Exteriors
How to select roofs, gutters and facias
It can be exciting, or daunting, some of you would say, to select the paint finishes for the exterior of your new home but the practical bits like roofs, gutters and facias are sometimes not given a lot of thought or attention. Often clients look at me with a blank and worried stare when I mention the facia. So this post on how to select roofs, gutters and facias may sound a little uninspiring but for those of you who are building, I hope it helps to make some sense of these very important choices.
What colour should my roof be?
Life used to be so simple when we could have either a grey shingle or a traditional terracotta roof. Now the options are vast and there are many pros and cons for each style and colour. I have 5 steps below to help you to make the right decision:
- Consider the style of your house. Is it a traditional home in the city or in the leafy suburbs? If this is the case then you may feel you want to opt for a classic grey shingle style roof or a traditional terracotta one. This look is solid, timeless and suits the classic style family brick home. However if you are building a coastal style home you will be more likely to opt for a laid back look and build with a metal Colorbond roof. Country style homes too suit a metal roof – so typical of the classic Australian country home with its Zincalume roof. A contemporary home with a skillion style roof also needs a metal roof.
- Consider whether you want to see a contrast? Do you want to see a contrast between your roof and your house? Would you prefer the roof to just blend into the surroundings or do you want it to become part of the colour scheme and stand out? A traditional terracotta roof makes a statement and there is many a gorgeous home in Sydney and the surrounds with this style of roof. It doesn't mean that you have to continue with that colour throughout the scheme – the roof just makes the statement in its own right. What you do see though is a very definite contrast.
- Consider the colour scheme. The prevalence of Colorbond roofs has meant that many of us now have to give a lot of thought to the colour of our roof as in many cases it becomes a definite part of the colour scheme. It is very challenging just viewing the colour from a small chip and I always recommend that clients go to a roofing supplier to see large samples of the metal in the sunlight. Remember that grey washes out of the colour in the direct sun and you will see more of the underlying colour beneath.
- Consider the desired temperature of your home. Light coloured roofs will reflect the heat and dark coloured roofs will absorb it. You generally see darker roofs in areas like Melbourne and lighter roofs up in the heat of Queensland.
- Will you be installing banks of solar panels? If you are planning to invest in a large amount of solar panels then you should probably opt for a slightly darker roof so that these are disguised. You may have a style of roof with the west or north facing side away from the street in which case you might be able to get away with solar panels and a light roof. However, a roof on full display from the street with solar panels can detract from the overall look of the house.
I love the house above. This is a great example of how you can have a traditional terracotta roof which makes a statement and stands out but the house doesn't have to contain that colour. By adding a black gutter and white facia you create a good break to lead into the rest of the house which has a very contemporary colour treatment.
Choosing a Colorbond Roof
I find that many of the Colorbond roof colours look very similar in situ and it is not until you see the guttering that you can always pick which colour the roof is. Early in the morning or late in the afternoon, can be easier to see but when the sun is high many all look the same. Therefore you need to focus on the depth of colour that you want first and foremost. The appeal of using Colorbond for your roofs, gutters and facias is that you do not have to worry about colour matching.
These are some of my favourite Colorbond roof colours
If clients are looking for a dark roof I often steer them towards Colorbond Monument as this is a very neutral off black with no obvious underlying colour.
Colorbond Woodland Grey is a time honoured classic which has looked good for years. In fact it replaced Colorbond Slate which was a very similar grey and I have been using both for almost 20 years. It is one of the only Colorbond colours that has always been popular. Woodland Grey does have a green undertone. I find this very easy to work with though and a favourite for exterior schemes. It is certainly one of my favourite roof colours.
Colorbond Ironstone has a blue undertone. I like it but sometimes I wish it was more of a charcoal blue. I feel it just needs to be a touch greyer as in some lights the underlying blue can really show through.
A mid tone Colorbond colour is a good idea as it gets neither too hot or too cold. Dark enough that it won't show the dirt and leaf litter stains as much as the lighter colours, but not too dark that it becomes hot in the summer.
Colorbond Basalt is a lovely neutral mid-tone grey which I like to specify. It does have a slight blue undertone but I find that it goes with many colour schemes and gives a classic look. Good for traditional homes where the client wants a slightly lighter colour and great for contemporary homes too.
Colorbond Wallaby is another great mid-tone colour with a gorgeous warm brown grey undertone. In fact, just like a Wallaby! A great choice if you prefer the warmer greys and neutrals.
Colorbond Gully is a fabulous neutral if you prefer a colour that leans more towards earthy browns and away from the greys. Outside it can look like a nothing colour, if that makes sense. It is simple and goes well with many neutrals. I actually love this colour matched in a paint finish too for exteriors. It's not at the height of fashion but will look good for years to come.
Lighter Colorbond roofs are very popular, particularly in coastal locations as you get a light and airy look. Excellent to use in hotter climates and very popular in Queensland as the light colours reflect the heat. Do consider though if you have overhanging trees, particularly if they are gum trees. Leaf litter quickly builds up and stains lighter roofs and they can be difficult to maintain.
For this reason, Colorbond Windspray is a favourite of mine as it gives you a light, silvery look but just has a bit more depth than the other lighter colours. In some lights it appears a little blue and in others it appears green. On the roof it looks predominantly silver grey.
Colorbond Dune is another great classic. A warm grey, this is an excellent choice to go with a warm earthy colour palette. It can be slightly pinkish in some lights but you don't usually see this when it is on the roof . You generally only notice this in the guttering.
Colorbond Shale Grey along with Woodland Grey is another colour that has endured. It replaced Gull Grey and is just that classic cool neutral silver grey that has been popular in roofing for a very long time. It can give you the look of the old Zincalume roofs and is an excellent choice for coastal and country houses.
Colorbond Surfmist is a favourite of many. Clients love it in coastal locations and it certainly does give you a very light and reflective roof. I have had many comments though from clients who don't like it as a guttering colour. It does appear a little creamy. I think in many cases it works well as the depth of colour and grey in it work well in the sunlight.
Colorbond Dover White This is a new white from Colorbond – added to the range in August 2022 – it is a lovely crisp cool white. I wouldn't recommend this for roofing – it is simply too bright and white. However, it will be great to use as a facia colour if you are building a house with other crisp white trims. Perfect for Hamptons style homes.
Assessing the underlying colour in Colorbond
Note that the amount of underlying colour that you see in any of these colours will depend on the time of day, the aspect and degree of the pitch of the roof and how much flashing you see. Ensure you look at large samples of the metal and ask the supplier for examples of houses which have the colour you are interested in. This is the best way to see if the colour is right for you.
The house above has a Shale Grey Colorbond roof and gutters with Surfmist facia. There is also Colorbond walling in Shale Grey with a Monument garage.
This house has a Colorbond Dune roof, gutter, facia and garage. You can see how you can tell which colour the roof is from the flashing rather than the actual ribbed metal roofing.
