Question: I am down to the wire trying to pick a house exterior and trim color.

It’s a two-story colonial (shown at right) with a five-inch wide board trim around bright white Pella window sashes.

I have a red door — love it and want to keep it (Williamsburg Palace Arms Red).  I also have the rather large “frieze” boards that run parallel along top and finish off the upper window board trim. The roof is Driftwood shingled asphalt (brownish-grey). There is not too much brick showing on front — some on side. It is the old, antique variegated brick — with a putty-color mortar.

I live in a really wooded lot with fairly conservative homes adjacent. Can you please make some suggestions for siding color and trim? Thanks so much!

–R.R., Pittsburgh PA

Cheryl: Thank-you for your question. First of all, I love the red door and am happy to hear that you are going to keep it the same color. Red (in Feng Shui) symbolizes the mouth and is the point of entry where energy and opportunity find us. Think of it as “X” marks the spot.

I understand that you want to tone down the bright white Pella window sashes and that would be done best by choosing a trim color that is similar to the white window sashes, therefore creating less contrast.  With the current palette there is a high contrast which makes the sashes stand out like a sore thumb.

To tone it down, I suggest you choose for the trim an off-white color like Divine Whip or Divine Ash.  Take a look at the entire Divine palette of Pebbles and Creams and see what you like.

The sashes and trim are like eyebrows to the window which are considered the eyes of the home. White and off-white combinations of the two will also give it a fresh look.

As far as the body color goes, you have many choices and as always I recommend going with a color you absolutely love. Specifically, what I suggest here is a beautiful green for the body to compliment the red door and also harmonize with the front green grass and the woods surrounding the home.

A few different shades of green you might look at are Benjamin Moore Grasshopper AF-415 (for a brighter feel), and Bejamin Moore Elemental AF-400 (for a more mature look). I suggest you purchase a sample to see clearly how the color will come out and please note that the images online are different than what is shown on the paper palette.

My last piece of advise, don’t stress over what colors to choose. Instead, listen to your intuition and let that be your guide. Enjoy the process. Your home is beautiful and your color choices will be fabulous.

Please send us an “after” photo along with the names of your color choices.

Good luck and have fun!

–Cheryl