How to find the right white for your exterior

Finding the right white for an exterior project contains all the pitfalls that are there when selecting whites for an interior scheme, and more! However there are rules to follow and I have some great tips to help you to select a colour scheme for your white exterior project that you will love.

How to find the right white for your exterior
Image – Dulux Australia

This pretty cottage has Dulux Antique White USA on the walls, which looks lovely as it is in shadow and you can really see the creamy underlying colour.  The trim in Dulux Vivid White, which is in the direct sunlight and offers a nice contrast.

View your white exterior paint choice in sunlight

Do not underestimate the impact that natural sunlight will have on a white exterior scheme.

This changes significantly around the world as the natural light in England is very different to the strong unforgiving sunlight of Australia.  The intensity of the sun will vary throughout the country too and will have a greater impact in a rural environment, particularly in the outback, than in a leafy Melbourne suburb.

So the point that I really want you to take away from this is that colours will vary depending upon where you are, so a white that works well in one environment cannot necessarily be used for another. 

It is also good to remember that some whites will be in shadow, particularly if you have a cottage style home with a wraparound verandah, while the trim may be in the direct sunlight.

There is therefore no point viewing two white samples next to each other inside.  Here you may see a contrast and think that this will be exactly the effect that you want to achieve.

You must view both samples outside and consider whether one will be in sun and the other in shade.  Do not under-estimate the impact that sunlight will have on the exterior paints that you select.

How to find the right white for your exterior
Image Taubmans Paints

White exterior paint – It’s all about the base

I have talked about this in my interior post on whites and it is just as important when looking for an exterior white.

  • Cool whites will have a blue or black base that makes them very crisp but also in the sunlight can make them very bright.
  • Warm whites have a creamy yellow or warm pink base and are effective to partner with other warm colours or for a soft country look.
  • My favourite whites for exteriors though are the ones that have a green base.  These are the most neutral and I find just work really well for an exterior scheme.  They are very forgiving and won’t land you in trouble like a very blue or yellow white can.

How to find the right white for your exterior

The base colour of a white sample is easier to see if you hold it against a sheet of white paper.

Large samples of each exterior white that you are interested in should be looked at side by side against a pure white background and you will begin to see that all important underlying colour.

Resene Merino is a great exterior white as it is a little dirty but you can see on this house that it looks like a very fresh clean white.  If you view it against other Resene white samples, you may think it would be too dark but once outside, it is perfect.

Remember not to go too white for exterior weatherboards as they will soon get dirty!

How to find the right white for your exterior
Image – Resene Paints

A White on White exterior scheme

After the location of your property, the next most important point to remember with exterior colours, is that the natural bulk and shadow of the building, together with the intensity of the sunlight, will mean that you need a large gap between the colours to see a difference.

I know I am repeating myself, but DO NOT LOOK AT YOUR COLOUR SAMPLES INSIDE!

This may sound like the most obvious statement that you will hear but I see it all the time.  People will put together a colour scheme at the kitchen table and not take into account the effect of daylight.  Therefore two whites that look great together inside, will just look exactly the same outside and the lovely fresh white trim that you thought you would have is actually the same as the wall colour.

This house below demonstrates how the natural bulk and shadow will impact on a house exterior with one wall in shadow appearing much darker than the one in sunlight.

How to find the right white for your exterior

So if you do like the idea of white on white then ideally you should have a quarter strength of the white for the trim and a double strength of the white for the main colour.

If you don’t want to see any difference between your trim and wall colour then I recommend opting for a darker white that will be more serviceable and using this for the trim and wall colour.

Basically, you either need a large difference in tone or none at all – in between will just look like you didn't colour match correctly.

Partnering white exterior paint with other architectural elements

Windows, roofing, gutters and fascia, particularly for new houses, will often be in a powder-coated finish which means your selection of whites is quite limited.  Remember that if you don’t want to see a difference between your trim and wall colour then it is a good idea to match your wall colour to your powder-coated, Colorbond, or other steel colour so that you get the continuity of your white.

Colorbond Surfmist is a popular roofing, window and trim colour in Australia and when you look at this sample next to most white paints, it is actually quite grey and dark.  This is good as it will stand up to bright sunlight well but if partnered with another white, it can end up looking grubby and in some lights a little creamy.

On the house below I have used Colorbond Surfmist for the garage door and weatherboards to ensure that the whites used on the front elevation are exactly the same.  You will see that they both look to be a lovely crisp, fresh white but Colorbond Surfmist is actually much darker than most whites in a colour chart.

How to find the right white for your exterior

For a cottage style house, it is nice to see some variation between the weatherboards and the windows and this image below with Taubmans Brilliant White fascia, eaves and windows partnered with Taubmans Windswept Beach for the weatherboards works really well.

How to find the right white for your exterior
Image Taubmans Paints

Ideal white exterior trim paints

If you are painting a house in its entirety and simply using a white for your trim you will need to consider what will work with your wall colour, as you would for an interior.

You also need to consider the look that you want to achieve.  If you like the idea of a really fresh white trim, you can opt for something like Dulux Vivid White.  However, if you want something a little more serviceable then I would recommend a softer, dirtier white like Dulux Caspar White.  Remember that these two whites together are very different but outside and when partnered with a darker neutral for the walls, you don’t notice the difference, you will just achieve a different effect.

I go into more detail in this related post Why I love a crisp white trim

One of my favourite trim colours, particularly for older heritage style houses, is Dulux White Duck Quarter strength.  This is one of those great whites with a green neutral base and I find it is very user friendly.  I have used it on this house below with Dulux Camel Train on the walls and it works perfectly.

How to find the right white for your exterior

Don’t forget to paint the eaves and verandah ceilings

Colours look twice as dark when you hold them horizontally above you so a white that looks great on your trim can end up being too dark for your exterior ceilings.

Therefore if you have a full strength of a white on your trim, it is a good idea to use a half or even a quarter strength of the colour on the eaves.  If you are already using a very light white for your trim it is usually safe to continue this on your eaves but do remember that it will appear slightly different.

I go into much great detail in this post.

Related: My guide to painting eaves

I have a free comprehensive exterior checklist for you to download.  This will ensure that you don't forget to consider any areas and will help if you are briefing a builder or painter for your next project.  This is with other great e-books in my Free Resource Library – sign up here.

I hope that you have found this article useful and remember that you can find lots more inspiration on my Pinterest Board, Neutral Exteriors.

I can also help you with an online colour consultation.  If you have photos and/or plans and need advice then you will find a package to suit you here.  From just one colour through to a complete colour schemeI can help you here.

FREE Exterior Checklist

I would love to hear from you in the comments section below if you have used white for an exterior project.  Happy Painting!

How to find the right white for your exterior

Would you like to read some related articles?  If so you may be interested in the following:

How to achieve a classic neutral exterior

5 mistakes to avoid when selecting white

425 thoughts on “How to find the right white for your exterior

  1. Rachel says:

    Hi Samantha, I’ve been reading through all your white blog posts, but not quite finding the answer to my question… we have colorbond cream window frames and timber sills/window frames. I am wanting to paint the window sills a white – but am having stacks of trouble finding the right white. I’ve read your posts that suggest using a dirty white (more grey), but I’m not quite sure which colours I should look at… can you help?

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Rachel Colorbond Cream can be tricky as it is so yellow and you obviously don’t want to match this but you will need a warm white. You haven’t said what colour the walls are but you could look at something like Dulux Hog Bristle which is a good off white with a touch of grey – it won’t match but it does have a warm base so will tie in with the cream without being too yellow. But you really need to consider it all in the context of the rest of the exterior. Always try a sample pot on a piece of card before committing though! Good luck!

      • Rachel says:

        Ha! We do have hogs bristle half already, but considering changing it to hogs bristle quarter.

        Any tips on which warm white? We are going to paint the exterior eventually – likely to a grey. We are also going to paint the roof/railings woodland grey. God I hate colorbond cream!

        • Samantha Bacon says:

          Hi Rachel I really think that the white you use will need to tie in with your wall colour. There are lots of different greys and I think you need to consider this rather than matching to the Colorbond Cream. If you use a warm white to tie in with that it will be tricky then to find a grey that you like. You also need to think about your front and garage door and fascia. Something like Dulux Stowe White will work with Colorbond Cream or you could have a different look and paint your window architraves and sills a dark grey – possibly Colorbond Woodland Grey rather than trying to find a white to work with your windows and ultimate grey walls which is pulling you in different directions. Perhaps, look at the grey for the walls and then work back from there? Sorry this isn’t more conclusive! Samantha

  2. emily bennette says:

    This is some really good information about color for the exterior of your roof. I like that you talked about how you should have your trim white. It might be smart to do that because you should make sure that your roof will work well with your home’s paint color.

    • Helen Miller says:

      Hi Samantha
      New build with skillion roof, I have selected surfmist colorbond for roof and walls. The walls will be a mix of colorbond and axon boards.
      I live in Bannockburn.
      I’m in such a dilemma about the total white color, although I think I’ll do black stained pergolas front and back of house to match our 24mtx12mt shed.
      Your help would settle my stomach.
      It’s such a big deal!
      Kindly Helen
      The windows face north and are white aluminium.

      • Samantha Bacon says:

        Hi Helen An all white house is a certain look that you will either like or not – I love them and I think this will work but I can’t say for sure whether you will like it. Perhaps google some all white houses to see if you like the effect. The good thing with Surfmist is that it has enough depth that it won’t be too stark and white and you also need to consider the location and whether it will suit. Sorry I can’t be of definite help but a lot of people use this scheme and like it. Samantha

  3. Sheridan says:

    Hi Samantha

    I previously asked a question on you blog about interior whites (that’s sorted thx to you)

    To set the scene: New Build, Scillion Roof, Coastal, just south of Mackay Qld.
    Lush Greens and Coastal Aquamarines

    We are going Surfmist Roof and gutters Surfmist 200% on rendered facade and Stria Cladding
    Modern Feature Door in Dulux Passionate Blue
    My artistic mind is in overdrive
    I do love an all White House, but my dilemma is, will this be grounded enough?
    Should I pick out the roof gutters and/or facsias with another colour?

    You are the “Ideas Girl”
    Your thoughts and time would be soooo appreciated

    Kind regards
    The Frustrated Artist
    Sheridan

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Sheridan (or frustrated artist!) Love the sound of the house so far. I wouldn’t pick out the trim – I think you either go for the full white statement or do something completely different. Your front door is going to provide a pop of lovely colour and to ground the house you can let your artistic talents run wild on the landscaping. Lots of greenery, palms etc around the base of the house will really ground the scheme – timber and stone in your landscaping or in privacy walls, fencing also bring some texture and interest to a white house. Don’t forget outdoor dining areas/rooms for your all year round use (lucky you in the warmth of QLD) You can consider bringing warmth and texture in here too with hard landscaping and outdoor furniture – cushions – hanging chairs – the artistic list is endless………house sounds great – have fun! Samantha

      • Sheridan says:

        Thx so much Samantha
        You have put my mind at rest….The White House it is!
        I have noted all your points and will endeavor to use them

        Kind regards
        The Happy Artist
        Sheridan x

  4. Michael Galante says:

    Hi Samantha

    Love your blog and your wealth of ideas. I have a weatherboard 1920s cottage with terracotta tiled roof and I am thinking of using dulux flooded gum on the weatherboards and maybe a white for the windows and eaves. But I am confused as to what colour to use on the trims. Which white would you suggest for the windows and eaves and what colour would you suggest for the trims and front door. Also need to paint the front pickett fence any suggestions thanking you kind regards. Michael

  5. Michele Galante says:

    Hi Samantha

    I have a 1920s califorian weatherboard bungolow with a teracotta roof. I am thinking of flooded gum for the weatherboards and white for the windows and eaves. But am unsure as to what colour to use for the trims. I like the idea of dark grey with a green undertone what would you suggest. Also the front of the property faces north if flooded gum is going to be too light what darker grey would you suggest and what would be a good white to use on windows and eaves. And then what colour would look great on the picket fence.thanking you regards michele.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Michele Flooded Gum is a warm grey so I would partner this with another warm grey rather than one with a green undertone. With your terracotta roof, you will probably need a warmer trim too. Take a look at the group of greys that Flooded Gum is in and see how it looks when it gets darker – this could be your cue for a darker wall colour and then an even darker trim to tie in with it. The northerly aspect will definitely wash the colour out and it will be quite light. The white depends on how much of a contrast you want to see. Dulux Vivid White will give a really crisp fresh white or something like Colorbond Surfmist will just be a very subtle grey white. Your picket fence really depends on the look you want – you could go grey for a contemporary feel or white for a more traditional look. This is a bit vague but hopefully gives you a start! Samantha

  6. Judit wood says:

    Hi, my roof, guttering and fascia are shale grey. I am going to paint my exterior in grey and white. I am in coast NSW. Can you suggest a white for me to use? My windows are white too.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Judi When you say your windows are white are they Pearl White, painted white or Surfmist? This will all impact on the white that you select for the exterior. Often people just opt for colorbond Surfmist for their house white as it contains a nice proportion of grey and therefore stands up to the harsh Australian sunlight without becoming too glaring. This could be an option for you – the actual white you have on your windows will determine whether you see a contrast or not with this. And you absolutely must try the colour out on a large piece of card to ensure that you like the effect. Cheers Samantha

  7. Natalie says:

    Hi Sam

    Thanks for the excellent post. I’d love your thoughts. I’ve decided on Dulux Mangaweka for my newly rendered house. I am going to sample vivid white and white duck quarter strength. Does that sounds right? Any further suggestions to try? Am I correct in thinking I need a green toned white to match the green toned greige of Mangaweka?

    Thanks
    Natalie

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Natalie Thanks for your kind words – I am glad you enjoyed the post. I love Dulux Mangaweka – it is a great neutral for exteriors and although a greige it leans towards being warm. When considering your trim colour you need to think about how much contrast you want to see and also what your gutters and fascias are too and any other trim elements on the house. Also consider the window frames. Are they timber that can be painted too or are they powdercoated? I particularly like Dulux Grave Couloir Double with Mangaweka – at first look it is very grey, particularly if you view it inside but once the sun hits it this gets knocked out and it is a great exterior white. It just depends on the tonal variation you want – you might need to paint a couple of boards and look at it with a large sample of Mangaweka. I can’t stress enough to look at all of this outside at your house in all different lights. I hope you love the end result!

  8. Jeannie Hartley says:

    Hi Samantha,
    We are building a new sycon weatherboard coastal Hamptons style beach house.
    We are painting the weathboards surfmist, but really need your help on the correct crisp white colour for the window trim.
    Inside throughout the whole house what interior white do you suggest for our ship lap walls?
    Thanks, I really need your help there are so many whites I’m so confused.
    Jeannie

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Jeannie Your new house sounds lovely. A good trim colour to go with Colorbond Surfmist is Dulux Lexicon Quarter – nice and bright and crisp so you will see a difference between the two which is important as once you are outside the whites all get washed out. For your interior there are so many possibilities that I couldn’t say for definite which white you should use. You need to consider your flooring – light or dark and the warmth – are you using grey tones or warmer creamy tones in your flooring? The aspect of the house, the amount of natural light you receive in each room, the kitchen colour and benchtop that you want to use. My advice is to choose your floor, then your kitchen joinery and benchtop and then when you have samples of all together it will be easier for you to select the right white. Good luck!

  9. Amanda says:

    Hi Samantha
    We’re going to paint our weather boards in Dulux Oyster Linen and I was wondering if you could recommend a white for the gutters, trim and windows?
    Someone suggested Dulux Vivid White, however we would love to hear your thoughts on colour match. The house front has a northerly aspect.
    Thank you

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Amanda
      Dulux Vivid White is very bright on exteriors but would go with Dulux Oyster Linen. You might be better to look at Dulux white Duck Quarter strength though as this is in the same colour family as Oyster Linen but much lighter – will look pretty similar to Vivid White but will knock out the brightest a touch – particularly with your northern aspect. You might even look at a sample of White Duck Half strength – it really depends on how much contrast you want to see. Good luck! Samantha

      • Amanda says:

        Hi Samantha
        Thank you so much for your suggestions ! I’ve now put a sample of white duck quarter and vivid white outside against the oyster linen. They both look lovely and as you said just a matter of how much contrast we like. We have three weeks until the painter arrives so still some time re final decision. I’m also contemplating doing the gutters in oyster linen rather than white, with the fascia, eaves, boards and all trim in either white duck quarter or vivid white. Do you have any thoughts on that idea ?
        Amanda 🙂

        • Samantha Bacon says:

          Hi Amanda I think that gutters in Oyster Linen is a good idea – these do tend to get grubby and are hard to wash down and keep clean so the darker colour will hold up better and then everything else in the either White Duck Quarter or Vivid White – whichever you decide on. Good luck!

          • Amanda says:

            Hi Samantha
            Thank you again – I painted a sample section of Oyster Linen on the gutter and everyone loved it ! So…with your skilful suggestions the house and gutters will be Oyster Linen, all trim , fascia and boards in White Duck quarter :-). I would love to hear your ideas on a colour to paint the soffit and also a front door colour ? At the moment the door is white and I think a little boring ( the door is heritage style with two sections of clear stained glass in the top half ).
            Amanda

          • Samantha Bacon says:

            Hi Amanda Great to hear that you love the look of the house. I would keep your soffits in White Duck Quarter – horizontal colours look darker though so they will appear slightly different to the trim but will tie in nicely with the house colour and you don’t want these to be too light as they get dirty. Regarding your door colour, you can go with lots of options and there is no rule that the front door has to tie in with the rest of the house. People are getting quite daring with front door colours now as this is an ideal way to express a little bit of personality and can easily be changed. Something like a Charcoal blue would look smart with this scheme? But this is only one idea out of many good luck! Samantha

  10. Greg White says:

    Hi Samantha great articles.
    We are building a new house on the Sunshine Coast Queensland.
    It will be both rendered brick and weather boards.
    We don’t want a totally stark white house but are wanting basically white tones.
    We have chosen Colourbond Surf mistake for the roof and garage doors.
    We have Bradman aluminium windows and doors in white.
    We are wanting to paint the eaves with exposed timber finials in a bright white and are wanting to paint the exterior walls in a white hew. I think we are trying to find something between the bright white of the windows and eaves and the Surfmist.
    Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks – Greg.

    • Greg White says:

      Samantha, hi from the Sunshine Coast Queensland.
      We are building a new house and are looking for white and grey paint tones.
      The roof, facial and gutters will all be Colourbond Shale Grey.
      The garage doors, of which there is 2 double doors visible from the street, aluminium windows and doors will all be in Surfmist.
      We saw a Dulux brochure with a Weatherford cottage in Terrace white on the front cover. We quite like the look of this but wonder how it looks in the real world.
      We are having both weatherboards and rendered brick walls and the eaves will have exposed timber outriggers and are looking for white recommendations.
      Most of the house is single storey but we are having an entrance atrium which is about 5m high at eaves and the back of the house is 2 storeys but only the roof line is visible from the street.
      The front door facing the street is due west.
      Your advice to help in selecting the right colour samples would be greatly appreciated.
      Many thanks – Greg.

      • Samantha Bacon says:

        Hi Greg your house with a combination of Colorbond Shale Grey and Surfmist sounds great. I think you will like Dulux Terrace White but it is just a lighter version of Shale Grey and probably the same tonal level as Surfmist so your weatherboards would be really light – this will work and you do have the lovely shadow line but facing west it will be very washed out. So it really depends on the overall look that you want. Did you want some depth to your walls or a very light and airy feel? This will really impact the choice you make. Stick to the cool whites and greys though to make this work but first think about the depth and whether you want your weatherboards and rendered walls to be different or the same. Good luck! Samantha

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Greg – just replied to your later email with the Shale Grey roof! I think you are on the right track with the slightly darker roof and if you do want basically white tones then Terrace White may work for you – hope this makes sense!

  11. Karen Martin says:

    Hi Samantha, in a huge dilemma! Painting my victorian cottage Dulux Beige Bravado, Black front door, gutters, flashing then I want to paint the trims in white as well as the finial and barge boards. I had chosen Casper white quarter but am concerned that it’s a bit of a dirty white, I think I need a creamier warm white? We are East facing. Any suggestions? Painting this weekend!
    Many thanks
    Karen

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Karen Caspar White quarter will not look dirty outside in the sunlight – it will just look like a fresh white. However with a beige wall you may be better off with a creamier white and you could look at something like Dulux Whisper White which is still fresh with a touch of grey but a little more warmth. Perhaps try a sample pot of that against the weatherboards before you commit this weekend. Happy Painting!

  12. Lori says:

    Hi Samantha,
    Really enjoyed reading your words of wisdom regarding white exterior colour choices!
    My dilemma is choosing the right white for my new North facing front picket fence. The post capitals are powder coated dulux “White Satin”
    Vivid white is the colour that was suggested for the pickets to match the posts.
    I’m thinking of using two different white tones on the pickets/posts.
    What colour would you suggest will be ideal for the pickets??

    So greatfull for your help!

    Thank you!
    (Driving husband mad)
    Lori from Melbourne

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Lori Glad you have enjoyed reading the articles. Vivid White is a good match to the powdercoat white and this will give you a lovely bright and clean fresh picket fence. If you do want to use a second white for the pickets, this would be good too and would give you a softer look. However the second white will need to have quite a bit more depth to see a difference and you will need to tie this in with the house colours. So if your house is a stone colour for example, you need to select a white in that colour family. Sorry this isn’t straight forward but you need to decide whether you want one or two tones and then this will need to tie in with the white or neutral on your house. As a guide, more contemporary schemes use just one white on the pickets, while the classic more traditional style is to use two. I hope this helps and stops you driving hubby mad! Samantha

      • Lori says:

        Thank you so so very much for your advice and help on this! You explained it perfectly.
        My home is a red clinker brick , more of a traditional style home with white color bond gutters and vivid white window trims.
        I’m afraid if I paint everything the one colour, all the detailing will be lost and just be one giant bright white blur!
        I’m leaning towards a softer white tone, for the pickets only because I’m afraid that the same tone of vivid white across the whole fence will perhaps look one dimensional.

