What color should we paint our house?
May 22, 2023 1:00 PM Subscribe
After years of planning and saving up and fun zoning battles, we finally are finishing up the construction of a vacation home in Central Oregon. Can you help us figure out the color scheme or painting suggestions? Here's two pictures of the house as is - that's just the siding color. Roof is an off-black.
This is on a rural property a mile off a major highway, about an hour from trendier spots like SunRiver, Bend, Eagles Crest, etc. We will be renting it out with Air B & B to pay the mortgage, so we'd like it to look nice in pictures, but long term, we're just looking for something cozy. Plus any bonus suggestions you might have about how to successfully run an Air B and B. We live about 90 minutes away from the house. If it matters, the house is on 10 acres, overlooking a creek and pasture/forest area. We'll be putting in a deck and burying the septic tank, viewable on the second picture. Thanks!
This is on a rural property a mile off a major highway, about an hour from trendier spots like SunRiver, Bend, Eagles Crest, etc. We will be renting it out with Air B & B to pay the mortgage, so we'd like it to look nice in pictures, but long term, we're just looking for something cozy. Plus any bonus suggestions you might have about how to successfully run an Air B and B. We live about 90 minutes away from the house. If it matters, the house is on 10 acres, overlooking a creek and pasture/forest area. We'll be putting in a deck and burying the septic tank, viewable on the second picture. Thanks!
Light-ish blue-gray is unquestionably the best color for vinyl siding.
posted by kevinbelt at 2:05 PM on May 22, 2023
posted by kevinbelt at 2:05 PM on May 22, 2023
I feel like a nice yellow might be sunny and pleasant and look nice in the natural setting.
posted by vunder at 2:06 PM on May 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by vunder at 2:06 PM on May 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
I like it the color it is, but if you want it to rent for maximum, I suggest white or to be bold black, but you've got to add some feature like shutters and maybe some uplighting and foundational plantings.
posted by The_Vegetables at 2:18 PM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by The_Vegetables at 2:18 PM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
I'd paint it a mossy olive-y green that has a lot of gray in it, with gray-blue trim, or vice - versa. And I'd paint the door a deep mulberry or eggplant.
posted by theora55 at 4:50 PM on May 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by theora55 at 4:50 PM on May 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Yeah, I agree: a dark green or green-black, either monochrome trim or with a complementary other dark green. That way it feels/looks like part of the natural landscape and doesn't draw your eye away from the gorgeous land you have there.
Some examples: Essex Green, Crisp Romaine, Sweet Basil, Hunter Green, Backwoods, Topsoil.
posted by cocoagirl at 4:58 PM on May 22, 2023 [6 favorites]
Some examples: Essex Green, Crisp Romaine, Sweet Basil, Hunter Green, Backwoods, Topsoil.
posted by cocoagirl at 4:58 PM on May 22, 2023 [6 favorites]
So many great suggestions and links to colors, too! I totally agree that a light color can look amazing but it also can look grimy without frequent (and sometimes expensive) cleaning. I'd also drive around your area, like 25 mile radius or so, and look at houses that really pop for painting and planting inspiration. Knocking on someone's door might feel like too much but maybe you could ask people working outside their homes. As you know, people who put a lot of effort into their home generally appreciate the compliments and often want to share their plan and progress with interested neighbors! I saw this as someone who had a historic home and often got compliments when working in the yard. (Admittedly the front yard often looked like a hot mess as I was overwhelmed but the architecture was beautiful and flowers pretty!)
posted by smorgasbord at 5:25 PM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by smorgasbord at 5:25 PM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
I agree with the posters who suggest mossy olive green. I'd pair that with a rust colored front door for some pop.
posted by MadMadam at 5:28 PM on May 22, 2023
posted by MadMadam at 5:28 PM on May 22, 2023
A deep, rustic red with black trim. Bright green foliage landscaping.
posted by missmary6 at 5:54 PM on May 22, 2023
posted by missmary6 at 5:54 PM on May 22, 2023
Best answer: What kind of cheap pretty plants can you put in? I mean things like long flowering bushes. Figure that out and then pick colours that will work well with the plants. If you get a couple of chaste tree, for example, go with either a darker or paler hue than the flowers on the tree. You could go with a grey, that will work well with the off-black roof, but which has some of the colour of whatever nice showy bright flowers you can get. With the chaste tree, you'd want a periwinkle grey. It would have the same muted blue-purple tones as the flowers, but toned down with the grey.
If you go with bushes to add colour and to set your colour scheme, you can go with paint that is not just a typical generic shade. (If you DO go with bushes, for heck's sake make sure they are a type the deer don't eat.)
If you are just going with the current spruce trees, then think about something that blends well with them, such as white with green trim that is a lighter shade of the spruce green. But if you are going to rent the house during snow season, don't go with white.
