Q. I am seeking to give my home some curb appeal. It is very dated and needs to be a lot more current. I would like to add some contemporary flare to it. I am not certain if I must keep the stone (very pinky). would taupe accents pull out the colours in the stone? I live in a premium neighbourhood with a mix of contemporary and standard homes.
A. Your house is beautiful, and the stone absolutely adds richness to the façade. If you want to balance out the pinky colour in the stone, choose a complementary grey-green colour for the siding, like Pratt & Lambert’s Whale or Gravel. adding an accent colour is what your house needs to bring extra interest to the exterior. once you’ve painted the siding the new grey-green, add contrast by painting your shutters a dark grey, like Deep Charcoal and consider adding shutters to your main floor windows. paint your front door the same charcoal, and paint the balcony floor apron (currently white) either charcoal or the same rust colour as your stairs. new brushed or satin nickel light fixtures flanking the front door will add warmth and oversized zinc flowerpots on either side of your balcony window will add a welcoming touch.
Finally, update the front door by installing a large entry latch (door knob) in a brushed nickel finish. The brushed nickel is current, and will show up beautifully on the charcoal door.