        Thanks again Samantha, keep up this great gem of a blog! Xo

  13. Michelle says:

    Hi Samantha,
    I have a house with Primrose window frames and a Classic Cream garage door. I am about to extend the house and may need to render if the new bricks look too out of place. I am wanting a pale cream or creamy white that will tie in with the colours already there. I prefer Dulux colours.
    Thanks.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Michelle Dulux Ecru or half strength of this is a nice creamy colour that isn’t too yellow but you need to consider how large the house is and whether you have anything else to break it up as it may to all too cream. Exteriors usually benefit from some contrast. Perhaps a slightly darker and greyer creamier tone like Dulux Gnu Brown which is a lovely warm natural stone colour? You will need to try some samples to see what you think but bear in mind the contrast issue – particularly if the house is large. Good luck! Samantha

  14. Maree Driscoll says:

    Hi Samantha

    We are building a 2 storey Hamptons in the Mornington Peninsular
    We are considering either Monument or Woodland Grey for the roof, Miller Mood for the walls & Lexicon Half for the windows & trim
    Have you any thoughts on this combination or some other suggestions?

    regards

    Maree

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Maree I think that Colorbond Monument is better suited to the Hamptons look as it is more neutral. Miller Mood and Lexicon Half work together – Miller Mood does come through quite blue outside though so make sure you are happy with that – if in doubt paint a large board and look at it on site. Good luck! Samantha

      • Maree Driscoll says:

        Thanks Samantha

        Not too sure if the “blue” is what I want. Have you any other choices that may suit instead of the Miller Mood.
        We are open to other greys that would compliment Monument & Lexicon Half
        Thank you once again for your help

        Maree

        • Samantha Bacon says:

          Hi Maree Dulux Tranquil Retreat is more neutral which means you don’t see much of an underlying colour – give a sample of this a try and remember check it outdoors on a large piece of board to really see whether you will like it or not. Hope this helps Samantha

          • Maree Driscoll says:

            Hi Samantha

            thanks once again for your help.
            Will definitely try it
            Keep up the great work

            Maree

  15. Maree Driscoll says:

    Hi again Samantha

    after your assistance again if possible
    We were very happy to have Tranquil Retreat , but unfortunately the Council requires an LRV under 40. Tranquil Retreat exceeds this (LRV49).
    We will still submit Tranquil Grey but are looking for a “fall back” in case we cant get it through.
    If you have any other suggestions it would be greatly appreciated

    thanks again

    Maree

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Maree You could ask the paint supplier to mix you a sample of half strength Tranquil Retreat and see what you think – Tranquil Retreat though outside is really light so hopefully the council will accept this. Fingers crossed! Samantha

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Maree realised I had a bit of a brain snap when I replied to you and went the other way on the scale! Clearly Council wants the render colour to be darker – Endless Dusk is 2 tones darker than Tranquil Retreat and is still a great exterior colour – I don’t think it will be too light. The LRV for this is 39. Hope this clarifies your question Samantha

  16. Lisa Hollister says:

    Hi Sam

    It’s amazing how confusing white can be!
    I’m painting outside of Edwardian house(weatherboard). Roof /gutters is woodland grey. I initially thought of whisper white but after chatting with painter I am questioning my decision. I was thinking of vivid white trims to bring out features. The front door will probably be woodland grey(husband boycotted yellow!) Painters have suggested hogs bristle or natural white? Or even grey
    What is your thoughts on whisper white?
    Thanks
    Lisa

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Lisa you really need to consider how light you want the house to be – all of the options Whisper White, Vivid White or Natural White will just look like a white outside but with a slightly different feel. I like Dulux Whisper White as it has a touch of grey but is still warm – I often use Dulux Casper White for exteriors as I like to use a white with a touch of grey, to cope with the bright sunlight and also in terms of practicality. You will need to consider how much shade the house gets – does it have a lot of verandahs that make the house dark or is it in bright sunshine. With something like Casper White you could use a cooler white like Lexicon Quarter to use as trim – remember you must have a large contrast once you are outside – the best idea is to sample your choices on a large board, view them outside and then make a decision. I hope this gives you a starting point! Samantha

  17. Liz says:

    Hi Samantha,
    Hope you can help. Repainting a rendered house We have recently purchased that is approx 20 years old. (not sure of the existing colour).
    The window, gutter and facia colour is White Birch, front door is a very dark charcoal navy. The effect is monochromatic, which I quite like for the house style.
    Can’t change the windows- maybe can change the gutter and facia. The windows are not amazing- so don’t wish to make them a major feature of them. They are commercial profile, so are thick aluminium.
    Grey slate tile roof, modern French provincial style.
    The render needs a paint. The existing colour throws a creamy yellow.
    I have been following your blog and hope you can assist with colour selection.
    Considering White Duck or Beige Royal – not sure what strength.
    Am I on the right track or can you suggest another colour.
    Many thanks,
    Liz

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Liz Dulux White Duck will definitely knock out the yellow – it is very light though so I think you should be looking at sampling it in full strength – you may even need a double strength depending on the aspect of your house and how much sunlight it gets. Remember to always view the colour in a large sample outside. Hope this helps! Samantha

  18. Andy says:

    Hi Sam.

    I read through your articles and comments, and have decided on Dulux Whisper White for my exterior weatherboards. Thanks for your help so far! ‘White on White’ was a must as per my local heritage design guidelines.

    Just want to make sure Lexicon Quarter trims will work with whisper white? I will be relying on mature landscaping, limestone retaining, an exposed aggregate driveway, and zincalume roofing with half round guttering to help provide the necessary colour contrasts.

    I am trying to go for a more contemporary Australian Coastal Style and avoid the more traditional old-fashioned cream heritage hues.

    Thanks.

    • Andy says:

      Hi Sam. Council is asking me to lock in my colours in order to get planning approval. Hoping you can provide your thoughts? Thanks!

      • Samantha Bacon says:

        Hi Andy the advice I gave is as much as I can do in this type of forum – it really is a case of you trying the colours on your house to see if you think the contrast is enough – it will be very close but will rely on the amount of light and the aspect of your house.

  19. Amy says:

    Hi,
    We are building a country style weatherboard home with a large varrandah out the front. There has been a mistake with the roof and facia colours ordered and now the builders are offering a great discount if we take the colours that have been ordered.
    So we now have Colorbond shale grey roof, Basalt fascia and Pearl white windows I’m stuck on what colours to choose for the external walls and also what colour to do the poles on the varrandah which there are 7 off. I did want the windows and poles to be a feature. Do I have to keep the poles the same as the fascia? I was hoping for off white to match the windows.
    Any help much appreciated.
    Thanks

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Amy You can still have white posts to match your windows if that is the look that you want – Basalt will work too and you look through and past dark colours whereas you look at light colours so your posts are far more noticeable in white however it does give you a certain look and as your home has a verandah and is a country style, I am guessing that the white would look lovely. You also need to consider any balustrades/handrails that you have on your verandah. These are really neutral colours so you can have a wide range on your weatherboards from greys through to warm neutrals or even an off white – it really depends on the look that you want, the depth of colour and how much contrast you want to see between the posts/windows and the weatherboards. Hope this helps with your decision making Samantha

  20. Christina says:

    Hi Samantha. We are renovating a 1970’s home (on 2 levels) and are putting on a Shale Grey roof with Monument gutters, fascias, garage door and front door. The paving out the back will be a very light beige limestone. I was thinking of Dulux Russian Toffee for the exterior paint colour but am worried it will be too `same same’ with the pavers. My other thought was Dulux White Duck as I love this colour. Any other thoughts? Thanks

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Christina Dulux Russian Toffee will give you more depth than Dulux White Duck which will just appear off white – they both will though in certain lights depending upon your aspect. I wouldn’t worry about it being too much the same with the pavers as you are introducing a dark trim and you can add some darker outdoor furniture, pots etc. It’s good to have a link between the landscaping and the house. My concern would mainly be that you test out samples of the exterior colour – paint large boards in two coats and look at them in different lights outside to make sure that the depth is what you have in mind. good luck! Samantha

  21. Tayla says:

    Hi Samantha, we are building a house and I am really struggling with finalising our exterior colours. It is a single storey, north facing rendered house with a weatherboard feature to the bedroom window side and a large porch which means this component will generally always be in the shade. I am set on a grey/white theme & I am thinking about Dulux Stepney for the boards and render, maybe Vivid White for the trims, posts, fascias and garage door and the hardest part, the roof, I’m tossing up between Basalt & Monument. I’m worried Basalt might no offer enough contrast to the Stepney and Monument might be too dark? Hoping you can provide your thoughts! Much appreciated.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Tayla This all sounds good but you need to bear in mind that Dulux Stepney will be much lighter on the bulk of the house than in the colour sample particularly for those north facing parts that are away from the shade and this will make the overall look of the house fairly light. When considering the roof colour you also need to decide how much of it will be seen. It is a struggle – Basalt might be too light and Monument might be a touch heavy. Think about the other elements – front door, landscaping etc. to help you make up your mind. I am leaning towards Monument but not if the roof is very dominant. You can cut down the part that the roof plays in the scheme by doing the guttering the same as the fascia but it all depends on the overall design. Sorry not to be conclusive but I hope this gives you a guide. Good luck Samantha

  22. Ainslie Madden says:

    Great article – and great to read the comments too.
    We are building a long weatherboard and render house in south west qld – and looking at Dulux Colorbond Cove for the exterior, with Surfmist roof and trims, and Vivid White window frames

    Inside we were thinking about Pale Tendril with Vivid White trims – but are now worried it might be a bit minty. Our original thought was to continue with the green theme, and that it would look nice against our dark carpet and vinyl plank floor. Failing that – maybe just a fairly warm grey like Pipe Clay half or something.

    Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Great reading in any case – thank you

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Ainslie it all sounds good but I know what you mean about the Pale Tendril – it may tie you down into a very green theme whereas Pipe Clay half sticks with the neutral green base but is less obvious. Dulux White Duck works well too as it is just a touch less grey than Pipe Clay. You might like to consider the light that different parts of the house receives and perhaps the softer Pale Tendril could work for a bedroom and then keep the general living areas in a neutral so you probably should experiment with some samples. Hope this helps Samantha

  23. Lily says:

    Hi Samantha
    Thank you for all your wonderful expert advice! I stumbled across your post after many months of deliberations and had all but given up on finding an exterior colour for my house! Colours we test are mostly turning pink or blue (eg Dune, Powered Rock) or sometimes green (White Duck).
    I have a 1940’s south facing Bungalow in Perth with varigated red/plum/bluish terracotta tiles. The front has very textured render (upper half) and varigated maroonish red/blue bricks (lower half). The rest of the house is red brick. Front door is Monument. The gutters, timber gable trims and windows are painted Surfmist. A Designer suggested we paint the front rendered walls and rendered fence either: 1) Dulux Pebble Grey or Ghosting 2) Wattyl Ice Volcano or Dulux Light Rice.
    Apologies for the long question. Many thanks for your advice.
    Lily

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Lily Glad you are enjoying the blog! Your designer has recommended colours that outside will all just be an off white, even in your south facing aspect. This could work well to give the house a lift as it sounds quite heavy with the roof and bricks. I think out of these four choices that something like Dulux Ghosting might work – it’s a good neutral that doesn’t read pink or green but you should try a large sample of it first. Tonally it is about the same as Colorbond Surfmist so bear in mind how white that appears outside and this will give you a guide – you could even consider Surfmist for your walls rather than bringing in a different colour as it sounds like you have a lot going on with the exterior already. It really depends on the overall look of the house and is probably just a case of trying a couple of ideas on large sample boards! Samantha

  24. Lily says:

    Thank you so much for your advice Samantha!! You are spot on! The front is busy and “heavy” looking. I forgot to mention we also have a large format, mid-grey, rectangular paver laid brick bond on the front drive and footpath. This also adds to the heaviness. Thankfully we have a massive white frangipani and grass which helps soften things. I will try Ghosting as you suggested. I had thought of using Surfmist if I couldn’t find anything else, but DH wasn’t convinced – so thank you for your reassurance re this option! If I did want to try a colour with a bit more depth is there anything you would suggest? Many thanks for your advice!

  25. Leanne says:

    Hi Samantha,

    I stumbled across your blog looking for some advice on matching a white powder coat colour to Vivid White. Some very interesting colour schemes going on in these comments!

    Hoping you may be able to offer an opinion…

    We have a beautiful Queenslander which has very fancy wrought iron gates in Monument and lovely black and white checkered tiles on our front porch. There is a lot of character with these elements so we wanted to add some contemporary using the white on white scheme and are using Snowy Mountains Half on the main exterior walls and fencing with Vivid White as the accent colour.

    Currently I am trying to figure out the best powder coat colour for my garage door to match with Vivid White preferably. Do you have any suggestions?

    Thanks in advance!

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Leanne I think Pearl White will probably be the closest to Dulux Vivid White. It isn’t identical but White Satin which is fairly close is a touch warmer and may read a little creamy. Perhaps get a metal sample of Pearl White – your garage door manufacturer should have these and it is also a standard window frame colour. With a metal sample placed next to your painted Vivid White areas, you will get the best appreciation for the colour. Your house sounds devine – hope you are happy with the renovation. Samantha

  26. Claire says:

    Hello Samantha,

    I have a Surfmist roof and gutters, with silver coloured window frames and would like to know what colour is going to go best with Surfmist please? I love white (which one or do I stick with surfmist) for the railings around the veranda and some sort of light to medium colour for the render. I would prefer not to go into the greys if possible please. The veranda can either be sanded or painted and if we painted what colour would you do? Thank you. Claire

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Claire I really like Surfmist as an exterior white as it is very light outside and the sun will wash out the grey. This way you are not introducing another white. If you don’t like greys then I would suggest a stone coloured neutral for your render which is absolutely timeless. Something like Dulux Linseed or with a touch more green and depth, Dulux Pebbles are both classic exterior render colours. Keep your veranda floor reasonably dark or you will be washing it all the time. I like a smart dark grey or charcoal if you are painting but a simple oiled deck left in its natural state looks really lovely too – you could start with this and if the upkeep is too much then switch to paint later on. I hope this gives you some ideas and a place to start – remember to double check large samples on your house as you may want to adjust the tone up or down depending on the aspect you have. Good luck! Samantha

  27. gabrielle gannon says:

    hi Samantha i have a weatherboard house painted in Dulux Hogs Bristle
    quarter strength and don’t know what to do the new roof in
    colour bond Surfmist, Dune or other?
    any advice would be greatly appreciated.
    whether surfmist colorbond roof and 1/4 strength hogs bristle weather board
    house with white window frames is too much same colour?
    many thanks
    gabrielle

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Gabrielle Dulux Hog Bristle quarter used outside is just a pure white. You could use colorbond Surmist with this but I think I would consider Colorbond Evening Haze with these whites as it isn’t as grey as Surfmist. See if you can see any houses with this roof in your area or take a sample of Hog Bristle Quarter on a large board to the roofing company to see it up against the Evening Haze to see what you think. Good luck! Samantha

  28. Felicity says:

    Hi Samantha, thank you for your article and detailed replies to everyone. We are finalising exterior colours for our farm house. I have shale grey on the roof, gutters, fascia and garage door. I have white aluminum windows that I will paint a white trim around. And we have merbau deck. I need a light grey for the weatherboard and would like a dark grey for the base boards.
    For the light grey I have tried surfmist which is too yellow for me and snow season (which i really like) but it is too blue against the garage door. The garage door faces south. I am quite keen on terrace white but fear it is too white. The paint shop has also suggested NZ dulux lyttelton quarter because it has the same mix of colours as shale grey. Can you suggest something that is not “white” grey but light grey that will go with the shale grey?
    For the base boards I an quite keen on Basalt or Dulux Malay Grey but I habe stopped thinks about them until I can pick a light grey. I am about 20 sample pots in and desperate!!!

    Thanks again Felicity

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Felicity glad you are enjoying the article. The paint shop is exactly on the right track with Dulux Lyttleton Quarter – it has a slight green colour – not green by any means but not the blues of Snow Season and Terrace White and it will certainly work better with Shale Grey. Sticking with the NZ range you could sample Maraetai Half or full strength for the darker grey – lovely neutral greys that work with Lyttleton Quarter. I hope this helps Samantha

  29. Colleen says:

    Hi Samantha,
    Thanks for your article! This is a little off track as I’m finding it hard to get advice anywhere. We about to move in to a house that has a surfmist ritek (now called something else) sandwich roof, so roof and ceiling are Surfmist. So we are stuck with the surfmist ceiling. This presents a challenge as we want to paint the interior walls white. They are currenty grey and clash with the surfmist, The surfmist ceiling can look yellowish against the grey. I discovered when going to get a surfmist sample pot that it has black, red ochre and yellow ochre tint. House is very bright, eco style, north facing, will high ceilings (almost double height at some points, and clerestory windows. I’m thinking to paint some walls surfmist and others half surfmist, however is there any other white which will compliment it without making it look too dark and grubby?
    Thanks

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Colleen this is a tricky one. I find that Surfmist although it has yellow in actually can read a little more green. Your problem too is that whites when horizontal on ceilings/eaves etc. get twice as dark so you have this to contend with too but as your ceilings are high and the room bright, this will help. The Dulux whites that I like with it are Casper White – in varying strengths. Or Snowy Mountains as it is a lovely neutral clean fresh white without being blue. Of course the Surfmist will look different next to it but should just read a grey and this way you get your nice fresher wall colour. You could give these a try in a sample? Or to ensure you are not using any white on white, you could opt for the Surfmist option in varying strengths. You will also need to take into account kitchen joinery etc. and how this relates to these whites as this could be what would make the Surfmist look grubby. good luck! Samantha

  30. Katie says:

    Hi Samantha,
    I’m really enjoying reading your blogs and especially all your tips for working with whites! We are painting the exterior of our rendered Californian bungalow (front facade is North facing) and want to go with a charcoal and white on white scheme.
    It’s been suggested we use Dulux Domino for the verandah columns, window trims, gutters and front door, Dulux Lexicon on the walls and Dulux Vivid White for the windows and gable trims, but after testing them outside I can’t see any contrast between the two whites. I want to keep the Vivid White but could you recommend a second white that will compliment Domino and contrast enough with Vivid?
    Thank you so much for your help!

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Katie Glad you are enjoying the blog! Yes – Vivid White and Lexicon are too close to see a difference – particularly in your north facing aspect. I would recommend something like Dulux Casper White but if you wanted the blue base that the Lexicon gives you then perhaps Terrace White could work. Check out these two as samples to see which effect you like the best. Good luck! Samantha

      • Katie says:

        Thanks so much Samantha!
        Do you offer consultancy services? We are finding it difficult to decide on the right exterior scheme for our house and could use some professional input.
        Thanks again.

        • Samantha Bacon says:

          Hi Katie I do provide consultancy services but find it is best to see people in person and therefore it is probably best for you to look at a local colour consulting service if possible? Dulux provide one that then gives you a rebate on their paint and this might be a good option to try. Good luck! Samantha

  31. Allison Malcolm says:

    Hi Samantha we are thinking of painting our beach house Vintage Beige. It has a very faded Eucalypt green colorbond roof. We are thinking of painting the windows and doors vivid white. could you please advise if these colours go together or should we try other colours that will go with the green roof.

    Thank you for your advice. Allison

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Allison you certainly don’t need to bring the colours of the roof into your main house scheme but you might want to repaint gutters and fascia? Vintage Beige and Vivid White will work well and will go with a faded Eucalpyt green but if you wanted to knock this out then you could also paint the trim – remember that a beach house should look a little bit faded and worn – that’s the charm of them. Samantha

  32. Lisa says:

    Hi Samantha
    We have a westerly facing California bungalow with a Colorbond roof in Headland (or it could be a faded Manor Red). The weatherboards are currently in Portland Stone with Seed Pearl trim and Bogart fascia. I’ve always found these colours way too mute, heavy and not very welcoming. I was thinking of painting the weatherboards in Dulux Candlebark, with Namadji on the fascia and gutters, and Natural White trims. Would this combination work or could you suggest a scheme that would complement the red roof and freshen the look of the house.

    Thanks Samantha
    I would love your advice
    Lisa

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Lisa I love the sound of the scheme you have come up with. Dulux Candlebark is a nice neutral – it will appear very light outside so you might just want to test a sample board to check that you have the tonal strength that you want. Namadji is a great dark grey brown – very sophisticated and will complement the red and the natural white trim will give it all a lovely lift. I hope it turns out well for you Samantha

      • Margaret says:

        Hi Samantha,
        We are renovating our 1950s weatherboard home. The windows are vivid white. The roof is soon to be charcoal ( not black though). Would Dulux high gate suit the exterior weather boards? We are East facing. I would like a wovenwire front fence too but have no idea for front fence and garage door colours. Please help.

        • Samantha Bacon says:

          Hi Margaret Dulux Highgate will work with those colours but it does have an undertone of lilac which will be more evident in the sun so you need to be sure you will be happy with that. It’s a very pretty colour but I would paint two samples on a large piece of board to ensure you like it. Good luck Samantha

  33. Peta says:

    Hi Samantha

    Am excited to have found your blog and your helpful tips and inspiration pictures.

    My husband and I have been renovating our home. When we bought it, it had a country style feel with a beautiful high roof in our open planned kitchen and lounge, however we have renovated it to more of a modern/scandy feel with white (lexicon half) and grey (deiskau) walls.

    Our exterior is currently yellow weatherboard with green trim and gutters. The creamy yellowy roof you don’t really see as the house is on the side of a hill. The windows have cream trim but then the wooden louvers below them have boxed out screens that are browny/black. My husband has recently painted over the deck tiles with a charcoal grey and paved the front and side with grey pavers and rocks.

    We would like to continue the style of our interior onto the exterior but finding it difficult to find the right “white” to go with the house. We have tried house surrender, phantom white & brume quarter. Also grey pebble 1/4, 1/2 (both so white in the sunlight) and full (which my husband thinks is too dark). I have sent him off today to buy a sample of surf mist…
    I liked monument on the gutters as I thought it went better with the screens thus not adding ANOTHER colour to the exterior. Lol! However he prefers the woodland grey as he feels the monument is too dark for our house style and people will be drawn to look at the gutters…
    Would love to hear of you have any advice for us.
    Kind regards
    Peta

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Peta The beauty of colorbond Monument is that it is very neutral so you don’t see any underlying colour. Woodland Grey is an excellent Colorbond colour but it does have an undertone of green which is more apparent in some lights. I like it as it seems to go with most colour schemes but you do need to be aware of that underlying colour which comes out in bright sunlight. With your exterior white you need to consider whether you want a warm or cool undertone. Surfmist is a classic as it is not too warm but doesn’t have the blue undertones of some off whites. It is also good when you come to match other elements – screens, balustrades, fascia, garage doors etc. as it is a standard in most powdercoating ranges and of course it is a colorbond colour. Tonally though it is similar to full strength grey pebble but it knocks out the brownish tones that you see there and maybe closer to what you need. See what you think of that sample pot but hopefully this will work Good luck Samantha

  34. Amy says:

    Hi Samantha! Love your blog and you have provided so much inspo for this first time home maker. We have just finished building our dream home in Mudgee NSW and I am really struggling with finding exterior colour for the cladding. We have monument black gutters and monument black front and laundry doors. Huge big wrap around verandah which throws shade. Our style is country style meets hamptons. Our window trim is lexicon quater but I can’t for the life of me find a white for the exterior walls. I basically want a really clean crisp white alongside the lexicon quater window trims and to go nicely with the black doors and gutters. I don’t want much contrast and want it to look like a clean White House with black accents. Can you recommend a good white for the walls to go with lexicon quater and monument black. Also what would I paint the verandah railings? Same as the walls?

    Sorry for the essay and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

    Amy

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Amy glad you are enjoying the blog and that it has helped you with your first home – very exciting! You could try Dulux Snowy Mountains or for a touch more depth Dulux Casper White. I use Casper White a lot for exteriors as it has a touch of grey but no obvious underlying colour so it is nice and neutral. For your verandah railings you can go either way. It sounds as though the majority of your window trims will be in shade due to your verandah so if you paint the verandah trims in the Lexicon Quarter they will stand out more as they will be in sunlight. The rule is usually to paint the trim all the same so windows and balustrades in the same white. However you might want to play around with the two whites that you decide on with sample boards against the house as I don’t want your verandah railings and posts to really stand out too much and spoil the effect. I hope this gives you some direction and that you enjoy your lovely new home Samantha

      • Amy says:

        Samantha thank you so much! I will go and get samples of your suggestions today. In your option do you think all white cladded houses work with black trim? I feel like it could look really classic and smart or be a massive failure and just be too white and bland? Otherwise I was thinking of doing the monument black, lexicon quater and instead of another white I was going to use a grey – tranquil retreat. There is just so much to be painted outside I don’t want to get it wrong!

        Thank you Samantha I really appreciate all your advice!

