House Trim Paint Color

Katie
by Katie
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We bought a house - loving it! Redoing everything from inside out. I need a basis to start on the outside. We have agreed to keep the dark brown wood but need a good trim color..... Would love suggestions!
q house trim paint color, curb appeal, paint colors, painting, front of house
front of house
  43 answers
  • Jeanette S Jeanette S on Jul 08, 2014
    I think I would stick with a dark brown that appears to be on it now. Maybe my color eye is not fully open this morning, but I can't picture a lighter color here. If you must have a different color, think in the dark terra cotta family, one that leans toward the orangeish brown. From what I can see, I think I LOVE your property! A bit rural? Open land?
  • Katie Katie on Jul 08, 2014
    thank you, that is my problem - I cant in-vision a very contrasty trim color but the house is very flat with all one color, just doesn't offer any depth. I would like something more. I am thinking of adding some rock pillar bases along the front. We love the property as well, we are on an acre just outside of town.
  • Katie Katie on Jul 08, 2014
    maybe trim is not what it needs.... maybe rock pillars - a front deck and a blue door! :) LOL any feedback?
  • Kelly B Kelly B on Jul 08, 2014
    What about black trim? It might keep the dark, rustic look, while making it 'pop'.
  • Alexander Dahlgren Alexander Dahlgren on Jul 08, 2014
    Hi @Katie . You're right about the house looking flat. There are several solutions to your question and most are going to be guided by budget. I think brightening the house is a very good idea. It appears to have a translucent stain on the wood now and if you are considering new stain, you can change it then if you use an opaque stain to almost any color you like. Add a stone accent would be a great idea as well. But the most important thing is to create a clear sense of entry. The front door and recessed entry fade away into the rest of the house. Dark roof, dark windows and lots of dark wood make the house seem smaller than it is. Also there is one pilaster to the left of the center section that seems to go part way up and then stop. What is that?
  • Katie Katie on Jul 08, 2014
    yes there is are 2 large pillars that are just 'stuck' to the house without going to the bottom or top. I am thinking of doing a stone base to those... not sure why they are there?? LOL
  • Susie Bennett Susie Bennett on Jul 08, 2014
    I would paint the area that sticks out on the front a lighter color. and then I would add a lot of interest to the front door area...large terra cotta pots with trees and flowers....
  • Katie Katie on Jul 08, 2014
    Maybe you could use those "going nowhere" pillars to build a bit of an arbour…? As far as colour, unless you going to do the whole house, I think I wouldn't mess with it at the moment. Painting the front door may help - a nice bright colour so it pop and lots of bright flowers - planted and in urns and pots to create some depth. If you did decide to do the whole house, an opaque stain would be perfect, in maybe a medium sage. Then you could play up the trim work, etc. Would love to see an "after" of whatever you decide to do.
  • Sharon McKusick Sharon McKusick on Jul 08, 2014
    Go to Sherwin Williams Website and put a picture of your house on their website and you can pick colors that would go with it. Kinda fun to see. Can also do the rooms in your house.
  • Annette C Annette C on Jul 08, 2014
    To add to your rock idea, there are a lot of foe rock composites made of Styrofoam. Not sure of the cost but a lot easier to put up & can look like any stone...
  • Katie Katie on Jul 08, 2014
    awesome about sherwin williams - I will totally do that! Cool idea on the fake rock of Styrofoam :) thanks everyone for all the feedback. I will defiantly post a before and after when we get around to making the changes
  • Marion Nesbitt Marion Nesbitt on Jul 08, 2014
    All the dark wood lends an air of mystery or foreboding to me. It is challenging. Agree with Katie. Why not do the work you want to do on the interior and just leave the exterior for awhile to think of options.
  • Sally Jones Sally Jones on Jul 08, 2014
    I would paint the front door so it stands out. It is hard to see. Make it draw your eye in. I works also add a couple of large pots or urns with flowers to frame the view and appeal.
  • Meena M Meena M on Jul 08, 2014
    Possibly Olympic solid color stain in timberline. It's a lighter brown with a twinge of golden yellow
  • Sherry Harvey Sherry Harvey on Jul 08, 2014