This house has a Basalt roof and gutter with a Surfmist facia. It is interesting to note how light the roof appears in relation to the guttering but in fact they are the same colour.
Choosing a concrete roof
My favourite concrete roof is the flat shingle style as this gives you a streamlined and very classic look. The dark greys have a look of traditional slate which works well. Note though that for most types of tile the colour is painted on the top of the roof tile and over time this will fade and chip. The premium concrete roof tiles have colour all they way through but are generally just in dark charcoal grey and of course will also cost more. The image below shows Boral's premium Linea Charcoal Grey colour through roof tile.
Choosing a Terracotta roof
A terracotta roof is the best quality and it doesn't have to be a terracotta colour! Although I love the traditional Terracotta coloured roofs, it is actually the terracotta itself which makes the tile amongst the best and they do come in a range of colours. With long warranties this really is a premium product and is particularly good to use for harsh environments.
Boral has recently used their French terracotta roof tiles on the restoration of the Norah Head Lighthouse. A project close to my heart as this is close to where I live and an absolutely gorgeous place to visit. It is a testament to the product that it has been installed in such harsh conditions.
Choosing Gutters & Facias
There are 3 options for your gutters & facias:
- Gutter & Facia the same colour to match the roof
- Gutter to match the roof and facia different (often to match the windows or other colours on house)
- Gutter and facia the same colour but as a contrast to the roof.
Option 1 will give you a seamless look and is often considered the most contemporary of choices. This brings the colour of the roof down into the scheme. The image below shows a house with Colorbond Evening Haze roof, gutter and facia.
In option 2 the gutters disappear into the roof and the facia stands out more. This can be very effective if you have a white facia and lessens the impact of the roof and gutter.
Finally, option 3 gives you a very dominant trim colour. For example if the roof is a darker colour but you didn't want to make this a feature of the house you could add a lighter gutter and facia which becomes a wide band of trim around the top of the house. The image below demonstrates this but if you go back up to the Norah Head homestead restoration project above you will see a good example of this there too.
The roof in the image below is surprisingly Colorbond Woodland Grey and this demonstrates how light roofing can appear at different points of the day. A contrasting Deep Ocean gutter and facia has made a definite colour statement on the trim of the house.
The options are vast for your choice of roofing and the way that you treat your gutters and facia will have an impact on the overall look of the house. So when selecting roofs, gutters and facias bear in mind your location, including the year round temperature, the style of your house, the colour scheme and whether or not you want the roof and trim to stand out or to blend into the house.
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.
Related: My Guide to painting eaves
We have chosen wallaby for a our roof. We have a mid tone greyish cemintel under the gable with cape Jaffa concrete block columns which are a creamy yellow… I am looking at Dulux winter fog render .. can you recommend any other Nuetral grey or Greige colours please?
Hi Bron You need to find something that works with the Cemintel grey which I understand to be quite cool and the limestone yellow of the blocks. Dulux Winter Fog is a good option or try a little darker with Whakarewarewa Half to balance the columns – both great with Wallaby. Perhaps look at samples of both with the 2 finishes to see which you prefer. Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha
Im building my home and trying to work out colours.
im thinking either Basalt or Woodland Grey Colourbond roof (I want it to be a medium grey that looks different and darker to the rest of the house- I dont want it to look brown. green or blue in the sun) then feather dawn cladding and shale grey render. (front door is white so is garage) Gutters the same as the roof colour and fascia to be feather dawn.
What do you recommend?
Hi Bree Colorbond Basalt has a slight blue undertone but not as much as Ironstone, Woodland Grey has a green undertone. If you don’t want any undertone at all you should look at Monument but this can be quite dark. You should see whether you can get to a Colorbond display centre to see large panels in the sunlight and see whether you are happy with the undertone. Quite often you only see this in the gutter and fascia so you could consider using another colour for the trim. Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha. We have recently painted the tiled roof of our home Wallaby. As we are having a black aluminium fence with Red Robin hedges I was going to incorporate Monument into the guttering or fascia to tie the fence in. WOuld this work? What colours do you recommend for rendered walls and soffit. THe home also has 3 columns on patio and we are having a Dutch gable stand alone carport installed with matching columns. COuld these be a different colour? If so, what colour or would they stay the same colour as walls
Hi Jane there are too many areas to address here but I would say that you can certainly introduce some Monument into your trim rather than adding more Wallaby to the scheme and then look for a range of neutrals to use in different strengths that are warm grey browns to choose from. Perhaps a Monument front door could also tie this in and give you some contrast. Good luck Samantha
Thanks Samantha for the great advice on choosing. A professional helped me to choose Woodland Grey gutters and fascia with a Dune roof. I am now looking to render my walls and am lost as I dont like the colours together. We live in Brisbane so needed a light roof – this is almost silver (I was after an earthy tone). Not sure what to do now. Any advice appreciated (looking at Surfmist for a render colour).
Hi Tina That’s a shame that you’re not happy with your roof but I am sure it will do the trick in Queensland by reflecting the heat. Woodland Grey is quite a contrast so by going light on your walls you need to consider that there will be a dark band around the top of your house. Colorbond Surfmist is a popular render colour as it is a white with enough grey to stand up to the bright sunlight. It can appear slightly creamy/yellow in some instances? For a touch more depth to balance the Woodland Grey you could look at Dulux Lyttelton. This is a nice neutral grey/white – still very light and with a slight green undertone which could work with the trim and silvery roof. Perhaps try a sample board of this to see what you think? Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha,
We are considering a Windspray Roof because its not to dark and not too light , but we find it too dark for the fascia and gutters. Do you think Shale Grey would would work well for gutters and fascia?
We are considering Oyster Linen for the weatherboards.
Thanks for your advice.
Hi Russell depending on the slant, time of day and aspect of your roof it should just mainly look a silvery colour and you shouldn’t see too much of the undertone. I can often only tell the colour of a metal roof by looking at the gutters and fascia which is where you see the underlying colour. I think you should be able to get away with Shale Grey for your trim. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha,
We have a 30yo brick home, split level. Have just had our tile roof repainted in Basalt. Very happy! Now we are looking to replace our old metal gutters, down pipes, and fascia. They are currently federation colours (green, red, cream). Feeling a bit lost with colour combinations. Our new window trims are all Surfmist. We are considering Basalt gutters and Surfmist fascia, or should we be looking for more contrast with gutter colour? Also worried about downpipe colour standing out on out brick exterior. Grateful for your advice.
Hi Kylie If you are happy with the Basalt roof then I would also use this on the gutters too and the fascia to tie in with your windows makes sense. Generally downpipes in a dark grey are less noticeable on bricks but it will depend on the brick colour – sometimes you can get quite a good match but if your brick is darker I would definitely go dark grey. Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha,
We have a brick house that we are spraying in white. The house is very skinny and long, facing the main street and the roof is very visible from the street. the tiles are concrete and we don’t have any sarking under it on the older part of the house (bedrooms). The house is on the Gold Coast and gets a lot of sun! We have black aluminium windows and a timber front door. I usually like monument or woodland grey for the roof but everyone is scaring me as it could get very hot. Now stuck between basalt and shale grey??? Please help, very confused!!