        Amy

        • Samantha Bacon says:

          Hi Amy White houses are classic, particularly with a large verandah. Grey houses also work so well with this look and Dulux Tranquil Retreat really is the grey of the moment. You can go either way and there isn’t a right or a wrong answer – you just have to decide which one you prefer! Perhaps just paint a part of a wall to see what you think? Good luck! Samantha

  35. Rebecca says:

    Hi Samantha,
    I have found these discussions and your responses so interesting and was hoping you could help with some ideas for our house. We have an Art Deco sandstone fronted house. The roof and gutters have just been repainted in monument. The fences which can’t be changed are color bond cream- which is so yellow! The front of the house and shutters and are also colour bond cream. I was hoping to lighten the colour of the front of the house but need a colour that will tie in with both monument and the colour bond cream but was hoping to find something that wasn’t too yellow. I would love to hear of any colours you could suggest

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Rebecca Your house sounds lovely – you might like to try a neutral for your wall colour rather than a white as these will all accentuate the yellow in the cream colorbond. Perhaps something like Dulux Humble Fawn which has a yellow base but is certainly not a yellow. Try looking at a few neutrals that have a warm base – these will all work really well with Monument and your lovely feature sandstone and won’t fight with the windows like a grey would. Hope this helps! Samantha

      • Rebecca says:

        Hi Samantha,
        Thank you so much for your reply. I would love any recommendations for any warm neutral you could suggest and I will pick up a sample of the humble fawn today too! I made the mistake of painting the fence in white beach quarter and it just looks white in the sun and clashes terribly with the cream. At least I only did the fence first and not the whole front of the house. I appreciate your help so much.
        Rebecca

        • Rebecca says:

          Oh I did meant to ask your opinion too about whether it’s a good idea to avoid the yellows and go for a more neutral colour or would you go for a cream?

        • Samantha Bacon says:

          Hi Rebecca see how you go with Humble Fawn – if you want a contrast or something a little darker then you could try Dulux Mangaweka which is a lovely warm neutral that I have used a lot on exteriors. Good luck Samantha

          • rebecca says:

            Thank you so much for your suggestions Samantha. I did try the Humble Fawn and it is a really lovely colour but I feel that it makes the colourbond cream shutters look even more yellow. I am really struggling to find something that works. I don’t know that I have explained it particularly well either. We have classic cream colour shutters and a monument coloured roof and gutters and two quite large areas of sandstone. I was looking for something a bit lighter to lift the whole look and I did mention avoiding yellow but I am now thinking that it really is going to need to have some yellow in it otherwise it is just not going to work. I was wondering if you think Crewelwork or Stowe white may work. I did wonder about Chalk USA but am worried that may be too yellow. I appreciate your advice enormously. Thank you so much once again.

          • Rebecca says:

            Would you suggest doing the window sills and surrounds and decorative features in monument or half strength Humble Fawn? Now that the wall colour is looking so good I want to make sure I get the rest right!!

          • Samantha Bacon says:

            Hi Rebecca I am so glad you love the wall colour – Monument will really define the windows and decorative features – it is a lovely neutral but will make more of a statement. Something like White Beach half strength could work but try a sample first. Remember you are trying to disguise your windows so don’t draw too much attention to them! Samantha

  36. Vanessa says:

    Hi Samantha,

    Wow, have just spent a while reading a lot of your posts/responses. I’d love to hear from you with my paint challenge….

    We have a semi-detached rendered brick cottage and for our exterior, we’ve chosen Powered Rock for the walls with a Black Caviar front door (I’ve seen Dulux TeaHouse too with Powered Rock, so not sure what would be better). Fence, fascias, windows trims in white…..either Snowy Mountains Half or Caspar White half (which one?)I had Vivid White initially but it may be too stark? We’re South facing at the front.

    The semi is 2 storeys and has 3 strips of horizontal guttering (level 1 roof, ground roof, front of bullnose awning) and fascia at the front. The roof is Colourbond surfmist. We had a designer suggest painting the gutters in the Black Cav to match the front door as it would give some definition to what would otherwise blend into the grey surfmist roof and potentially be a bit bland. The fascias under the gutters would be white. Keen to hear what you think about the dark gutters as it will totally change the look and the door won’t be the isolated ‘pop’ of Black Caviar or Teahouse. Alternatively, we would paint the gutters the same as the wall colour or white?

    For our interior, I’m struggling with our warm toned brush box timber floors (throws honey yellows, rich brown reds, oranges). I tried Silver Tea Set but it’s looking a bit lilac at times in north light and rather flat in the south facing rooms. Not sure to go more blue undertone like Tranquil Retreat half or something like Brume half. I’m prepared to do the south facing rooms in a stronger strength than the rest of the house. I love Half White Duck as a colour (love hint of green for the peacefulness) but it may look too yellow green with the warmth the floor is throwing. It is one of my fave colours along with Resene Sea Fog.

    Thanks so much in advance,

    Vanessa

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Wow Vanessa – lots of choices! I love your designer’s idea of bring the Black Caviar to the gutter to add some definition and I certainly prefer this colour to the Teahouse. Powered Rock is a great neutral for exteriors and you can try either of your whites – I agree Vivid White may be too stark. Inside Resene Sea Fog is a lovely contemporary choice that doesn’t have an obvious undertone and in the Dulux range, Vintage Linen is a similar colour. Hope this narrows things down for you Samantha

  37. Leanne says:

    Hi Samantha I love your blog and need help desperately. I have just started painting my new 1880’s cottage with extension and 2 side cottages in Casper white quarter and the trim and fascia and fineals I wanted lighter so I used vivid white with a touch of black in it . The roof and guttering is ironstone. The front door and fence will be blackI wanted a touch if Queensland in Tasmania ! It looks too white! Should I go to Casper half or full strength do you think and what colour would suit for the trim to stand out whiter? Also maybe the facia different? Thank you

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Leanne glad you love the blog! Casper White quarter is very white inside, let along outside in the sunlight and you at least need full strength, which will still appear just white, even in the softer Tassie light. This could work with Vivid White as the trim but it will depend on the amount of light that you receive so test it out first. I think either Ironstone or the Vivid White for your fascia to keep it simple. Good luck!

  38. Karen yates says:

    Hi Samantha, I was wondering if you could help me..We have a Californian bungalow that has a reddish tiled roof and manor red guttering and I want to paint the exterior white…the lower half of the house has been clad in rocks…Can you offer any suggestions?

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Karen The white you select will depend a lot on what will work with your cladding and how bright you want the house to be. You need to consider windows, trim, fascia etc. Are you planning to paint these a contrast white or keep it all the same? On the whole, I like Dulux Casper White as it has a touch of grey which makes it practical. The depth you select will depend on how much light the house receives. So, go though what has to be painted, consider if you want it all the same white and if not think about different strengths of white – for example a quarter strength Casper White with full. The amount of contrast you will see will depend on the light so you will need to check samples. I would also bear in mind the cladding. Hope this helps Samantha

  39. Caitlin Jamieson says:

    Hi Samantha,
    your blog is wonderful and very timely as I need your expert advice on choosing colours for my mum’s fairly plain little weatherboard which we will be painting in a couple of weeks. The fence which is Paperbark colourbond and the front door which is Resene Red Berry are the two colours that we need to work with.
    We are thinking of staining the front porch and courtyard decking Black Japan to tie in with the Japanese style little pebble garden near the front porch and mum would like to keep the windows a white colour. The roof tiles are a dark brownish grey. We have tried Stone Cave and Winter Grey on the walls but found both looked very washed out in the bright sun so I’m wondering if a darker brownish grey colour would work better on the walls and maybe a dark charcoal or black like Monument or Black Felt on the gutters, although my Mum is not keen on anything that looks too grey.
    I really want her to be happy with the colours but am struggling to know what would look best so I am hoping you can work your magic and be able to provide some suggestions for the walls, eaves, gutters and shade of white for the windows.
    thank you Caitlin

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Caitlin, you can’t go wrong with Monument for your gutters – they should disappear into the roof and also make a connection to the landscaping colours. Remember, this is not an area you really need to highlight. You could try a sample of something like Dulux Mud Pack – you need to tie in the Paperbark fence and this neutral will work well with that, while also working with the front door. An off white like Hog Bristle Quarter would work with this for the windows but do try it all out in samples first. It will depend on the depth that you want, the aspect of the house etc. This is just a suggestion, taking my lead from the Paperbark. I hope your mum loves her new look! Samantha

  40. Roxanne Smith says:

    Hi Samantha
    Thank you for your time with this blog and all the suggestions . Could you please offer some advice for the exterior of my house?
    It is an old rendered west facing house (in WA) with a pale eucalypt colorbond roof and guttering which I will not be painting. What do I paint it to match that roof? I do not like cream/yellow.
    Thank you for your help

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Roxanne I wouldn’t worry too much about the roof unless it is very dominating. You might like to try a stone neutral like Dulux Sandgrass Green or go for a modern look using Surfmist or Dulux Caspar White which will look white, particularly in the Westerly sun. It really depends on other elements like window colour, garage etc. and the overall look and feel you want for the house. Hope this helps Samantha

  41. Renee says:

    Wow I have learnt so much from reading all of these comments and your responses.

    We are renovating a 1970’s red brick home. The tiled roof has been painted in colourbond match monument and the gutters are also monument. The facscia and powder coated windows are colourbond surfmist.

    The front of the house is south facing with no direct sunlight so quite heavy shade. The surfmist has always looked white to me. We installed some timber French doors and with the bright white undercoat i could really see the difference and how grey surfmist is.

    . Im thinking we will have to continue surf mist as the white and paint the French doors and entry door in this to match the front windows and fascia.

    I’m just stuck on the main house colour. Something dark enough to contrast and the surfmist still looks white but also light enough that it doesn’t look too heavy in the shade.
    I’m open to any neutral colors that will work though prefer warm grays or greige.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Renee You are on the money with painting your French doors and front door in Surfmist – it will all just look white then. With this simple colour palette you are lucky that you have so many options. I really like Dulux Whakarewarea Half strength at the moment. It is a greige which has warmth and is a classic neutral that will give you longevity. A nice contrast to the Surfmist without being too heavy. Try a sample though as it may not be grey enough for you. Good luck!

      • renee says:

        Thankyou so so much 🙂

        Any advice is helpful at this stage! I will test a sample pot so I can try in on the front in the shade and the back in the sunlight.

      • renee says:

        Can I also ask, its better to go a shade lighter under the eaves too isn’t it? would it bet better to go half or quarter strength surfmist or any plain white. thank you?!

        • Samantha Bacon says:

          Hi Renee – absolutely you are on the money with going a shade lighter for under the eaves – once you put a colour horizontal it gets twice as dark – probably half Surfmist will do the trick – but try it out first! Samantha

  42. Margaret Conn says:

    Hello Samantha.
    I am struggling with a single level federation “terrace” with a red tile roof and red brick construction. It is a duplex and heritage listed. Present colours for the non brick facade are the traditional cream/green/red. The roof is quite imposing.
    I would like to lighten the facade and try and move away from the eye catching orange of the tiles while maintaining the heritage aspect.
    The other duplexes and houses in the street are of various colours but all heritage.
    Would be grateful for any help you can provide.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Margaret When roofing is dominate on a house I find that it is best to paint the gutters and fascia/barge boards etc in a different colour, perhaps a light cream. Often with houses I paint the trim a dark grey and this cuts off the roof and prevents it from coming down into the colour scheme of the house. It is tricky with heritage though as you will need to satisfy these requirements and it may be that cream is your option here. Without breaking the rules I would try to limit any of the traditional red and greens on the house and stick to the creams with possibly some grey trim around windows etc. Not sure what you are allowed to do with your front door but perhaps if you lighten this too or depending on its style and location paint it a dark grey, it may detract from the roof. You may need a local colour consultant who is experienced in your area – with plenty of heritage homes around, they should have the experience and knowledge to help you out. I hope these few pointers have helped! Samantha

  43. Kat says:

    Hi,
    I need to choose a colour for my rendered two storey home. I have a surfmist roof, gutters, and faciers. My windows are pearl white. I am after a crisp white. I was planning on doing Casper white quarter but feel this may not be white enough? Any recommendations for a bright crisp white.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Kat Wow – your house is going to be very white! Remember that all of these whites will be very bright in the sunlight so any white you are looking at you should view outside in as large a format as you can – consider too whether your house faces west and therefore gets a lot of sunlight and ensure that you test the sample all around the house at different times of the day. Personally for a w two storey whole rendered house, I don’t go lighter than Surfmist and only use crisper whites on weatherboards where you get a shadow line to break it up and possibly single level houses with lots of windows etc. A crisp white is Dulux White on White with just a touch of blue/grey it – I wouldn’t recommend it but if you really want a very crisp white you could try a sample of that. Good luck Samantha

      • Kat says:

        Thanks so much for your honesty. I think I might stay with the Casper white quarter strength then. My house faces east and I am after a very white look but will break it up with plenty of greenery planted at the front (hopefully). I have a lot of large windows on the front facade with three sets of French doors on the the upper level which I am hoping will also break up all the white. The upper level will be be in scyon linea to break up all the render.

        • Samantha Bacon says:

          Hi Kat the house design sounds beautiful – just test the Casper White Quarter first to make sure you like it! And you are right – landscaping with lots of greenery always finishes a house beautifully – good luck and I hope you love your new home

  44. Amanda says:

    Samantha,
    Reading your various blogs has been wonderful but I think I have stumbled across them a few weeks too late!
    Painting the exterior of an old weatherboard Queenslander in western Queensland in a rural area. Have chosen Colorbond Paperbark for the walls (we have seriously bad red dirt/dust) and Colorbond Ironstone for the gutters (roof is zinc and won’t be painted). The door, window and trim colour I have started doing Vivid White and it is way too stark. I would like to bring out more of the black in the Paperbark and less of the blue in Ironstone. Do you have any suggestions? I have tried Colorbond Surfmist and Dulux Casper White Half – am now leaning towards the Surfmist????? Would love some advice as the nearest paint shop is 150kms away so sample pots are not easy to come by!!!!

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Amanda I too would lean towards Surfmist – you certainly wouldn’t want it any lighter than that and it will look like crisp white and hopefully hold up to the dust!! Good luck Samantha

  45. Kath says:

    Hi Samantha

    Can you please help with the soffits and ceiling of the alfresco. Roof, guttering and fascia are Surfmist Colourbond, the exterior render is Grand Piano Half and I was looking at either Vivid White or Casper white quarter for the outside ceilings, do you think either of these would look okay or is there a better colour?

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Kath Often people use a half strength of their wall colour for a ceiling and this applies outside too. You could look at Grand Piano Quarter – I think Vivid White is too white and will show the dirt but Casper White quarter could work. Perhaps get a large sample and look at it in relation to your wall colour and see which one you prefer? Good luck Samantha

      • Kath says:

        Hi Samantha, would it work if I used ceiling white with 20% Grand Piano Half or is it best to just stick with Casper White quarter?

        • Samantha Bacon says:

          Hi Kath I’m not sure how 20% Grand Piano half will turn out – it should be almost white! You will need to play with this as you are working with a custom colour but I suspect that ceiling white may be the way to go – sorry I can’t be of more definite help! Samantha

  46. michelle says:

    Hi Samantha, I am building a lowset house in Qld on a narrow block with the front door at the side, not visible from the road. The walls are rendered and I have a double garage door and study at the front with two windows across the study wall. There is a weatherboard feature on the study wall. The roof is angled on the study roof line. I have no idea what to go with on the roof, render or garage door. As you drive up the street you will see the roof. I like surfmist or shale grey for roof and was thinking ironstone windows and garage door. Should I just keep it all surfmist or is it good too have a contrast. Any ideas would be appreciated.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Michelle a light roof in QLD is a good idea as it will reflect the heat – just ensure that you don’t have lots of overhanging trees as this will soon show the dirt which you need to consider if your roof is seen from the street. You may be better with Shale Grey – just to knock the brightness back slightly. With your roof you also need to consider your gutter and fascia too as this will be seen at the level of the house. Ironstone is a lovely blue grey and works really well with most neutrals or off whites. Remember with windows that you will have this colour inside too which may impact on your colour choices. I do like some contrast but it will depend a lot on how much light the house gets etc. and you need to consider the overall look. Hope this helps to point you in the right direction! Samantha

  47. Emma says:

    Hi Samantha

    Thank you for your blog, I find your advice so helpful and truly appreciate the time you take to respond to all of your readers. I was hoping you might be able to offer some advice, we have recently rendered our home in Surfmist which we love. We will one day go a monument roof and gutters and are now trying to decide on a colour for the windowsills. Do you have any suggestions of what could work best? We have a timber front door, eaves and fascia we are yet to decide on but are currently a white (not sure which) and we think will possibly re do maybe in a half Surfmist if you think that would work? Cheers, Emma

  48. zee says:

    Hi Samantha, have read your columns in magazines and appreciate your sensible advice !

    What colour trim for gutters, fascia, barge boards and verandah posts goes with an 1970s light peachy/orange brick house ??. The front faces west. I like white but read somewhere that a “mushroom” colour tones it down, and that is actually the colour of the front screen door ( dulux stone beige) with a pale mushroom/beige on the verandah tiles.
    Should I go with white with a green undertone, white duck quarter or whisper white, or beige royal quarter or similar?

    I want to brighten up the exterior but also “ground” the house by having a darker base colour on the foundations. Would a brown be OK ?
    The windows frames are plain aluminium, and I know it sounds a bit odd colour wise, so hoping you can help, thankyou.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Zee I think white may draw your attention to the peachy tones in much the same way that a crisp white trim inside complements a grey wall well and brings it to life – your white trim here may really define the peachy/orange tones. It might make sense to continue with the stone beige for the trim as you already have this on the front door and then a rich grey brown for the base would work. White Duck Quarter and Whisper White or beige royal quarter will be very white outside so I think you should stick to something darker. I hope this helps – I would paint just a small part and stand back to review it to get the best idea. Good luck Samantha

      • zee says:

        Oh thankyou so much Samatha.
        I had been wondering if I should use the colour of the front door for the trims, but wasn’t sure. After so many sample pots and sleepless nights I finally feel excited to start painting!
        Thankyou for your wonderful blog, what a great service you provide for us colour challenged !
        Regards Zee

  49. Elle says:

    Hi Samantha
    I’ve enjoyed reading your blog – thanks! I’m struggling with paint colours for a weatherboard second storey addition to our brick house. At this stage we are keeping the bricks as is so I need to take that into consideration, regardless of what we may do in the future. Our bricks are various colours ranging from red/orange to a more grey/brown. We have sandstone garden walls and light (sandstone looking) pavers. Our new roof and gutters will be Windspray. We like the grey/white colour scheme as we live close to the beach and it suits the area and surrounding houses. I have tried various different greys but would love your opinion. We have tried Tranquil Retreat, Milton Moon, Silkwort, White Duck (love this colour but looks dirty and almost yellow against our bricks), Chanson (too blue!), Spanish Olive (I love this colour but was too green with the bricks). We intend to have the same white on the fascia, eaves, trim and I have tried Vivid White and Lexicon Quarter. We will also be having a garage built and clad the same weatherboard – we would like a wood stain garage door. Thank you in advance!

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Elle it is very difficult to say but I suspect you need more of a brown grey and you may need to go slightly darker than the ones you have been trying. When the greys are lighter they tend to show their underlying colour more. I can’t say without seeing the bricks and I think you may really benefit from a colour consultant coming to see you – whenever you need to tie in with something definite like this it really is money well spent to get it right! Samantha

  50. Nicole says:

    Hi Samantha, I have just been reading your website and I am hoping you can assist me.

    I have a country style homestead home which is hardiplank (painted a hideous radioactive looking green), Primrose Cream windows, Cottage Green gutters, downpipes and roller doors. We also have a main front door and four french doors.

    I am desperately wanting to update it but I don’t know where to start. I need to keep the gutters and windows the same colour as I can’t afford to replace/paint them.

    Any suggestions?

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Nicole You need to find a neutral to replace the radioactive green but you will need a neutral with a green base I think as you will still have the Cottage Green quite dominant on the house. Possibly something like Dulux Stone which is a lovely stone neutral – take a look at this in the paint store and adjust up and down in tone depending on how dark or light you want the weatherboards. This is just a stab in the dark though but I feel it should work with the strong yellow and green as it is very neutral and won’t fight with them! Worth a try on a sample board only before committing!! Samantha

  51. Cecann says:

    Hi Samantha
    I have found your blog most informative. Thank you. We are building a country/hamptons style home in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, frontage will be facing East with deep verandahs on the front and Northern sides. We have chosen Colourbond Ironstone Roof, gutters and facias with Surfmist Garage Doors. The Windows are Dowell Pearl White With a timber trim. The Scyon Linea Boards we were thinking of using surfmist or Greyology 2 and then maybe vivid white or greyology 1 for window trim, verandah post and railings and the underhouse skirting Ironstone. Would love to hear your thoughts.

    Kind Regards
    Cecann

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Cecann it sounds gorgeous. My only concern is that there is not a lot of tonal difference between the two. This is OK if you only want a subtle look – the lighter tone will be in the sun on the veranda and posts and the darker in shade so that will help – just consider other areas of the house that are both in full sun. Surfmist and Vivid White will be OK but the two Greyology tones are almost identical and you may see no difference at all. I would get large sample boards of each and test on the various sections of the house at different times to ensure you like the effect. Hope this helps with your thinking Samantha

  52. Craig says:

    Hello Samantha,

    I need to repaint the timber posts around my verandah which are currently a cream colour. No idea what the existing colour is so will need to choose a new colour. The house is a traditional brick home in a country area. The roof is paperbark with a blue gutter and the windows are White Birch. Should I be going for a cream colour to match the windows or go a little bit darker? Trying to avoid any yellow look to the paint.

    Appreciate any advice you can offer.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Craig I think your posts should tie in somehow with the house – perhaps Paperbark to be a touch darker than the White Birch windows. Try a sample of this to check that it does not throw too much yellow for your liking Good luck! Samantha

      • Craig says:

        Thanks Samantha and I appreciate your prompt reply. I went with Grand Piano for the interior of the house and I guess this would also be an option as well. I didn’t want to go to dark outside which may make the window frame colour stand out more than it needs to.

  53. Anna says:

    Hi,

    We have a small NZ house near the beach with a large deck overlooking the ocean.
    It is a tiny house at the front and we decided to paint everything Dulux Wairakei .( a little like Natural White) It looks great. We painted the trims the same colour. The roof is a dark grey which is a little heavy but it is new and we can not change it.
    My question is..what is a good front door colour to go with this?
    I love black doors, but this is a small seaside house and it may be too heavy with the roof. What are your thoughts? A nice stone, taupe colour? A dark blue?
    Thanks!Anna

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Anna I love the sound of your house – lucky you! As the house is so light and you feel that even the grey roof is a little too much I think you definitely need to go with something lighter on the front door. Really any colour will work with this combination but I would keep it soft as against such a beautifully simple scheme, whatever you use will really stand out so no pillar box reds, strong navy tones or black. If it were my house I would go for a soft grey blue/green colour but a soft pale taupe would also be very pretty without being too colourful. Good luck! Samantha

  54. Tracy says:

    Hi Samantha, I am trying for a Hamptons/coastal luxe look with the exterior of our 14 yo house and the interior. Currently the window trims are Wattyl Midnight blue with Wattyl Castilian trims. I would love to change the window frames and door colour – any suggestions? Was wondering if we could get away with a deep charcoal? Our bricks are a Nubrick sandstone colour. Inside all our walls are Wattyl feather white. I have a heap of porcelain floor tiling in a white sand colour which I don’t love but have to live with 🙁 Would Dulux Powdered rock make everything look too beige even if I go half strength? Would love to go a grey interior but worry it will make my tiles look a dirty colour. Loved the builder Metricon home Bayville’s interiors and their colours but not sure if they will match my house.. Think your blog is amazing and so great that you share your knowledge with so many. Thanks very much Tracy

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Tracy You really need to work with what you have which is a pain for those of us (including me) that either built or updated around 15 years ago as the trend then was for warm creamy colours. Sometimes you can’t fight it and just have to work with what you have. With an interior you should always work from the floor upwards. If you really don’t like the tiles then some large area rugs – even just some inexpensive Sisal ones – can make a difference to tone it all down. Dulux Ghosting is Powered Rock when it is lighter – this is a very user friendly white/neutral that has a yellow base but reads fairly grey rather than beige. I sometimes find that Ghosting does throw a touch of lilac so you will need to paint a large sample board. It could be the grey though that you are searching for with your flooring, particularly if you can limit it a bit with some floor coverings. I do like deep charcoal tones with cream and beige so this may suit your sandstone colouring on the exterior. People add charcoal awnings to houses and instantly give them a lift. However just bear in mind that once you do this the feature becomes very prominent. The colours will work but you need to ensure you like the balance. Hope this has set you on the right track Samantha

  55. Anna says:

    Hi Samantha,
    I have read a couple of your posts on exterior whites now, which I’ve really enjoyed, but am still a bit overwhelmed by the choice!

