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Design Dilemma
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Need help choosing paint color

Laurie
10 years ago
I just had both my front and back doors replaced and I need ideas for paint color for them.
The trim will be painted white (soon I hope-I've been trying for a year to get it done!) and I want something bright that will pop, but not over power the house. The trouble is I have 1966 orangish brick. I thought something in the turquoise family would work and also be historically accurate. I don't like the original turquoise I painted the old door after we moved in last year though.
What ideas do you have? I prefer Behr paint but can also get Valspar.
Winter is hitting us this week so I don't know when I will be able to paint but I would like to get the color chosen so the first warm day in the future I can paint. :)

First photo is new door. I love it!
Second photo is old color on old back door. Not a fan of the color any more.
Featured Answer
  • Rina
    10 years ago
    Hi Laurie. I know it's winter where you are, but I thought you might like a foretaste of spring. Also, a much more restrained and conservative colour for the door? And maybe a show-off house number? Not sure about that, but I popped it there anyway. Right, on with my day now.

    • Comments (115)

    • Deborah Jarman
      10 years ago
      Thanks bsellers. I have a copper focal wall in my living room with eggplant in the adjacent library. Swiss coffee (creamy white) for trim and wainscoat. Get many compliments on the color combo. My two favorite flower arrangements in the summer are purple delphiniums with orange tiger lily and purple hydrangeas with orange roses.
    • Laurie
      Original Author
      10 years ago
      I am not a purple fan, but I did try a few dark purples and did not like them.

      I will be painting all the trim and the porch posts the same color.

      I may tint the white so it is more like the Antique Linen color I linked above. I need to go and get samples tomorrow.

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    • qoais
      10 years ago
      When I said purple, it was because the grout looks almost a grayish purple, so I thought a purple door would bring that up.
    • mickisue
      10 years ago
      Laurie, I like that linen color for the trim. It will offset the orangey brick, and still read white from a distance, but not be so stark from close up.
    • barnandbungalow
      10 years ago
      What would you like to say? http://houzz.com/photos/2456677

      Since your roof is brown, how would you feel about painting the brick light beige and painting your door orange?! I think brown/beige, white and orange are a rich looking combo.

      Good luck...and I love your door!

      barnandbungalow.com
    • Laurie
      Original Author
      10 years ago
      I was told to never paint the brick. It traps the moisture in the brick and will cause it to crumble over time.

      The photo of the orange door is what inspired me to find the door I have. :)
    • Wendy
      10 years ago
      chookchook *LoL* As a matter of fact I do have swords right beside my old antique oak office desk. Does a coat of arms count??
    • User
      10 years ago
      Yes, does your bath water turn blue after you use it?
    • User
      10 years ago
      House painter didn't put the brush down when Mel opened the front door:-

      http://thehande.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/facepaint.png
    • libradesigneye
      10 years ago
      glad you've explored with some samples - every latitude shifts the light. You can stain masonry with no ill effect but that is not what you are considering here - back soon.
    • User
      10 years ago
      Have a navy front door, but then send the painter away and tell him never to darken your door again....
    • Wendy
      10 years ago
      chookchook2, not as yet! but does shampooing with Light Shade Shampoo (navy blue/violet in color) count when it drips down the drain all violet blue?? (special shampoo to keep the brassiness away) Hubby says shampoo doesn't work cause I'm still as brassy as ever! *LOL*
    • User
      10 years ago
      I'm sure he said sexy. You just had foam in your ears, Wendy. Now Houzz will hold this back for censoring....
    • Laurie
      Original Author
      10 years ago
      last modified: 10 years ago
      I bought the door paint. I went with the color Water Surface. I got trim color samples to look at tomorrow in the daylight.

      Next question...Should I paint the trim around the windows the same color as the door or as the trim?
    • mefor
      10 years ago
      Paint it the same as the rest of the trim.
    • Laurie
      Original Author
      10 years ago
      I love the color I chose. :) I still need to paint up close to the glass-didn't have time over lunch today. I really need to get the trim done. It looks even worse now than it did before.
      Samples for trim are in last photo. I think I need to get my better camera out to photo them though.
    • bygeorgi
      10 years ago
      So pretty, I would add a punch of deeper teal some where, trim and posts... Behr PPU12-7 spring stream is a really pretty period correct color.
    • bygeorgi
      10 years ago
      Like this...Gosh It's cute.
    • PRO
      Roundtree Landscaping, Inc
      10 years ago
      Love the pop of color on the door! We love doing this with our clients that have brick homes. Maybe paint a few patio chairs to match and add a little pottery? Like we did with the client photo attached. It's a simple inexpensive way to refresh. There is a lot of landscaping that can still be done with water restrictions - it's all about the right plants in the right place. Just be careful not to plant things that get large close to the front door - it will actually make the house look smaller. Plant smaller foundation shrubs (Dwarf Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' is a great tough drought tolerant option) near the entrance and then bring your larger shrubs or accent plants out to the edges of the house.
    • Laurie
      Original Author
      10 years ago
      I have been looking for some 1960's metal chairs to put on the porch. I can't afford the reproductions and the old ones are hard to come by.
      My front bed is very shady. Abelia won't grow there. I do have a twist of lime abelia on the side of the house. What I have planted will fill in the bed nicely. It's soft caress mahonia. I also have a gardenia if the cold didn't kill it. Finding good plants for this soil (gumbo clay) in the shade is hard. Right now, I would be happy to have grass! This yard was so bad when we moved in.
    • dstemple1956
      10 years ago
      Laurie - Might I recommend amending your clay soil with compost? This will lighten the soil and make it more hospitable to plants. There are many shade loving plants that don't mind the clay soil. If you do a bit of research I'm sure you'll find something that catches your eye.
    • User
      10 years ago
      Ikea 2012 Easy chair, yellow. Indoor/outdoor. Locksta easy chair with removable cover, orange 702.396.49
    • User
      10 years ago
      Ikea PS 2012 plant stand with 3plant pots , white steel, 702.062.53
    • libradesigneye
      10 years ago
      Now that you've settled on your cottage-y blue - I'm a fan of the trim color on the far left. The blue-green is pale enough it reads like a value of white on an exterior, so if you go to the tan, it will subtly clash with the door. But, I might pick my white after I looked at rustoleum spray paint for the metal - see below.

