What color(s) should we paint our house??

by Holly

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Answered

We are building our dream home and need ideas on what colors we should paint the exterior? This home is my version of a craftsman farmhouse. We are building on 2 acres in Idaho. We have a Creek behind the lot with a bunch of willow trees. Please help!

The front of the house.

50 answers

R.V.R. Farris on Aug 19, 2014
What colors do you all like? Wonderful house, by the way.

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- Holly on Aug 19, 2014
  Thank you! I like blues, grays, and greens. I would love to paint it all white but I don't know if that would be too much white.
  
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- R.V.R. Farris on Aug 19, 2014
  @Holly I like blues, grays, and greens also. And since you mentioned the house is your version of a Craftsman house, take a look at some of the Craftsman homes on Pinterest or This Old House website. They have lots of pictures to inspire ideas. One of the things that helps to define a Craftsman is the use of earthy colors. The colors that you have now, along with some of your favorites would fit the bill. Have fun looking, picking up sample cans and painting swatches everywhere to get a feel for what suits the house and y'all's personal taste. And please post pictures as you make your decisions.
  
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Hannah V on Aug 19, 2014
I've always been a fan of a nice light grey exterior on a home. It's more interesting and richer than white and goes well with any accent color you choose! Good luck and stunning home!

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Juanita on Aug 19, 2014
Do a Google search of "craftsman home colors" -- lots of good sites popped up, like this one: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20723440,00.html

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Vickie Ratliff on Aug 19, 2014
With the different walls, I think 2 or 3 colors, definately. Show it when you are done.

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Darlene davis on Aug 19, 2014
Green with a hint if gray...high gloss white trim

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Susie Becony on Aug 19, 2014
What ever colors you choose, make sure they blend with color of roof...You don't want to paint house in greys and have brown shingles on roof...

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Barbara Espinoza on Aug 19, 2014
I love grey and your house will be beautiful no matter what color you decide. ...

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Barbara on Aug 19, 2014
How's this for a color scheme?

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Colette on Aug 19, 2014
I love the look of gunmetal gray. It has a blue tinge to it and really looks wonderful with a multitude of trim colors. My craftsman house in Michigan was that color and over the years we had it trimmed in white, black, deep marine blue, but always kept the body of the house the same.

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Deeya Robbins on Aug 19, 2014
Light green with an antique white trim. Saw one on a rehab ahow. It was beautiful.

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Amber Thach on Aug 19, 2014
I love all the texturizing you guys are doing. We have a nice craftsman house up the road that us a rustic red with some of the texturizing in a tan and olive color, simply beautiful. Ours is an olive color with tan trim and a rustic red door. Long story short, the homeowners up the street copied our house colors on their new house.

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Donna Jones-Years on Aug 19, 2014
http://namepel.com/wp-content/uploads/color-schemes-for-exterior-house-paint-148-color-schemes-for-exterior-20140719150359-53ca88df5c3a4.jpg

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Marcia Taylor on Aug 19, 2014
I also like gray.

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Donna Jones-Years on Aug 19, 2014
http://namepel.com/home-painting-ideas/exterior-paint-colors-home-depot-2

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Shannon stirling on Aug 19, 2014
Benjamin Moore's Berkshire Beige for the body and Cottage Red for the trim. (I'm a professional house painter and this is one of my favorite color combos!)

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Donna Jones-Years on Aug 19, 2014
http://mahakarya.net/exterior-house-painting-ideas-2/exterior-house-paint-colors-for-2013-2/

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Donna Jones-Years on Aug 19, 2014
http://search.aol.com/aol/imageDetails?s_it=imageDetails&q=exterior+homes&img=http%3A%2F%2Fst.houzz.com%2Fsimgs%2Fc13139a10ebb0c76_4-4651%2Fcraftsman-exterior.jpg&v_t=webmail-hawaii1-basicaol&host=http%3A%2F%2Fw

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Sharon on Aug 19, 2014
Med. Kaki green for the main house, darker off white for front porch and main part of pillars, and dark rust for the trim. Will look fabulous!

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Amanda Roan Covert on Aug 19, 2014
Great house!! I would love to see some red on this home. I would go a dark brick red on the lap siding, a sandy gray on the board & batten siding, the shake siding as well as the porch posts in a dark stain rather than paint, if possible, and a charcoal shingled roof. Keep trim around windows the color of the siding it's in. Good luck & have fun!!

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Crystal on Aug 19, 2014
I like the pics of the turn of the century craftsman farmhouses. Just Google them. A lot of sites have the names of the modern paints that are close to original. Congrats on your new house!!

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Shannon stirling on Aug 19, 2014
Body on Ben Moore's Revere Pewter or Berkshire Beige and the trim in Cottage Red. As a propainter, these are my faves.

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Donna on Aug 19, 2014
What color and material is planned for the roof?

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Rita Medrano on Aug 19, 2014
Yellow

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Hip326672 on Aug 19, 2014
Try 2 incorporate Ur outside color 2 Ur interior color & design.