    We have always wanted a white house. I really don’t like yellowy whites, but I don’t want the house to feel too stark/bright/cold… We have an old California Bungalow with a steel roof. The interior we have done Dulux Snowy Mountains Half with Vivid White trim and I am thinking Whisper White with Vivid White windows and trim for outside. We have big glass sliders across the back wall of the house we are leaving their natural colour and we plan to have a couple of brick pillars with natural timber posts on the front porch. We are east facing, in Melbourne.

    Your feedback/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

    Thanks Samantha,
    Anna

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Anna Whisper White may still be too bright outside. Even though you are facing East you won’t see much contrast between Vivid White and Whisper White. White Cloak Half keeps the warmth but with slightly more depth – perhaps try large sample of both to see which one you prefer. Samantha

  56. Andrea Howren says:

    Hi Samantha,
    As others have said I am desperate for some advice as my sample pots pile up! We have a 55 year old split level beach house in Victoria, built from AC sheet with wide vertical flat ribs. We face East and the house gets a lot of sunlight, with a deck on the front of the top level. It is currently faded yellowy colour with dark blue trim, very popular 20 years ago! I want to move to grey and white, but not a ‘grey’ house, as many others are. I was leaning to white walls with pale grey window trim and monument spout and fascias. Alternatively quite pale grey walls with white windows. Every grey I try seems either too grey, or starts looking pale blue, which is a definite no. Can you offer me some advice please?

    I would appreciate any suggestions, and am loving the advice you are giving others.
    Regards,
    Andrea

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Andrea I like your idea of a white house with grey windows – this makes it a bit different. Either way you need to be looking at warmer greys to avoid the blue tinge and something like Dulux Mason Grey could work or Dulux Lyttleton double is a great pale grey which has a green base – I love this with crisp white. Hope this helps Samantha

  57. Jody Martin says:

    Hi, I have an old Cobb and co homestead that has vivid white window trims and doors and ironstone roof. My exterior walls are classic cream but it looks too yellow, I am wanting to take the walls back to an off white, I tried surf mist which looks ok in the shade but not in full sunlight.
    What would you suggest, I thought maybe a antique white???

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Jody The Dulux house at the top of the post has Dulux Antique White USA on the walls so this will give you a good idea of how it will turn out. It will be far less yellow and lighter than classic cream so I suspect you may like it – Paler too than Surfmist. Hope this helps Samantha

  58. Kirby says:

    Hi Samantha,

    I’m so happy to have found this blog with all your wonderful advice! I’ve found reading all the comments very helpful, but I’m still a little perplexed navigating the whites!

    We have a 1950’s red brick house with steel casement windows, which I’m currently in the process of restoring, and then painting. They are currently cream, and we’re wanting to go white to really lift the house. Being south facing, I’m thinking Surfmist is going to throw too much grey, so leaning towards Casper White Quarter, Lexicon Half or even Natural white. Gutters will be monument, and fascia/eaves will be white too.

    Any feedback/recommendations you can give would be so greatly appreciated!! Thank you!

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Kirby The white you choose needs to have a little grey even though the house is south facing so I would lean towards Dulux Casper White quarter – or even try a sample of half – particularly for your fascias which could get quite dirty looking if they were too white! Good luck with the reno Samantha

  59. Liz says:

    Hello Samantha,

    I have a fibro Californian bungalow with terracotta roof. As many of the bold colours I’ve seen look out of place with a terracotta roof and gutter colour especially really can make or break the look, I’ve decided it needs to basically be white, so your blog has been really informative. I too am not fond of yellowy whites and tend to favour taupe undertones.

    The house is in the Blue Mountains and faces west. I’ve been thinking of Dulux Pebble Grey for the walls and Wairakei 1/4 for trims, windows and eaves with Surfmist (or maybe Dune) for the gutters. I’m a bit worried the Pebble Grey might be too strong especially on the south walls and would appreciate your feedback and advice on this combination.

    Many thanks Samantha,
    Liz.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Liz Did you mean Dulux Grey Pebble? If so, this definitely will not be too light – tonally it is the same as Colorbond Surfmist which really just appears white outside – particularly on the west elevation. As you are having a very crisp white trim you will see some depth in Grey Pebble but not much, particularly outside. If you are painting your gutters you might be better off looking at a smart dark grey alternative as a light colour will really make them stand out. Double check the colour on a large board outside to get a good appreciation of how it will end up looking. Good luck Samantha

  60. Suzanne Finch says:

    Hi Samantha
    Have only just come across your fantastic site.
    I am having sleepless nights trying to decide on or house exterior colour.
    I want white but our house faces east and i don’t want our neighbours blinded each morning.
    We have monument windows and gutters and are using lexicon half and quarter inside.
    Will i get the white effect i am looking for with surfmist? Or should i go with lexicon half? Also considered white terrace but am so confused.

    Suzanne

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Suzanne sorry to hear that the white dilemma is giving you sleepless nights and I wish I could have got to your question sooner! Dulux Lexicon Half is a lovely crisp exterior white but it is bright, Surfmist can look creamy and White Terrace will look a little blue but does keep the theme going with your inside whites and does also give a very contemporary look so you need to consider the style of your house too. One of my favourites exterior whites is Dulux Casper White – try samples before you commit. Good Luck Samantha

  61. Melissa says:

    Hi Samantha,
    I too love your blog and your great advice and am incredibly impressed with all of your responses. We are building a two storey weatherboard solar passive house near the beach in Perth and are aiming for a coastal look similar to the Byron Bay property picture you used in your post on white trims. What suggestions do you have for colours to achieve this look?
    Many thanks

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Melissa This white on white look can be tricky as it depends on how much light your house receives. If you get a lot then you need to leave more of a tonal gap between the two whites. A handy approach is to use a quarter and full strength of a white together but sometimes even this isn’t enough of a gap. Something like Dulux White Exchange and Dulux White Exchange Quarter. You will need to play around with large samples on your site as I feel that a house near the beach in Perth will be flooded with light! Good luck Samantha

  62. Claire Thompson says:

    Hi Samantha,
    Thanks for all the great advise on the site! We are about to embark on a big extension which involves rendering the whole house and replacing roof and windows. We live on a farm on the mid north coast of NSW surrounded by lots of lush green grass, hills and trees. We are going for a modern farmhouse style (with a touch if industrial on the inside). We have decided on Colourbond Windspray for the roof and gutters and were thinking of lexicon or lexicon half for the windows, facia, posts. The render colour is challenging! Current thoughts are Dulax Mangaweka or beige calm. Would appreciate your feedback and advice on this combination (alternative whites or render!!)

    • Claire Thompson says:

      Sorry – correction on the windows they are aluminium so will go with pearl white (surfmist is an option though).

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Claire for your windows Pearl White gives you much more contrast than Surfmist so it depends how much you want to see. I do love Dulux Mangaweka for exteriors and it does look lovely with Surfmist. You must always consider the window colour inside too – do you want crisp white or more of a grey which you will see with Surfmist inside. There is a Pinterest house with Mangaweka – just go into Pinterest and search on Dulux Mangaweka and it comes up – it will give you a good idea of whether you like it or not. Good luck Samantha

  63. Leanne says:

    Hi Samantha, we are in the middle of a huge renovation which evolves rendering the front of our north facing house. The house is two story with monument roof and gutters and surf mist paintedcar port. I am not sure what colour to render the house – I would like to soften the house as it is the only 2 story house on the street. Current thoughts are a grey/ beige, but would appreciate your thoughts. Thankyou

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Leanne I think you are right in wanting to soften the house and a grey that is warm and a touch more beige would work well. You have to consider how dark you want the render to be and what colour windows you will have – also consider whether you want to have contrast between the window colour and the render. A darker render will make the house appear smaller. Dulux Champignon is a classic grey/beige neutral that is mid tone – not too dark or too light. Perhaps look at this as a starting point and make it lighter if you prefer – test out large samples and do consider your other colours – windows, front door etc. I hope this has given you at least a starting point – good luck! Samantha

  64. Sarah says:

    Wow, I wish I came across this earlier! We’ve almost finished renovating our 1920’s Californian bungalow. We went with Silkwort for the weatherboards, Baltica for the bottom boards and Vivid White for the window trims. Perhaps we would have gone for a slightly less stark white if we’d come across this sooner. The roof is night sky (colourbond).

    I stumbled across this blog because we are about to get our front fence done. We are going for woven wire and we need to choose a powder coat colour to go with the house. We are thinking a white fence and were going to paint the posts vivid white to match the window trims, and need to work out which powder coat colour to go with for the wire. From reading here it seems like Pearl White is the way to go. Is that right? And should we go for the vivid white on the posts, or would you recommend another colour (remembering that the window trims are already done in vivid white)? Also, is white even the best colour for the fence? Should we go black (to match the roof)? Or is there another colour we should consider? Would love to hear your suggestions!

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Sarah glad you have enjoyed the blog. What you have to remember with fences and balustrades is that you look at light colours and through dark ones. If you do your fence, posts and wire, in Vivid White (which would be a Pearl White powdercoat) it will really stand out and will be the first thing you see when you look at your house. As you have commented that you may have chosen a less stark white then you might be better off looking at a grey for the fence. As your roof is Night Sky you could go with this or for a mid tone you could look at something like Colorbond Basalt which is a grey with a blue undertone and this would tie in with the Baltica. Certainly when the woven wire is in a dark colour, you look straight through it. I hope this helps to clarify your thinking Samantha

      • Sarah says:

        Thanks so much for your reply Samantha. I didn’t mention it in my post, but we actually had originally been thinking Night Sky for the fence, but changed our mind recently to white, so maybe Basalt could be a good compromise, as you’ve said! If we go Basalt for the wire would you recommend painting the posts and balustrades in Baltica, or is there a paint equivalent of Basalt? (I see that Basalt is one of the powder coat options, but I couldn’t find it as a paint colour (sorry if this is a stupid question). We have to decide this week and I am terrible at making decisions!

        • Samantha Bacon says:

          Hi Sarah It’s not a stupid question! Fortunately most paint companies will mix their paint to the Colorbond colour range so it will be no problem getting the posts painted in Colorbond Basalt. Good luck! Samantha

          • Sarah says:

            Thanks again! We may have made a decision – but believe it or not it’s not one of the ones I’ve been mentioning!! We drove past a house with a similar colour scheme to ours with a woven wire fence, and we really liked the look, so we knocked on the door and asked what colour their fence was!! Turns out it’s Monument (their house was Surfmist though, so a bit different to our Silkwort). Looking at colour charts, to us Monument looks a bit darker (and less blue) than Basalt but not as dark as Night Sky, and very close to Baltica. So we are now likely to go with this. Please let me know if you think this is a mistake!!

  65. Rose says:

    Hi Samantha,
    Thanks for a super informative post and comments.
    I’d really love to hear your thoughts and suggestions for our 1960’s single storey house. It is in WA and faces west and has a lot of glass doors/windows with plain white wooden frames on the front elevation. There is also a deep verandah (white slats with clear sheeting) that spans most of the front of the house. The roof is scillion and isn’t visible. We want to paint the exterior to achieve a cool coastal look but our biggest issue is that the house is set behind a 3 metre high retaining wall that is also rendered and will also need to be painted (it spans the whole width of the property). Do we paint the house and retaining wall the same colour? Do you have any suggestions on a white that would suit this situation?
    Many thanks,
    Rose

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Rose I think that if you are looking for a cool coastal look then your perimeter wall should probably be the same as your house render. You could either opt for a white – something with enough grey in it to stand up to the harsh WA sun like Dulux Casper White or you could look at a soft grey. Dulux Manorburn double is a soft light grey. You really need to consider whether you want your trim to stand out too in which case that will need to be a brighter white. So perhaps think about whether you want a soft neutral, grey or white and then try a couple of samples on these suggestions to see which you prefer. I hope this helps Samantha

  66. Richard Mahony says:

    I’m having to approach the selection of exterior whites from the perspective of thermal design, cyclone safety, security and availability. In a former existence, a long time ago, I used to be a consulting engineer in commercial building thermal design in the UK.

    But now I live less than four hundred metres from the beach in the Wet Tropics of Far North Queensland where the thermal gain through the roof under a clear blue sky can be horrendous, but on other days mould, mildew and salt corrosion under a leaden, dripping wet sky creates a totally different effect, both aesthetic and psychological.

    In major renovations, new garage doors up here must now be cyclone rated. That limits the choice of Colorbond still further.

    By far the best Colorbond for thermal comfort under the roof under a strong tropical sun directly overhead in a perfect blue sky is Colorbond Coolmax Whitehaven. But no Australian garagedoor makers offer Whitehaven. Most Australian building designers have never heard of Whitehaven because BlueScope Steel currently targets Coolmax Whitehaven at architects who design commercial buildings for the cost savings of Whitehaven on the cost of cooling.

    The closest ordinary Colorbond white to Colorbond Coolmax Whitehaven seems to be Colorbond Dover White. I’d be interested for your thoughts on all this Samantha, when living in the Wet Tropics — which is a very different environment to the dry Tropics of Townsville.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Richard Thanks for getting in touch – it’s really interesting to hear the different problems encountered around Australia when building and selecting appropriate products to use. Colorbond Whitehaven is a great clean white but I have never needed to specify it in Sydney and have not seen it on a building. Dover White is a very cool blue white and I think that you should consider how this relates to and works with the substrate that is right next to it – render/weatherboard colour etc. This will be more critical than how it relates to the roof as on an exterior building, I imagine they will be far enough apart. Inside the two whites may look slightly different but outside is a completely different proposition. Therefore consider the adjacent substrate – do you propose this to be a white too or a neutral? This is what you will need to sample Dover White with. I have seen these garage doors on houses and they are a good solution for people who want their door to be really bright and white rather than the slightly dirtier, greyer Surfmist. They are also used when people use a very crisp white on their exterior render and weatherboard as again the Surfmist next to this throws the look completely. However, I would imagine that in the bright sunlight and wet tropics that a crisp white render is probably not the best idea anyway. I hope this helps you to come to a decision and good luck with your renovation. Samantha

  67. Alana Macklin says:

    Hi Samantha
    What an educational blog, so happy to have come across it and enjoyed reading all the many which ‘white’ challenges and really appreciate that you take the time to reply and share your wealth of knowledge!
    We are currently building our first 2 storey home, in a coastal town with NE aspect.
    The windspray colorbond roof has just gone on with windspray gutters and fascia. We are rendering the ground floor level; colour still not chosen for render or garage doors thinking render a grey and pillars darker colour to break it up. Any suggestions welcome!
    Cladding will be used on 2nd storey, all windows clear anodised mix of louvres and fixed.
    We are currently agonising over the colour of eaves and cladding, definitely don’t want to throw any cream so after cooler white. Husband likes quarter or half Lexicon for both eaves and cladding. My concern is this too bright or white for NE aspect, show too much dirt and does it throw blue which may bring blue tone out from the windspray? As this is not what we want.
    Also, should eaves and cladding be same or different colours?
    Clearly we are overthinking the whole process but such a big decision and for our first home we are total novices but want it to look great too!
    Thanks in advance for any advice
    Kind regards
    Alana

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Alana Dulux Lexicon does have an underlying blue but this is generally washed out in sunlight. You are right though with considering dirt as the really crisp whites can get scruffy looking quite quickly outside. Generally I like my eaves a little darker but remember that whites and greys get darker when they are horizontal. If you are concerned about the blue and the dust you might like to look at the Dulux Casper White range as this has a touch of grey which helps to stand up to the bright sunlight – you could try full strength on weatherboard and half on eaves – make sure you get sample pots and paint large pieces of board to see what you think before committing and remember to try it out with the greys that you have in mind – hope this gives you a starting point Samantha

  68. Christine says:

    Hi Samantha

    Just reading through all your comments with great interest. Just painting our new seperate weatherboard garage and now the new house roof has been finished our colour is extremely bright and hard to look at in the sun so would love some help with a different colour suggestion.
    Our weatherboard house and garage has shale grey roof and gutter and on the garage we did dulux half terrace white and full strength terrace white on the weatherboards. Windows are mid Sheen white aluminium.
    Our house is federation style but want a modern colour. It does have 2.4mt verandah around all but one room bit think at different times of the day they will still see some sun. Any ideas would be appreciated.
    Thanks so much in advance for any suggestions.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Christine Terrace White is a fairly bright white outside and in half strength it really will be bright so I can see where you are coming from. You need to consider whether you want to see a contrast and also what underlying colour you like. Terrace White has a blue undertone – one tone darker is Dulux Madigan which is a lovely colour for weatherboards as it is not too dark or light and if you keep the trims crisp white you will see a nice contrast. Alternatively to soften the house a bit you could consider a warmer grey or a more neutral green grey. Think about this first and if you still like the idea of the blue undertone perhaps try a sample of the Madigan. Good Luck! Samantha

  69. Katie says:

    Hi Samantha, thank you so much for this article. I’m hoping you might give me some advice!

    We are renovating and painting the exterior of our 1910s Queenslander cottage in Brisbane. The roof is Colorbond Manor Red, which I don’t love, but is not in the budget to change. I want a white house and would actually love to paint the whole house in Vivid White, but have been warned that might be too white and also I do like the idea of using Vivid White to make the windows and other features POP!

    We have also chosen Monument for the window hoods and hand rails. So I’m wondering what shade of white you would recommend? I prefer the lightest colours and also those with more grey tones – but is this a mistake with our red roof, and will they just blend in with the Vivid White trims?

    I tried the Resene Black White and quite liked it, and also the Wattyl Alabaster, although found it too dark. I have asked my partner to bring home some more sample pots – Dulux Natural White (even though it has a creamy tone) and Dulux Terrace White in half strength (because I’m too scared of going too dark).

    If you have any thoughts or wisdom I would love to hear from you! Thank you so much. I look forward to checking out the rest of your website.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      HI Katie To lessen the impact of the Colorbond Manor Red roof, you can paint your gutters a different colour – either the Vivid White trim or a Monument would work too here as you are using this in other places. Resene Black White is a good white for an exterior but make sure that you do use a Resene paint because mixed by another paint company the colour could be different – I usually find that you can’t replicate the Resene range with any other supplier. In terms of Dulux, I like Casper White as it has a degree of grey that stands up to the QLD light and provides a touch of contrast for your Vivid White trim – you can look at it in half strength and also consider the aspect of the house and how much of it is shaded by your verandah as this will make a big difference to how bright a white you can go with. A touch of grey in the white is no bad thing as it also stays looking good for longer! Hope this helps Samantha

  70. Jenni says:

    South facing,inner city Melbourne modern house. We are looking at snowy mountain 1/2 for our interior, is this white ok for rooms with little direct sunlight? Also door trims/skirting boards should I pick these out in a brighter white like vivid?

    Externally we are looking at Domino or night sky for the ground level with white on the upper story. The front facade is North facing, I read your post about green undertone, does that still work when matching with black/almost black external colour? Just don’t know which white to choose?

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Jenni Snowy Mountains Half in a darker room looks much better and fresher with a Vivid White trim – For the exterior, Domino has a blue undertone while Night Sky is pure black. Domino is a really great exterior colour as it is not as harsh as the pure black however you have to be careful about the blue which will come out in your North facing aspect. Matching to Colorbond Monument also works for exteriors as it is more neutral than Domino and is an off black rather than a dark pure black like Night Sky. Hope this helps Samantha

  71. Liz says:

    Good morning

    I live on the Sunshine Coast and am revamping my 20YO rendered home.

    The colour I have chosen for the Colorbond tiled roof is Dune

    We have some paint left from a job my partner was doing on a construction site that is Lexicon Half. I feel this may be too light. What are your thoughts please?

    Thank you heaps,

    Confused Liz

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Confused Liz! Dulux Lexicon Half has a blue undertone while Dune is a warm grey brown so they may not work together and this colour will be very bright – particularly in the QLD sun. You haven’t said what colour your gutters and fascias are and this can act as quite a break to the roof colour. If they are Dune too then that colour really does start to come down into the scheme and will be at odds with the Lexicon Half. Consider elements like your garage door and window colour too. It would be great to use up the spare paint if you can so maybe consider a different gutter and fascia so that the Dune on the roof tiles is not so much part of the scheme. Good luck Samantha

  72. Liz says:

    Thank you so much Samantha.

    My thoughts were to do the gutters, fascias and garage door in Dune to break the lightness, but now you have pointed out the tones I can see that this will clash. We have another 15L of Mason Grey that may be better for these areas???

    Now I am worried that the roof will look out of place…….

  73. Chrys says:

    Hi Samantha,

    You are so incredibly helpful. Have you counted how many people you have helped through your website?! And could you add me to that growing list please?

    We’re painting the exterior of our house in Terrace White and thinking of a shale grey roof and white eaves. We live right beside the lake and the house has been formed by combining 2 old boat sheds to make a perfect little house. I would like a soft, coastal feel and can’t decide on the trim colour/s including gutters and fascia. There are a lot of windows in the house and the old ones have previously been painted mission brown while the new ones we’ve put in are white.

    Any suggestions would be really, really appreciated. Thank you so much for all the advice you’ve already provided via your blogs.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Chrys thanks for your kind words – of course I can add you to the list! I love the sound of your house – 2 old boat sheds as one sounds intriguing. Dulux Terrace White is a lovely grey white – almost pure white outside in the sunlight and I’m presuming your new windows are Pearl White or possibly painted and I assume you will paint the Mission Brown ones to match. Not sure whether you are painting your gutters and fascias or installing new ones in Colorbond. If painting you could use a white the same as your windows to really bring a fresh touch and contrast to the Terrace White however if you are using Colorbond you are more restricted. Colorbond Surfmist won’t give you much variation at all with the Terrace White but otherwise you have to have Colorbond Shale Grey. You can consider a contrasting trim altogether with something like Colorbond Windspray to bring some definition to the roof line but it will all depend on the overall look that you want. Good luck Samantha

  74. Jody says:

    Hi Samantha, I am so confused with colours and have changed a few times already.
    Building near the beach a two story home.
    Roof wind spray
    Eaves are surfmist house is a combination of cladding which is in shale grey and and render around the garage door and the a strip across the bottom of the house so the cladding has somewhere to finish other than the ground of that makes sense.
    We originally had windspray on all the Render, however it looked like a dark band around the bottom of the house. So we changed it to double strength shale grey. The garage is surmise.
    The house just looks dull. Nothing pops!!!!
    Considering doing a darker grey around the garage on the render and changing the rendered band around the bottom of the house but don’t know what colour. Front door is white and the front posts will also be white.
    Any advice???

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Jody I think you do need something darker on the render – as you say the house doesn’t pop and this is because your tones are too close together. You need to have more of a difference in tone to give the house definition. Inside those colours will look quite different but outside they all just blend into a blob so a dark render around the garage will make the garage door pop. Sometimes a base in a dark colour can work and you have to remember that once your landscaping is in then this softens all of this – when it is on a building site it can look quite bare. Hope this helps Samantha

  75. David says:

    Hi Samantha
    It is very interesting reading your helpful tips.
    We are in the middle of a renovation of a timber home. We will have a mixture of new aluminium windows and existing timber Windows so are thinking of surfmist so they will all match. For the weather boards we are wondering about dune. The boards are rough so catch a lot of dust. We want a dark colour for the garage door. Would you match it to the spouting, which is to be replaced? What dark colour would you suggest to go with surfmist and dune?