      What you are seeing on the trim now is the difference between a straight sky / chambray blue on the trim and the blue-green tone on the door. Wait for the weather so it doesn't drive you nuts - and especially for the metal - if it is too cold it won't receive the color well. I think I would paint my metal posts with rustoleum spray paint for a good finish after a bit of wiping and masking above and below. You might like sherry petersiks excellent spray paint tutorial at http://www.younghouselove.com/2011/08/how-you-like-them-handles/

      Next summer, if you like, I think you could intensify the blue - green and still get the muted soft quality you want. This door will fade to near white in about 18 months - color on exterior rule of thumb is to go one shade deeper than you pick with the eye - the expanse and the sun change your perceptions. Templeton gray from bm is the same tone as your entry door but on an exterior, reads more like a mid-tone than a light. http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/rooms-by-color/cheerful-yellow-bathroom

      Finally - in spring, if you have the patience, old aluminum is pitted naturally so it receives latex paint really well. If you took a sample of templeton to the window frame, you could see how it might resonate against your brick and it is in the same color family as your door so it would perk up the front of the house. It makes the windows and screens look like custom windows for the price of a few hours with a small brush and a sample pot of paint. (without the insulation value sad to say).
    • Laurie
      Original Author
      10 years ago
      I don't have any metal on my house (except the aluminum windows). The trim work on the porch is all wood. I need to scrape it, fill and repair it. Then I can paint. I used Behr Marquise paint. It is supposed to resist fading. The sun rarely hits my door thanks to the trees and the big porch.

      Trim on far left: http://www.behr.com/consumer/ColorDetailView/W-F-510

      I am well versed in landscaping here. I amend my soil with peat moss and other things to loosen up the soil. I used to do landscape design many years ago, before I had kids. The landscaping just takes time. When I got done removing the 2 feet deep ground cover, randomly planted yuccas, and dead and volunteer trash trees, there was nothing left except the crape myrtles and large trees. I had a blank slate and $3000 less money. I've spent $2K on bushes, flowers, edging and mulch. I have a patio to redo, grass to plant, quality trees, more curb appeal, etc.... All in due time. :)

      Keep in mind it is winter here. I had more greenery on my porch over the summer than I do now. Not much will grow in the shade here over the winter for color. Pansies like sun. I have some violas in the planter but they are still small but doing nicely even though we had that huge ice storm.
    • PRO
      Roundtree Landscaping, Inc
      10 years ago
      last modified: 10 years ago
      Laurie - we are in Dallas, so we totally understand the soil situation! We definitely agree that working compost in the soil is a must, but we don't recommend peat moss. The Soft Caress Mahonia is a great choice. Any of the new compact Nandina varieties will work too - 'Obsession' is lovely. They will take blazing sun or shade. Japanese Aralia, Viburnum 'Spring Bouquet', Mock Orange are also great shade options. Turf grass won't thrive in a lot of shade, it's a sun lover. But groundcovers work great in your situation. Have fun!
    • Laurie
      Original Author
      10 years ago
      I am not too far away from you then. My biggest problem with landscaping is my budget.
      Buying an old house may not have been the smartest thing, but is sure beats being homeless!
    • PRO
      Roundtree Landscaping, Inc
      10 years ago
      We hear ya! It all takes time. Yes, older house do take a lot of work. But it is always rewarding to see improvements, even one little step at a time!
    • Laurie
      Original Author
      10 years ago
      @Roundtree Landscaping-what would you charge to plant a 30 gallon Chinquapin Oak?
    • Laurie
      Original Author
      10 years ago
      Decided to go with Silver Sky for trim color. I'm going to change out my paint this week.
      http://www.behr.com/consumer/ColorDetailView/W-F-510
    • libradesigneye
      10 years ago
      Laurie - oaks usually have a better mortality at the deep liner / taproot stage - a 30 gallon is a tough size to get to grow - not big enough to be a transplant like a box but too big to be able to adapt to local conditions. Try putting some deep liner oaks seedlings in and in 5 years they will be 15 gallon size and thriving / 7 years 30 gallon scale - hard to plant 30 gallon oaks and have them live. Maybe if you overexcavate 2x and backfill / make sure your hole drains / plant in fall so roots can establish while there is moisture before the grow - grow seaon starts. . . . if you can baby it thru the first two hot summers with weekly deep watering . . . but risky - most at that size die - tap root means 30 gallon container is really 15 gallon tree. . .
    • mickisue
      10 years ago
      Laurie, we have nearly the opposite issues here as you do. Extreme heat AND extreme cold, and the land our house is built on used to be part of a large wetland area, so the soil is silty/sandy. When we have a drought--and what part of the country doesn't, these days?--things fade, and when even when it rains for days, the soil is dry again, two or three days later.

