My Exterior Renovation: Colors!

So obviously we have to paint the new buildings that have gone up out back. The thing is…it’s a much larger thought process than that. Why? Because it’s time to paint the house as well and the contractor has to decided to roll it all into one project. Originally we were not selecting new colors at all. We were painting the new buildings the same color as the existing house color. Thinking about a color that will be fantastic on the house for the best curb appeal is a little more daunting. The house is a 1920’s Spanish Mediterranean in an area pretty much full of the same. I’m a little bit of a stickler when it comes to maintaining an accurate architectural and period look from the curb. I bend a little from the traditional look on things sometimes…but not much. That’s why the blue that some of you liked is out. While a great shade (that I’d happily put on another style house) – you won’t find many blue Spanish style houses out here. Hence all the tans, taupes and beiges. It’s the right thing to do.

Not only am I picking a wall color, but I need to select the trim color as well. I’m going for a change and departing from my clean white trim. GASP! Yup. So unlike me. I like a crisp, white, super classic trim indoors and out. Not this time.

So I had about 12 sample cards painted…some colors I selected and some colors the architectural team selected. I spent each day moving them around to different walls to see them in full sun, afternoon shade, morning sunrise…everything.

I looked at those colors for days. I carry a sharpie and as my gut immediately tells me I don’t like something about a color I just write a NO on it. Like Olivia Pope, I don’t second guess my gut in design. It helps move the process along instead of mulling over choices forever. So within the first 10 minutes in full sun I had about 6 NO’s and had picked the trim color. But then for some reason I went against my nature and mulled the remaining colors over. And over. For days. Where was my gut?!? Dang it. Finally, I drew the line in the sand. I figured out that the problem was I didn’t like ANY of them. And I was supposed to like something right?  Well, not this time. I went back to my good friend Benjamin Moore and scouted out two more options. I had the crew paint me 2 more swatches and sure enough there it was. You know when you have the right color.

Ok so now I have 2 colors and a color for the trim selected. I’m happy with them.  Now I need to see some of the other components before I can really settle in. This week I’m selecting stone for a patio wall insert and fencing. Ohhhhh the fencing thing has been a thorn in my side for weeks now. But I will get into that later. I’m excited to see the coloring of the available stone which will really tell me how my color combinations stack up.

Here are some tips for choosing paint colors:
1) SAMPLE – don’t rely on the little paint chip from the store or your color wheel or whatever it is you might have. Paint a sample square on a material that can be moved around from wall to wall. Your sample should be 2 coats for accurate color depth.

2) LIGHT – view your samples in different natural light that happens throughout the day. Colors can change drastically from bright sunlight to dim evening light to nighttime or full indoor lighting. You will really see the undertones on some shades in bright sunlight (pink, peach or blue undertones especially) and this may sway your decision.

3) COMPARE – Look at it with other items you’ll be using in the space like fabrics or furniture pieces if you can.

4) TRUST YOUR GUT – Trust that immediate instinct of “I hate this”…just write no on it and keep going. Don’t let those colors pollute your thought process. You are likely to start considering them again, only to decide a few days later that you don’t like them again.  And on the flip side – you know it when you feel it.  Go with what you love.