    We already have a large collection of sample pots so would value some advice.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi David Surfmist is a good idea for all your windows to ensure they match and this works well with Dune which is a bit darker but not too heavy. Colorbond Woodland Grey is a classic dark grey that works with Dune – you can see an image of these two together in a roof/weatherboard combination in my article on neutral exteriors. Hopefully this will give you a guide Samantha

  76. Miranda says:

    Hi Samantha
    We are building a home in WA and I am after a white on white or light grey and white colour scheme.

    We are having a Shale Grey roof and gutters and were thinking snow season half for the render and lexicon half for the windows and other trim.

    Having read your comments above I am now wondering whether Terrace White for the render would be a better option? Or do you have any other suggestions for colour schemes that will work with the shale grey roof?

    Thank you in advance for any help you can give – we are totally confused!

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Miranda You have to bear in mind the harsh WA sun – particularly if you house is not in shadow and the front elevation is either north or west facing. Dulux Snow Season Half really is very white outside and you won’t see a great difference with your trim colour. Always look at the largest samples you can outside on your block so that you can get an appreciation of how washed out the colours get. If you are possibly thinking a very pale grey and white you may be better off looking at a sample of Dulux Terrace White. to give you an idea – Terrace White is about the same tonal level as Colorbond Surfmist which is very white outside – hope this helps with your decision making Samantha

  77. Becky Zulaikha says:

    Hi Samantha,
    I love your blog so much! It’s amazing.
    So, after testing Powered Rock on our Edwardian style weatherboard. Hubby and I have actually agreed that a white on white scheme would be beautiful. Our house faces direct south and also has a big tree’s that shade much of the front facade. We have a tired old corrugated iron roof that’s most probably original but can’t afford to paint it or change it. Our gutters are cottage green. We have lots of pretty federation glass in the windows at the front.
    I am looking at painting the weatherboard s in Dulux White Duck 1/4 and doing all the timber work and trims in 1/4 White Duck 1/4. What do you think of this scheme, considering the south aspect? My fear of using Lexicon 1/4 for trims, which I have also tossed up, is that it will make the White Duck 1/4 look dirty.
    The other scheme that my husband is keen on is just painting the whole house in one white, maybe in different finishes. Which could look either amazing or flat.
    I would really appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks Becky

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Becky Dulux White Duck Quarter is very white – the third house shown in this post has a trim of Dulux Beige Royal quarter strength – very similar to White Duck Quarter and I just wanted you to see how white it is outside. It is very difficult to say what a quarter strength of this would be like – absolute pure white as there would be no pigment left at all. Even if you opted for Dulux Vivid White you probably wouldn’t see much of a contrast at all once you are out in the bright sunshine – even on a southerly aspect. With regard to the finishes I would recommend mainly low sheen – you can use a semi gloss on the window frames and other trim and on the front door but I wouldn’t go to a full gloss. Really consider the White Duck Quarter, bearing in mind this image and perhaps paint a large sample board and view outside. You may be better off looking at Dulux White Duck half strength with Dulux Vivid White but you really need to test out on site to see what you think Samantha

      • Becky Zulaikha says:

        Thanks for your reply. I was contemplating Snowy Mountains in full strength for the weatherboards & 1/4 strength for the trims, but the softness of the White Duck 1/4 probably does suit my house style more. Not sure about the starkness of Vivid White, and my painter hates it’s coverage, or lack of. I think I am getting just enough contrast between it and Lexicon 1/4. Guess I am best off doing a few sample tests 😊

  78. Sarah says:

    Hello. I’m stuck on picking a colour. My townhouse is a peach orange brick colour on the bottom and weatherboard in top. I’m painting the garage door and front white fence monument grey and on top story was thinking Haymes Minimalist 2 or 3. Or Polar 1 I think. I can go with Dulux doesn’t matter. No body Corp here so I don’t have to match the guys at back but better not go crazy. So I thought because or peach bricks maybe a warmer creamy tone? Not sure :). Painter coming Monday and in twenty mins ha and I’ll see what he says too. White would be nice or a warmer colour.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Sarah I think you are on the money with Haymes Minimalist 3 as it is a nice neutral but with some warmth to go with the brick but it is light enough that it will appear just off white outside – good luck with the painting Samantha

  79. Jo says:

    Hi Samantha,
    We’ve got a Californian bungalow facing west and are thinking of a warm grey for weatherboards and white windows trim. We have an iron roof in Windswept (not very visible). We’d like to paint roof facia in ironstone for some contrast.
    Thinking of either Dulux taupe white or Dieskau for boards, dune for brick work base of verandah and base boards, natural white for windows. Would love to know your thoughts. Thank for your blog to help all those with problems choosing grey!
    Jo

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Jo Dulux Dieskau is just a touch greyer and a little less pink that Dulux Taupe White but both on a west facing position will be very light – this is OK but you need to think about the effect you want. Dune is more of a brown/grey/pink so if you wanted something a little greyer you might be better opting for Dulux Flooded Gum which is 2 tones darker than Dieskau and keeps you to the same range of colours. Dulux Natural White is a lovely warm white and will be a fresh white outside. So I think it will all work – you just need to consider the depth and perhaps paint a large sample board to ensure that it won’t be too washed out. Good luck Samantha

  80. Mahdi says:

    Hi Samantha,
    I’m in the middle of a Reno at the moment which consists of a west facing weatherboard home and a north facing brick granny flat. The look I’m trying to go for is Hampton’s and I’ve already made the decision to go with surfmist for the colourbond roof, gutter and fascia and a flat white for the powder coated aluminium windows. The only thing I’m having trouble deciding on is a colour for the exterior and under the eaves etc. My heart is set on white but not sure what would work with the different sun aspects, different materials (weatherboard and brick) as well as the chosen roof etc. The other option I thought of would be a grey such as Milton moon or tranquil retreat.

    Internally I’ve picked a matte white kitchen for house and a soft grey for the granny flat. The floors or a medium oak in both with touches of grey. I would also appreciate any guidance in terms of what white to go inside and whether to paint all the ceilings and trim the same or to go a different shade.

    Looking forward to hearing back from you.

    Many thanks,
    Mahdi

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Mahdi I think that in a north and west facing position you are better off introducing some soft grey on the exterior – Dulux Milton Moon will give you more of a contrast with your windows and would work better in that area. Internally you need to consider whether you want a cool or warmer white and I am thinking probably cool with the house aspect. You can opt for one fresh white like Dulux Vivid White for the ceiling and trim and then a slightly darker white for the walls. Hope this helps Samantha

  81. Meg says:

    Hi Samantha,

    You have nearly answered my question in all your fantastic replies above!
    But would just like to confirm!! 🙂 I am looking for a white exterior and same trim colour for a modern corrugated iron guest quarters.
    I have
    Gutters, Roof- shale grey
    Corropanel underneath- Surfmist
    Fence/Decking facia- Domino
    Thinking- Snowy Mountains or Casper White or Lexicon??Full strength or Half?? for the walls.

    Thanks!

  82. Carmela Rinvenuto says:

    Hi Samantha

    Have you heard of a colour called Dulux Kings Canyon Grey?
    We are looking at painting our 20 year only Georgian townhouse in this colour, but can’t find anything about it.
    We are also loving Dulux Linseed, Dulux Time Capsule or Dulux Tapestry Beige. Our roof is black tiles and our aluminum windows and garage door are a classic cream which looks a bit white now.

    Thank you
    Carmela

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Carmela I can’t find any record of Dulux Kings Canyon Grey – it may be an out of date colour? The neutrals you have mentioned are all very classic – Dulux Linseed is a touch more green than Dulux Time Capsule and Dulux Tapestry Beige which are both warmer – Remember that they lighten up considerably outside good luck Samantha

      • Carmela Rinvenuto says:

        Hi Samantha

        Thank you for your reply and love reading your blog.
        I have a north facing house so i should go darker, but i am worried the washout classic cream garage will standout if it is too dark.

        Cheers
        Carmela

        • Samantha Bacon says:

          Hi Carmela yes the garage door will stand out more – you can arrange to have this spray painted a darker colour if it is throwing the rest of your scheme or go just a touch lighter to balance it.

  83. Christine Lim says:

    Hi Samantha,

    Thank you so much for taking the time to help us novices!!

    I’ve just spent hours reading through your wonderful blog and all the comments and your responses to help me decide. I’m hoping you could help me as I’ve been thinking about external colours for months and months and I’m so confused!

    I’m building a modern Hamptons style double story home in Melbourne with scyon cladding up top and rendered Hebel downstairs. We are a corner block and the facade faces south-west and the “other facade” (which is used as our backyard) faces north-west.

    We will have either a basalt or monument colourbond roof and gutters. Likely smurfmist fascia and garage door (restricted by colourbond colours and this is the closest white I could get). The aluminium window frames are pearl white and we also have timber window trims which I’ve tried to match to the aluminium frames so went with Dulux white on white. I don’t really want to change the aluminium windows to smurfmist because my interior will be Scandinavian design with lots of whites and timber and I think smurfmist windows will look too cream amongst all the internal white.

    I really would like a light grey home with contrast windows and thought silkwort walls (cladding and render) would work nicely. But then the fascia and garage throws me off as I think they may look too cream against the silkwort? Thoughts?

    The other option for walls was timeless grey but worried this is too dark especially on the south side of the south-west facing facade?

    Would very much appreciate your advice, ideally I would’ve liked to keep it simple and do monument roof, gutter, downpipes; lexicon half fascias, waves, windows and trims; and silkwort render and cladding. These colourbond colours for the fascia and garage really throw me off!

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Christine A lot of people struggle with Surfmist as it is a bit creamy – it is actually quite a green white which does make it neutral and I must say that on fascias outside in the sun, it really just looks like a white. You tend to see more of it if you use it on your garage door. However some people do have powdercoated fascias so this is certainly something you could consider and then you would have more white or you could have your fascia the same colour as your guttering. If you like the idea of the Monument, it might be better to have this as your roof, gutter and fascia (or a powdercoat white option) and then also have a Monument garage door? There are garage door companies though that have brought out a white too for their garage door – I know that B&D have one called Dover White which is a crisp blue white. I actually find it a bit blue but you should maybe shop around with your local suppliers. Dulux Silkwort is a lovely warm grey and as you say would certainly look nice with crisp white and Monument. I hope this has given you some ideas. Samantha

      • Christine says:

        Hi Samantha,

        thank you ever so much for your reply! I didn’t even receive a notification that you had replied and stumbled on this again by chance because I am researching again colours. We ended up with Silkwort cladding and render, lexicon window trims with pearl white aluminium frames, dover white garage door, surfmist fascia, monument gutter and roof. As you said, surfmist for small panels such as fascia was ok, the surfmist on a garage door really threw me off, so we went with powder coated dover white. hope that is ok. the issue now for us is the Monument roof and heat!!

        Actually, one last question if I may, would you think Basalt roof and gutters or Monument roof and gutters would suit Silkwort better?
        thank you again!!!

        • Samantha Bacon says:

          Hi Christine – hope this reply comes through – technology is wonderful until it doesn’t work!! All sounds good but I think you could look at Basalt if you are worried about the heat – if you wanted more white trim you could even use Surfmist for your gutters as well as your fascia – this really means that the roof is not such a part of your scheme – hope that makes sense! Samantha

  84. Brooke Anderson says:

    Hi Samantha
    We are wanting to paint the exterior of our house. Our home is a 1940’s style – Brick and timber, with terracotta roof tiles. The trimmings of our home are already painted Vivid White – but the exterior walls are a Yellow colour. I love the idea of painting it all white – but not sure what white to paint it and the wall surrounding our house is the same colour too (light yellow)… Do you think too much to paint it all white? Would love your expert opinion please;-)
    Thank you
    Brooke

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Brooke You’re really making a statement with an all white house but you have to consider whether it will suit the style of your house. I think you can probably get away with it but use a white that has a touch of grey so that you still get your contrast with the Vivid White trims and perhaps bring in some natural timber into the house or a colour for your front door. Consider too whether it is practical for the perimeter wall to be the same white – sometimes these can get quite dirty if they are on a street frontage and perhaps you could consider a light neutral stone colour or a soft grey for this – perhaps even then use that same colour on your front door? Good luck with it all Samantha

  85. Julie Lennon says:

    Hi Samantha
    We are to about to embark on our retirement project of renovating an old farmhouse with a cottage green colour bond roof. We would like to paint the exterior white – could you please suggest some white combos for walls, trims etc. that would go nicely with the green roof.
    Thank You
    Julie

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Julie I would opt for some green based whites – Look at something like Dulux Cargo River Half as the starting point – inside it has some depth but outside it will be white – I think a colour like this is nice and soft for a farmhouse look. Possibly with something like Dulux White Verdict half or quarter as the trim – paint large sample boards to ensure you get the look and depth/contrast that you want. Regards Samantha

  86. Bernii says:

    Hi Samantha. Building a new house in Qld & looking at creating the Modern Barn look very similar to Bonnie’s house from the Three Birds. Looking at using Surfmist Roof, Gutters & Fascia. Looking at using Snowy Mountains half or full strength on weatherboards, Austral Bricks in La Paloma in Castellana which is white solid colour. My windows will be black. Would these colours work well ?

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Berni This sounds good – for the right white I would paint a large sample and place it next to the La Paloma bricks – I am familiar with them but haven’t tried out the whites next to them. It’s important that the two work together. My feeling is that it will more likely be a full strength of Snowy Mountains which has enough grey to stand up to the sun in QLD – I think anything lighter may be just too bright and may make the bricks look dirty. But you must try the sample next to it as I do not have hands on experience of this one! Samantha

  87. Karen says:

    Hi Samantha

    We are changing the roof of our twenty-something brick project home to Surfmist (to improve thermal efficiency. We will also be changing the garage doors and aluminium window frames to Surfmist for the same reason.

    The house bricks are a medium brown with off-white mortar. We won’t be rendering, so we’re stuck trying to tie the new white roof in with the brown bricks.

    We are unsure of what colour scheme to go with for the gutters, facias, eaves and other trims (downpipes etc). A consultant has suggested Colorbond Basalt as a contrast. Do you have any other suggestions?

    Would you recommend keeping both gutters and facias in Surfmist to match the roof? Or if using Basalt or another contrast colour, would you go with light gutter / contrast facia or the other way around?

    Many thanks
    Karen

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Karen Usually if you match your gutter to your roof they then disappear and then you can tie your fascia to your brick but you might want to find a colour that is closer to the brown in the bricks. If you use Basalt which is a blue based grey, you will need to ensure it links to another part of the house. However if you are also having Surfmist windows and garage doors I am not sure that you need another colour for your gutters and fascia? It really does depend though on the look of house etc and whether you think you can get away with just the white and the brick. Good luck Samantha

  88. Helen says:

    Hi Samantha

    I live in a two story rendered townhouse and I want to paint it white.
    It has a black tiled roof and black railings & black garage door with lots of greenery.
    Can you help me with choosing the perfect white as I’m very confused with all the different whites available.
    Many thanks..
    Helen..

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Helen you need to have a white that has a fair degree of grey so that there isn’t too strong a contrast between the black and white. Dulux Casper White is a nice exterior white that stands up to the sun – it will just appear very white outside but doesn’t have any blue or yellow so is very neutral. Perhaps try painting a large sample board in two coats and seeing if it suits the aspect/light of your exterior. Hope this helps Samantha

      • Helen says:

        Hi Samantha,
        Thankyou so much for taking the time to reply.
        I will let you know how I go with the Dulux Casper White.
        It’s a white that I hadn’t looked at but looks about the tone I was after.
        Fingers crossed 🤞
        Off to Bunnings tomorrow for a sample pot.
        Thanks Samantha..
        Cheers..Helen..

  89. Debbie says:

    Hi Samantha
    We are wanting to paint our weather board house which is currently a yellowy/mustard color to an off white. The windows are White Birch and fascias and posts are Woodland Grey. Thinking of Dulux White Duck but that might be too white. Any suggestions?
    Many thanks Debbie

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Debbie Dulux Apparition is one tone darker than White Duck which may be better – it also goes well with White Birch windows. You need a little more depth so that the wall colour is tonally similar to the windows and this ensures that they don’t stand out. Try a large sample board though first and look at it at different times of the day as it will depend so much on the aspect of your house and how much sunlight you get. Hope this helps Samantha

  90. Peter says:

    Hi Samantha,

    Firstly thank you for your willingness to answer so many questions on this forum with such friendly and thoughtful responses.

    We are trying to decide an external colour scheme for our new build. It is a single storey house with quite a narrow frontage only 6m. It will have a single garage on one side which is set back from the porch on the other side.

    As the frontage is narrow we were thinking it may be best to keep the colour scheme of the facade light and neutral but without looking washed out.

    We have been thinking along the lines of Colorbond Basault roof, Surfmist garage door, Aluminium Ultra Silver windows, Dulux Ghosting Half or Dulux Feather Soft or Dulux Grey Pebble render (front facade), Dulux Ancient Ruin render (porch piers), timber front door and timber look horizontal lining above the porch piers. The frontage is North facing so it will receive full sun all year (Australia).

    Another option we have considered is a timber look garage door but we were concerned that it may overpower such a narrow frontage.

    What are your thoughts on these colour combinations and do you have any other suggestions that come to mind even if completely different than what has been mentioned above?

    Your input is most appreciated.

    Many thanks,
    Peter

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Peter My feeling is that Dulux Grey Pebble may be too light for the north facing front of your house. Tonally it is only very slightly darker than Colorbond Surfmist which looks very white outside. It’s difficult to say as I obviously don’t know what you have in mind but you just need to know it will be very light. Dulux Ghosting half will be almost identical to Surfmist and same story with Feather Soft. I think you need to consider your garage door – a timber garage could look great and tie in with your other timber elements but it may be overpowering. Decide on your garage door first and then consider whether you want to see much tonal contrast between the rendered wall and garage and this will put you in a better place to make a decision. I suspect you need to be at least one tone darker for any of the colours you have mentioned. Good luck Samantha

  91. Anna says:

    Hi Samantha,
    Thank you for sharing your wonderful advice. We are renovating a Victorian villa. It has sandstone walls and painted brick quoins and window surrounds. The roof is unpainted corrugated iron and there is bull nose verandah with quite ornate lace and verandah poles. The rear extension will be very contemporary with rendered brick walls with black steel doors. The woodwork is currently painted cream and the quoins and masonry a darker yellow brown. We want to create a fresh, modern look and are thinking of using a soft white with grey gutters and charcoal front door. We do not want to use a yellow based white as we feel this will look quite old fashioned. We have tried various whites and are leaning towards Caspar White, White Exchange Half and Whisper White but are not sure which will look best with the yellow/orange tones of the sandstone. We are not sure if Caspar White is too grey and White Exchange Half and Whisper White too stark against the stone. Your suggestions of an appropriate colour for the painted brickwork, masonry, gutters, lace and woodwork would be much appreciated. Thank you. Ann.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Ann it is very difficult to say without seeing the sandstone. The best way you will be able to tell is by painting a large board in two coats of each white and placing it next to the sandstone. My feeling is that you should perhaps look at full strength White Exchange? Remember that you want to update the look but not spoil the effect of the aged and mellow sandstone. Hope this helps! Samantha

  92. Monica says:

    Hi Samantha,

    Firstly, thank you for providing so much help to others around paint colours. We are about to paint a new-build weatherboard cottage very Australian in style. It has a Windspray roof, front wrap around porch so lots of shadows, exposed roof rafters, hopscotch windows with detailed architraves, a single timber band around the perimeter and sandstone cladding at the bottom of the front facade. There is a lot of detail! We have decided on Pipe Clay Quarter for the weatherboards but are stuck on the trim colour as we want soft tones so all the detail works together. Considering Vivid White but are worried it may be too stark against the sandstone and just make the trims stick out too much. Would Natural White 30% work as it is in the interior? Thank you. Monica

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Monica Dulux White Verdict Quarter reads a little green and is a nice neutral white – nice and bright but not stark like Vivid White. Perhaps try a sample of this next to the Pipe Clay Quarter to see what you think? Good luck – your house sounds beautiful Samantha

  93. Lisa says:

    Hi Samantha,
    We are building a cottage style home that faces north east. We have chosen windspray for our roof colour and are now trying to choose the right white for the weather boards and trims. I am hoping to achieve a very very clean and fresh white house. I would be happy to use the same white for both boards and trims. What do you suggest?

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Lisa You might like to look at the Dulux Snowy Mountains range from quarter to full. I know you want a very clean fresh white but you probably don’t want it to be too glaringly obvious or difficult to maintain so if you view this range you should find a tonal level that suits. This is a lovely neutral white with a touch of grey which you really do need for exteriors. Try out a sample on a large board outside and move it around the house to check you like it. Good luck Samantha

  94. Toni says:

    Hello Samantha!
    I’m so glad I found this blog tonight! We have to decide on our door colour tomorrow and I’ve been procrastinating for the past 8 weeks! 😩
    The brick/block colour we have chosen for our new build is austral Porcelain. We are tossing up between Surfmist or Dulux White satin powder coated finish. We are after an overall White House look.
    The surfmist possibly blends better on exterior in most lights.. we also have a surfmist roof and fascia, although you can only see the fascia. Not sure it’s a great match beside the porcelain though?
    The white satin is nice but I’m concerned the windows may make the porcelain look grey? Plus being white aluminium I’m concerned they may be too much of a feature, bright and look a bit cheap maybe? Possibly even clash with the fascia in certain light.
    I love a neutral soft and slightly warmer interior so this may prove difficult with the interior clashing with windows.
    I do hope you can help, I’ll be very grateful for any advice you can offer.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Toni I am not sure I made your deadline but I think I would go with Surfmist as you are already using it and it does go well with many outdoor schemes as it has a touch of grey. The White satin is probably easier to work with for your interior though. I think whichever way you go it will be swings and roundabouts so you will need to compromise either way. Hope you are happy with your new home Samantha

      • Toni says:

        Hey Samantha,
        We ended up going with surfmist in the end. I decided that I would rather the windows blend and not be a feature as such, had they been too white.
        Thank you for your reply. You’re very clever at what you do and I’m sure you’re also very appreciated by many indecisive/ amateur builders such as myself.
        Thank you!

  95. Emma says:

    Hi Samantha,

    Great read and responses, which I’ve gone through to make sure I’m not doubling up.
    What a great post going since 2016 🙂

    We have a single level house, wrap around verandah with no rail.
    Was red brick but we’ve peeled off and put up vertical cladding.
    We’ve already done the roof in Colourbond, Surf Mist and need a exterior paint colour for the vertical cladding…

    Many are saying go shale grey, though i feel it is overdone in our neighbour hood and would be expected.
    I had a white house look in mind, though when Ive tried 2 whites they have come out yellow-y and as you mention the Surf mist is essentially grey/white throwing what I thought would be a great white off.

    Do you think a Terrace white would work?

    I adore the picture, named Woy Woy house in your original post, with the adjoining house that looks like it’s in Basalt… We have a Granny flat which is Basalt with surf mist roof on same property, though I wanted the house to go with it, not match it….

    Look forward to any feedback..