Hi Tim I think the advice you are getting for the Queensland sun is absolutely right. Your roofing contractor may have houses to show you where they have painted concrete roofs. These can be problematic because colours you love in Colorbond metal roofing will look very different on a tiled surface. Not to say that they won’t work but they do obviously look different so perhaps seeing examples may help you to decide. If you naturally prefer the darker colours, Basalt may be a good compromise but it is a little blue and in a painted surface and depending on the aspect of the roof, you may see more of this. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha, Im using Adbri Ebony Brick and im stuck on picking a roof colour?
Hi Renee You really need to consider whether you would like a contrast with the black brick or whether you want to keep the house a single tone of colour. You also need to consider whether you are having light trim or are you keeping the look dark. You can go either way so this is the first thing you need to consider before you look at the roof colour. Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha
Would appreciate your opinion on colours for a new build.
We are considering using recycled red bricks with not too much white on the facade & part sides of house, remainder brick will be Austral Industrial in Iron – warm grey. Colorbond roof, gutters & facia in shale grey. Eaves in surfmist. Fill below roof & garage doors in basalt. Windows in monument. The design has a skillion roof with 10% pitch. Front of house faces north, side is north west for solar panels. Climate long cold winter, summer extreme heat often 40+ degree.
Forgot to mention the facade will have spotted gum cladding.
Hi Susan your Shale Grey roof is certainly a good choice for reflecting heat in the extreme summer heat and works well with an industrial style look with Monument windows. It’s difficult to say entirely if the scheme is right but from what you have described it sounds as though you are on the right track. I hope you love your new home Samantha
Hello Samantha, I’m back, we haven’t progressed with our build partly due to the covid uncertainty, in many ways it’s been great having time to think. We are still looking at building with recycled red & Austral Industrial Iron bricks & part feature spotted gum timber cladding. We remain unsure about roof colour& now think shale grey is too pale. My husband isn’t keen on monument because we want the roof & garage doors to match & he doesn’t like monument in the summer heat. Our other roof & facia options are basalt or wind spray. I’m leaning towards basalt & fill under facia in wind spray, shale grey or surfmist. window colours black or monument? A monument roof seems common with recycled red bricks. We would like something a bit different. Your opinion would be greatly appreciated. Susan
Hi Susan yes it can be good to have some downtown to reconsider decisions! My feeling would be to go with Basalt for the roof – it’s very difficult to say about all the other elements without looking properly at the scheme but this is a good alternative if you want a mid tone room. Good luck with it all Samantha
We have a cottage by the lake with dark brown mainly/black shingle roof. Our window trim and patio doors (6) on the deck have white brick mold. We are going 30″ up from ground before applying Maebec siding. I would like the siding a shade of blue/gray not to light or dark. Banging my head to decide on fascia soffit and gutters. My husband feels white gets dirty too fast. What colour can I consider dark brown/black???
Hi Marlena My advice is to link the gutters to the roof so they disappear – probably just a smart black and then when you select your blue/gray for the walls I would suggest a slightly lighter version of this colour for the soffits/eaves. Ask the local paint shop what the colour would be if the wall choice got a little lighter. I like to relate the soffits to the walls where possible. Hopefully this should just be a soft grey with a touch of blue which will hide dirt better than white but will also give the cottage a lift. I hope this makes sense! Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha, I wish I’d come across your website sooner! We live in a heritage area in a 2 storey (100 yrs old but fusion of styles) white rendered dutch barn looking house ( originally the house was pink!) with terracotta tiles. We are building a small studio in the back garden with weathertex vertical 150 ” boards and are trying to tie both buildings the old (main house) and the new (studio with a soon to install colour bond roof.)
The outside patio/decking comprises olive (silver) white limestone pavers with spotted gum decking at the back. We also have old sandstone pavers we’ve recycled for the driveway and pathway to the house.
We had a colour consultant come to the house who suggested:
1. we change the roof colour to monument grey but we can’t it has to stay as terracotta tiles.
2. the studio roof be Colorbond Surfmist and weatherboard cladding be Dulux Black Caviar or Western Myal.
3.the main house be natural white and Colorbond Monument for guttering.
Subsequent to reading your article I was wondering if:
1. the Studio roof and guttering be Monument Grey ( although this may be hot for Sydney if we use solar panels it will blend in and also from the street you will notice the greenery more than the roof?; and
2.the weatherboard be Western Myall or Tranquil Retreat (are these warm dark greys?)
3. the main house guttering and downpipes be Woodland grey? It would match the olive the white pavers on the patio and wooden deck? And the warmth of the terracotta tiles – or should I go Monument grey or Western Myall?
Also should we match the window joinery timber work with the gutters colour – such as Woodlawn grey /Western Myall/Monument Grey?
Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks Samantha.
Hi Sarah this sounds an interesting project for you. My feeling is to definitely do the studio roof in a dark colour and Monument makes sense to hide the solar panels. However there could be other mid-tone options but it all depends on what you use for the walls, the main house etc. Dulux Western Myall is a very dark grey while Dulux Tranquil Retreat is a very light one so you are looking at a very wide range in tone. I really couldn’t say for sure as there are a lot of things to consider. I do offer e-consultations if that helps but I can at least definitely say that a dark roof in amongst your garden would be far preferable. Hope this helps! Samantha
Hi Samantha! Thank you so much for this fabulous blog! We’re renovating a simple single story 1980s house with mission brown bricks and a cottage green roof. We live in a rural setting (Margaret River) with a mediterranean climate. Do you have any external colours tips for renovating this era? I’m currently thinking to paint the roof tiles/gutters windspray, then do shale grey walls and white trims. Do you think there will be enough contrast and it will for this era? We will also be building a patio with natural jarrah posts. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Hi Rebecca you don’t see a lot of difference between Shale Grey and Windspray and remember that roof tiles in Windspray will not look like Colorbond steel in the same colour as the metal glimmers and reflects light whereas the underlying green/blue of the Windspray will really show through in the painted version on roof tiles so I would recommend asking your painter for examples of other roofs that they have painted. The natural Jarrah will be beautiful and it would be nice to bring this into the house too – perhaps the front door? White trims will look good with the Shale Grey – ensure you see a good contrast outside to get the effect – good luck Samantha
Hi Samatha i need help in choosing colours. I have a 2 storey Tudor house we are getting rid of the wooden beams and replacing it with painted rendering in dulux warm neutral S13D3 my roof is charcoal, windows white , what colours should i paint the gutters down pipes and Fascia. Thank you moira .