    I think a smoky blue on the trim, the door and even the posts of the fence would make it pop. At the least, paint the front door an ice blue, but if you do more, make it a more subtle tone of blue.
  • Beverly Tayler Beverly Tayler on Jul 08, 2014
    If you look at Maine homes w/ dark shingles they use white or beige and it looks lovely. http://www.vinyl-lite.com/vinyl-siding-virginia.html
  • Linda Mantha Linda Mantha on Jul 08, 2014
    firemanred for the front door, and windows lighter brown almost a dark biege
  • Sherry Swift Sherry Swift on Jul 08, 2014
    I would go completely to the other side of the color wheel!!! By that I would paint the trim a medium grey and also the entry onto the porch, then I would go with RED for the door....Or YELLOW for the door...
  • Wendy Johnson Wendy Johnson on Jul 08, 2014
    Really good suggestions, I think I would either try the SW website or just look for pictures of similiar houses. maybe you just need some different, more colorful landscaping or something else you will find in a picture. Goodluck.
  • Cheryl Newman Cheryl Newman on Jul 08, 2014
    Maybe paint the trim and windows beige - that would lighten things up. I agree that the front door is hidden and needs painting. The recessed area should have beige trim, too and then a fun color for the front door. Red, burgundy or maybe robin's egg blue? Pick up the accent color in the landscaping and some flower pots
  • Eliza Eliza on Jul 08, 2014
    I think a bright light coral, something really dramatic
  • Beth Kuykendall Beth Kuykendall on Jul 08, 2014
    Beige trim and go with some color on door. Beige around windows also
  • B. Reynolds B. Reynolds on Jul 08, 2014
    Maybe I am weird but I think a copper color for the door and window trim would make it look great, including the small round window.
  • Teri Teri on Jul 08, 2014
    I really like the suggestion Sherry Swift made of painting the trim grey, to me that would follow with the rustic tone of the home. I also love her suggestion of red or yellow for the door. I think the door color would depend on what kinds of flowers you want to plant around the front of the house, I'd pull the door color from the flowers to create some continuity while still having the door pop. Lovely house, hope you love every minute of doing it up your way!
  • Melinda Gutierrez Melinda Gutierrez on Jul 08, 2014
    Love your house....I would paint the trim and front door a nice forest green. Or you could go Swiss ski lodge look by adding some gingerbread in bright colors and yellow door. Also don't forget lots of bright pretty flowers!
  • Judy4justice Judy4justice on Jul 08, 2014
    I think I would remove the huge tree which actually blocks part of your beautiful home.A lighter shade of brown or beige on all the trim would brighten it up,maybe a lighter beige on the door as well.
  • Kayren Johnson Kayren Johnson on Jul 08, 2014
    beige/cream color & do the door in the same color as the trim is, it will add an eye catch to it
  • Nita line Nita line on Jul 08, 2014
    Black
  • Kelli Blanton Kelli Blanton on Jul 08, 2014
    Love it the way it is. Paint the door a nice color!
  • Verena Grant Verena Grant on Jul 08, 2014
    sage green/ or dark-red burnt orange (will make it look more like a chalet)
  • V Valencia V Valencia on Jul 08, 2014
    Charcoal around the windows and earthy, burgundy red door. Both colors should have warm undertones vs.cool blue undertones.
  • Got319292 Got319292 on Jul 09, 2014
    Red and charcoal
  • Rick Decker Rick Decker on Jul 09, 2014
    Definitely the fence doesn't do anything for the house. I would get rid of it or change the style of the fence if I needed to keep it. Also, with all the brown going on you can't get any definition or architectural interest to the house. The window glass even looks dark. I built a house several years ago and picked all the materials, colors and basically changed the whole feel of the home. I mixed brown through the rocks and shutters and black on the roof with a basic old world gold on the major part of the house. The house I have is a different style but I think some things that I done would work on yours. I know budget plays a big part in what you can do. If you want to leave the brown that would be find. If budget allows, and you don't want it to not look so rustic then change the color. First of all I would add rock that you can get at Lowe's and install yourself. It's cut with the same saw that you cut tile with. I have also, put it on with liquid nails and it holds well. Place it real close and tight together and you don't even need to grout. I would cover