    Thank you

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Emma Dulux Terrace White has a definite blue base but will be quite light outside – it will give you a white house but without being too clinical if that is the outcome you want. The house that you like has Dulux Stepney as the darker grey on the walls but this is a warm white and quite a bit lighter than Basalt. Dulux Timeless Grey would be more of a blue equivalent in tone but with a cooler blue base. Hope this helps with your decision making Samantha

  96. andrew davern says:

    hello I have a 50,s weatherboard , windspray roof and gutters , what would be a good white? the windows are white aluminium with white timber frames around them

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Andrew You will need a white with a touch of grey and you will need to ensure that the white around your windows gives you enough contrast – if that is the look you are after? You can of course keep everything the same white. Something like Dulux Mt Aspiring could work but you should check a sample first. Good luck Samantha

  97. Alice says:

    Hello,
    We are in the process of building a new home and im really lost as to what white to paint the exterior weatherboards and for the roof. Our design has a skillion roof we are either going to go surfmist or windspray on the roof and we have timber door for the entry and then we are thinking of painting the boards white and planting a number of plants around the house to soften it. I am worried that it is going to look cold so am hoping to choose a warm white.
    Thankyou so much

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Alice A Windspray roof will give your house an extra dimension as it is slightly darker and also is more practical in terms of dirt and leaves etc! You might like to consider a soft white like Dulux White Duck or White Duck half which is a very neutral white that will give you some warmth without appearing yellow. You need to consider the depth of the white, your aspect etc and how much sun the house receives so paint large sample boards to check you like it! Good luck Samantha

  98. Verity says:

    Hi Samantha,
    Not sure if you still check this thread but thought I would try my luck anyway!! We are building a new two storey house in Sydney (front of the house faces east) and I am trying to decide on a good white exterior paint colour that will go with the Colorbond Ironstone roof and garage? It is quite a large house with wide front so I don’t want anything too stark but I also don’t want it looking too yellow or creamy. We were thinking maybe something like Surfmist but not 100% sure, so I wondered what you elsemight suggest or if we went with Surfmist, what colour should we choose for the trims etc?
    THANK YOU!

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Verity you could look at Dulux Terrace White which has a blue undertone – it’s a good exterior white that isn’t too bright. Make sure you try it out first though to ensure it is suitable. Good luck Samantha

  99. Irene says:

    Hi, we are renovating our weatherboard Californian Bungalow in Melbourne and have a Colourbond roof in Ironstone which can have a blueish tinge to it on some days. I am thinking of painting the weatherboards white, but am not sure what would look good with this roof colour due to the blueish undertone it can have? Our downpipes and front fence are Colourbond surfmist. Can you please advise me which white exterior colours you think we should try?
    Thanks

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Irene As your downpipes and fence are Surfmist you should probably stick with this for your weatherboards, otherwise the downpipes will stand out. So unless you will paint these too you really need to consider your choice of white and how it will relate to the Surfmist. You need to also consider your windows and window trim and whether you want to see a contrast, your gutters and facia/barge boards, posts? etc. and how these will relate to your chosen wall colour. Good luck Samantha

  100. Lisa says:

    Hi Samantha,
    I love the all over clean white home. I am looking at surfmist roof and snowy mountain quarter weather boards and trims. Should these two whites go together?
    Thanks for your time.
    Lisa.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Lisa Yes – I do like these together – just be mindful that Snowy Mountains Quarter will be very bright outside – particularly in the sun so you might need to adjust it if your house is in a lot of sunlight. Hope this helps Samantha

  101. Jean says:

    Hi Samantha, we live in Cairns and painting the exterior of 80’s home. Has Gully or Wallaby (Colorbond) on the double roller door and pale grey roof. We are painting the facia/gutters and wood finial

    We want to use modern colours. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks in advance for any assistance you could give me, thanks J

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Jean The colour you choose for the facia/gutters and finials really depends on the wall colour of your house but as a quick response you could paint them white – possibly Surfmist so that if you had to replace gutters at any time then this would be straight forward or you could tie in your garage door and have a smart dark grey/brown trim – possibly Wallaby? Hope this helps Samantha

  102. Simone BREGUET says:

    Hi Samantha, your blog is amazing,
    and just what I needed to fine right now. We are building a Hampton’s style weatherboard single story house and live in Vic on the coast. We have chosen Colorbond Ironstone for the roof/gutters and double garage door with Surfmist windows, verhanda posts and trim. We’d like to achieve a light contrast look on the exterior walls and are considering Surfmist double. Alternatively would you suggest a light grey colours that might suit? The longest, front side of the house faces North. We have also chosen double Cedar front doors. Feeling rather overwhelmed trying to make this decision and don’t want to make an expensive stuff up. Thanks for your time, Simone

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Simone Colorbond Surfmist is a little creamy and becomes more so when it is in double strength. As you have blue in your Ironstone and garage door I am wondering whether you want more of a crisper grey? Dulux Lyttleton is a good neutral grey – it isn’t a blue grey but it doesn’t have yellow either. It will provide a slight contrast. You should try samples with two coats on a large piece of board and view outside with the Surfmist and Ironstone to see if this is the look that you want. Good luck Samantha

  103. Helen says:

    Hi Samantha,
    I posted a message to you on February 1st this year regarding painting our townhouse white & you suggested Casper White but I have just found out from the council that we live in a Heritage area & have to choose a white from the Dulux Heritage colour chart.
    Do you have a list of the Dulux whites or would it be the whites on the Dulux Heritage UK colour chart.
    I’m starting to think I might need you to come & give me a colour consultation as it’s becoming too hard.
    Looking forward to your expert advice.
    Kind regards..
    Helen

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Helen Yes – I remember replying to you – keeping to the Heritage palette really will restrict you and means that you don’t get to use the grey style whites. Depending on where you are I could come to see you or I have an e-consultation option which you might find useful too? Send me a message on Samantha@samanthabacon.com.au and I will see how I can best help you. Samantha

  104. Anna says:

    Hi Samantha!
    What a godsend you are for so many! Hoping I can be another 🙂 I am painting the exterior of my red brick house. It’s South facing, has a red tile roof with a warm coloured pebbled driveway. I’m doing a black front door with black gooseneck lights and would like the brick and trims either/or whites, creams, light greys. Could you please help me! Ones I have chosen come out quite blue or grey. Thanks Samantha!

    • Anna says:

      I should add to my above comment I have since chosen Dulux Clear concrete for the brick, now need a nice white/cream trim. I thought Dulux Hog Bristle? Thank you!

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Anna As you have chosen Dulux Clear Concrete for the brick I would consider a white trim like Dulux Casper White Half – this has a similar underlying warmth and I think is preferable to the creaminess of Dulux Hog Bristle. Paint a sample of it with the Clear Concrete to see what you think. Good luck Samantha

  105. Joanne Hadad says:

    Hi Samantha
    We are about to sign off on our colour selections for our new home and are in need of a quick bit of reassurance or direction. We have chosen a Shale Grey roof, showy mountains half on the external cladding and have windows in aluminium ultra silver. I cannot seem to find comments on the snowy mountains half used as an external paint anywhere. What are your thoughts?

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Joanne Dulux Snowy Mountains Half is very light outside but if you want a nice crisp look this will work. It has a touch of grey so is not as bright as some whites. The outcome and whether you are happy with it really depends on the effect you are trying to achieve – fresh and clean or slightly grey. This will give you a fresh clean look, particularly as you don’t have very white windows. If you have time you should paint up a large sample board with two coats. I hope you love your new home Samantha

      • Sharon Russell says:

        Hi Samantha’ I love your blog! And wondered if you could help me with my sleepless nights over colour choices. Lol. We are building coastal, south east facing, high side of the road, 2 story, skillion roof, mix of render and Scyon. We’d like our deck to be charcoal or timber. Internal I’m thinking Lexicon walls and doors, half strength lexicon ceiling and pearl white window frames – basically monochrome interior mixed with greys/timber/concrete. Therefore I’m confused with external as we will have white windows. Do you think we should keep it simple with surfmist roof,gutters, rollerdoor and possibly walls too. Or is that too much? Will it look yellow as not in direct sun. I don’t want to make a mistake. We would appreciate any advise you could give us on interior and exterior along with suggestion of front door and external ceiling and eaves – many thanks Sharon

  106. anna says:

    Hi Sam,

    Help would be much appreciated! Have just stumbled across your blog in search for some colour advice 🙂

    We are renovating a 1980’s house in Northern NSW. We have chosen Surfmist for external weatherboards/cladding, and will do the trims in a brighter white such as vivid white. We are about to order some aluminium windows and a sliding door, and Im having trouble choosing either Pearl White or Surfmist colour for these. Worried Pearl white might be too stark and surfmist too creamy against bright trims?

    Thanks heaps!!! xx

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Anna this is a constant question and there isn’t a right answer – you know the drawbacks to both colours and perhaps it might help if you consider the question from inside as you need to ensure that the aluminium frame works there too. In terms of the exterior, by choosing Pearl White you make your windows stand out more as the frame and architrave are pretty much the same so you get a nice chunky look to the window. By going with Surfmist, you have a smaller amount of fresh white and you link your windows back to the weatherboard. I’m sorry not to be more definite – if it helps lots of people have the same problem! Good luck Samantha

  107. Adara says:

    Hi Samantha, I am hoping that you can put my mind at ease regarding external paint colour for my 1962 highset chamferboard house in Brisbane. I have a very noticeable orange terracotta roof (which I hate) on my house. I was hoping to have a neutral, timeless colour on the house; one that doesn’t make the house colour look too “heavy”. After me trying many sample pots of colour and still not being confident of a colour, I got a colour consultant to come to my place. She has suggested either Beige Royal (which I think may not be neutral enough and could make the house look 1980’s looking???) OR Dulux Powered Rock. She has suggested Monument for the gutters, Dulux White Polar Quarter for fascia and trims and Dulux Powered Rock for the chamferboard on all of house. The house doesn’t have any nice architectural features. The roof seems to be its main feature. :o( I am just a bit worried that the Powered Rock may look too grey and maybe look a bit dirty and heavy when painted on the whole house and therefore have the orange terracotta and powered rock compete with each other. I have seen many colours that I like on houses, but not those that also have the orange terracotta roof. Can you provide some advice please as I am scared of doing the wrong thing. The front of the house faces north and is in Brisbane. Many thanks in advance, Adara

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Adara I like the sound of what the consultant has suggested and I think I would opt for the Powered Rock – it is a grey but will lighten up considerably in the QLD sun and Northerly aspect. You should paint a very large sample board to get the idea of it. And what they have suggested with a dark gutter is perfect to offset a terracotta roof. Hope this helps Samantha

      • Adara says:

        Thanks Samantha, for you advice. I think I need to JUST DO IT and go with the powered rock. It has reassured me knowing that you think it will look good, because from what I see on your previous replies, your knowledge of paint colours spans over all of the brands. Many thanks for the time that you took to answer my query. Adara

  108. Samara says:

    Hi Samantha, I’ll read through all the comments completely and then decide if I need to even ask you anything! But in the meantime, I think you’re just a champ for lending your expertise and advice to all of us rookies. So looking forward to our young family’s first home! Such an adventure. Bless you

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Thanks Samara for your very kind words – I am glad you are enjoying the blog. Don’t forget the Free Resources page too which has e-books and checklists to help you with your new home. How exciting for you and your young family – enjoy! Samantha

    • Jan says:

      Hi Samantha

      Just wondering if you could help me
      I’m renovating my brick and clad house. We are putting on a new roof and doing some painting to lighten it up.
      I’m looking for a colour to paint cladding out the back of my house but my dilemma is that I have primrose windows still and looking for a white that will blend okay with them but also go with a surfmist fascia/dune roof

      I’m thinking hog bristle half or full strength?
      Will it look weird with a surfmist fascia? Or can you suggest another colour that will go okay /tone down primrose (I hope one day to replace windows but can’t afford it) .. roof is Dune

      Cladding faces

      • Samantha Bacon says:

        Hi Jan If you have architraves around your window then by painting these white you tend to disguise the colour of the window frame and they are less obvious than if you have them right next to the cladding. If this is not the case you could look at Dulux Hog Bristle – half strength will show less of the creamy yellow base and probably work better with the Surfmist but it will be quite bright so you need to consider the depth of the white too that you want too. If you paint a large board with two coats and then prop it up next to the window and the facia you will get a better idea of how it will come together. It takes a bit of time but ensures you will be happy with the end result. Good luck Samantha

  109. Karen says:

    Hi Samantha

    Loving your blogs and all the help you give on these threads !

    Hoping you can help me as I’m feeling overwhelmed when that is not my usual character!

    We are about to paint the exterior of a 1950 rendered house in Perth – the front faces east and is currently a sandy yellow render – cream windows/ garage door and bottle green gutters ( very dated) .. with the slope of the land the front of the house is two stories high with the bottom half of the exterior beautiful big limestone blocks. They are a lovely feature – The roof is tiled brownish/maroon.

    I was thinking for a classic neural exterior that doesn’t compete with the limestone to have white duck for walls and Stowe white for window trims? (not sure about gutters) it’s just that white duck looks quite grey in the shade after the morning sun goes .. should I go for half strength white duck maybe and would that look washed out against the window trim? Any other ideas?

    Any advice very welcomed! Thank you

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Karen You won’t see much difference between Dulux Stowe White and Dulux White Duck in the daylight. You may find that you prefer the White Duck with a fresher white trim. This will make it appear darker and hopefully less grey – you may even want to go with Dulux Apparition which is one tone darker than White Duck rather than lighter as the colour becomes richer but it depends on the overall look that you have in mind. So rather than adjusting the White Duck, possibly try a fresh trim like Dulux White Verdict Quarter to see if that makes any difference to how you view the colour. Good luck Samantha

  110. Samara says:

    Hi Sam!
    Just some quick thoughts from you if that’s okay.. we’ll be building a new west/north facing weatherboard two storey with a zincalume roof. We live in the Gold Coast and obviously are cautious re the glare factor but are after that nice all white weatherboard feel. We’ll have aluminium windows in white/polar white and not after contrast between trims and the linea hardiplank. We’ve seen the Casper white quarter and felt it might fit for that all white look with perhaps enough softness/dirtiness to it to cope with the sunlight? Thoughts?
    Thanks so much!

    • Samara says:

      Actually Sam I have read all your comments again and yes painted some boards out in the QLD sun! Casper white quarter potentially is very bright. So bright eek! Wondering at Casper white full or snowy mountains full on the weather boards with perhaps a quarter on the trims (next to the polar white windows).. I like the grey in both of these, they seem tonally very similar? And a bit softer in the sun but still white.
      Roof and gutter will be zincalume. Not sure on fascia..
      and front door we were thinking dark for contrast. Originally ironstone but this might be too blue 🤔 basalt or monument to match the grey tones?
      Would love your thoughts! Thanks 🙂

      • Samantha Bacon says:

        Hi Samara Monument is a great colour for your front door but ensure that it isn’t in full sun as the door will warp and void your warranty. To take a dark colour the door needs to be in the shade. It sounds like you are on track with the slightly darker and dirtier whites. Good luck Samantha

  111. Kit says:

    Your blog is wonderful. Thank you!
    I have been holding off from asking you a question but I have finally reached a dead end.
    Painting exterior of a small weatherboard cottage that doesn’t get a lot of sun. Want to stay as far away from grey as possible. The houses on either side – one is grey the other is creamy/yellow. At the moment our house looks a old, dirty and dated plus due to the houses next door being so close, their colours do have an impact on our colour. So I’m going with Windspray for roof, gutters, and downpipes. Can you please point me in the right direction re colour white for weatherboards and white for trims & fascia? but need to stay away from the greys and yellows but also need some contrast…. Eeek! I think I’ve just looked at too many colours and have lost my way a little.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Kit I like Dulux Mount Aspiring as a good white weatherboard colour – perhaps try a sample of this and then decide on a trim after that. If you get the weatherboard looking right you just need to try some other whites that are much fresher to see how much contrast you want. As your house doesn’t get a lot of sun you may not have too much of an issue getting that contrast you will need. Good luck Samantha

      • Natalie says:

        Hi Samantha,
        We’re about to repaint the exterior weather boards of our traditional Queenslander. The original heritage colour scheme was green, yellowy cream and maroon! A few years ago we painted over the green and maroon (except gutters) with Dulux Wallaby and we’re very happy with this colour, but we now want to choose a white that will go well with Wallaby. The wrap around verandah has lovely timber French doors (2 or 3 sets on each side of the house) so our colour scheme will be grey, white and timber. I just need to pick our white. Any tips please?

        • Samantha Bacon says:

          Hi Natalie you need to consider whether you want a bright or more muted white. Dulux Natural White is a classic which works well with warmer colours like Wallaby but consider the depth and whether this is right for you. Good luck Samantha

  112. Sara says:

    Hi Samantha,
    We have a 1970’s brick home in Perth with a red tile roof. We are looking to replace the gutters/ fascia/ eaves and paint the brick white but leave the roof red… do you think this could look good if we choose the rights shades of white?

    I was thinking surfmist gutters and fascia. There is a large retro balustrade and awning across the front and I thought that could be vivid white and the house could be painted half strength surfmist??

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Sara I think you won’t see much difference between Surfmist and half strength. Once you get it on a large house, particularly in the strong WA sunshine, it will probably all just blend. As you are replacing the trim this will obviously need to be Surfmist if you want a white but you should maybe just try a large board painted in Surfmist and view it against all the walls of the house in full sun to see what you think. If you do want it lighter you might be better looking at a different white all together. The Vivid White will certainly add a great contrast. Hope this helps Samantha

  113. Deanna says:

    Hi Samantha.
    I have chosen my paint colours which have been painted on the second storey of my house already but I’m now panicking that I’ve chosen wrong. I did paint a large board and view it in different lights, but now that it is on the higher weatherboards it looks very light!
    I have chosen monument roof and gutters with monument verandah and lattice work, weatherboards in terrace white and trims in lexicon quarter. The front of the house has a very large tree providing shade and also a verandah. My main concern is how the front verandah are colour will look. What do you think?

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Deanna Dulux Terrace White is a very light colour however I wonder if you trims have been painted yet? With these in Lexicon Quarter it will make the weatherboards appear darker so it may be that you are panicking too soon? The combination works together but it does depend on what you have in your mind for the outcome. If you haven’t had the trims painted yet then maybe put a sample next to the weatherboard to get an idea? Hope it works out well for you! Samantha

  114. Louise says:

    Hi Samantha,
    I have enjoyed reading many of your articles and the related comments.
    Could you please help as I’m a bit worried that I have too many colours on my exterior house facade. It’s a new build on the Sunshine Coast in Qld and our builder only uses colorbond colours and Haymes paint.
    My roof and gutters are Windspray with Shale grey fascia. Ultra silver window frames. I wanted a white for the render and chose Haymes Subtle Light with a scion feature above the porch and front door in Haymes Snowbell. Just to add that my garage door is surfmist and rendered front piers are surfmist too. My development covenant requires us to have a monument painted fence (we are a corner lot). It sounds like a lot going on. I’d love to know your thoughts on the colour selections as I’m not familiar with the Haymes colour range.
    Thank you
    Kind regards
    Louise

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Louise The Haymes Snowbell is a blue grey and this will work well with the Haymes Subtle Light but I am concerned about it with the Shale Grey and Windspray as these are more green greys. The Surmist garage door is also something quite different again. Perhaps look at a Shale Grey garage door and then a different Haymes grey as your feature to streamline it a bit more? Hope this helps Samantha

      • Louise says:

        Hi Samantha
        Thank you for your kind reply, I’m hoping to alter my selections with the builder to only using 3 colours on the exterior. Windspray roof, a little unsure of the fascia colour – maybe keep Shale grey or make it Windspray. Surfmist render only to tie in with the garage door and shale grey on the front door. Love your website so much and thanks again for your help with the colours.
        Louise

  115. Rita Kontoudis says:

    Hi Sam,

    I am about to paint my South facing weatherboard house and am considering Surfmist for the weatherboards and Casper White Quarter for the trims, with Monument gutters and fascia to lessen the look of the orangey terracotta roof.

    I read your post and am concerned about my trim colour making Surfmist look grubby and also if you think Monument on the fascia is too great a contrast?

    Thank you so much for your advice
    Rita

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Rita Once you paint the trims a very light colour it shows the full undertone and colour of Surfmist. This isn’t necessarily wrong but it would be wise to paint up sample boards before you commit so that you can see the effect. Monument looks smart for trims so should be fine. Good luck Samantha

      • Rita says:

        Thank you so much Samantha. I have tested a few colours with sample pots and I’m loving Casper White with Lexicon Quarter. Thank you again for the invaluable advice on your blog! Rita

  116. John says:

    Hi Samantha, thank you for providing (and continuing!) such a wealth of material and advice!
    I am refreshing my north-facing single-storey weatherboard house in Sydney and would love your advice on the colour scheme.
    Roof tiles and fascia will be Colorbond Monument. Due to the gable/pitch of the roof, the roof tiles are not very visible when viewing the house front-on.
    Weatherboard: I’m considering Tranquil Retreat but wonder whether Tranquil Retreat will be too bright in the north-facing sunlight (particularly the front part of the house that does not have a verandah)? Colorbond Shale Grey is second choice however it tends to look a touch too dark out of direct sunlight.
    Trim and picket fence: Lexicon Half. Would this provide enough contrast for the house and fence to still look ‘crisp’?
    Many thanks in advance Samantha!

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi John to get more contrast you could look at using Tranquil Retreat with Dulux Lexicon Quarter rather than half – this will make the walls seems darker. The only real way to tell though is to paint up samples of both and look at them in all lights at different times of the day. Good luck Samantha

      • John says:

        Thank you for your prompt reply Samantha. I had tried Vivid White with Tranquil Retreat and will test out Lexicon Quarter tomorrow.

  117. Mae says:

    Great Article. Thank you for sharing thoughts regarding this matter. I have chosen monument roof and gutters with monument verandah and latticework, weatherboards in terrace white and trims in lexicon quarter. The front of the house has a very large tree providing shade and also a verandah. Looking forward to your next post.

  118. Joanne Simpson says:

    Hi Samantha
    Thankyou so much for your amazing advice on this blog .
    I am hoping you can help me. We are painting the exterior of a Californian Bungalow ( west facing at the front ) in Melbourne . It has a terracotta roof and small red brick wall at the front of the verandah . We chose Tranquil Retreat for the weatherboards with Natural White trim on windows and fascia boards with Monument gutters . My issue is the shingles which sit on the V both on my garage and the house . These were painted black previously and the painter is saying the gaps between the shingles are very difficult to cover with a lighter paint and have suggested we paint them in the Monument as well . I am worried this will look too heavy with Natural White fascia boards above the V . It will tie in wth the gutters though .
    Also not sure if I should paint the stucco pillars of the verandah in Tranquil Retreat it Natural White .
    I would be so grateful for your thoughts

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Joanne it’s difficult to say without seeing the house – my feeling is to keep the pillars in Tranquil Retreat and to take your painter’s advice re the stucco but without seeing the overall effect I can’t say for sure. Samantha

  119. Tori Raddison says:

    I’m glad you mentioned that cool whites will be very bright in the sunlight because that is not at all the look I want to go for. I want a color that doesn’t stand out that much. I’ll have to find one that is warmer or has a green base as you said.

  120. Sylvana says:

    Hi Samantha, thank you for providing such a wealth of material and advice!
    We are refreshing our south facing single-storey weatherboard house and a small outbuilding and a cottage style cellar door which are all close to each other in the Hunter Valley of NSW and would love your advice on the colour scheme. Our aim is to have a ‘wow’ factor as people drive onto the property which is a vineyard and is surrounded by a lot of greenery and hills.
    The roof will be either Colorbond Monument or Woodland Grey. Due to the gable/pitch of the roof, the roof of the small outbuilding is not visible when viewing the house front-on, but the roofs of the other 2 buildings are visible from different angles. The front of all 3 buildings face south most of the day except for a few hours early in the morning.
    Weatherboard: We’re considering Tranquil Retreat with natural white or vivid white trim but wonder whether Tranquil Retreat will give us that ‘wow’ factor in the south-facing light? Our painter suggested white duck half on the walls with natural white trim and woodland grey roof. We’ve tried both wall colours outside and the tranquil retreat looks very pale and the white duck half looks very cream coloured. We both love the hampton’s style look for exteriors and we’re not sure which way to go and have asked our painter to have a day off today as we just can’t decide and we need your help!
    Trim and verandah railings: Natural white if white duck half walls and natural white or vivid white if tranquil retreat walls. Would this provide enough contrast for the house and verandah’s to still look ‘crisp’ and which would you suggest would give us more of that ‘wow’ factor that we’re after?
    Many thanks in advance Samantha!

