There was a collective thank you to Colorbond when they released their Dover White colour. At last, a crisp fresh white in the range, which has been widely welcomed. As good as this is, you do need to know where and, more importantly, where not to use it. In this post I am going to show you how to use Colorbond Dover White.
Colorbond Dover White for fascias
Until its release, Colorbond Surfmist was the lightest colour in the range. This was often an issue for people who wanted a crisp white fascia to go with their crisp white trim on the rest of the house. For those building a Hamptons style home, this was a large hole in the colour range.
I have written a post about using Colorbond Surfmist as a trim colour before Dover White came onto the scene. I do still think however that Surfmist is a great exterior white and is good for balustrades, windows etc. if you prefer a slightly softer white.
Related: Using Surfmist as a trim colour
The issue is that with so many white on white exterior schemes now and soft pale greys with white trim, you really do need a crisp white fascia. So, Colorbond Dover White works so well for this purpose. For me, this is the biggest appeal of Dover White.
The house above has a white painted fascia and eave to match the crisp white windows, posts and balustrades. With a timber fascia, this works well. Now, if you have Colorbond fascias, they can be this same crisp white, but with Dover White and then all the other trim whites can be painted the same.
Related: Why I love a crisp white trim
Colorbond Dover White for garage doors
If you have a white on white house or a Hamptons style with soft grey and crisp white trim, then a Surfmist garage door will opten spoil this look, as unless you have used Surfmist as your trim colour, the depth will be too much. Surfmist has a yellow/green undertone, while Dover White has a crisp blue undertone. Therefore many of these very pale or soft grey houses benefit from a Dover White garage door.
Be aware though that Dover White is a very crisp bright white. Therefore if the garage door is large, it will be blindingly white. A Hamptons style with crisp white trim does call for a Dover White door, however if you have a house with deeper tones and not much white trim, you may find that Colorbond Surfmist is a better option.
The white on white house from Three Birds has a Dover White garage door which is perfect for this look.
Colorbond Dover White for roofing and gutters
As far as I am concerned, using Colorbond Dover White for a roof is an absolute no. I wouldn't recommend this as it is simply too bright and too white. I doubt that many council areas would even allow it anyway.
If you are using Dover White for your fascia, you could at a stretch use Dover White for gutters, but remember that this is an area of the house that gets very dirty. My advice usually would be to match the gutter to the roof colour and then use Dover White for the fascia only.
Related: How to choose roofs, gutters and fascias
Walls in Colorbond Dover White
I would recommend Dover White for walling on a house, particularly if it is just a feature. With crisp whites being so popular now for exteriors, you can get away with this. However, as with the garage door, you do need to be aware that over a large expanse of area, it will be quite bright. Kyle and Leslie from The Block used it on their house below and I think that mixed with other colours and textures, it works quite well.
You can see below though that they also used it for the roof. It looks great, but I am concerned that it will be a little overwhelming. For longevity and less glare, I would use another light colour for the roof, perhaps Shale Grey or even Colorbond Southerly, which is a new soft grey.
Matching paint to Colorbond Dover White
All of the Colorbond colours can be matched to paint, so if you use Colorbond Dover White for the fascias and garage on your house, you could also use this white for architraves, posts and eaves. It is a little darker than some fresh whites like Dulux Vivid White and Lexicon Quarter, but as it is a cool white, it is lovely and crisp so will give a nice contrast with your wall colour.
What goes with Colorbond Dover White
Essentially, everything works with it. Wherever you want a crisp white trim, Dover White is your go to colour. It has a cool blue undertone, yet you don't see blue in it. This just makes it nice and crisp and perfect for an exterior trim.
Dover White is the perfect foil for soft whites that have a little depth. On exteriors you won't always see a contrast as it will depend on the sunlight and aspect of the home, however in many lights it is enough to create some difference. With its blue base, it also works perfectly with soft greys, blues and greens.
In terms of other Colorbond colours, again, it is just a crisp white that works with most hues, but it is perfect with Colorbond Windspray, Basalt and Monument if you are building a Hamptons style home.
If you are building or renovating I have a handy comprehensive exterior checklist which you can use to ensure you have everything covered. You can download it free from my Resource Library. This will get you started with choosing roofs, gutters & facias and the many other products, finishes and colours that you need to select. Sign up free for it here.
I also offer an online colour consultation service if you are stuck with selecting your colours. From just one key question that is troubling you, through to a full colour scheme, I will have a package to suit you. I can also tailor packages for you too. Find out more here.
