Weekend Decorator

National Post

22-05-2025

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Dear Virginie:
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We recently finished an interior renovation of our semi. We replaced all the windows and opened up the space on the main floor, put in a new kitchen and refinished the basement. Now that it's done, we're turning our attention to the exterior of the house, which is still a bit dumpy. Can you help us tie it all together to make it polished from the outside too?
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Looking at your before photo, I can see a disconnect between the sleek new black windows and the softer tan colours that were used in the last paint job.
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I would start with the area around the windows. Because the aluminum surrounding the windows is black, you need to paint the entire portion of wood that defines the bay windows in black as well, so it reads as one solid shape. I would suggest Benjamin Moore Jet Black (2120-10) as a good deep shade. Use that on the fascia, soffits and any trim boards, and around the window dormer on the third floor.
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The next step is to tie all that black in with the rest of the house. Since your roof is already dark grey and the brick is a nice bright red, we can use greys throughout without it looking dark and gloomy.
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On the soffits of the second-floor overhang, choose a mid-toned colour like Benjamin Moore Barnwood (CSP 115). It has a bit of brown in it, which will tie in well with your brick. You don't need to worry about the fascia on the second floor since the eaves cover it. You can use this too for the fascia and soffits around the porch as well as the handrail and newel posts. I would then paint the columns a third, lighter shade, like Benjamin Moore Sea Salt (CSP 95). You can also use it on the risers and pickets of your porch (which are lovely. You should be able to find a carpenter or furniture maker to fashion a custom one for you to replace the picket that's broken).
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Before you commit to any of these colours, it's a good idea to buy test pots and paint a few swatches around the house to check the colour in different light conditions. Try to choose areas that are exposed to different amounts of sunlight to see how the colours work in bright light, diffused light and in shadow. You can paint right on the old paint, then do whatever surface preparation you'll need on the whole area once you're 100 percent sure about them. A paint colour tends to appear lighter when it's outside in the daylight, so I often suggest going a little darker than you think when choosing exterior paint.
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Next, paint all the skirting behind the vegetation in your flower bed Cosmopolitan (CSP 100), a colour you can also use on the porch decking and treads. It's in between your mid tone and the lightest tone and should hide dirt really well. If you want, you could paint the little pieces of trim at the top and bottom of your columns the mid or darkest tone.
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Last, paint the trim around the front door black. As for the door itself, if you're feeling daring, a sunny yellow or bold Kelly green are strong options. Buttercup (2154-30) is a warm brownish ochre that would go well with the brick, or something daring and classic like Seaweed (2035-10) could be equally stylish. And of course, if you're feeling more conservative, you won't go wrong by keeping the door black.