now. Your help would greatly be appreciated. It suggested I write your email account, but couldn’t find it. Thanks for any input.
Hi Vicky56,
Personally, I would stick with a dark charcoal for your metal roof in keeping with the Victorian look of your house and put the color on the house itself: windows, front door, and architectural details. You might include both the crimson red and deep blue in small doses on your house, perhaps on the front door (red) and corbels (blue). But I would stick with a dark neutral for the roof color.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi,
bricks on the front porch area, and black shutters. We had a black roof but now there are no many other really awesome looking colors. I am down to Timberline 30 charcoal (yup, still black) or one of the Elk Grande sablewood shingles (it is a discontinued color). I’m not sure if I could do one of the other colors or would black/grey be our best bet? I want to update the look but not make it too busy. I do have a picture I could email to you quickly of the house. (I tried to copy it into the comment, but it wouldnt let me!).
I am so happy I found this site however I only have a day or two to make my final decision. We have a home that needs a new roof. It is a white two story; reddish-orange (brick color
Thanks so much!!!
Lynn
Hi Lynn B,
You have undoubtedly made your roof decision by now — I know how these things often cannot wait for replies. I too think black/grey is your best choice. There’s nothing like black against white for a crisp clean contrast. And it simply never goes out of style. You already have color with the brick on the porch and you can pick up on those warm tones in your accessories and plantings. But as long as your house is white, I would go with black/charcoal.
Hope you wanted to hear that!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Thanks Barbara. I did end up going with the charcoal/black shingles. I think that is best. Doesn’t have the “pop” of some of the newer colors but I didn’t want it to look too busy. So, you did support my decision! Thanks again! LOVE your website! I may very well have some questions in the future. I would like to email pics in the future, but not sure how?
Thanks for your input on my metal roof…unfortunately I picked the Gallery Blue for it. I was going to go slate or the gray but I thought the blue would brighten the house up some. I hope I didn’t ruin the look of it. I am planning to change the outside color when affordable w/ the house. Maybe w/ the color I’d picked you can suggest coloring for the home. Also, trim and door. Thanks again!
I had sent a reply back but did it wrong. I went w/ the gallery blue roof. I hope I didn’t ruin the house. I need input on the house color along w/ the trim. Plan to change it some since I went w/ the blue roof. Wish I had heard from you quicker. I would of chose the slate or gray. But to late now…already have metal in. So any help would be grateful. Thanks!
Hi Vicky56,
How about Ben Moore’s Yarmouth Blue (HC-150) for your house with China White trim and a Country Redwood front door. You can use dark blue shutters to go with the roof. Then change out your metal color on the front of the house to be nickel (more contemporary than black) for lights, mailbox, etc.
Hope this helps.
-Barbara.
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi,
I am redoing my garage so I have to choose a look for my house and property. Whatever i choose for the garage will also happen to the house. The shingles on the house and windows also need to be replaced in the years to come. I have a storey and half from 1939 with white stucco on the lower half of the house and aluminum siding on the upper half. The stucco is a large trowel pattern and has a low maintenance spiccal on it so i do not want to paint the stucco and aluminum siding. I was wondering if a white house and green roof theme is appropriate? I read your suggestions of a charcoal grey roof with a white house. What would i do for accents ie. black shutters, black wood front door(or red?), black casements around the windows?Right now, the roof is light grey and has light grey shutters around the windows. It looks really bland. The house inside has an art deco feel. Do you have any suggestions what to choose to create the same feel on the outside?
Thanks
Hi Natalie,
You have a wonderful opportunity to create a spectacular art deco exterior and keeping the white stucco is the first thing to do. I would also remove the shutters permanently. I’ve enclosed a link to a site that shows art deco color palettes and I suggest having a look at that before picking your roof color and trim shades. You might consider using the darkest shade on one of those palettes for your roof color (green is one of the options) and then using some of the other colors as window trim and door colors. And don’t forget the silver-toned light fixtures and house numbers (think cubism, not colonial). Let me know if you still need help. Have fun!
http://desktoppub.about.com/od/colorpalettes/l/blcpartdeco.htm
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I may already be too late, but I hope not. The roofers were supposed to start tomorrow or Wednesday. I have agonized for 10 days over roof color choice. We have a long white (looks even longer because of attached garage)with red brick veneer ranch style house. Right now we have a red shingle roof (that matches the brick) which I have always loved, but is no longer available. Also we realize if we ever have to sells many would not want a red roof. So we have been going back and forth between Elk weathered wood or Charcoal. We actually need to dig out our front hedge so the red brick veneer shows better. There is one area near the door where the brick goes all the way up. My feelings with the charcoal, we would probably need to leave the house white and try and ad black shutters to the two sets of double windows where it would be possible. The middle window is a large bay and has no where for shutters. With the weathered wood, I’m really not sure what paint color would go with both the red brick veneer and the roof. Also we have the white paned vinyl windows. I called the roofer today and told him weathered wood, based on the fact that maybe everyone wouldn’t want a white house and I couldn’t think of another color that the charcoal and red brick would go with. I think it is possible I could call tomorrow with a change if you have any help you could give me. I am raising my granddaughter so money is tight and I am so fearful of making the wrong choice on something so big and important.
