First up:

If you have asked to join the Whole 30 group I mentioned and have not been able to, I apologize. As I mentioned, I am not the admin of the group this time around, and, for some reason, the link to ask to join the private group does not work for most people. I have tried adding folks as a member of the group, but unless I’m personal friends with you on FB, it won’t let me. I have also tried adding you via an email invite, which you may or may not have received.

Basically, I thought it would be easy because, when I created the group for the 14 Day Cleanse back in the fall, it was, and people could simply use the link to request to join, and I could approve them.

Unfortunately, it’s not as straightforward this time. I’m SO sorry for advertising something I couldn’t actually deliver on. If you’d like, you can use this link (I so hope it works; it does for me, but I’m the admin) to join the 14 Day Challenge group. It’s not EXACTLY Whole30, but there are all kinds of resources for you there from the last go-round, and I will do my best to post there as well since I’m in the midst of this.

Again, I apologize for the confusion/difficulty. I promise that, if/when I do another Whole 30, I will be sure to create a group for this blog, and be prepared to administrate it, so this doesn’t happen again.

OOOOOOKAY. Onto the business at hand.

Y’all know I love me some color. At least if you’ve read more than one blog post.

You also know, if you’ve been reading a while, that our current house color looks like this.

current house

It’s Valspar’s Ancient Bog, and while it’s certainly not a common choice, we love it.

Apparently y’all do too because, way back when, when we were building the addition to our current house, I polled you about which color we should go with (with the options being to repaint the structure–both new and old–or keep it the same dark green), and you guys pretty overwhelmingly voted to stay with the current color. Which…worked out well since that’s what we wanted to do too. We repainted the trim a lighter, crisper color and fell in love with it all over again.

Well, here we are again, trying to figure out what color to go with for the exterior of the new house this time, and I’d love y’alls opinions on which way we should go.

Of course, I have a few ideas, but this one has been surprisingly hard to nail down for me because of the accents (shutters, trim, doors, etc.), so I can’t say I’m 100% committed in any one direction.

Here are 3 colors that have caught my fancy, though:

1. White

white

This one may surprise y’all because of my aforementioned obsession with color, but my obsession with this house from @farmhouseforfour (one of my ALL time favorite Instagram accounts; if you’re not following Lauren, click away right this second and remedy that) might trump it.

Maybe it’s Lauren’s impeccable taste and the way she manages to create the perfect mix of classic/rustic/farmhouse/chic or that fact that she and her family pretty much DIYed the whole thing, but…I’m seriously drawn to her simple white + black exterior color scheme. The architectural details just shine (not that that those beautiful limelight hydrangeas do anything to hurt the curb appeal).

2. Deep Teal

riverway

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have what many will, I’m sure, think is an obvious choice for an aqua-file (with “aqua” being blue rather than water, in this case) such as myself.

This house is actually a spec home created by such decor blogging heavy-hitters as House of Smiths and Tatertots and Jello, and I’m really drawn to how dynamic the color is without being too loud or bright. (It’s SW Riverway, and I picked it up not once, but twice–once in a single sample card and once as a part of a three color swatch–without realizing it when I went on a paint sample run the other day).

As much as I love that yellow door, though, if I went this route, I would be deviating from that detail for sure. It’s just not me. I do love the idea of a pop of color via the door, though, and coming up with another non-clownish alternative has proven difficult.

3. Greige

house of turquoise

And then we have this lovely home from another big-time decor blogger–House of Turquoise.

The greige of the exterior is the perfect weathered neutral–especially against the texture of the shingles and with that pop of color from the Wythe Blue door and shutters (not a super huge fan of the matchy-matchiness of those two, but the overall effect is very soothing).

I’m not entirely sure I can pull off such coastal colors in our woodsy surroundings, but I have a feeling I would mentally breathe a great big, “Aaaaah” every time I drove up to our house if I chose these colors.

Oh, and just as a reminder, here’s the current exterior of “the new house.”

newhouse13

Just so you know, we are doing board and batten siding on the upper section, horizontal lap siding on the lower, and shingle detailing on the gables. There will also be a front porch with a metal roof (the rest of the roof will be traditional shingles). Oh! And shutters stained a light alder tone. I hope. I’ve always wanted shutters, but it kind of depends on how everything else goes down whether they will make sense with the look of the house.

The entire house will be the same color, but I love the idea of bringing interest to it with the contrasting textures of the different roofing + siding options we’ve chosen.

I just need the perfect color (+ accents) to tie it all together.

So, what do you think?
Option 1, Option 2, or Option 3? Or do you have a suggestion for me? I’m all eyes!

0 Comments

  1. Knowing how much color you’ll probably do inside, I like option #1 🙂 with a bright door and shutters? I think it is just lovely, and when people see the simple clean white outside, they might be surprised when they walk in to all the color? I do like the greige too! Its a tough choice, but I’m sure whatever you pick will look gorgeous.

    I’m a big fan of the current green. I also like both red and yellow houses. I camnt wait to see what you end up with! How fun!!

  2. Greige! It is a great neutral and if you get tired of the look of the house you can play with adding pops of color on the doors and shutters. Much easier and less costly to change the color of those smaller parts than to change the whole house. Of course you could do the same with white but the greige just seems softer and less stark in the wooded area.

  3. White because it’s classic and you can add your pops of color in the details or plantings outside of the house. It’s like a blank canvas. It’ll never go out of style.