Hi Moira I would just paint the downpipes the same as the wall colour so that they blend in and disappear. You could do your gutters in Charcoal and then your fascia to match your windows – just think about how much trim you want to see around the roof line – all in Charcoal will be less obvious, all in white will be most obvious. Hope this helps. Samantha
Thank you so much Samantha that will certainly help.
Hi Samantha
We’re building a coastal style yet contemporary house and would love some feedback. We are thinking about a colourbond roof and gutters in shale grey, with recycled brick garage and a monument garage door. For the facade we’re thinking a basalt (kind of colour weatherboard and facia with black windows. (We alreasdu have the windows) Do you think this will work? It’s so confusing!
Hi Hollie This sounds good. You just have to be sure that you like the strong contrast between your roof and the rest of the house. Without seeing a photo it all sounds OK but I would just consider your fascia colour – possibly Monument would be better to tie in with the black windows and Monument garage and then have the walls in Basalt so that all your trim is the same. Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha
We have a rammedearth country house with natural timber beams supporting the roof lines. The current roof colour is green which is badly faded as the house is about 24 years old.
We are renovating the whole house.
I’m really struggling with a roof colour and thought wallaby may be suitable. The rammed earth walls are very earthy (orangey/rustic) colour.
Would love to hear your thoughts.
Hi Sheila it sounds as though this will be fine but although it will match there may not be much contrast so you need to consider that too or it could look all the same – without seeing it, it is difficult to say for sure. Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha, we are using recycled bricks with Monument window frames but would like a lighter coloured roof. Dune is a good tone and contrast with the bricks but I’m worried it will get dirty as we live on a bush block – it could stain from Eucalypt leaves, dust and soot.
I’m considering a mid-tone such as Wallaby with Monument fascia and guttering but am not sure if Wallaby will be too brown.
I would like a colour that looks similar to a galvanized iron roof but can’t use zinc as we are under a flight path.
I’m not sure about the blue tones in Basalt with the recycled brick.
Your thoughts would be welcome, thanks.
Hi Mel If you’re worried about Wallaby being too brown then you could use Monument for the gutters as well as the fascia. You don’t often see the underlying colour of a roof until you see the guttering so if you have all Monument trim and windows I think you will find that the Wallaby should be fine. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Good thing i came across your blog. I am building my first house and i’m looking for a basalt colorbond roof . My window color is charcoal and garage door at the back is monument. What is the best color for the gutter/facia and render? Any tips please? Thank you in advance
Hi Arlene As your windows are charcoal I think I would have Basalt gutters and fascias to match the roof and tie in with the windows. In terms of the render, you have lots of options and need to consider whether you want a light or a dark house. A soft greige could work. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha, I love your blog! I need some advice on trim colours for a 60’s/70’s style double story terracotta brick, brown tile roof house. We are currently building a deck off it with Monument steel beams and will have Spotted Gum batons on front. We are not painting brick but will paint eaves, gutters and possibly roof or replace with Colorbond. Would really appreciate any advice as that brick is orange ? and house face North so get a lot of sun.
Hi Narelle I really like Monument trims with natural terracotta bricks as it makes them far more contemporary. Glad you are enjoying the blog! Thanks Samantha
Hi Samantha, we have a 1980’s classic cream brick house. The foundation bricks were mission brown but have been painted in monument. The fascia & gutters are monument. We need to paint the tiled roof and are thinking of a medium or light grey colour. We are having trouble choosing between woodland grey, dune, shale grey, windspray or wallaby. We have also looked at dulux colours in pelaco, old eagle, moxa and silver thaw. We are favouring a lighter colour as we have hot summers, can you help please?
Hi Julie painted tile roofs look quite different to the colorbond roofs as you see much more of the underlying colour on a tile roof. Woodland Grey is dark and has a green undertone, Dune is a lovely light colour but has a warm pink/brown undertone which I don’t think will work with your brick. Shale Grey is pretty neutral but if anything reads a touch green but I would say this is the most neutral option. Windspray is a combination of green/blue. Wallaby is probably the best option with your colour scheme but it isn’t a light tone and could read a little more brown than grey which after getting rid of your mission brown you may not like. The other Dulux colours you are looking at have a purple undertone which won’t be right. I think you should paint a large board with two coats of your choice and place it up on the roof next to the Monument gutters to get a good idea of whether you will like the effect. Good luck! Samantha
HI Samantha,
I am hoping you can give me some advice on roof/window colours to match our yellow brick 90s south facing house. We suspect the windows are Ironstone, but they are now a faded blue/grey, and we have a non-descript grey/brown roof. We are converting half of our garage into a bedroom and that will be Foamfast to the front exterior. Initially we thought of rendering the whole front exterior Surfmist and refinishing the faded windows in Ironstone. However, we are now wondering if we should instead embrace the yellow brick and highlight its natural ‘beauty’ by painting the roof and windows a darker grey with less blue in it. Maybe Monument or Basalt?? Or do we stick with Ironstone? The SA sunshine really does bleach things!
Thanks in advance.
Hi Emma I haven’t seen your house but I think you should possibly keep the bricks. Woodland Grey works really well with this colour as it has a slight green undertone and isn’t such a harsh contrast as the blues. Monument could look striking but you will have more of a contrast in tone. Basalt is a lighter roof and less blue than Ironstone – this could be good to reflect the South Australian heat! Good luck Samantha
Thank you!
Hello Samantha, I have a newly rendered lowset house on the Gold Coast and now I am having stress overload with outside colours as the painter is already in progress. The roof and gutters and fascias are Colorbond Windspray , the windows are Colorbond Surfmist, and the render is Dulux Spanish Olive. The painter suggests to paint the soffits and underside of the open carport in Spanish Olive but I am not sure about this. I have read your article which says horizontal colours go darker. Could you please suggest a complementary colour for soffits of house and for the underside of the open carport facing the street .
Also if I may ask for a colour for our massive rendered pool wall. We are on a corner block so the wall fronts 2 streets and is the first thing to be seen as you approach the house. As we enter our street we see roof and wall. Windspray looks wonderful on the roof,almost a silver grey, but we tried a test strip of this on the pool wall and it looks wrong. Should the wall be something a bit darker than but complementary to Spanish Olive.
If you could suggest colours I would be thrilled. Many thanks.
Hi Jeanette I think that the Dulux Spanish Olive could work on the eaves. Colours do get darker when horizontal but this can work well for the eaves as it makes them less noticeable. Dulux Sepal is a couple of tones darker than Spanish Olive but not as dark as Windspray – you could try a sample of this on the swimming pool wall. Good luck Samantha
Many thanks for your response Samantha. The painter had already painted a sample patch of Spanish Olive under the carport and I immediately felt that it was caving in on me so Dulux White on White it is for the eaves and underside of carport.
I had to make a hurried decision on the pool wall, even before the eaves, so I turned up with a sample pot of each of the next 3 colours on the pallette strip after Dulux Spanish Olive. ..and I now have a huge, but beautiful wall in Dulux Sepal.