Ive just started putting hardi plank siding on my house.
the house is mostle orange yellowish brick and i was wanting to paint the siding a light shade of yellow because I have always wanted a yellow house and wanting to go with a metal roof . What do you think about these choices
Hi BARBARA,
Sounds sunny and cheerful. You might want to temper the warm colors with white/cream for trim and some black accents. I would also pick a dark neutral (charcoal?) for the metal roof color.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Before posting a comment,
+++PLEASE READ LATEST POST+++
AUGUST 29th, for changes to blog
Barbara, Having a difficult time picking from the selection of IKO Cambridge 30 yr architectural roof shingles. You can see my house in the website link I provided to you. It is in Vermont with mountains/evergreens and is a traditional saltbox colonial style. House is stained cedar with light green trim. Considering Forest Green, Harvard Slate or Weatherwood but I am open to other suggestions. Forest Green seems like it would not fit the real traditional styling of the house overall but the color matches nice. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Bob
Hi Bob,
Although I’m working off a computer screen, here are my thoughts on your roof. The green is just too green for your house (that much color works best on a farmhouse style home where the roof can make a major statement). The Harvard Slate has a busy pattern and the Weathered Wood seems a bit off in terms of color. BUT, I do like Driftwood as the different shades in the roof pick up the different shades in your siding. And I also like the more traditional Dual Black which looks spectacular on your house and offers more contrast than the Driftwood brown. Either one would work great. The Driftwood is a softer look similar to what you have now in terms of color value (it just appears a bit browner). The Dual Black is the much more dramatic choice.
Hope that helps. Great house! Fantastic location!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I think that is great advice. I am leaning towards the dual black. Kinda like the the way wood trim looks in my black interior car!
Barbara
I just purchased a 25 year old house I love the color scheme and wanted to keep it forever but have already run into a problem. The scheme is loads of white, beautifully weatheredl gory barrel tiles on the roof ( a mellow, mix of brown, red and orange)and mexican saultllo tile flooring throuout,both inside and outside including the patios. .This tile is a rich coppery orange,terracotta red and mocha tan color inside and the same but very faded outside..The accent color is cobalt blue . The blue is used on the railings outside around the back patio and inside the kitchen on the countertop, but only in a thin stripe on the side of the white countertops,This classic colorscheme really suits the house and me. I was going to decorate the inside in a shabby chic type beach house style .I wanted to update with stainless appliances and paint the white stair railing accents inside silver..while leaving the outside railings in back cobalt blue. I wanted to finish the saultillo tile making it richer and shinier with a wet polished look.The roof needs replacing and the tile is not practical here on the coast of florida where we are hurricane prone so the decision has been to replace with firestone unaclad aluminum standing seam metal roof. The colors being considered are sierra tan, sandstone,almond,patina green,champagne mettallic,cityscape and terracotta.I dont reallycare for the terracotta in the metalroofs as there is no variation and texture and it looks overpowering but i am a tad fearful you might say of picking the wrong color. .I am leaning towads the sierra tan right now.Will the cobalt accents still work? what to do?
Hi Jane,
What a great house! I think you’ve picked the best color for your roof, given the rest of the color scheme and textures. Metallic and the grays won’t work (too cool) and I think the terra cotta and patina green might be overpowering, as you said. I would shoot for a natural earth tone and the almond and sandstone seem a bit light. The sierra tan appears to be a medium tone that will contrast with your white house and will coordinate beautifully with all the mexican tile on the patios.
If you have to go metal (and it makes functional sense), then the sierra tan is the way to go. And the cobalt accents should be fine. They will pop right off of the natural tones, just like they do now. (There isn’t quite as much contrast as with the terra cotta, but that’s okay.)
Good luck with the rest of your project.
And thank you.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Lynn B,
If the blog won’t accept your photo link, you can send it to my email at
bmeglis@yahoo.com. I’ll be sure to see it there. Thanks!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Classic and cool…
Sounds perfect.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach