Are you building a home? Renovating an existing property? It’s funny. I haven’t noticed too much residential construction in my neighborhood. I imagine this will change soon with the increasing demand and low real estate inventory. Will such new construction resemble the timeless manse majesty we see in this parade of fantasy façade inspiration? Hahaha. Not likely. That won’t stop us from marveling at the wonder of architectural excellence, admiring traditional style, and collecting color stories to pin for future reference…
Also discover a handful of new-to-me exact paint colors from a handful of these beauties!
Fantasy Façade Inspiration: 42 Unforgettable Homes
Homes/Photography: Sotheby’s Realty, unless otherwise noted
Traditional White House Exteriors & Painted Brick
Are you tired of seeing white brick homes yet?
Because I’m not!
In fact, I just saw a post from Martha Stewart that said there are a ton of good reasons for painting your brick.
It surprised me, but so often we don’t always know the history of such design moves.
We tend to assume that when a particular look is trending, it must be new and not historically appropriate.
Here are tips from Martha.
I’m not so sure I am ready to whitewash my own brick house. Since it is going from essentially a maintenance free surface to a bit of maintenance, it’s worth taking a good long look at the pros and cons.
Also, I think there are some cases where it is more obvious than others that paint will improve the look of the home.
What’s your opinion? Do you like the look of traditional red brick?
The Warmth of Stone
Ideas for Paint Colors for Siding, Doors & Trim
I love it when designers share exact paint colors, and I’m sharing a few new-to-me colors in this collection.
The gate and shutters on this Palm Beach house are James River Gray:
And even though I thought I knew every white paint color in the Milky Way…nope. Here’s one to sample called WHITE ICE which you see on the stucco above:
White Ice has a light reflectance value (LRV) of 83.79 so it’s going to reflect a ton of light. In fact, for an exterior, it may feel a bit too bright. With its blue undertones, it has a quality similar to Benjamin Moore White OC-151.
You may remember I painted our former home’s interiors OC-151.
White Houses That Aren’t Actually White
The thing about white painted exteriors is that what we perceive as “white” may actually be a light grey paint color.
Even this facade above which appears to be white with contrasting light grey shutters could easily be a light gray such as BM Classic Gray.
Do you like it when designers choose to paint the shutters the same color as the facade?
One way it helps to study house exterior inspiration is to notice what your eye is drawn to. High contrast between trim and siding?
Low contrast or no contrast?
It’s interesting to note how much darker the Pashmina swatch looks compared to the painted doors on Villa Flora above.
Keep These Paint Tips in Mind
Exterior colors will truly be washed out so don’t be surprised if you choose a color that appears very dark in the can!
No matter what look you decide upon, make sure to sample sample sample before you ever make the final decision.
Because it is one thing to stand in a hardware store under fluorescent lights viewing little cardstock swatches of color…
and quite another to see a color in natural light in your unique location.
It’s one of the reasons peel and stick samples from Samplize are such a brilliant innovation.
You no longer have to settle for tiny little paint chips or messy pots of paint.
Here’s one of my favorite combinations of colors for an exterior.
A warm white with a cool neutral for trim/shutters is just so pretty and classic. Isn’t it a timeless romantic look? Do you prefer warmer tones and sturdier, more masculine tones?
Yet another reason to browse inspiration images online to get a feel for the aesthetic that feels right for you and your home.
For example, if you just want your home to feel like a beautiful traditional wedding cake…
yum!
Bold Front Door Color
And how about the front door? Do you love a boldly surprising entrance?
I had never heard of this blue, and doesn’t it remind you of a Toy Story sky?
So unexpected on that ivy-covered charmer above!
Did someone say ivy?
Ooh la la!
I have always loved a classic black front door.
Just so gorgeous with wrought iron and black accents.
And isn’t black a lovely contrast above and below…
and also here:
Another new to me white!
I thought this was an unusual whitewash or limewash treatment for the brick siding:
The painted siding on the garage side is BM Glacier White:
While the beautiful new build below (it only looks like a 1920s home!) has a custom color, it reminds me of Glacier White.
However, the homeowner says the color is closest to Benjamin Moore Gray Mist:
Love Contrast for the Shutters?
Oh, I could get used to this tropical paradise:
Oh so lush!
Try These White Colors for Your House Exterior
I’m always telling you to not become enamored with a paint color just because it has a name that appeals to you…
but I have a crush on this color name!
Isn’t that a fabulous description of that serene hue?
Here’s one more new to me white:
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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