Hi Samantha
I am currently building a second storey on to our 35yr old sandy speckled brick home. Gutters and fascia were cream which i am hoping to remove this cream look and move to a modern look incorporating Greys. The tiles are original, like Jasper colour.
I have chosen surfmist for new windows.
I now need to choose the colours for the weatherboard, gutters and fascia and downpipes.
I like Dune for the gutters, fascia and downpipes, however am now stuck on the weatherboard colour, and if i need to go lighter than Dune or darker. Or do i opt for Dune as the weatherboard colour and surfmist for gutters, fascia and downpipes?
What’s your thoughts..?
Id love any suggestions you may have, as i suck ar making choices!
Hi Emma you will you will need to go quite light on the weatherboard to see a contrast – also consider the colour against the existing brick too. I think this is really important to get a cohesive look so it may be that something closer in tone to Surfmist will work with the Dune trim. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha, my home is a highset 2 level 1986 traditional style house on the Gold Coast. It is a wide frontage house facing west, and has a garage built at a right angle to the house. This garage faces north.
The roof is a Terracotta tile in Pottery Brown. The old brick walls are newly rendered in Dulux Fitzroy Crossing. The new windows, gutters,and garage door are all Colorbond Monument. The driveway is massive and is a light exposed aggregate. Everything goes extremely well together but I just feel that the overall look is a little same/same.
The front of the house has about 5 small straight and recessed walls and an under cover entrance to the front door. We are at the end of a cul de sac and as I drive up the street I just have a feeling that on the ground floor one of the smaller front sections or the entrance wall needs to be a different colour. I was thinking autumn colours , but then I could be way off too. Open to all suggestions please.
What colour pallettes or particular names would you suggest that I play with. A few more sample pots to add to my collection!
Hi Jeanette I think that an Autumn palette would work well with Dulux Fitzroy Crossing. Sometimes strong colour when just used in a normal paint finish can end up looking garish. I think you should consider looking at Porters Paints which has some gorgeous exterior paints. Either with a stone finish or something like their Lime Wash in the colour Fired Earth. Because this is a mottled and natural finish you can get away with stronger colour. They also make Liquid Iron and Instant Rust paint which would look gorgeous on a large feature pot. This is a good way to bring colour to the house without drastically painting large areas. You could also plant some Magnolia Grandiflora trees to tie in with this scheme. I hope that this has given you some ideas to give your house a lift. Samantha
Hi Samantha, thanks for your blog – i found it really useful. I have recently added a 2 story extension to my single fronted weatherboard Victorian terrace in Melbourne. The extension has a monument black roof and gutters. The original part of the house has a zincalum roof – I need to update the gutters on the orginal part of the house – would monument work with the zincalum roof. The cladding on the house is a light grey with white trim windows and a black door.
I would appreciate your thoughts? Many thanks
Hi Rachel I think I would keep the gutters on the original part of the house the same as the roof – that way each section of roof has gutters that match their roof. Perhaps something like a Shale Grey for the original roof guttering could work. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Sam, I have a weatherboard 60s house in Tasmania next to a river. The external walls are freshly painted shale grey with surfmist trim around windows. Am in the process of replacing roof, gutters and fascias. SO now the hard question of what colour/s the new metal roof, fascia and gutters should be. I love the shale grey and surfmist combination. For roof am considering Wallaby, Basalt or Windspray. For gutters and fascia considering shale grey. Does this sound boring, okay or fantastic. Any other thoughts?
Hi Sandy as your trim is in Surfmist, this is what I think your gutter and fascia should be too. Wallaby is a warm Colorbond colour so it won’t work with your combination but either Basalt or Windspray will. Basalt will give you some definition to the house and I think this would be my choice. Good luck!
Hi Samantha, just came across your blog whilst Googling gutter/fascia colours – happy I found you.
We live in a 1980s single storey mid brown brick with black glaze home with terracotta tiled roof and manor red colorbond windows, in a bushy suburb of southern Sydney. The gutters need replacing & I’m considering getting the gutter/fascia combo to save painting. Looking at Monument for the gutters, however do you think it may be too dark with the brick? Also, should I choose the same or a complimentary colour for the fascia? Was also looking to paint the front door Dulux Mystification so I thought maybe Monument for the gutter, a complimentary colour for the fascia & the blue front door. Appreciate your thoughts, thanks heaps 🙂
Hi Lee it’s difficult to say for sure but I would be inclined to go with Monument for both gutter and fascia. I couldn’t say for sure about the front door – I love dark blue doors but without seeing the brick it is hard to say. Perhaps do the gutters and fascia and then reassess the look of the house? Hope this helps Samantha
Hi I would like some advice
choice one Black window and door with shale grey render and monument roof gutter and fascia
or
choice two
black window and door with shale grey render , basalt roof with monument gutter and fascia.
no idear for garage colour
Hi Leah I think that I would opt for the Monument roof unless you live in a hotter climate, in which case the Basalt roof would be preferable to reflect the heat. The garage may benefit from being a fresher white, like Surfmist to offset all the black and grey tones. However, the home will be so neutral that even a Basalt door could look good. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha, I have a 1980s cream brick house in Perth with a Terrain colour tiled roof, cream window frames and paperbark garage door. We need to replace our gutters and paint the fascia and are very confused what to match with a terrain roof! The old gutters and fascia were painted a peachy colour.
We are trying to modernise our house and have a surfmist fence and patio. In a few years we would like to paint the window frames black or white and perhaps the garage if needed. What would you suggest please? Would you recommend surfmist gutters to match the other components or possibly monument? Many thanks.
Hi Nadia I like Monument gutters with red roofing but Surfmist would work too. Think about what you will do in the future with your windows and doors. I think if you already have some Surfmist I would be inclined to paint the windows in this too but you could have Monument garage and gutters with this too. Sorry it’s not conclusive but you could go either way – think about the overall look of the house and whether you want a fresher look or a more sophisticated dark grey trim. Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Great blog!
I’m building a new house. I’m thinking: Endless Dusk for cladding. Colorbond roof in Monument roof. Window frames are Pearl White with trims painted 1/2 Lexicon. What would you suggest for the gutters and fascia … keep it Monument or add another colour? Cheers Erin
Hi Erin glad you’re enjoying the blog! I think I would keep the gutters in Monument as that way they will disappear into the roof so that the Endless Dusk and crisp white can take centre stage. Hope you love your new home! Samantha
We are building a new house after the bushfires. Roof is wallaby. What colour should we do the windows? Wallaby also or lighter?
