We have decided on our exterior colors. We always knew we wanted white and red, but trying to find the right colors is hard. Why are there 10 shades of white and 15 shades of red? Ha.
We decided on the Martha Stewart line of exterior paint, sold at Home Depot. Since that's the paint we're using inside, we figured it was just as easy to use outside and it gets great reviews for quality. We're either going with "PICKET FENCE" white for the main house color, and then "BARN RED" for the trim, or vice versa. All the window trims, the doors, the screen door frames, etc, will be one color and then the house will be the other color
How appropriate that the colors are barn red, that's what we want on the farm later on is a red barn, and then of course you've read my posts about how much we like having a white picket fence. We didn't choose them because of the names, we actually had 5 shades of red and 7 shades of white and those were the two we liked most.
Exterior painting is still a year or two away, probably the last thing we do actually, other than landscaping the flower beds right around the house.
But until then we need to decide how we are going to paint. We're pretty sure a white base color, with red trim, as I said earlier. But as seen in this picture, the other way around can be interesting as well.
 |
| Red with white? |
 |
| White with red? Or..... |
Stay tuned for more!
Thoughts on what YOU think looks better? I like the red house color, but I don't want it to look too different. And a part of me thinks a white house looks like a more traditional farm house anyway. Plus it would be kind of cool to have a white house with red trim, and then a barn with the same colors only red base with white trim. Or vice versa. Heck, we could have the best of both worlds that way.
VOTE IN THE COMMENTS, TELL US WHICH LOOK YOU LIKE BETTER!
UPDATE 2015: We have decided on RED with WHITE trim. Painting will commence some time in 2016.
I like both pictures actually. Although far apart, our hearts must still be together. I have a "chili red" on my doors and some of the trim. All the windows are trimmed in brown (can't afford vinyl windows yet) and the eaves and doors are trimmed in red.
ReplyDeleteSo, what about the main house white with red trim and vice versa for outbuildings? The red suits you. Good choice!!
Have you painted yet? Curious if you liked the MS exterior paint as I'm considering using it as well.
ReplyDeleteHello! Thanks for visiting and asking. Alas we haven't painted the exterior yet. Too many things going on in the inside first, plus with this heat down here, we were told by our painter that it's best to wait until the days are a little cooler. I DID however ask him what he thought of this paint as it was what we wanted to use and he said he has seen more and more people using it, and he didn't notice anything different from, as he called it, "any other quality paint". So I guess that's a good thing, no pun intended, ha.
ReplyDeleteIs voting still open? LOL. This post interested me because we're going through the same thing in choosing house colors.
ReplyDeleteThe thing about your sample photos, is that they are a more of a bright red than the one you chose, so it's hard to decide. Your red is deeper and easier to look at. Either way would be lovely, but for the barn red, think of how a red barn looks. Pretty good actually.
@lLeigh: Sure, vote anytime! Ha. Yes, I noticed that about the sample photos, they are brighter. I wondered about that, but we like the deeper color of the barn red. I LOVE a big red barn, ha. They gave us a color to lean toward. I hope our painter is on the same page when the time comes.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd have to vote for the red house with white trim, which is completely opposite of how I would normally chose. I just found the white on red easier on the eyes, while the red on white looked a bit busy. Of course, your large front porch would tend to soften the contrasts. The white picket fence looks so pretty against the red house!
ReplyDeleteI was surfing the web for cottage colors for the exterior and came across your blog. It captured my interest because I am leaning toward barn red for my little cottage. I was thinking of using it with white trim. I had a white house once. Rain water "splatter" causes the lower portion of the white walls to look dirty all the time... We remedied the problem by pouring concrete walkways around the entire house and repainted the lower portions again. This was expensive and time consuming. Just a heads up on that one. Check other homes in your area for this problem.
ReplyDeleteIn my neighborhood a barn red house won't be obnoxious but it will be the only little red house on the block. I am so over the tans and brown tones that are so prevalent these days!
Hello there! You know I actually go back and forth about the barn red/white. I think an all red house would be cool. I never thought about the dirt issue. It's rural so no other houses "nearby" but in town, I'll have to pay more attention to that.
DeleteYes, I 100% agree the tans and browns and beiges and all over suburbia become so overdone after awhile.
Thanks for stopping by!!
Ahem....cough, cough. I'm thinking of painting my beige (almond) house tan. I just need to find the time and the energy :-D
DeleteHa! MY BAD!!!! I do love the Earth tones, I just hate when they don't allow any other sort of thinking. Hey, our house in town is an Earth tone, so it's ok, it really is. Paint away!!!! It will be lovely, I know it!!
DeleteAnxious to see the color you finally decide on... Have fun!
DeleteI love the red house...I have always wanted a red house ..
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment! Ironically, this year is the 'painting the exterior year' and guess what? We've decided on RED! Yep, I need to update this post and when it's gets closer to painting time, I'll create a new post. Thanks!!!
DeleteWondering if you have an update. My husband and I have been searching for the perfect red paint color, and I love the color of the red house in the picture you posted above. I'd love to see how yours turned out and if you're happy with it.
ReplyDeleteHello! I don't know what that color is in the picture of the house. We haven't painted yet, we DID get barns built earlier this year and they were painted a barn red that we love and we've decided that the house should match the barns since they are relatively near each other. It will sort of be the defacto color of buildings at the farm, ha. Here is the link to that:
Deletehttp://twomenandalittlefarm.blogspot.com/2015/02/we-have-barn-part-one.html
I even painted the trim on our beehives the same red. The Tuffshed people use a color called "Classic Liberty Red" and "Wentworth White". Hope that helps, but again, we don't have the house painted yet, it will be sometime next year. :-)
Thanks for stopping by!!
I’m curious how this turned out. It’s been 10 years. My husband and I are in a similar quandary. We have a large modified mid-century Saltbox on a large ravine with a creek and giant oaks.
ReplyDeleteAfter waaaaay too much thought, we’ve settled on red for the exterior. Currently, it’s beige, all beige with green shutters. We’re going with black shutters and garage doors with red siding and off-white trim and sort of camel brown accents. This is after originally thinking dark grey and then navy and then olive green and finally red...riffing on the red barn vibe.
We’re between Sherwin Williams Salute and Sherwin Williams Fireweed right now, but I really like that Martha Stewart Red Barn.