  4. I’m voting for griege, it will fit so nicely in that grove of trees. The teal is your style, bit it will fade pretty quickly in the sun and you’ll have aqua. (I’ve seen that happen in Houston) white says “I didn’t know what to do so I played it safe”, although it is a nice traditional color for a nice traditional type house.

  5. I like 3 but you could use the teal (or a lighter shade of it) for the shutters, etc. Just a thought. Good luck!

  6. 3) would be my choice from those

    Or why not go with your favorite light teal? Not loving the dark teal at all!

  7. I’m not loving any of those choices for you. With that style home. How about a pretty yellow, not too bright? https://www.houzz.com/photos/3023331/Susans-Cottage-Studio-with-Upstairs-Loft-traditional-exterior-san-francisco

    Yellow is supposed to be a great selling color for a house. I say, “Don’t go with the ‘popular blogger’ colors – be a standout. Yellow says “I’m alive and friendly.” The greige/turquoise combo says “I’m a beach bum” which might be okay nearer the coast. I live near the coast, but have a Mediterranean style house so none of these colors really work for my house. I think you have lots of options, but you are playing it safe with the three choices you have posed. It will all turn out fine, though, whichever color you choose.

  8. I vote greige but def with the pops of Aqua on trims. I disagree that it’s too coastal for woodsy atmosphere. I also love your current color, nothing wrong with sticking to that but what an awful name, Ancient Bog?!

  9. Don’t do teal! I feel like it will soon be out of style. White or greige will have more saying power. But..everyone has a different opinion 😉 so I know whatever you choose will look great!

  10. Option 2, all the way!! I think the white is just too blah, especially for someone like you who loves color! While option 3 is nice, I don’t think it’ll go that well with your green surroundings. I think a nice, natural wooden door with option 2 would be stunning!!!

  11. I know there aren’t many votes, but I would recommend #2 – teal. I agree that white is not fitting for the shape of your house, and I also would not recommend white in the woods either as the spash back from rain will make the lower 2 feet brown with mud, and mowing the lawn will make it green. Also, I would not recommend to go with greige as it is a very trendy, temporary color, and as you suggested it is a little out of place in the woods. Teal hides a lot of mess, and white trims break up the solid plane of color. Considering that only the lower half will have the horizontal siding, and considering the number of Windows you have, I don’t think a dark teal will be overwhelming – I think it would be perfect. And if you really love the greige, you could paint your door that color.

  12. Option #3 I love the greige with white trim and the blue accents. Beautiful and refreshing and it reminds me a bit of your kitchen.

  13. First, griege – then, white. I think big houses look best with neutral colors. Smaller houses get away with the brighter colors better. You can do the color pops on the doors shutters, outdoor furniture, etc.

  14. I love the Greige!! You could add pops of color with doors, shutters, landscaping, etc. (The grass is already amazing!!)

  15. After looking up what “light alder tone” was, I’m even more sure… the third option with your shutters would make it look quite a bit less beachy and then you could have any shade of aqua for your door (maybe sonething slightly darker than in the third option). It would give color and interest and connection with your surroundings but at the same time not be looming because it IS a rather large house.

  16. I like a combination of #2 and #3. So either deep teal with greige accents or greige with deep teal accents. I like white, but only if you have some very colorful landscaping to spice it up. Too much greige is a little too cookie cutter feeling.

  17. #1 or #3. I too LOVE color but I wholeheartedly embrace painting everything with white or as light a color as you can get and then decorating with beautiful, bright accent colors.

  18. Deep Teal. As I was reading your blog I was thinking dark blue/teal the entire time… It just fits.

    Second choice would be white.

  19. I would go with number three. Though one and two are wonderful, option three is just so gorgeous! It looks beachy yet rustic. Plus, I believe it would be so fun and easy to find things to go with it that add small pops of color such as a hot pink planter. Also I would get the door color that was in that picture. So pretty!!!

  20. Greige for sure!!! You can accent with flowers, front door colors and pops of color in your outdoor furniture. Teal is lovely, but I’m afraid the fad won’t last long term.

  21. I definitely think greige with white or black shutters (depends on the look you want) and a pop of color on the door and colorful landscaping (flowers, pots, ect..)

  22. White. Clean and classy. I think it could work with pops of color for doors and shutters. That land is beautiful and love those woods behind it. You’re so blessed! 🙂

  23. My favorite is the deep teal, with a red door for a pop of color. But, I don’t think that’s the best option for your setting. I think greige would be best– and bonus, it would be easy to change the entire look of the house by changing the color of the shutters/door/etc. Turquoise for a while, red, deep blue, etc. Everything goes with greige so you’d be able to have a lot of flexibility for major changes with minimal effort/cost.

  24. I love the white, but I have to add in that white with charcoal trim is my all-time favorite. There is a house on my mom’s street that I literally slowdown to swoon over every time I drive by! It is soft white with deep charcoal trim. The contrast is so beautiful

  25. Greige, with white as the runner up. I think my choice is biased from the Fixer Upper marathon I “ran” this weekend. Haha. Joanna’s choice of lighter colors is growing on me.

  26. With all the green in your surrounding I say Griege. The teal us your style but with all the green around you I feel the big picture would be too much. Greige in that setting would be beautiful and soothing.

    1. Half my comment disappeared, But by all the grey talk I’m sure you caught that I vote for #3 or Elizabeth’s idea of white batten and Greige

  27. I would say option 3, but do the board and batten white. With it being such a big house I think the teal or white would just be too much.

  28. Option 2 is lovely & seems to reflect your style whilst also being fun for a big house full of kids!

I love hearing from you guys!