Exterior
Another option is to paint the outer trim to match the surrounding siding. The thick bands of the dark red sash and built-in trim don’t appear as chunky here because the surrounding elements are the same, or similar, in hue. They help knock down the thickness of the sash and its matching framing trim piece.
Window trim: It’s especially problematic when the outer window trim is very thin. Here, the window sash and built-in frame piece, both in white, are thicker than the surrounding casing trim, in dark brown. The outer trim just isn’t beefy enough to work as a contrasting element. The sash looks best when it’s the finer, more delicate element. You could, of course, keep just the sashes white and then paint the white frame piece around the sashes to match the darker outer trim, but this can void the warranty of the window, so it’s not an option for everyone.
Window Trim: Confusion tends to arise, however, with newer window units that have extra, visible trim elements built in. Here, the sash is a neutral color, but so is the additional, attached frames around the sash. The outer trim is then painted a contrasting dark red. Many people, myself included, feel this looks out of proportion. A contrasting sash looks best when it’s a single, simple line of color. This unit’s frame has so many extra planes and edges, it looks clunky and overdesigned to me. And the contrasting outer trim calls even more attention to the various extra framing pieces.
There are many parts and pieces that make up a window, but in the interest of keeping it simple, we’ll limit our discussion to the sash vs. the casing or trim. The sash is the frame that houses the glass. The easiest way to think about it is that it’s the part of an operable window that moves with the glass. The casing comprises the stationary trim pieces that frame out the window opening and add a decorative, finished look.
Window trim: When the window is viewed from the exterior, we mostly see the front face of the sash (a purple-pink in the first photo and dark gray in the second photo) and the casing or trim (white in both examples). With a few exceptions that I will go into later, I prefer to see the sash and the trim painted contrasting colors. It’s a great way to add a small slice of interesting color and can help break up the facade of a home — especially helpful for tall or large homes.
Contemporary exterior - Modernist timber and concrete project. Lawson Homes.
Contemporary exterior - Modernist timber and concrete project.
Contemporary exterior
Look is similar to ours.
Practically speaking, a medium shade of taupe is the best color choice for hiding dirt and grime. So if you live someplace dusty, or where grit tends to accumulate quickly on your siding, this neutral hue will hide the grime better, allowing you to get away with less frequent cleanings.
Color is a powerful tool that can be used to make your home stand out or blend in. Here, the taupe helps ground this large home and allows it to blend into the bucolic landscape that surrounds it. If you live in a cookie cutter subdivision home or a row house in the city, you might want to incorporate a more unusual color to make your home stand apart from the crowd.
Fun color palettes aren’t just for contemporary-style homes. This gorgeous traditional house sports a fetching medium taupe siding paired with pretty plum-colored accents. When you use a neutral hue for your main house color, it opens up numerous unusual color options for the small accents, such as on doors. It’s much easier to repaint a door down the road than the entire house, so be bold.
Here’s an example of how taupe makes a terrific background color for a bigger, bolder hue — in this case, bright red-orange. Don’t be timid and go with too light a shade here, because exterior colors tend to look washed out in full sun. One caveat to this, however, is that if you live in a mostly hot and sunny climate, a darker color will fade and age faster than a lighter hue, requiring more frequent repainting. It will also absorb more heat than a lighter hue, which can raise the cost to cool your home.
When working with a dual color scheme, put the darker color on the bottom of the house to make the house appear larger and more substantial. If you want to downplay the stature of a home on its lot, then put the darker hue at the top.
While the previous image showcases a traditional home, you can see here that taupe also works well on a more contemporary-style home. If your home has architectural charm or is constructed of high-quality materials, let the form and materials stand out by using color in a supporting role. Here the medium taupe siding color picks up on the stone details on the home, and also doesn’t fight with the wood panels.
Paint - blue w cream trim
Blue
Stairs
Contemporary
Contemporary
Soffit color is different from the body.
Beachfront Contemporary
Beachfront Contemporary
Beachfront Contemporary
Dean Thomas - Calgary
Mercer Island JM contemporary
Mercer Island JM Modern
Minnetonka Modern project - Turnquist design
Minnetonka Modern project - Turnquist design
Minnetonka Modern project - Turnquist design
Minnetonka Modern project - Turnquist design
Window Trim: Here’s another example of window trim that matches the siding color. It’s a clean, elegant look. The window trim blends in and doesn’t compete with the strong black lines of the window sash and frame. Stay tuned for ideas on coordinating window sash and trim colors with your overall siding color.
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