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Sylvana it’s difficult to say exactly but if you think that a sample may be too light and not give enough contrast then once it is on a large scale on the exterior of your home it will probably be too light. White Duck is a green based neutral while Tranquil Retreat is a definite grey so you need to decide which way you want to go – the greys are probably better for you if you want a Hampton’s look. Vivid White is a good option to give you the most contrast but often painters don’t like it because it doesn’t have much tint in it at all and therefore coverage is bad. Dulux Lexicon Quarter may be preferable. Hope this helps Samantha

  121. Sylvana says:

    Hi Samantha, thank you so much for your advice – it’s helped so much already! We painted a large section of two walls today with tranquil retreat and we think it looks so wonderful and restful so tranquil retreat it is! We’re trying to decide on the roof colour and tested woodland grey and basalt today and are leaning more towards the basalt roof. We also tested vivid white, natural white and lexicon half for the trims as we already had some sample pots but unfortunately we didn’t have a sample of lexicon quarter to test with tranquil retreat and basalt (we’re currently flooded in on the property!). It’s so confusing and any advice you could provide about whether we should go with the basalt roof with tranquil retreat and lexicon quarter or vivid white for the trims would be so welcome – we’ll be contacting our painter tomorrow to let him know the final colours and it feels like a race against time! Thanks again for all your help and advice, and many thanks in advance!

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Sylvana Sorry to hear you are flooded in! My feeling is to go with Lexicon Quarter for a very crisp trim and definition against the Tranquil Retreat. These colours work perfectly with Basalt. Good luck! Samantha

  122. Sylvana says:

    Hi Samantha, thank you so much for your advice and I can’t wait to test out Lexicon Quarter tomorrow with Tranquil Retreat and Basalt as soon as the water goes down and we’re able to cross the bridge to get off the property – fingers crossed! I forgot to ask about what colour you think would go well for the decking floors to go with Tranquil Retreat walls/Basalt roof and Lexicon Quarter trims – we’ve got a large amount of decking and most of it is south facing and I’d really appreciate any help you could give about what colour you think would go best on the decking floors that would help with achieving a Hamptons style feel. Thanks so much in advance – your blog and comments have saved us from some very expensive mistakes!

  123. Mel says:

    Hi Samantha we have a 20 year old home which is modern federation style with gable and double garage. The garage doors and aluminium window frames are colorbond cream. The bricks are red, we have half rendered the top 2/3. Although we do not like the cream we will keep it given the amount of extra work at the moment to paint windows and roller doors aswell. The roof is charcoal tiles. We like the earthy caramel/chocolate tones. We were thinking of doing Taubmans camel train full strength on the render (against the red brick and cream) and half strength camel train on the gutter with the cream fascia and full strength fox terrier on the poles and frames of the mail box and side fence. We have tried some pickets with a natural decking oil and they are a honey color. The front garden is landscaped with timber decking entrance, natural sleeper retaining walls, crazy paving (off white, caramel, chocolate) rock wall framing lilydale topping and rusted edged steps, rust elements/planters, black lighting and door furniture and to come is the greenery through grass/plants and we will be painting the driveway charcoal with a crazy paving border. Matching colors to an existing color scheme is hard (cream and red bricks and earthy tones in the garden) I would love to know your thoughts on paint colors that would go with the existing elements. We have done color boards and found some colors look dirty too, we are looking for clean fresh looking colors, however we are finding it hard matching to the color bond cream that are natural and not too bright or washed out. We have sampled different colors and strengths but we just don’t seem to be hitting the mark, it just does not look right. The last writer is correct trying to not make this an expensive mistake. Thank you for your help and very helpful and interesting articles.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Mel it is hard for me to say without seeing the house but you could look at painting up a sample of something like Dulux Gnu Tan – this is a classic exterior colour that I find works with cream. The right colour depends so much on the light and the depth that you want to see. Hope this helps Samantha

  124. Phill says:

    Hi Samantha,

    Your a gem. These articles are great.
    We are currently painting our weatherboard house down the surf coast of Victoria. We choose surf mist for the weathrboard and vivid white for the french window’s. When the sun is on the house it is very hard to tell the difference, now we are unsure if we should try a different white or go for a soft grey for the windows. Any advice so we can get some contrast between the windows and the weatherboards? Thank you.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Phill glad you’re enjoying the articles. For your house you need to consider the overall look that you want – do you want a very fresh coastal feel or a house that settles more into the landscape? By introducing grey to the windows you will completely change the look and feel of the house. I do think it would look good and give you the contrast though. It will also make the boards seem lighter. Surfmist is similar in tone to many of the soft greys so you will need to bear in mind the depth that you choose for the grey to ensure you get the contrast right and also check for the undertone of grey – blue/green/purple etc. Hope this helps! Samantha

      • Phill says:

        Thank you for the reply, I suppose we want a fresher look so have turned off the grey windows idea. Might stick with a white. I’m going to get a sample pot of lexicon quarter. If you could suggest any other colours we should sample that would be great appreciated! Like many others we have time on our side at the moment.

  125. Derrie says:

    Hi Samantha,
    Absolutely love your blog, only wish I had more time to read all the posts and replies!
    We are currently building a new traditional style home, Austral Capitol Red bricks, Monument Roof, Fascia & Gutter, Dulux Apparition (Colorbond Evening Haze) for windows, rendered columns & corbelling. Our neighbour has decided now would be a good time to upgrade the fencing – we would rather timber fencing, but he is definite about going for Colorbond. Obviously neighborly relationships are important to us at this stage, so we have decided to go along with him on this one! We would prefer to go for Evening Haze to match our features, but he feels that is too light. Are there any other colours out of the colorbond fence colour range that you can see working for us? Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Derrie Monument actually looks great as a Colorbond fence. I find the darker colours are less noticeable and can look smarter than the light colours, particularly if you then plant greenery against them – perhaps a hedge to disguise if it isn’t your preference. If this is too dark then perhaps Wallaby which is a nice warm grey that I could see working with the red brick. Hope this helps and that your good neighbourly relationship continues! Samantha

  126. Kelly says:

    Hi Samantha, thank you for your insightful and comprehensive blog post. I am having some trouble deciding on a final colour for our weatherboards. The house faces east, has a zinc roof, Pearl White aluminium window frames with Pearl White trim around them, a black door and a Dover White garage door.

    There is a lot of red dust where we live, and we have noticed that it really shows up on the very blue grey weatherboards. I avoided Surfmist for the garage door as it seemed to look too creamy/yellow on other houses in our particular area, but I am now worried about the potential blueness of the Dover White garage door which I didn’t even consider when I selected it.

    Based on your blog, I have narrowed the weatherboard colours to White Duck (or White Duck half?), Silkwort or White Exchange. Am I thinking correctly, or would you recommend something else? I am very open to suggestions, and am not fixed on Dulux. Thank you.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Kelly The Dover White garage door is a blue white – like an appliance white and can be tricky to match against. White Duck has a greensh undertone, Silkwort has a purple hue. Dulux White Exchange is a warm grey so may be at odds with the blue. Dulux Lexicon has a blue undertone and is a lovely fresh exterior white. If you feel it may be too white then you could look at something like Dulux Terrace White. Hope this helps! Samantha

      • Kelly says:

        Samantha, you are so incredibly helpful (and knowledgeable), thank you!

        I have been staring at my samples of Lexicon, Terrace White, and Dover White for the last 5 days. Who knew that white could look so blue? I feel the Dover White was a mistake, but your advice has helped us to avoid a disaster. We have chosen Lexicon as it sits better with the Dover White.

        May I ask one final question? What colour would you suggest for a picket fence? More white or something else? The house is set back 16m from the boundary line.

        Thank you again.

        • Samantha Bacon says:

          Hi Kelly glad you have your house resolved! The colour for your picket fence really depends on what can be picked up from your house colours as you really need it to relate to the house in some way. White picket fences are classic but you look at them rather than through them. Dark colours are in fact less noticeable. Hope this helps Samantha

  127. Fleur says:

    Hi Samantha
    We are building a house in sandringham near Melbourne.
    Coastal/hampton style. All weatherboards. All white walls/windows and roof. No shade of whites.
    I even wanted to use Whitehaven colorbond for the roof however it s a lot more expensive than surfmist. So for the extra money we will put solar panels for electricity and use surfmist.
    our windows will be pearl white gloss so I m wondering what’s the best white to use for gutters, walls etc so it s all the same white?
    Surfmist will be too dark with the window frames.
    Would vivid white ok? Is it a green base?
    Thanks a lot

  128. Di says:

    hi Samantha i have new 5x5m upr level deck (builtin under). white plantation shutters and deep ocean exterior facade to match unit cimplex b.corp colours. looking maybe at a tan coloured interior half-height wall rather tgan white/grey. tiles are sandstone cnr lounge in grey/white. your thoughts? cheers Di

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Di this could work – use your sandstone tiles as a guide and be careful not to go too dark so that you are not hemmed in. Also take into account the colour of the interior walls to ensure that it flows through, particularly if you can see inside and the areas are linked. Hope this helps Samantha

  129. Jodie says:

    Hi Samantha, your advise has been so helpful to everyone and I’m hoping you can help me.
    We are building a rendered house that will face north which is on a corner block. I’m looking at burramundi Roof tiles, pearl white window frames, gable roof portico with big chunky poles and a big farmhouse style door ( more than likely painted monument or deep green/grey colour) and I am hoping to still use surfmist colour garage door as you have stated that the new Dover white throws blue.
    I have had a house that was surfmist before which I didn’t hate but i would love to find a white that is a little less dirty and but still with a grey tinge for up Keep ….

    I love the look of coastal with modern farmhouse touches

    I have tried a few sample pots on a board but finding it hard to know whether the colour is going to be too bright on render as its a different texture and the house will also be north facing … (I don’t want people to have to wear glasses when driving past)..

    here a few colours I’ve considered:-
    -Alpine snow Taubmans, Snowy mountains (liked the tone, but not sure if too bright), Casper white, white exchange 1/2, white verdict, vintage linen, natural white, barely beige 1/4 Taubmans and grey pebble 1/4

    Hopefully you can help narrow the colour down or point me in the right direction

    Thanks in advance

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      HI Jodie Dulux Rottnest Island is a nice dirty white – lighter than Surfmist but with enough grey not to be too bright. Casper White is nice too – it is a warmer white with a very slight pink undertone – by no means pink though! Snowy Mountains might be a bit bright. As will many of the others you mention. Perhaps try a large sample of Rottnest Island and see what you think. Good luck Samantha

  130. Sara says:

    Hello! We are in the process of painting our ugly 80s red brick home. We were thinking Dulux Feather Soft for the brick/walls and are trying to decide on a white paint for the trim – which is mostly our balcony rails etc. Would you recommend lexicon half as the trim or as different white?

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Sara I think you may need a warmer white with Dulux Feather Soft which is a lovely warm greige. Perhaps something like Natural White instead – give this a try on a sample to see if you like the effect. Dulux Lexicon Half has a blue undertone which you need to be careful of. Good luck Samantha

  131. Tracey says:

    Hi Samantha, we are building a new house on the Sunshine Coast. We have Colorbond shale grey roof, basalt gutters, fascia and roller door and will be using basalt paint as feature colour on the house. We need to choose a white, but not keen on surfmist as I’m concerned is looks yellowish. Have read some of your posts and Dulux terrace white might be an option. What would you suggest as a white for the exterior? White will be the main colour and the house faces west. Love your posts. Regards Tracey

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Tracey I think Terrace White sounds like a great choice for the QLD sun and will work well with Basalt – try a large sample on the West facing facade to just double check. Good Luck Samantha

  132. Michael says:

    Hi Samantha, I’ve found your articles extremely informative. Thanks! We have a 1920’s tuckpointed red brick house with terracotta roof. The tuckpointing comes up to about shoulder height, above that point the wall is rendered. Half is shaded by a verandah. I’ve had some trouble choosing an exterior colour scheme that won’t clash with the red brick and terracotta. The front faces east/south east so for most of the day it is out of the direct sun. I tried a dulux dieskau but found it clashed a bit with the red brick, perhaps it was a touch too cool. I’m now wondering whether a dulux feather soft or white duck half might be better (I also liked the dulux ‘silver tea set’ but thought perhaps it is still not warm enough) for the rendered walls and gables, with a crisp white for the trim, and a charcoal or black for the front door. Do you have any thoughts on the feathersoft or white duck in this situation, and what white & black tones would complement it well for the trim and the door? I saw you recommended Natural White with the feathersoft in an earlier post.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Michael glad you are finding the posts useful! I would opt for Feather Soft rather than White Duck if you want a warmer neutral. However, Feather Soft will be very light outside – it is the same depth of colour as Colorbond Surfmist which is like a white in the sun. This isn’t necessarily wrong, but you have to think about the overall look that you want for the house. If you wanted a touch more depth then Dulux Beige Interest could work. Hope this helps Samantha

  133. vanessa says:

    Hi Samatha
    I’ ve loved reading all the advice.
    We are repainting the outside of our north facing modern rendered house. It has charcoal/grey trimmings on front upstairs Wire balcony with wooden ceiling, charcoal posts on downstairs verandah. We want a White House , have plenty of green around. Also need the front rendered wall (fence) and rendered letterbox done in white, its currently two toned bieges. Our large front door is a horizontal wooden door and thinking of what would be a great colour that’s different ….that would look good? I like the sounds of a crisp/cool white…I don’t want a stark white, we live in Perth near the river and beach. What whites would you suggest I trial, I want to keep the charcoal trimmings and our side fences are charcoal.
    would love your thoughts.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Vanessa Dulux Rottnest Island (great for you being in Perth!) is a nice exterior white that isn’t too bright but is lighter than Surfmist. This might be worth a try. Alternatively for a blue based white that will be very crisp you could look at Dulux Lexicon which is a bit lighter again. If you paint them on large boards this is easier to take around the house rather than painting directly onto the external wall. Hope this helps Samantha

  134. Jamie says:

    Hi Samantha, thanks for your article. Im hoping you can help me. We have 1920 bungalow with a monument colourbond roof. We want to paint the bricks white but cant decide on which white to use. We dont want it to be too white as we face the afternoon sun. We also would like to showoff the timberwork and posts with a slightly darker white. Do you have any suggestions

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Jamie you need to leave quite a gap between the 2 whites to see a contrast, particularly with a Westerly afternoon sun. So you may need to go fairly white with the bricks. With this in mind you may need to consider a different trim colour. Dulux Rottnest Island is a nice exterior white but you may find this too dark so you should try out a sample – you may prefer to use the fresher white on the trims? Difficult to say without seeing it but I hope this has given you some direction. Samantha

  135. Rose says:

    Hi. Please help. We have a 70,s brick home and we would like to have a light colour scheme?
    At present the brick is beige and really rough textured. The roof is tile in a brown/red colour.
    The house faces north /nw.
    We were thinking Surfmist roof, Tranquil Grey walls, half strength White Caspar window trims?
    We intend to landscape with lots of green.
    What are your thoughts?

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Rose this is a classic colour scheme which I have seen work on lots of houses. It is lovely but will need a lovely garden around it to soften it and perhaps some contrast or a colour for the front door? Good luck Samantha

  136. Lara B says:

    Hi Samantha, We are starting to organise for the exteriors to be painted. We are leaning towards keeping our house a shade of white with grey trim. I am choosing either a Colorbond Surfmist or Colorbond Shale Grey roof as I live in North Queensland, with Basalt trim and Surfmist or a dirty white for the exterior hardiplank walls. My concerns are, will Basalt be too dark after two coats or should I choose a lighter grey or use 1/2 strength Basalt? My next is regarding the colour Surfmist on the hardiplanks. I have only seen Surfmist on exterior weatherboards online. Some I love (may only be 1/2 strength or less) and some I feel have too much of a yellow tone for what I am looking for. Should I proceed with Surfmist in the Dulux range in 1/2 or 1/4 strength? Lastly, what white should we use for our exterior steps, a crisp white or the same colour as exterior walls? Any advice or recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thank you

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Lara When Basalt gets lighter it gets quite blue and I think that a little definition in the 100% Basalt will work well for the trim. Surfmist can throw a touch of yellow so I would try a half strength on a large board and place it in different areas of the house – in shade and in sunlight to see what you think. I definitely wouldn’t use anything lighter than Surfmist on stairs as they will be hard to keep looking good! Good luck Samantha

  137. Lara B says:

    I apologise as I posted my comment without mentioning how much I have enjoyed reading your blog. You are a generous person for providing this invaluable information and responding to the many comments.

  138. Ann says:

    Hi Samantha,
    Your blog is very interesting reading! Thank you for your generous advice. I am finally able to change the exterior from cream and mission brown to white and grey. I am hoping for your advice. Roof and underside external cladding will be Colorbond Surfmist as in QLD. I was thinking Dulux Casper White exterior with Dulux Basalt trim, but I find it difficult to imagine what the colour of the cladding will look like in reality to what exterior white I should use. I find Surfmist to have a greenish/yellowish tone to me, and unsure if Basalt will be too dark or show too blue. What are your thoughts? Thank you
    Ann

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Ann glad you are finding the blog interesting! I do like Dulux Casper White for an exterior white. It has some depth and grey which will stand up to the QLD sun which will knock out any grey that you see. You should perhaps paint up a large board with two coats to double check but I don’t see any reason it shouldn’t work. Good luck Samantha

  139. Ann says:

    Samantha, thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise. I have enjoyed reading your blog and responses, which I am sure have assisted numerous people, myself included. Living in QLD, I was advised to have a Colorbond Roof and Colorbond Trimwall or Klip-Lok in Surfmist (external walling downstairs) in gloss finishes, which I am unsure of, as my property is Western facing and receives a lot of sunlight, and do not have any close neighbours. I will have dark grey gutters and fascia, with existing windows silver but not changing, with dark polished floors throughout and a cool white for interiors. I am undecided on the Colorbond finishes and the exterior paint and hoping for your thoughts? Thank you

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Ann Surfmist does have quite a bit of depth and grey in it so does stand up to the sun. Rather than a gloss finish though, Surfmist now comes in a gorgeous matt finish which will not reflect the light as much as a gloss finish which really does bounce around the sunlight. If you do opt for Surfmist I would highly recommend you research this look instead. Alternatively you could consider Shale Grey but this gives you a different look – the dark shutters will certainly look great against the white. Hope this has helped Samantha

  140. Ann says:

    Hi Samantha, Thank you again for generously providing advice and sharing your knowledge. I have found your website and blog highly informative, and been using this as my go to. This continues on from my post 6 August. I have taken your advice and decided to go with Colorbond Walling (vertical) Surfmist in the matt finish. Unfortunately, I have phoned around my area and beyond, up to two hours away, including the manufacturer and no one has any Colorbond walling that I can see in person. I understand the matt finish will be darker, and I would prefer the paint to match. The only problem I have is, should I go with half strength Surfmist as I will be painting on horizontal hardiplank? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you, Ann

  141. Kelly Haynes says:

    Hi, thanks for this article. Probably the most useful online regarding white exteriors. We are repainting a large queenslander. Our new front fence has been put in a surfmist and we wanted to keep a white on white theme. The Dulux consultant has advised Surfmist weatherboard to go with fence with Terrace White gutters and handrail and Lexicon Quarter balustrades, soffits and fascias with a Colourbond Windspray side and back fences and deck floor to match. I feel this may be too many different colours and want it simple. What do you think? We also have a deck ceiling to paint. Would surfmist be too dark?

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Kelly Terrace White has a blue undertone while Surfmist has a more neutral green/yellow undertone so I feel that these two whites may fight with each other. Lexicon Quarter is a great trim colour and Windspray will be nice for the deck. I think that the ceiling could look good in Lexicon Quarter too or for a softer look, half strength Surfmist. Colours get darker when they are horizontal so I often find a half strength of the wall colour will end up looking similar. Hope this helps Samantha

  142. Graham says:

    Hi Samantha,Thanks for your blog. I am looking at Surfmist to paint exterior (high rectangle house) and want to make sure I use the same white for the front elevation. However, when I compare Colorbond Surfmist (new garage door) to the board painted with the 500ml Surfmist sample pot – it is quite different. I even tried a Half Strength Surfmist test pot but it is still not a match. My last resort is buying a sheet of Colorbond Surfmist so it can be color matched. Could you please provide any advice on why the samples would be so different and what I should ask for when purchasing paint? Thanks, Graham

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Graham I think the issue lies in the different sheen levels. The wall paint is probably a matt finish which won’t reflect much light while the garage door will be in a satin/low gloss finish which will reflect more light and make the colour appear different. I do find too that Surfmist mixed by different paint companies will be slightly different but I think it is more in regard to the substrate (metal or masonry) and the sheen level of the paint. There is quite a difference between the new Matt range from Colorbond which demonstrates the matt vs low sheen argument perfectly. I think this could be the issue. I hope this helps Samantha

  143. Maria Caraiscos says:

    Hi Samantha,
    We’re in the process of building and paining our home in Perth. Have chosen silver lustre aluminium windows, monier horizon barramundi colour roof tiles (mid/dark grey) and surfmist garage door. Would it be ok if we go for a surf mist coloured render? We don’t really want the big garage door to stand out and it sounds like a safe option but is that too much white? Should we consider a different colour render? What colour do you think would work for the gutters?
    Look forward to your reply,
    Thanks, Maria.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Maria lots of people paint their houses in Surfmist to match their Surfmist garage door and this gives you a very simple and classic colour scheme. I like to hide the gutters so something like Monument should work well with your tile. Perhaps introduce some other textural or colour elements – a timber front door or fencing/gates etc. to soften the look? Hope this helps Samantha

  144. Maria Caraiscos says:

    Hi Samantha… my parents are re painting their fifteen year old home and would like to use white for the walls/render. The tiled roof is grey with matching shale grey fascia and gutters, windows are silver aluminium. Timber front door. Keen to re paint and colour match garage door. Is Lexicon or Lexicon half a good option? If not is there any other colour/s (white or other) that you would recommend?
    Thank you

  145. Billy says:

    Hi Samantha,

    Thank you so much for all your advice, your blog is so helpful!!

    We are in the process of renovating our home. We have sandstone coloured tiles around the home and have some feature walls which are in a sandstone type random stone. We want to go white with the exterior, but our roof is currently in Woodland Grey. The idea is to brighten up the entire exterior, so I was thinking either Casper White Quarter or Snowy Mountains Quarter for the exterior walls. Which one of these colours do you think goes with a sandstone tile/stone? In addition, I am unsure of what colour to do the trims/doors etc. I understand it should be darker, so I guess I could just go with the same colour but a little less strength i.e. 1/8? In terms of the roof colour, we will be repainting it and thinking a very very light soft grey. Any ideas of which colour may go with the overall look of our home? Thanks so much for your advice in advance!
    Kind regards,
    Billy

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Billy Dulux Casper White Quarter and Snowy Mountains quarter are amazingly bright white on an exterior – you couldn’t get any lighter and if you could you wouldn’t see a contrast. Both will work with sandstone but I think you need to rethink the strength of the white. Hope this helps Samantha

  146. Sara says:

    Hi Samantha, thank you so much for this website. Never though that choosing white is so complex. We are on the planning of building a new home modern hampton style. We selected coal dust color for the roof, taubmans monument for gutters, surfmist for the fascia and brilliant white for the front door, gables and eaves. James hardie cladding on surfmist and the ground floor is brick (Austral Yering). Do you think the surfmist is the right white for this home style and should we had the gables on brilliant white? Thanks

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Sara Surfmist works well on exteriors but you do see the underlying colour in it when you put it next to brilliant white which can sometimes make it appear a little dirty. It really depends on how much brilliant white is in the gable – if it is just the barge boards, this will probably be OK. I suggest getting a large sample of both and putting them next to each other in the sun to see whether you like the effect. Hope this helps Samantha

  147. Alison Dunning says:

    Hi Samantha,
    Hoping you can point me in the right direction of the appropriate white to use on the trims of a Classic Cream weather board home with Pale Eucalyt roof and Pale Eucalyt and Cream Fencing and shedding. The trims are currently painted in Heritage Green and Red and I’m hoping to update without changing roof,fence and shed colours. The house is in a semi rural setting so thing a soft white as apposed to crisp white.

