Today, Salisbury got a new coat–and just in time for winter. Ron Bails-Forbes and team painted the woodwork and stucco these delicious, warm, classic Tudor tones. And a window box upgrade is ready for spring plantings when the time is right.
After
Colors: Sherwin Williams Intertwined (sills), PPG Black Magic (trim), PPG Hiker's Paradise (stucco)
Before
5 Tips for Picking Exterior Paint Colors
I've found a few tricks to choosing exterior paint colors for older homes. Here's what I've learned.
Complement the materials, don't clash with them. Counterintuitive but true: white on the trim will not "brighten up" an old home like this one. Instead, it will make the brick, mortar and beautiful stonework look dingy. Rather than working against it, work with it. Using earthen tones that feel akin to the stone helps it stand out in the right way. Embrace the rich moodiness that you're working with and enhance it.
Avoid painting natural finishes, like stone. The original limestone sills had been painted blue. Once they're painted, there's no going back, or at least not without a lot of blood, sweat and tears. We chose tones that look as close to the original stone sills as possible, but they still look artificial when painted. Let your stone finishes shine au naturel.
Try for tones that feel authentic to the style of the home. Research color palettes from the time period. Explore earthy, art nouveau Rookwood pottery palettes for homes built around that time. Your end result will look more purposeful and flow more naturally.
Try to skip painting brick. Painted brick is beautiful. Painted brick is alluring. Painted brick is also very expensive to do right–and high maintenance, compared to bare brick, which is zero maintenance. Instead, try to choose colors that downplay the tones that don't suit you. Orange tones? Golds, deep purples and browns can Times when painting your brick makes all the sense: covering repairs, such as heavy tuck pointing or foundation work; large filled in areas, or additions, where the new brick doesn't match; the original brick is unanimously decided to be a hideous brick choice from day one (it happens!).
Invest in samples. Think you found the perfect shade? Get one lighter, one darker, one bluer, one greener, one browner....all the variations. Color is all about context. You'll be surprised how much you like the sample you least expected to love, once you paint a patch beside your brick or stonework. The natural light that hits your home can make all the difference in shifting hues too. So be that person with 5 colors painted on your facade. Step back and watch the perfect one emerge. You'll feel it in your bones. And if you don't, head back to the paint store for more. You'll feel much better about the thousands you spend on the exterior paint job after having explored all your options.
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