Hi Ryan If you are looking for a starting point for a window colour it is always a good idea to refer to the roof and trim colours. However, you need to think about the wall colour of the house and how the windows relate to that. If you wanted something fresher then you could look at a white window but always remember with powdercoated windows and doors that whatever colour it is you will see it inside too and so you need to consider how you want to decorate the house inside. So firstly, think about the interior too and then the wall colour outside and whether you would like to see a contrast between the wall and the window. Good luck with your re-build – I hope it all goes well for you Samantha
Hi Samantha, I have a 60s weatherboard house. The outside is newly painted in shale grey with surfmist trim. I am getting a new roof and am think surfmist for fascia however not sure about gutter/roof whether to go with monument, woodland grey or basalt. Also I’m thinking perhaps fascia should also be the same colour as roof and guttering. Am in Tassie so it’s cold down here. What roof colour do you think? and should fascia be the same or surfmist? Kind regards
Sorry Samantha please disregard and I realise I had already sent a message. Thankyou very much for your response back in May 🙂
Hi Sammantha, I really appreciate reading through these posts and seeing your feedback. We are about to build our first house in rural Victoria and are planning on a light coloured beige brick and a reflective roof to keep our house cool in summer. We are thinking of just using surf mist for the roof, fascia gutters and window, and then going a wooden-look garage door. Just wondering if you think this is too plain and if we should create some more contrasts with the gutter/fascia/roof/garage door. Many thanks in advance.
Hi Briony you will get some great contrast with the timber garage door and it would be good to continue this with some posts/pergola etc. to add another dimension to the house and link the garage. A simple Surfmist roof and trims with a light brick is a lovely airy look and I think just consider where you can add some more timber – possibly the front door? Good luck with your house build. Samantha
Hi Samantha,
I think you might be a lifesaver for us right now! We are in the process of selecting colours for a new home and are a bit stuck on colours to match our brick- which is a deep red tone with mottled blackish spots.
The display homes we have visited using the same brick have quite dark roofing- not sure if it is Monument or Ironstone which we think looks awesome, but we are not sure which one ?? any idea on what would look better with our brick choice?
We are also thinking Dune for gutter and facia to contrast, and possibly Basalt for the garage door. I think Monument is only available to us for windows (not ironstone), so do you think this could work even with Ironstone for the roof if we go that way? A possibility is that we also use Dune for windows- but i would have preferred a darker trim.
Kind regards
Hi Marcie I suspect the roof may be Monument as this is very popular at the moment and would certainly work with the bricks. Ironstone has a definite blue undertone which is quite noticeable in the gutters. It looks great but I think Monument may be a more neutral option and then you can have Monument windows. Dune should work nicely with this. I’m not sure about Basalt too for the garage – without seeing the house it’s difficult to say how this will tie in. Hope this points you in the right direction Samantha
Hey, Samantha. So glad I found you! We are renovating our 100 year old timber miners cottage. I’m thinking of a basalt colourbond roof and gutters with white fascia and windows etc. I’m thinking the weatherboards will be painted a little darker than Shale Grey. My husband thinks the gutters and downpipes should be in monument contrast, but I’m not so sure and think it will overpower the house which has a narrow frontage and painted brick verandah. Could you please point me in the right direction? Regards, Jan
Hi Jan old cottages did tend to have dark gutters and downpipes and your husband may be thinking of this to keep it in a traditional Heritage style. I think though as it has a narrow front that I would paint the downpipes to match the wall colour and keep the gutters to match the roof. But you could get away with just Monument gutters to bring in a little contrast. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha
We have recently done our tiled roof in the monument colour and we are about to do the gutters and the facias the same colour also. At the moment we have white down pipes and white garage doors, we also have white window frames too which we can’t change. Do you suggest doing the down pipes and the garage doors also in monument to match the roof? or is it best to leave them white too. The house is all brick.
Hi Karen It’s difficult to say without seeing the house but I would say that dark downpipes are always less noticeable than white and then there is no set rule with the garage – it will depend on the colour of the bricks etc and the overall look that you want to achieve. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha thank you for your article, it was really informative. I am building a house at the moment and Shale Grey has been suggested for the roof and gutters and Vivid WHite for the trims. We have aluminium windows in Pearl White and the cladding in Dulux Calico Dress. I woul love to inject some warmth into the colour scheme with a warm cream/grey limestone paver. Builder is telling me that Vivid white has little coverage so would be best to choose another white. Do you think I could use Builder’s White or White on White? Would love your advice. I’m worried that switching to Surfmist might be too creamy but at the same time would like a white that Doesn’t make the shale grey look too cool if that makes sense.
Hi Vanessa your builder is right – Vivid White has practically no pigment and painters hate it because the coverage is poor. Dulux Lexicon Quarter is a lovely crisp white which has a little more pigment and painters I know are happy with this – you will still have a very crisp white trim. Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha. So much wonderful information here! I live in a red brick duplex, the garage doors are side by side. The roof is dark brown tiles, the guttering, downpipes and vertical poles are all mission brown. The adjoining owner is about to sell and wishes to update but has left the colour choice up to me. I am looking at Windspray for the garage doors, guttering and fascias. I am unsure if the downpipes and vertical poles should be similar in colour to the bricks or if they should be Windspray (or something else). The adjoining owner prefers a contrast, however, I just don’t know! Appreciate any help you can provide. Thanks Sue.
Hi Sue I always like to hide downpipes if possible – it’s hard to say for sure without seeing the brick but you could tie it in with the garage colour. I wouldn’t bring in too many contrasting colours or the look could be too busy. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Sam, I hope you may have some fresh ideas for me. We are in the process of updating our 20year old dated facade. Our trims have faded and as our brick has pink undertones we are living in a “pink palace”. Contrasting with modern greys reduces the pink from the bricks considerably. We are looking at monument roof, and want to bring in surfmist and shale grey to get a modern crisp look- but I am clueless as to what to use where??? There are gutters, fascia, windows, pillars, garage door and a large cladding panel. Can you help me make sense of this please?
Hi I just posted a question about an exterior colour scheme but have since discovered your colour service online consultations . I will contact you via that option- best for both of us I think. Cheers Kath Fisher
Hi Samantha what a wealth of information thank you. I was hoping for some advice please my house is a 80’s cream brick with the classic mission brown windows brownish/orange tiled roof and a cream interior. I am looking to update the colour scheme for the outside being roof gutters eaves and windows however unsure what would match the cream bricks? The interior is Hogs Bristle quarter which I will be keeping the same. I live in Brisbane so is very hot in summer. Any help would be greatly appreciated thank you
Hi Kris Surfmist would freshen up the house considerably and be a nice foil to the creaminess of the bricks. A cool pale roof would also help with the QLD heat. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha, I like black and white houses. So, the house we are trying to build has monument gutter and facia with Surfmist downpipes and monument windows. I have chose Casper white quarter and lexicon quarter for render 1 and 2 respectively. Do you think it’s going to look too white? Is there any colour you recommend for the renders? Also not to forget, the inside of house is Wattyl white including ceiling and skirting and architrave. Much appreciated.