      Xeriscaping has saved us, and I use a lot of nearly indestructible things, like day lilies and hostas. Not sure if they will work in your much longer stretches of heat, but the mini day lilies by our boulevard deal with the radiated heat from the blacktop in the street, laugh and send out more runners.

      For trees and shrubs, I've had a lot of luck, although it definitely requires the long view, with being a member of the National Arbor Day Foundation, and buying from them.

      The "trees" are more like whips when they arrive, but they're healthy as can be. They have trees and shrubs to work in most climates and most soils. A set of mixed trailing evergreens I planted at the base of the huge hill in our backyard has now grown completely across the bottom of a 45 foot wide garden--and when they arrived, they were each literally the size of my pinky finger. A sugar maple that was whip-like is now 20 feet tall, and the pin oak that was the same size has been officially declared to be a tree by the birds--they sit in it all day long.
    • User
      10 years ago
      Ohhh now I wish I called my daughter Laughing Lilly ! My tubestock trees always grow better and soon catch up with the bigger purchases.
    • User
      10 years ago
      Mickisue, keep adding compost!
    • mickisue
      10 years ago
      We hit the community compost site multiple times a year, chookchook. And make our own. Although there is a pile of frozen, rotten veggies on the deck, waiting for someone to put on high top boots, slog through the snow and toss them in the compositor, where they'll shiver for the next four months.

      Just give your daughter a nickname!
    • User
      10 years ago
      Thought you might. You'll pass on lovely friable soil to the next owners. She does laugh alot too, but we laugh more, she's funnier than me. It's great to walk the streets with the kids and teach them plant names.
    • Laurie
      Original Author
      10 years ago
      Did the back door this morning before another cold front hit. The door dried just in time. :)
    • bygeorgi
      10 years ago
      That looks nice..... btw love your kitchen.
      Laurie thanked bygeorgi
    • auntiebuzzybee
      10 years ago
      That's sure a pretty colour. Goes well with the ORB. You're a really good painter too, btw. Great job, kiddo!
      Laurie thanked auntiebuzzybee
    • Laurie
      Original Author
      10 years ago
      Should the trim around the door be painted the same color as the door, or as the trim on the house?
    • Dar Eckert
      10 years ago
      I think I would paint it the same as the door.
    • jsampson420
      10 years ago
      Rich deep purple
    • Laurie
      Original Author
      10 years ago
      I found these free chairs for the porch. They are plastic and need to be painted a color that will go with the house. I want them to pop, but not scream, so as to take away from the door. I will have to look at color choices in Krylon for plastic.
    • libradesigneye
      10 years ago
      They have a warm white - dover white for plastic, but I think I'd order up the brown boots - which will blend in with the brick tone - love the chairs. You could also test the honeydew - if it is different enough from the front door it is a nice soft green complement.
    • philipd86
      9 years ago
      Hi! My husband and I bought a very similar looking house 7 months ago...it's an orangy brick color...blues compliment the orange, I'm sure you know that. We painted the door "Deep Sea Diving" by Valspar, and absolutely love it! We have gotten so many compliments, and it just brightens up the house...just what it needed with the drab brick color we have...now I actually like the brick color...I accented outside my front door with turquoise pots and pink hydrangeas...they really compliment the darker blue door...the turquoise on the door I thought would be too much. We went back and forth with paint colors, and I absolutely love this color! I will try and post a picture for you to see it.
    • Laurie
      Original Author
      9 years ago
      I never posted the whole house is finished photos. Ooops! I started painting the garage in May (painted it to match the brick) and then went to work on the house. I painted until it got too hot to paint - mid July - and then started back up when it cooled off in October. I hurt my back and ended up paying a guy to finish what I had left to do on the last side of the house. Except for what he did, I did the entire job by myself.
    • Rina
      9 years ago
      Well done, Laurie. Thanks for coming back to us -- it looks so pretty. I love the bit of frivolity in painting the diamonds, it adds such a cheerful note of personality. Clever you.
    • Dar Eckert
      9 years ago
      Nice!
    • Laurie
      Original Author
      9 years ago
      The idea for the diamonds came from the ladies at RetroRenovation.com. I love how adding them really changes up the house for the better. It is almost like a new house. :)
    • Rina
      9 years ago
      I've just had a peek. That's a fun site. The diamonds really do have a charming effect way beyond what one might think.
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