    Or if there are other colours combinations you think may be suitable to paint the house considering the cream and pale Eucalypt fence/shed and pale Eucalypt roof remaining I would love to know.

    Kind Regards
    Alison

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Alison I think you definitely need a warm white with the Classic Cream weatherboards – possibly something like Dulux Hog Bristle would be worth sampling. Hope this helps Samantha

  148. Serena says:

    This is a fantastic article, thank you!

    Do you have any suggestions for whites that could work with a regional NSW 1920s colonial-style home and a more modern extension? So far we have tried Regency white which suits the older part (shale grey roof) but not the extension, and White duck which looks great on the extension (basalt roof with recycled red brick and timber elements) but doesn’t feel right for the existing home.

    Is there a magic white that can do it all? Or should I look at painting the extension in whatever white trim we use for the front?

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Serena Dulux Lime White from the traditional range is a lovely white for heritage homes. Don’t confuse it with Limed White though which is quite different. Hope this helps Samantha

  149. Julian says:

    Hi Samantha,

    Thanks for posting this article it gives plenty of good tips!

    We built our home a few years back with surfmist roof & garage door and evening haze render. The evening haze looked good in the outdoors & in the sun but the render has come out darker and more like concrete colour. Since then, we have been thinking of repainting the house to a more neutral colour like Dulux white duck or grey pebble… but we don’t want the house to look to dull either. Any ideas?
    Thank you so much in advance.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Julian Dulux White Duck is a lighter version of Evening Haze so keeps the house very much in the same colour scheme but much lighter which will make it fresh. However, Surfmist is almost the same as White Duck and therefore you won’t see much contrast at all – in fact the house could look just one colour. Dulux Grey Pebble is a little warmer, but again, very light – just an off white. You need to think about how much contrast you want to see. Hope this helps Samantha

  150. Firdause Behramkamdin says:

    Hi Samantha, it was great reading your articles on selecting the right white for the exterior ! We have a French provincial facade with mouldings and window framing. We are considering a three tone colour to house with Wattyl Confetti Shower as the warm white throughout including all mouldings. The roof will be tiles Black Sambuca , gutters, fascia, windows and garage will be in Colorbond Night Sky with a Sikkens Dark Oak Stained wrought iron main double entry door. Does this work well in your vision ? Cannot think of any other colour other than Colorbond Surfmist for the down pipes with none of them facing the main facade of the house. I welcome your honest feedback with any recommendations.

    Regards
    FP Bordeaux

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Firdause This sounds like a classic black and white house – Wattyl Confetti Shower is a good exterior white with some depth – and you are right not to use Surfmist for the downpipes as it would jar against the warmth of the wall colour. Good luck Samantha

  151. Jennifer Ainge says:

    Hi Samantha, I have learnt a lot regarding whites used outside from your blog, thank you. I need to repaint the outside of my house. Roof and gutters are monument bricks are a pinky/beige mid brown brown. The inside window frames are in white opal which doesn’t look as yellow as the paint chart and they are quite visible as part of the outside window area so I want to match this colour as best I can. I was looking at Hog bristle half or quarter or should I stick with the white opal family. Most of the windows are under a veranda the rest facing east and south. The facia and veranda poles I was thinking of painting monument. Regards Jenny

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Jennifer I’m glad you are finding the blog useful! I would definitely opt for the Hog Bristle half over the White Opal as this will be less yellow but will still work with inside. If you wanted a fresher look you could use the quarter strength – best to try a sample of each and stand back to see which you prefer. Hope this helps Samantha

  152. Violet says:

    Hi Samantha, your blog is amazing! We are currently renovating an old weatherboard home on the northern coast of nsw and getting stuck with choices! We have chosen a new shale grey roof, and surfmist gutters and fascias, and perhaps lexicon for the walls. I like the samples we have up on the back of the house with a vivid white trim but my partner wants surf mist trim and windows with the lexicon, which absolutely doesn’t work to me. It’s very yellow compared to the lexicon which I believe goes really well with shale grey and achieving a coastal county home. What trim would you suggest, and do you think we should change our wall colour if we can’t decide on trim to match lexicon? We do have a couple square metres of blue oar up as a sample near the lexicon and it actually looks good but that type of exterior colour is for the bold, and I’m not sure if we are that bold! Well just thought we’d ask what you think! Thanks kindly! Violet

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Violet Surfmist is darker than Lexicon and can read a little creamy next to the blue of Lexicon. It’s fine for the gutter and fascia but I think I would change to Lexicon Quarter for the posts and windows. Hope this helps Samantha

  153. Anna says:

    Hi Samantha, I have an old house in Adelaide, with a main corridor and an arch halfway down the corridor. The walls are painted antique white. In addition to this, the arch has some fine sponging work in a contrasting colour but the basic colour is antique white. There’s not a lot of natural light in the corridor and I wanted to brighten it by painting the walls terrace white and the trims in lexicon quarter. However, I thought I would leave the arch the way it is now. Would this work?

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Anna it seems a shame to paint the arch if it has some nice detail but a base colour of Antique White won’t work with the blue tones of Terrace White and Lexicon Quarter so I think it would need to be painted too. Samantha

  154. Maria says:

    Hi Samantha,
    Our new build will have a mid/dark grey roof tile…silver lustre aluminium frames and surfmist render and garage door. We are seriously considering colourbond gutters in monument and surfmist fascia (possibly Matt)….stone feature wall & timber front door. Would the gutter, fascia, wall colours look ok together? Hoping not too stark with dark roof? Very conscious of keeping the whites the same colour, thanks Maria

  155. Loren says:

    Hi Samantha, thanks for all the tips so far. We are repainting the roof/ gutters/ fascia of our home. We have a restoration red brick house and have chosen woodland grey roof and gutters. We currently have a white opal/ off white fascia and are having trouble deciding the shade we should go with. Deciding between Hog bristle quarter, charmed white and natural white at the moment. Would love to know your thoughts and any other suggestions you might have. And if they would go with the gutter colour choice. Thanks so much

  156. Karen Carter says:

    Hi Samantha, thankyou for all your advice. Wish I’d read this blog before I purchased my dover white garage doors. They face south in SA. I note that you suggest Terrace white or Lexicon as a possible match. Dulux have suggested Blissful white or Summer cloud quarter, although they didnt have a swatch to compare with. What is your opinion of these new colours please? Thankyou Karen.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Karen Dulux Blissful White and Summer Cloud Quarter have a subtle undertone of lavender. Summer Cloud Quarter is also very bright – much lighter than Dover White. Dover White is more like an appliance white which has a blue base and I think that Dulux Lexicon is a much closer match. Terrace White is a deeper grey/white. You need to decide how much depth you want on the front of the house too. Hope this helps. Samantha

  157. Jamie says:

    Hi Samantha, I enjoy reading your articles, very enlightening and informative.
    I am in the process of building a duplex. The facade is facing a busy road and westerly sun.

    I like white but I can’t afford to paint it often. I am thinking of cargo river half for the acrylic render. The roof is colorbond and I am thinking of shale grey. I like monument or basalt but not sure if it will draw too much heat.

    The fascia and downpipe color, could you advise what would look well?

    I can’t decide on the color of my panel garage door. Does it have to be the same color as my roof? Also my front entry door, does it have to match the garage door?

    Color selection is all too confusing. Really hope you could shed some light. Thanks a lot.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Jamie Dulux Cargo River Half has a green undertone which you need to be aware of. I think a slightly darker roof would look better but it depends where you are and how much sun you get. But even something like Windspray could work as it has a green undertone. You have too many questions here for me to address as it is a full colour scheme which really relies a lot on so many aspects of the build. The garage doesn’t have to relate to the roof. Hope this helps Samantha

  158. Debbie says:

    Hi Samantha
    What a wonderful kind and informative blog that you are helping people with.
    We are looking at a white that has a warm undertone. House built 1994 lowset brick in Boral Bathurst. Originally painted in 1990’s version of Bristol Champagne on all walls, ceilings and doors. Primrose windows, off white/cream plantation shutters on all windows except kitchen and dining. Smooth cream crimsafe sliding door family room and hinged to garage. So trying to get a flow with all of this.
    We painted poster boards in natural white, Stowe white and dune half. Natural white against shutters makes them stand out kind of beige and looks white against crimsafe.
    Replacing kitchen in a Hampton style and want it all to flow as rooms connect. Island bench 3m thinking Dulux Blue Oar and then stuck on kitchen cabinets as a white to flow with house but not look too cream and not too stark white. They’ll be 2pac profile. Bench thinking Smartstone Astral which is a white/cream with flecks. We will have windows trims to contend with as new bench will run under kitchen and dining window that do not have shutters. No idea what to cover them with.
    Would natural white cabinets look to stark against Stowe or Dune or is there another solution for walls and kitchen cabinets. All floors will be replaced after kitchen is in, to one continuous floor in a timber look vinyl plank.
    Hope that all makes sense.
    Kind Regards
    Debbie

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Debbie it is difficult to say for sure as you have a lot of finishes to match and select for. I think I would opt for a creamier white than Natural White. Stowe White may work better but you would need to match it all with the stone and flooring etc. Sorry I can’t be more definite but your shutters, windows etc. will look creamier the whiter you go with everything else. Good luck Samantha

      • Debbie Porter says:

        Thanks Samantha. Stowe white on poster board we painted does seem to work. Would the Stowe white on 2pac kitchen cabinets look okay do you think with the blue oar on island? I really appreciate your time.

  159. Suzie Erbacher says:

    Dear Samantha
    thanks so much for all your decorating tips. They have been really helpful. I still have two unresolved “white” issues which I hoped you might help with.
    1. We have a large shed next to the house which is in colourbond jasper (doors and roof) and dune (walls). Because of the proximity to the house I thought it best to use these colours as trim for the outside of the house, to bring the whole picture together – Jasper for gutters and posts, and dune for some wood cladding. The walls and eaves are planned to be surf mist to lighten the picture. Is this going to work as a combination of colours?

    2. Inside we plan to paint white. Kitchen is pale cream – not too dark, so was thinking the main living areas need to be a white which tones with the kitchen, a pale slightly warm white. Could you recommend a white for this situation?

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Suzie I think the exterior scheme sounds good – those colours all work together. In terms of the kitchen you need a warm white but it really depends on how cream the kitchen is as to which one to choose. Hope this helps Samantha

  160. Sigrid says:

    Hi Samantha, I have learnt so much about white in one article! Thank you it has cleared up some confusion whilst we plan our imminent renovations. Could you please be so kind as to reassure us (or dissuade if needed!). Our roof, gutters and garage door will be Colorbond Wallaby, and looking at using Dulux White duck quarter for our rendered walls, fascia and carport frame. Would powder coated crisp white window frames work with these colours? (Or Wallaby windows to keep the walls looking whiter?) We hope that white duck quarter will be white enough to avoid looking ‘dirty’ next to the windows, but also be less prone to getting visibly dirty! Regards

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Sigrid it’s difficult to say for sure as there are factors like the amount of sunlight the house receives and its style and design etc. White Duck Quarter is very light outside but you would see a difference with a crisp white window. I have a post on why I love a crisp white trim which you might find useful https://www.makingyourhomebeautiful.com/crisp-white-trim/. Hope this helps Samantha

  161. Vicki Sandman says:

    Hello Samantha, and thank you in advance for any advice. I am simply tearing my hair out again, this time re exterior render, full house, 4 windows across front, I guess you would call it neo georgian style, window mouldings, parapet etc. Every part of interior is warm creamy toned, self destruct and hog bristlish, this is what we love. We had finally selected CB Paperbark for render and garage door, roof jasper, but pcoat windows are a problem. Most light color window colours seem dated, eg white birch, beige etc but… hubby hates white windows, I hate black, so we have settled on Woodland Grey, with same for roof I guess, have had WG in the past and liked it. Can we stick with the paperbark render and mouldings/trim??? not sure if this is too yellow with WG windows and roof, or otherwise looking at changing to Grand Piano render which is green base, but it does seem very bright in the sun on ur brush out boards. I do not want any grey in render, and have never mixed greys with our beiges and warm tones, so need help desperately! Also should we have Monument roof with our WG windows, it appears a bit blueish, but do not want roof to look washed out. Thank you so much, Vicki

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Vicki Woodland Grey and Paperbark work well together and so WG is a good compromise for windows and is a classic roof colour. How much yellow you see in the paperbark depends on the amount of sunlight the house gets. You may want to look at some of the colours that are more neutral. Hope this helps Samantha

  162. Natalie says:

    Hi Samantha,
    I was hoping for some ‘white advice’. We are building a West facing house in Victoria. It is a flat roof design with monument trim and windows. The garage and front door will be Tassie oak. There will be a substantial tall feature stone clad pillar that will be earthy colours.
    I am stuck on a white for the front render that will blend with the earthy tones but still look white. There may be a small amount of surfmist cladding that will be visible. I was thinking Casper white or snowy mountains.
    Thankyou for your invaluable advice to us all.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Natalie Both Dulux Casper White and Snowy Mountains are great exterior whites as they have some grey in them. Casper White is warmer and you may find this works better with your stone. You should try samples first though! Hope this helps Samantha

  163. Andrew Scotton says:

    Hi Samantha,
    We have a circa 1970 home that we are giving a makeover. All windows are aluminium pearl white windows (or very close to it due to age) The front lower level is bagged brick with 2 paintable metal garage doors. The front upper level has horizontal weatherboards as well as vertical boards in the setback balcony alcove. The roof is glazed terracotta in earthy mixed colour tones. We will be changing the gutters and fascias as well as the balcony balustrade which will be an aluminium vertical radiator grill style (with 25mm x 50mm edge facing posts).

    Our thoughts are a grey or grey/ white pallette such as tranquil retreat or somewhere in between that and surfmist on the bagged brickwork, timber boards and garage doors. White on the architraves, soffit and eaves, and white colorbond/ powdercoat for the new gutter, fascia and balustrade.

    We are wondering about your opinion on these choices. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Andrew it’s very hard to say without seeing the house but Tranquil Retreat and Surfmist will work together – you won’t see a lot of contrast though. Hope this helps Samantha

  164. Gracey Hayes says:

    Hi Samantha,
    We have a two storey besser brick home in the tropics. The windows and bi-folds are new and black. At the moment the exterior is charcoal but I would live to paint the exterior white with black trim. (Singapore/British Colonial) Do you have any tips on painting large bricks white? So far the sample area doesn’t look great and we are considering cladding. Help!

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Gracey Bricks look fabulous painted white but you absolutely must use a good quality primer before you begin to paint. The bricks must be completely clean and then primed. Often for a darker brick, you will need two coats of primer as they are very porous and will absorb the product. You will then need 2-3 coats of white paint and you should use a good quality acrylic paint. Ensure that you allow each coat of primer and paint to thoroughly dry before adding the next one so that you can assess how it is looking. Hope this helps! Samantha

  165. CarolineThursfield says:

    Hi Samantha, we are repainting our brick 1930s house in Melbourne. The roof is terracotta tiles. We have chosen Dulux Ironstone for the gutters. The walls are stucco render – I have used a sample pot of Dulux Pale Tendril quarter for the walls and looking at Casper White Quarter for the window trims and french doors. I’m worried that there may not be enough contrast between the 2 colours. Could you please provide your thoughts? I am looking to overpaint the current yellow/cream wall colour.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Caroline There definitely isn’t enough of a contrast between these two colours outside. You may need to look at full strength of Pale Trendril but you really start to see the green coming through in the colour then so check it on a large sample first. Consider too whether the house is in full sunlight or shadow which will make a big difference too. Good luck Samantha

  166. Megan says:

    Hi Samantha,
    Thank you for your very interesting blog. I am hoping you might be able to help me. We have a north facing two storey render and weatherboard home. The render is paving stone and the boards are surfmist. Windows and gutters are monument and we have a timber front door. After living with it for a few months, I’m finding the surfmist to be a bit flat and hard and am wondering if you could recommend a softer white/off white colour for the weatherboards. I’ve sampled ghosting 1/2 and found it too pink and china white which was slightly too yellow. I would love to hear your opinion.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Megan it sounds like you want a lighter, fresher white. You could look at a sample of Dulux White Exchange which would work well with Dulux Paving Stone but you must paint a large sample board to check that this is giving you the effect you want. Hope this helps Samantha

  167. Kat says:

    Hi Samantha
    This is such a great find! I’ve spent too long reading your posts already. I’m building a 2 story house, it’s rather narrow (9m wide block). We are doing Linea weatherboard for top level, and just the front of the bottom level. The rest of lower level is pgh east hamptons bricks. We have natural timer posts on top level at the front as a feature and on the bottom (white oak/vic ash still deciding). We are using pgh aspen stone cladding at the base of our porch columns (the rest of the “column” is the white oak timber). We have a surfmist roof, gutters, downpipes, eaves, fencing, and double garage door. Front door will be dulux oolong. My thought was that I need to do a white weatherboard as I have a lot of busy accents in the timber and stone (although they are small areas). But the surfmist is really throwing me, especially the garage door as it’s such a huge part of the house facade. I like dulux natural white as it’s crisp but warm and I think would not clash with the brick (the bricks are somewhat cream, with areas of mauve/burgundy) and the surfmist looks grey next to it. But I am getting worried my house my be too white- so I tried dulux dieskau but next to the surfmist it made the surfmist too yellow. Is the natural white too white or will it be ok on the weatherboard? Trims I’m looking at vivid white with a shot of black (builders request). I’d love your thoughts

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Kat Dulux Natural White is a very popular white for exteriors as it has some warmth. It will be very nice and white outside – you need to remember though that you will have Surfmist downpipes cutting through it but this should be fine. I recommend painting a large sample – as big as you can – with Natural White and then place it next to a wall of the bricks at your local PGH display centre. This is the best way to see if you will like the effect. Hope this helps Samantha

  168. Diana Tod says:

    Hi Samantha, I’ve poured over your advice and many great articles today and learnt so much – you are truly generous with your time and knowledge, thank you so much! Reading your last bit of advice to Megan, I’m wondering if you could advise me – I’m building a new ‘period’ home at the top of the Otways, which has classic white aluminium windows (!), which look fairly authentic from a distance, and zincalume roof and gutters. I’d thought to paint the house pale white-on-whites so as not to highlight the aluminium windows and zinc roofing, but as it’s a country house, thought I’d like a pink tinge – something like ghosting half, with Vivid white trim, or Te Kaha, with Southern Alps trim. The house faces north and west though, so are these colours too soft?
    Also, should I paint the gutters eg. shale grey? I’m 70 and am building this house to leave to my kids and grandkids, so don’t really want to paint gutters if avoidable!
    Many thanks for your time and fantastic advice in advance. Diana

  169. Kimberley Law says:

    Hi Samantha,

    Thanks so much for all the information on your blog – it has been really helpful!

    Our house is south east facing and we will be adding a second storey. The roof is Woodland Grey (similar) roof tiles and the gutters, fascia and downpipes will be Surfmist. Windows are pearl white. The second floor will be weatherboards and the first floor will be rendered.

    I am wanting to paint it white but I am struggling to figure out which white as the first floor exterior doesn’t get a lot of light however the second floor exterior is more exposed.

    My question is should I go for a brighter white to make the first floor brighter but risk the second floor being too bright in the sun, or should I go for a softer white so the second floor isn’t too bright but then risk the first floor looking a bit dark?

    For a bright white I was thinking Casper White Half or Snowy Mountains Half.
    For a softer white I was thinking Casper White or Rottnest Island.
    Or is there one in the middle that you think would be better suited?

    Also if both floors are painted the same colour, will there be any colour difference due to the two different materials used (weatherboards and render)?

    Thanks for your invaluable advice.

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Kimberley I would use just one white on the exterior. With the bulk and shadow on a house, you could end up with it not looking quite right if you try to adjust the tones. You will certainly see a difference between render and weatherboard as the boards have a shadow line, depending on which ones you use this can be quite deep and pronounced. Both Dulux Rottnest Island and Casper White are very close in tone to Surfmist so you need to consider whether you want a contrast with your trim. Probably safest to use a half strength. My advice would be to paint up a large board with both Casper White Half and Snowy Mountains Half to see which suits best and which you prefer. Casper White is certainly a bit warmer as it has a lavender/pink undertone. Good luck Samantha

  170. Anton says:

    Hi Samantha, thanks for your very helpful articles, and have learned a lot.
    We have gables and some rendering in Lime White (north- and south-facing), and for the gables strapping colour were going to go with Vivid White. Do you think this would be enough of a contrast? If not, would there be a better white for this.
    Thanks, Anton

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Anton Dulux Vivid White has barely any pigment so is a very bright white. It does have a touch of warmth though so will be good to go with Lime White. I think there should be enough contrast but if in doubt just paint a small part to ensure you like the effect. Good Luck Samantha

  171. Matt says:

    Hi Samantha
    You articles and replies to comments have been so helpful – thank you! We are painting our period (bagged brick) home in Hampton near Melbourne – and are seeking an Aussie coastal / Hamptons style. After much deliberation (and reading of this blog!) we have landed on dulux terrace white for external walls and lexicon quarter for trims, eaves, timber work and gutters. We feel the contrast is good and with south facing facade, the terrace white will generally appear a bit darker. We have orange terracotta roof tiles and are now considering restoring and repainting these too. Do you have any suggestions to complement our white colour scheme? We are open to darker or lighter colours for the roof – feeling darker would be more Hamptons style, or lighter being more coastal??? We would greatly appreciate your help please. Thanks !

    • Samantha Bacon says:

      Hi Matt Glad you have found the blog helpful! I think that a grey roof would suit this look and also suit your suburb – although it is a coastal area it is still very much Melbourne and I think that this more classic look will suit better. I also prefer darker colours on tiled roofs as they last better. You need to be very careful with painting a terracotta roof as they need a lot of prep to ensure that the roof doesn’t become too slippery or the paint peel off. I always find that the end result is better with dark colours. Hope this helps Samantha

  172. Lisa says:

    Hi Samantha,
    Thank you for reading my question.
    I have recently built my little cottage in the country. I have painted the weatherboard Snowy Mountain Quarter. I have a tin roof in colorbond Surfmist.
    I am trying to choose a white for my windows and trims that isn’t too different from the SMQuarter but will enhance these features a little more. Do you have any suggestions for me please.
    Thanks again.
    Lisa.

  173. Jane Buckley says:

    Hi Samantha,

    I am in a white on white dilemma, I am building in Gracetown WA, we are at the top of the hill with a sloping block, so we have built (building) a house on stilts which our floor sits at below house roof height. This is so we get the ocean views. Behind us (which is the front facade is National Park). It is a surf town. So I have chosen Surfmist roof and it is weatherboard house, really need to choose the right white, we have pearl white Jason Windows and sweeping QLD style balcony all to be painted white. My dream is a white house but now I am conflicted. I chose as we don’t have underground water 2 large water tanks colour of Ironstone. Our house as it is going up fast looks massive and like it really is on massive stilts say 9 steps at front (double back) but no steps. Please help.

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