Hi Ashi Are you planning to use Casper White Quarter and Lexicon Quarter together on the exterior? If so, these are far too close to see any difference outside. They are both very crisp whites for a render and do work – Lexicon Quarter has a blue undertone and Casper White a warmer slight pink undertone. I tend to opt for deeper whites for an entire exterior – so full strength of either of these but I know people do use a quarter strength for the whole house. It really depends on how bright you want it to be. You could consider painting your downpipes to match the wall colour too as Surfmist against these crisp whites will really stand out. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha, I am preparing a 1970s brick veneer house for sale. There are darkish red-brown bricks, a dark brown cement tile roof and lots of mission brown trim. It’s in a leafy Sydney area and quite dark overall. I am replacing the gutters and downpipes and would like to give the house a lighter, more contemporary look. Won’t be able to eliminate all the brown though! Any suggestions for Colorbond colours would be hugely appreciated! Thanks.
Hi Andrew it’s difficult to say for sure but have you considered Colorbond Dune? This is a nice warm grey that works well with browns – it could give the house a lift, particularly if you are in a dark shaded area. Good luck Samantha
Thank you so much Samantha, I’ll give that a go!
What a fantastic article! Thanks so much. We’re building a modern country styled home clad with hardies “old style” cladding and a colourbond roof. We very much want to paint our house a light country blue close to Dulux’s featherbed if you know it, however am now stuck on what roof and guttering combination to use utilising surfmist and shale grey. I’m confused between these three options: 1. Shale grey roof, surf mist gutters and fascia. 2. Shale grey roof and gutters, surfmist fascia. 3. Roof, gutters and fascia all surfmist.
Hi Andrew I think with such a pretty wall colour that just all Surfmist would be the way to go. The only reason for opting for Shale Grey roof and gutters with Surfmist fascia is if you think the Surfmist will get very dirty – Shale Grey is still very light but just gives you a touch more depth. Hope this helps Samantha
Samantha, I am using PGH Bianca, a light brick, considering Monument Roof, black or white birch windows, I am wondering what color the fascia is on the house with black Bristle roof and light fascia, which is the seventh house displayed on the site makingyourhomebeautiful.com I visit your site regularly and find it so helpful in decision making.
Hi Yvonne that is a Surfmist fascia – if you use this I wouldn’t opt for White Birch windows which are a creamy colour. Hope this helps – glad you find the blog useful! Samantha
Hi Samantha. Can you advise what paint colours were used for the house with the Evening Haze roof (it has a post in front of the image with the mail box on top – number 2) much appreciated.
Hi Maria the weatherboards are Dulux Oyster Linen and I think from memory that the render is Dulux String Deep. Test out the colours first though as they may appear different in a different light and location. Good luck Samantha
Sorry should have said the bricks are federation limestone (however these are not visible at the front as that’s either render or carved in stone) and the carved in Stone is a light limestone colour, the window frames are black, all front facade windows are awning windows. Thank you
Hi again Tina – just saw your update! I am assuming that you want to keep your render fairly light to match the Limestone bricks, in which case something like Dulux Gnu Tan may work – perhaps try a sample of that. Good luck Samantha
Hello Samantha, So glad I have found your blog. It is such a stressful undertaking selecting exterior colours. Our house is about 40year old I think. Low set ranch style cream brick with a once white concrete tile roof very visible to the road with no trims or veranda. We live in Queensland. I was thinking of painting the bricks Dulux Pozieres and the roof, gutters and fascia as well as the garage doors in Surfmist. Window frames I hope are able to be painted White. Front door black gloss. I have been changing between a Surfmist roof or a Basalt roof and Milton Moon bricks but this colour scheme is becoming pretty common and I wonder if the darker colour roof would be too hot and would make the house look too squat. Is Surfmist a good colour or should I go with a light grey colour? Do I paint the gutter and fascia the same as the roof or the gutter the same as the bricks and the fascia white?? Sorry this sounds so convoluted but as you can see I am in a quandary all right! Any advice much appreciated.
Hi Helen you’re right to want a nice light coloured roof in Queensland and I agree that the idea of Surfmist and Dulux Pozieres is a lovely fresh combination that is not everywhere! As Surfmist is so light, I think that I would just use this for the gutter and fascia but difficult to say without seeing the house for sure – you may want to consider a fresher white for the fascia. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Tina it’s difficult to say without seeing the cream bricks and the styling of the carved in stone features but my feeling is that they should be just a couple of tones either darker or lighter than the brick. If you have light , white windows then perhaps the render could match that colour? Hope this helps Samantha
Hello Samantha
Thank you for all the useful advice here – it has really got me thinking about roofing colours etc.
We have a 1970’s house – the brick has recently been painted in Russian Toffee and the windows are Stowe White. (We have railings on our verandah and a garage door which are currently painted in either monument or ironstone and the front door is white – but they can all easily be repainted.)
I would really appreciate your advice on some colour options for a new roof along with new gutters & facias. I’d prefer a mid-tone/lighter roof to help reduce heat impact. (We’re procrastinating over choosing a colourbond or tile roof due to the area – Sydney’s North Shore – being predominantly tiled roofs and worry about limiting resale offers if we go with colourbond.)
Thank you.
Sue
Hi Sue the classic roof for the North Shore would be a natural terracotta or if you wanted grey then a simple shingle style mid grey with a Monument trim but it’s difficult to say without properly seeing the house. You should definitely look at the neighbourhood houses to see what fits in. Good luck Samantha
Hi …we have an old Huxley A frame home that currently has original cement tiles on roof, cream gutter and federation green wood accessories ..Browny red brick home. We want to change it up without having to change the cream awnings – 2. We wanted to go grey tones but it may be too much of a move. We have just installed a Woodland Grey Colourbond Gate so thought maybe going the same on the gutter and fascia. What would be a complimentary colour to go with the Woodland Grey for the wood accents?
HI Michelle Woodland Grey is a good choice with your home but it’s difficult to say which colour would work on the timber without knowing how much space this would take up and how it would look with the cream. I think you will have to remain with some more neutral tones as a grey on the boards could fight with the cream awnings. Sorry I can’t be of more help but Woodland Grey is definitely a good option. Samantha
Hi Samantha, Great article. We live in a 35 year old house in Perth, so do have hot summers, but we are about to get our terracotta roof painted, gutters replaced in Colourbond and fascia painted. We have also just rendered over earth coloured bricks and so we’re painting that as well. We were tossing up between Ironstone or Monument for the roof and gutters and fascia ( maybe even Monument roof with Ironstone gutters?) and some sort of grey for the render and downpipes. I know it is dark for a warm climate but wife is set on a dark colour after having orange for so long. Any thoughts?
Hi Mike I think that Monument might be better as it doesn’t have any undertone of colour. Ironstone will throw a lot of blue in the sun. There are some roof paints that have cool colour technology to reduce the amount of heat retained – it might be worth reviewing that? Good luck Samantha
Thanks Samantha. We will go Monument for the roof, gutters and fascia. Any thoughts on what colour for the render and downpipes? Were thinking of a mid grey but weren’t sure if that would look to drab.