Pick something just a little showy, not too bland and inoffensive. You want the house to have curb appeal and to be the one they notice if they drive by. You can also do this by hanging decorations. With the current tan colour, I'd go with things like chocolate brown and red decorations and chocolate brown trim. You don't need to paint your place pink to go with the Azaleas. A few geraniums and a couple of planters could provide the colour contrast.
If the roof is black (dark charcoal) then some black (dark charcoal) detailing would look good. However don't use it for deck railings as the guests will need to be able to see them in the dark and not run into them.
posted by Jane the Brown at 7:00 PM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
If you go with bushes to add colour and to set your colour scheme, you can go with paint that is not just a typical generic shade. (If you DO go with bushes, for heck's sake make sure they are a type the deer don't eat.)
If you are just going with the current spruce trees, then think about something that blends well with them, such as white with green trim that is a lighter shade of the spruce green. But if you are going to rent the house during snow season, don't go with white.
Pick something just a little showy, not too bland and inoffensive. You want the house to have curb appeal and to be the one they notice if they drive by. You can also do this by hanging decorations. With the current tan colour, I'd go with things like chocolate brown and red decorations and chocolate brown trim. You don't need to paint your place pink to go with the Azaleas. A few geraniums and a couple of planters could provide the colour contrast.
If the roof is black (dark charcoal) then some black (dark charcoal) detailing would look good. However don't use it for deck railings as the guests will need to be able to see them in the dark and not run into them.
posted by Jane the Brown at 7:00 PM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Seconding taking a drive around the area and snapping a few photos of the local houses.
Gray or beige/tan never go out of style. White looks good, but needs cleaning periodically.
Dark and bright colors fade and it's hard to change to a different shade without the original color bleeding through.
Are there issues with moss or mildew growing on shady areas? Ask neighbors about that.
Save the wild colors for a memorable and photogenic piece of art visible from the road. This will give renters something to look for when driving to the B and B. Bonus points if they can take a selfie by the art installation.
posted by TrishaU at 11:44 PM on May 22, 2023
Gray or beige/tan never go out of style. White looks good, but needs cleaning periodically.
Dark and bright colors fade and it's hard to change to a different shade without the original color bleeding through.
Are there issues with moss or mildew growing on shady areas? Ask neighbors about that.
Save the wild colors for a memorable and photogenic piece of art visible from the road. This will give renters something to look for when driving to the B and B. Bonus points if they can take a selfie by the art installation.
posted by TrishaU at 11:44 PM on May 22, 2023
What wood is the siding made of? I would tend to go with a tone of that wood.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:18 AM on May 23, 2023
posted by Thorzdad at 4:18 AM on May 23, 2023
Congratulations! Is your house visible from the creek or pasture/forested area? One of the things we took into consideration when picking the color of our lake house was how it would be visible from the lake. The previous cabin was colonial red. We picked a mossy olive green with coffee brown trim for the rebuild and it's nice to know that it doesn't stand out like a sore thumb from across the lake.
posted by sarajane at 9:28 AM on May 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by sarajane at 9:28 AM on May 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
I think light colours are the way to go in order to reduce the amount of heat the house will pick up from the sun. My house is navy blue and while I like the colour on a sunny day the exterior gets pretty hot. The downside of light colours is that dirt and grime will show much more easily on them. Maybe a light grey?
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:50 PM on May 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:50 PM on May 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for all of these very helpful answers! To clarify a bit - this house is really quite rural. I have two neighbors in a 2 mile radius - one is a very fancy house I have no wish to emulate. The other is an old 1970s era home tucked into the woods and barely visible from the road. Think a more subdued version of this.
The house is right beyond a locked gate, and the creek that flows through my property is not navigable so only people who are already out there will see it from there. I honestly don't think more than a handful of people a year will accidentally see it :-) So really I'm trying to choose the colors that will look best in photos, and look pleasant to us when we visit it. The tips about maintenance long term make a ton of sense. If it matters, the siding is Hardyplank - it's basically a cement fiber amalgam but looks like wood.
posted by Happydaz at 12:58 PM on May 23, 2023
The house is right beyond a locked gate, and the creek that flows through my property is not navigable so only people who are already out there will see it from there. I honestly don't think more than a handful of people a year will accidentally see it :-) So really I'm trying to choose the colors that will look best in photos, and look pleasant to us when we visit it. The tips about maintenance long term make a ton of sense. If it matters, the siding is Hardyplank - it's basically a cement fiber amalgam but looks like wood.
posted by Happydaz at 12:58 PM on May 23, 2023
We gave our set-back-from-the-road house a punch of color with fake shutters in forest green, YMMV, but our painting options are limited with the existing siding. If yours is better for painting, that is awesome! We have also added color by painting sheds and adding colorful elements like wind sculptures.
posted by childofTethys at 7:34 PM on May 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by childofTethys at 7:34 PM on May 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
Cement board takes paint really well, probably won't require repainting for a long time, and is pretty easy to clean, so you can be pretty bold with color if you want.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:59 AM on May 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:59 AM on May 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
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posted by smorgasbord at 1:55 PM on May 22, 2023 [5 favorites]