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Barbara williams on Aug 19, 2014
No biege

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Shannon Drent-Vizithum on Aug 19, 2014
Red

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Shelly@The Domestic Heart on Aug 20, 2014
This is one of my favorites --> http://www.houzz.com/photos/2101997/Custom-Architecture-traditional-exterior-chicago

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Kelly L on Aug 20, 2014
Olive on main part and med to dark brown trim

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Cheryl allen on Aug 20, 2014
Pale yellow with white shutters

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Nedra Brush Bohan on Aug 20, 2014
Holly, my daughter helps clients choose their house colors, and she lives in Meridian. If your interested in seeing what she'd say, contact me. I live in Eagle.

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Judi Stump on Aug 20, 2014
Gray hues - light dark with black door and shutters . Brick planters with dark slate gray caps.

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Debby on Aug 20, 2014
FIRST, WHAT COLOR WILL YOUR ROOFING BE, YOUR COLORS WILL HAVE TO PLAY OFF THAT. MY PERSONAL TAKE WOULD BE TWO TONED SOFT GREENS W CONTRASTING COLOR AND CREME. GOOD LUCK. ENJOY.

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Jeanette S on Aug 20, 2014
I would use a combination of a dusty green (nothing dull) and Khaki with white trim. so it would be uplifting in the winter when the leaves are gone.

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Margo Reilly on Aug 20, 2014
A beautiful soft yellow with creamy white trim

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Angela Lowe on Aug 20, 2014
We built our house on 32 acres and had planned on going red with white trim and black doors, at the last minute I chickened out and have regretted it ever since. GO RED.

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Sandy Dearinger Waters on Aug 20, 2014
I would of used rocks for the outside and paint trim, In the area I live in Texas rock and brick is used alot. But if I were to paint I would go with natural colors

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Jmw345786 on Aug 20, 2014
Recommend painting the body a green/gray color with a burnt crimson trim. Would go with Craftsman style. Dunn Edwards has a paint named Shaggy Barked and Burnt Crimson that you could look at online.

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- Veronica Page on Aug 20, 2014
  This sounds beautiful!
  
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Phyllis on Aug 20, 2014
I've seen new 'farm' homes and the favorite is soft yellow with white trim, and the roof is dark charcoal or black. It will look great even in the winter months.

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Susan on Aug 20, 2014
I came up with some ideas through Google. If you Google craftsman home color palettes, and click images, there are so many wonderful color combinations, and actually shows samples of true craftsman colors. I have attached some of the photos I found to give you an idea.

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Veronica Page on Aug 20, 2014
Watch season one of Witches of East End.... Their home is GORGEOUS!

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359368 on Aug 20, 2014
Check out this video on my Bentler Painting YouTube site. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9VWsJ_BEoY&index=1&list=PLhiu-FIxIvRLwdtwt9glhfysJjRvgtSrj http://bentlerpainting.com

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Holly on Aug 20, 2014
Thank you all so much for the help!! I have a ton of ideas for the house. For those who asked, the roof color will be black. I will definitely keep everyone updated on what we choose and I will surely post pictures!

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Renee on Aug 20, 2014
How about that grey-beige color with black door and window trim and accent with off white.....Happy painting!

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Cindy Lay on Aug 20, 2014
A mix of dark greens and sage greens...with Navajo (off white trim). Generally speaking the dark colors would be on the lower half, and lighter colors on upper....but as you have the clapboard, shake and board and batten siding, I might do the shake in dark, and the clapboard and board and batten in lighter..perhaps the battens in the Navajo to match the trim.....Accents like the front door in burnt / dark red...and even landscaping in greens and reds.....

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Bec310143 on Aug 21, 2014
We put rocks on the lower half and then painted the house a light creamy beige with off white trim.

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Centrd on Aug 21, 2014
I'm kind of partial to gray shingled houses, but depending on your setting, etc. the sky's pretty much the limit. Will there be more trim around the windows, or are they done? that would probably be a factor in how dark you go, for example the popular new black & charcoal exteriors, a lighter trim can really make a dark house dramatic rather than foreboding or dreary looking. I do love some of the deeper dark blues, and the right shade of green could be really pretty too, just make sure it blends with your setting, and doesn't fight it. The wrong green can be bad. Here's some photos for inspiration. Beautiful house!

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Kathy on Sep 07, 2014
Think twice about that black roof...we had our roof replaced a few years ago and we had always had a traditional black version roof but I fell in love with some architectural roofing shingles in warm earthtones, we vinyl sided after a tornado hit the following year! and chose to stay with the "Clay/Taupe" color , white trim and dark green shutters. The sage green shutters and door paint were tempting too but we had a number of other outdoor accessories that had the hunter green already and went with that.

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Holly Lengner - Lost Mom on Oct 23, 2021

I love the white and black farmhouse look.

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Johnavallance82 on May 01, 2023

Dark and Light Olive green would be my choice!

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Mogie on May 01, 2023

A nice deep blue with cedar shingles on some of the peak areas and white trim. Looks classy and very verstile.

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