the fireplace on the side of the house completely with it. Then I would add it across the front of the house up to the bottom of the windows that are showing on the right side of the picture. Can't see the left side or if there are windows but I would keep it the same height all the way across the front of the home. Then where the two long column are with the windows in between, I would fill that area completely with the rock. This is breaking up all the darkness on the house. Now inside where your door is located pick a lighter shade of stain or paint, maybe in the old world gold that I mention,and cover the whole inset where your door is located. This will draw your attention to your entrance. I would add a terra cotta clay color for the door accent. If you really want to make this a show piece, add a extended shed roof over the top of the rounded window above your front door in the empty space. Let it set on top of the trim and extend past your trim on both ends and put corbels to add interest and also as if they are holding it up. Do this also over the window on the left where the columns are. Adjust the columns to the height of the window and set the extended shed roof on top of them. After doing all this I think the brown on the house will be find and also leaving all your trim brown will work also. I'm attaching some pictures of the house I mentioned and the colors I choice. I think the rocks I used would work well for you also. Take notice of the shed roof over the window on the right of the house. I think these would be a great addition to your home. Shutters wouldn't work on your house but a window planter might work under the window that has the two partial columns. That would give you a punch of color and add some ivy, etc. to flow over the sides. Also add a couple large iron, concrete or some type urns on each side of your door on the concrete platforms with some color or some shrubs for a more welcoming feel to your front entrance. I hope this is of help to you. Would like to see pictures when you get it done. Hope I didn't take over and give your more advice then you wanted. I was just trying to help.
  • Rick Decker Rick Decker on Jul 09, 2014
    Here's the photo's for the above post. For some reason they didn't download.
    • See 2 previous
    • Kathy Kathy on Mar 22, 2015
      @Katie I think you should go with Rick Decker's ideas if your budget allows. Although, his house looks like flat surfaces. Yours looks to be wood siding. If, you were to do the rock would it be uneven? Maybe the old world gold color for trim and the window boxes for sure :-)
  • Connie H Connie H on Jul 09, 2014
    Yes, definitely something lighter to contrast with the dark wood. Sherwin Williams has a great color pallets with colors together to give ideas. Would probably do two colors to accent with the dark brown though. Ex: Coral like someone had mentioned already and with a medium green. That would be spectacular!
  • Peg Peg on Jul 09, 2014
    A rich colonial rust color.
  • Sal369466 Sal369466 on Jul 09, 2014
    Deep bright teal!!!
  • Wanda Schoenwetter Wanda Schoenwetter on Jul 09, 2014
    A candy apple red would look nice
  • Janet Savich Janet Savich on Jan 03, 2015
    @Katie Am I the only one that the trees up front spoil the beauty of the house? I don`t believe in cutting trees down for no good reason but they seem to be hiding the house, windows etc.
  • Country Design Home Country Design Home on Jan 03, 2015
    It really depends on the look you are going for. If you are hoping to create some contrast, then painting the trim brown or red or any dark color wont accomplish that. If you want to add contrast, you need to go lighter-perhaps a soft taupe or creamy beige, then paint the door a bright color for pop and to highlight the entrance. From the picture you really can't even tell where the windows and doors are on the front of this house.
  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Mar 05, 2021

    Hi Katie,

    Light Olive Green, Rusty Orange, Golden Yellow, Black. Turquoise Blue, Plum Red. Have fun and best wishes.
  • Janice Janice on Apr 20, 2021

    If you want to add some interest, paint the trim a creamy white, even the uprights on the corners of your home. It will "lift" the look of your home and actually make it look larger and accent the dark base color.

  • Holly Lengner - Lost Mom Holly Lengner - Lost Mom on Sep 30, 2021

    I can't imagine the house with a lighter trim, but you might be able to add some color by adding planter boxes. That's an easy way to add some curb appeal.

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