What Was I Thinking? My House Paint Colors

close-up of paint brush applying deep green-grey paint
New Paint. esemelwe/Getty Images (cropped)

 New paint colors can really transform a home. We asked our readers to send us photos of their newly painted houses and tell us why they made the choices they made. Here are some of the thoughts they shared.

Colors to Go With a Black Roof

Two Views of a House with a Black Roof and Colorful Landscape
Two Views of a House with a Black Roof and Colorful Landscape. Photos courtesy of About.com Forum Member Frank

The House of Frank

  • Body Color: Svelte Sage
  • White Trim
  • Black Roof & Shutters

Paint Brand: Sherwin-Williams

About My House: My house was originally gray with white trim.

Why I Chose These Colors: I love green, white, and black together! The Svelte Sage is the perfect color for the body of the house. It is sometimes lighter or darker depending on the angle that the sunlight hits it. The front door and shutters are a gloss black and look very rich. The architectural shingles are a deep black also. These colors really stand out together and the white soffit and fascia add just the right amount of high contrast that is needed to make the whole paint job POP! I receive a lot of compliments on this paint scheme and people are always asking, "What exact color is the green on your house?" I am always happy to write the color down for them.

One caution though: the roof must be black. If the roof is any other color, I doubt this green would be as interesting as it is with the black roof. I am completely happy with these colors and would use them again if I ever moved.

Tips and Tricks

  • The shingles must be black. The black roof with the white fascia makes the whole color palette work.
  • The shutters must also be a gloss black for that rich look.
  • The window frames must be white for contrast.

Colorful House with Awnings

Colorful house with awnings
Colorful house with awnings. Photo courtesy of About.com reader ori

The House of ori

Paint Colors: Brown, beige, green, and orange

About My House: My house was white and I didn't like it.

Why I Chose These Colors: I chose these colors because I like them and they go on very well with my awnings and with the tiles. I don't know if these are the best colors. I really want to paint my house because now I don't like the colors I picked.

Tips and Tricks

  • Now I'm not happy. I don't like the colors I picked. I just want a simple and a different house than the other houses.
  • I would tell to people to decorate their homes as they want and don't worry about what other people think.

Not-So-Mellow Yellow

Not-So-Mellow Yellow House Paint
Not-So-Mellow Yellow House Paint. Photo courtesy of About.com reader Paula Spizziri

The House of Paula Spizziri

  • Siding: yellow - Deep base 45093 (A:46.5, C: 16.5, L.5) flat
  • Trim: white - Nu White Satin Gloss
  • Sash trim: blue -Deep base 47193 (B:26, E:4Y26, V:6.5)

Paint Brand: California Paints

About My House: My house was built in 1910 on what used to be a peach orchard. It had only two owners before I bought it in 1987. It's a two-family house with one apartment on the first floor and mine on the second. Searching for the architectural style led me to Arts and Crafts and Prairie style architecture. I've since furnished much of my house with Stickley reissues. About 8 or 9 years ago a landscape architect gave me a wonderful bungalow-inspired design. I only found out today, while reading Arts & Crafts Homes magazine that my home is a four-square. I went online and read your entry. It all makes so much sense now!

Why I Chose These Colors:  My house was originally a drab olive green with yellowy cream trim. A creative architect friend suggested a bright yellow with white trim (I'd been thinking a taupe with deep red and/or green trim), and as soon as she said it I knew that was it. It felt like the house wanted to be yellow. It was my idea to add the blue trim. I was nervous about what my neighbors would think (they have to look at it, after all), especially when the primer over the green looked like -- well, I won't say. So I was relieved when the elderly lady next door said, "It looks like a brand new penny!"

Tips and Tricks:

  • Hire a good painter. Mine wasn't the cheapest, but he knew what he is doing. Also, yellow fades more than any other color, so I picked a shade darker than I was going for. Some people found it a bit too bright. The color makes it easy for people to find my house.
  • BTW, I replaced the window sashes in 2007. They were 6 over 1, now they're 3 and 2 over one.
  • I love my house colors. They are not traditional, but they are a source of cheer to me and my neigbors.

Green Dream House

Before and After Photos of Ranch House Paint Job
Before and After Photos of Ranch House Paint Job. Photo courtesy of About.com reader Sonia perkins

The House of Sonia perkins

Paint Colors: Green, beige, and brown.

About My House: My house looks the same as others in the neighborhood and needs paint for conservation. We are doing the job—me, my husband, and my son (age 12). This is the first time we are doing that. We had fun, but the house is not ready yet...

Why I Chose These Colors:  I love green with brown...and we want something modern and different. Green is a beautiful color. To me green means HOPE, and we have HOPE—hope for happy days in my new house. I can't buy my DREAM HOUSE, so I will do my GREEN HOUSE. Well...we can build our dreams and we can paint our dream too....

Tips and Tricks: We like the green, and we can't change, but we have not found the right combination in front (trim, door, etc) with that green. I want a happy house and sophisticated, too.

Planning Colors for a New House

House Still Under Construction
House Still Under Construction. Photo courtesy of About.com Forum Member maijacinto

The House of maijacinto:

Paint Colors: Gray, red

Paint Brand: Boysen®

About My House Newly constructed house.

Why I Chose These Colors: I chose these colors because our windows are colored light green. They are made of powder-coated aluminum. We have another option for windows... Our choices are light green or light blue. For our roofing color, I am still looking unto whether red is OK.

Colors for an Historic Virginia Bungalow

Virginia Bungalow Before and After Painting
Virginia Bungalow Before and After Painting. Photos courtesy of About.com Forum Member ericataylor22

What was under the vinyl siding? This homeowner took the plunge, pulled it off, and found a historic architecture hidden beneath.

The House of ericataylor22:

  • Shingles = Roycroft Brass
  • Siding = Roycroft Suede
  • Trim = Roycroft Mahogany
  • Accent = Roycroft Copper Red

Paint Brand: While the paint color names are Sherwin-Williams colors, I don't prefer their paint, so we color-matched with Benjamin Moore paint.

About My House: House is a spec. model built in 1922-1923 for a local land company,and is similar to houses throughout Roanoke, VA, but not necessarily my neighborhood proper. When purchased was covered in yellow vinyl siding with periwinkle blue accents and white aluminum trim.

After a year's worth of restoration inside and out, it now has its upper story shingles restored and a more appropriate, if not vibrant paint scheme.

Why I Chose These Colors: I worked with a friend who is an interior designer and specializes in historic house colors. I gave her a basic idea of what I was looking for, and since she was familiar with the house she came back with two options. We loved both, but I wanted the red accents rather than a plum color because it stood out from the street.

I should also say I am a historic preservationist, so I wanted to try and stay close in historic style, but still give it a foward-thinking look.

Tips and Tricks

  • Love how the house looks, and am still amazed how many people stop and say they were inspired to make changes to their exterior colors because of it. And that they are not as afriad of bold colors now....quite a compliment to my friend's color choices!
Format
mla apa chicago
Your Citation
Craven, Jackie. "What Was I Thinking? My House Paint Colors." ThoughtCo, Aug. 13, 2021, thoughtco.com/what-was-i-thinking-house-paint-178183. Craven, Jackie. (2021, August 13). What Was I Thinking? My House Paint Colors. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-was-i-thinking-house-paint-178183 Craven, Jackie. "What Was I Thinking? My House Paint Colors." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-was-i-thinking-house-paint-178183 (accessed March 29, 2024).