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Design Dilemma Exterior Garden

What colour roof for my late 80s orange/brown brick??

7 months ago

last modified: 7 months ago

Hello! Please help me decide on a roof colour for my 1989 orange/brown brick home.
We are having surfmist windows installed and am thinking wallaby or basalt roof/gutters?
Then I was thinking surfmist for the cladding and fascias?In a perfect world this would all be done later when we transform the garage into an extension of our living room (so we can look at the house as a whole includong extension) BUT we are having solar panels installed so want ro do the roof before they are installed.
Also, we are looking at removing the big needle trees but should we keep the other plants?
The driveway will also be painted at some point.
I think thats it! Please help - any and all ideas welcome 🙂

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Comments (16)

Nikkie A
Original Author
7 months ago
Nikkie A
Original Author
7 months ago
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Orange . That's all you need . A mid orange on the gutters , that pinky timber gable , and the garage door , and also re-do the reddish burgundyish stripes on the awnings in that mid orange . Summer , beach , the bricks are nice , the roof is nice , the trim isn't and neither are the awnings . I did wonder about doing the window frames in a charcoal , but i think that is too modern and not enough beach for the era and theme of the house , and will almost look like black eyes . Just a simple , honest upgrade and update is all that is needed .
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Doing things step by step as you can will make gradual improvements... get your overall plan in place and work towards it. Personally i think the roof looks fine and wouldn't go to the expense of changing/painting. Yes, stylistically its of another era but as long as your scheme is consistent it will carry well. Trying to modernise to what is current now could just be jarring, as macyjean observed. A simple change that might have a big impact would be the path, it's yellow and the structure is browns. Work out if you need the path in that location and that straight. If it needs to be straight... change the color of the pavers to a color from the house. Or at a minumum darks, not yellows. It could be a more modern ofset stepped path. Ie a paver set at each footfall with a gap and low grass between the pavers, or you could curve around the rise and approach from the top of the rise to the verandah. Simply having all the verandah and patio uprights in the same color will improve its visual consistency, shifting it from a hodge podge look to more thought out.
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It looks like even the footpath is done in an orange ? Anyway , my first observation is about your 'update' comment -- it is 'of a certain era' , I don't know if you mean you want something that looks more modern , but I'd embrace what is there -- most materials and tones and even the window styles are all the same era -- you'd risk making a messy look if you only update 1 or 2 -- thats part of the reason I wouldn't render or even paint the bricks ( other posts have outlined the maintanence issues too ) . I'd offer a twist on the above ideas -- get up on the roof and paint the timbers on the gables in charcoal , and also the window sill under the angled window . I'm also assuming there is at least 1 more window to the left of the entrance , that we can't see . Similarly , whether it is flat or angled , I assume it has a window sill , so paint the sill there too . The garage door would look overdone if you paint that in charcoal ( monument etc ) , you want to keep away from apricot or citrus or even reds IMO , and it does look a bit too understated as it is , so if the budget extends that much , maybe replace with a nice stained timber in a mid brown tone -- too dark will get back to the cliched 70's look ; whilst cedar or similar is trending back towards the brick and roof tones . And one thing that grates with me -- the letter box looks to be in a slightly different brick , veering towards a sandstone -- thats annoying in itself in that it doesn't match , but doubly so because it probably would have been a better brick to do the whole house in hindsight . I can only guess it was added several years later , but still grates with me , I'd probably redo that , even though it seems a bit of a waste , but maybe thats just me .
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bigreader
7 months ago
Have you finalised your purchase of Surfmist for the windows?
Nikkie A
Original Author
7 months ago
User
7 months ago
Are you keeping the roof tiles , or changing ? If changing , are you going coloursteel or tiles or something else ? Also , what is your climate ?

I'm going to second-guess bigreader -- I'm thinking a charcoal for the windows and the roof -- surfmist window frames will just be mehhh IMO . The other buttery toned panels would be where I'd use surfmist .

With the roof and windows darker , I reckon the reddish orange of the driveway will look better too , so keep as it is , maybe a bit of height and colour variety in the garden for when you remove the needle trees , keeps it pleasant .
Kate
7 months ago
I’d go monument so you have some contrast.
Nikkie A
Original Author
7 months ago
Hi all, apologies for the late reply I couldnt reply on my phone for some reason.

@bigreader we have locked in Surfmist but I could always call and see about changing them (we are waiting at least 12 weeks for the windows). Are you thinking darker?

@User we are keeping the tiles. We are doing some pretty big renos inside so trying to keep what we can, where we can. I can see the appeal of the dark contrast, I think I played it safe with surfmist because it is similar to what is already here.
Nikkie A
Original Author
7 months ago
@User I am in Melbourne too
User
7 months ago
A charcoal such as Monument would look good on the roof , plus it goes easier over the present green , whereas surfmist may look blotchy , presumably it is being spray painted ? And being Melbourne the heat won't be much more from a charcoal than the green will generate .
Nikkie A
Original Author
7 months ago
@User Our current roof is a beige colour and the timber frames are a purpley.grey/pink hybrid! The roof will be sprayed and the windows replaced with aluminium. I will take a look at monument!
bigreader
7 months ago
Hopefully Julie will be along and post some inspiration pics of all dark trim and the ability of it to change the look of a modern property. Windows are a big outlay. I’d reconsider Surfmist with your brick. I’d pay for a render before outlaying the money.
bigreader
7 months ago
https://www.houzz.com.au/discussions/6393257/advice-for-gutter-and-fascia-colours

Have a look at this post.
Nikkie A
Original Author
7 months ago
@bigreader Thank you for the link - it does look good. Hubby is against the major contrast but hopefully the pics will sow some seeds.
robandlyn
7 months ago
A dark colour looks way better with solar panels - they stick out like a sore thumb on a light colour roof! Monument would be great.
Julie Herbert
7 months ago
Definitely go darker on all trims, windows also, it will give a fabulous look to the house, removing the conifers and soften the planting , Pyrus Novalis is gorgeous along with any of the ornamental pears ‘Chanticleer’ is a favourite, you can add a bit of structure by adding clipped pieces throughout the planting, soften the front hedge by replacing with viburnum or just don’t clip those and let them grow into each other, add structural plants for a modern look …beautiful.
Julie Herbert
7 months ago
You can see how a dark trim instantly takes the look up a notch, along with the planting absolutely beautiful.
Nikkie A thanked Julie Herbert

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