My most liked and most commented on picture on Instagram is this one below. My most asked question on this picture: What are the exterior paint colors? So, here’s a post that’s long overdue…
The Best Modern Farmhouse Exterior Paint Colors
About six years ago we decided to paint our house an orange hue and chocolate brown with a cream tone base…
We actually got a lot of compliments on the changes we had made and we loved this new look…at the time. But oh how the times change and with that the styles change. Thankfully! Our orange accent house was in need of some modern exterior paint colors.
But before the painters came I needed to limewash our brick. After much research and planning, I decided to go with Romabio Avorio White Limewash. (Affiliate Link) So, on a Saturday morning I started at one end of the house and by the end of the day I wrapped up the other end. It was literally a one-day project. So easy and so rewarding! We love it!! What a difference this simple technique has made on the overall look of our home. You can read all about how simple this is in this easy to follow Limewash DIY post.
Now, I will say, the limewash and the current paint colors were not a good mix. They were clashin’ with a passion, for sure! I had many neighbors drive by and some even stop to ask me what on earth I was doing. I’m sure our house was the talk of the neighborhood those three days waiting for the painters to come 🙁 ….
But finally the painters arrived and the whole piece started to come together…
After several samples and even having large samples mailed to our home, the paint colors were finally chosen. Here’s the breakdown:
Body: Sherwin Williams Classic French Gray
Accent Color: Sherwin Williams King’s Canyon
Two sections of the house are slightly darker–the faux window above the flower box and the small square window area above the 3rd bay garage door. It’s a very subtle variation and kinda hard to see in the picture.
White Trim: Behr Marquee Ultra Pure White
We searched the whole Sherwin Williams color wheel for a bright white, but had no luck finding one bright enough. We ended up settling on the same color I use for all of our indoor trim-and it was perfect!
Windows and garage doors: Tricorn Black
Yes, we painted our garage doors and windows…another most asked question. Our painters did a fabulous job spraying the windows to make them look like they were always black. And I’ll let you in on a little secret: the windows on the garage are not real. We added these faux windows (by Coach House) back on our last exterior paint colors change–six years ago. (Affiliate Link) And they have held up perfectly. The best part is you can paint them any color you want over and over again. If you’ve always wanted a craftsman garage door without the price tag of a craftsman garage door, these windows are the way to go! Add this hardware too and you’ll have the full look! You can read all about the garage door makeover here.
We actually changed up the color of the trim around the front door. We really wanted our brand new door to stand out and be the statement piece of the house, so we accented it with it’s very own color. Unfortunately, I don’t have a name for this color. It’s a custom color from Sherwin Williams. Basically, I liked the look of the primer around the door trim and matched that. I felt like the white was just a little too stark against the mahogany front door.
Challenge: Can you see the change we made a few weeks after painting the house? Hint: look at the first picture in this post compared to this picture…
Got it? What do you think, do you like the white peaks better? I feel like the white draws the eye up and encourages you to look at the entire house. Before the peaks seemed to get lost and now they really stand out.
Having completed this project less than a year ago, it’s been a lot of fun decorating for each season. It’s almost like we have a new home…
Adding the flower box over the summer gave me even more options for planting an array of different flowers…
Fall is probably my most fun season to decorate and this year did not fail! Can one have too many mums!?
Our Christmas decor really popped against the limewash brick and our new exterior paint colors…
This is probably my most favorite makeover I’ve ever done! It still amazes me the difference it has made on the overall look of our home. The curb appeal speaks volumes!
Until next time,
Happy Building, Friend!!
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Other great outdoor posts:
Craftsman Garage Doors-Get the Look Without All the Costs
How to Limewash Brick Exterior-A Complete Makeover
How to Build Board and Batten Craftsman Shutters
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My sister is thinking about painting her home this year so that it’s more modern and has better curb appeal. She needs to find a good painter that is experienced with her type of home so that she knows they will do a good job. I really like that you talked about how the limewash and paint didn’t’ work well together, so it’s best to avoid that.
Hi Bryson,
I’m not sure what you mean by the paint and limewash not working well together? We applied limewash on the brick and painted all of our cedar siding. That combination together worked great. Hopefully that makes sense.
Thanks!!
What are the con’s of using the limewash instead of leaving the brick as is? I so want to do this but I’m worried about how it will look in 10 years and will it have to be touched up? My brick is brown with some creamy white already in it, almost looking like a german schmear but it has much more brown than I’d like so I’m thinking it’s perfect for this application.
Hi Tammy,
The limewash will last 5-7 years. At this point it won’t be gone, it will just have faded some. That’s really the only con. Depending on how much it fades, you may choose to brighten it up by doing the treatment again. Totally personal preference.
Hope that helps.
~Nicole
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