Hi Samantha, We have just purchased a red brick house with red roof tile. Love the look of a blackish painted brick house. Wondering if to go a monument colour with a monument roof, or even blacker roof or to even go a lighter roof. Windows are white aluminium so could do a white facia. Im loving the idea and want something bold but im also scarring myself with how it may look as live in a coastal town in northern NSW. Appreciate your help!!!!!!
Hi Karen this is a gorgeous look but I think as you are in norther NSW where it gets hot that you should consider using a lighter roof or you are going to have a very hot black box. You can paint roof tiles in Surfmist and then paint the bricks in Monument or darker. I would also keep the fascia and gutters light too to tie in the roof. Hope this helps with your thinking! Samantha
Hi Samantha
Your knowledge about colours has made a lot of people very happy! We need help with our roof colour please. We have a weatherboard 1950’s home in a valley with;
– Lyttleton Quarter on the walls
– Lexicon Quarter trim
– Monument block base at the front (to elevate it as on it’s sloping section).
We have started painting a Surfmist coloured roof but it’s not right, it’s too light and has thrown creamy and has not covered well at all on the decra roof. Can you suggest a mid tone colour that is a contrast to the existing colours please? (I.e, not too grey!) Thank you lovely, you are invaluable to us!
Hi Lee To get the coverage you may need to look at Basalt for the roof – this is a mid tone that has a very slight undertone of blue which would work with the cool Lyttleton Quarter. It will provide a contrast but is fairly neutral. Another thought was Windspray but this is a chameleon – sometimes, green, sometimes blue and I prefer it in the actual Colorbond profile steel rather than paint. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Hoping you can offer some advice please?
We are building a kit home, it’s country style with verandahs. It will have a colourbond roof, and wall cladding that is primed for us to paint. This is on a rural property and as it can snow we need to have a dark roof for the Basix. I have to select Colourbond colours for the roof, gutters, fascia, downpipes and windows. I was thinking Monument for the roof and gutters, a lighter colourbond fascia such as Shale Grey – lighter walls that we can paint and the windows are aluminium – I was wanting darker windows and was thinking Monument for these too. However, I’m absolutely hopeless with colour and I’m hoping you can steer in the right direction.
(Very close by (40m) is a large colourbond farm shed, it has Shale Grey walls and Ironstone roof and windows). We will be putting solar panels on the roof, and a solar hot water panels too.
Hi Kathy Colorbond Monument is a nice neutral dark grey that will work well with windows to match. As your farm shed has Shale Grey walls it makes sense to incorporate some of this into the scheme but consider carefully the wall colour that you want to use and ensure that it works with that. Hope this helps with your decision making Samantha
Hi Samnatha, I wish we had come across your blog before our colour selection appointment. Its amazingly helpful to anyone. I had spent weeks design and modelling our skillion roof facade on our single storey custom home in SE Melbourne. (Used facade visualizer of big builders). Basically we have a two skillion roofs meeting at centre of the house. A 12degree skillion over garage and 19degree skillion extending 600higher & 450over garage roof. We are going with this scheme (top to bottom):
BASLAT- -MID GREY – (Colorbond roof, Scyon Axon Wall cladding above garage & projection beam/pier),
MONUMENT – DARKEST GREY – (Skillion roof apron capping over Fascia – builder to confirm if skillion can have two color)
SHALE GREY – LIGHT GREY – (Garage door, Fascia, Main painted door & door frame )
SURFMIST – WHITE – (Rendered brick pier and Beam projection over main door and corner window)
WINDSPREY – DARKER GREY (Rendering around bed window and main door – to give lighter contrast to Monument front windows)
Austral Melbourne range – YERRING bricks
Silver Grey for all A&L windows and sliding doors other than facade with Access Tan colored brick other than feature facade.
My color consultant believes Skillion roof edge usually only comes in one piece and color so Monument capping to give dark contrast between Shale Grey fascia and Basalt roof may not be possible. I would love to know your thoughts on this and overall color selection.
Hi Milan there is a lot here to consider and without reviewing plans and elevations, I couldn’t say for sure. I would be guided by your colour consultant and I agree that you should keep the skillion simple too. My concern would be about introducing Windspray into some of the trim as I prefer to keep this consistent. I hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha. I am getting my house repainted.It is 1970’s cottage. I have gone with a Windspray roof and would like to go with Shale grey walls and a dark gutter with white fascia and white architrave . Do you think this should look alright or is it too much
Hi Celia it’s difficult for me to say for certain without seeing the house but I think this could work. I do like giving some strong definition to the gutters when the house is quite simple. Good luck Samantha
Dear Samantha. We are building a house in Queensland and would like to have Deep Ocean guttering. What Colorbond roof colour would match this colour, we thought maybe Shale Grey but we would appreciate any suggestions? David
Hi David Colorbond Shale Grey is a great light grey which is a classic look for a Colorbond roof. You won’t see a lot of the actual colour in it because your gutters will be the blue. It’s also great for the Queensland sun! Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha
I have definitely found your blog super interesting all the colours become overwhelming!!
Hoping you could point me in the right direction we are renovating our 2000 house it has a white garage three posts with stack stone and it is rendered in beige royal half im painting my gutters roof and facsia not sure what colours I like the coastal look and prefer colours without the blue undertone would surfmist or dune be to contrasting to my beige render?
Really appreciate your help thanks.
Hi Brooke glad you’re enjoying the blog! Surfmist will be the same tonal level as Beige Royal and is in fact almost a match while Dune has quite a pinkish brown undertone and therefore may clash a little. Hope this helps Samantha
Hello Samantha. Love your blog. Needing your advice on roof colour as need to paint a completely faded colourbond roof which is now virtually back to raw light grey metal (it was originally painted green). I live in Narraweena area of northern beaches in Sydney. The weatherboard house is very simple with 2 pitched roofs over the house and carport, plus a small bullnose verandah roof out front- so you do see a lot of roof. It’s in an open area with full sun.
The house exterior was painted 4 yrs ago: walls, eaves etc in Russian toffee ; verandah fences ( metal and lattice) , gutters, and front door are in Woodland Grey. Windows frames are white aluminium.
I would like a grey roof so that if I change outside colours in future then easier to match. Plus a Colourbond grey colour would be good if possible for when gutters need to be replaced. (I think painting the roof Woodland Grey will be too dark and would prefer a neutral grey). I am tossing up between Shale Grey, Windspray, and. Wallaby . Any thoughts greatly appreciated! Cheers.
Hi Mai it would make sense to use Woodland Grey but if you feel this is too dark then I think I would opt for Shale Grey as it is very simple. Windspray is a cross between blue and green and I don’t like it with the creamy colours like Russian Toffee and I think Wallaby wouldn’t work with all the Woodland Grey. Basalt again would fight with all the Woodland Grey on the house so I think I would just keep it simple. Difficult to say without seeing it but that would be my best observation from what you have told me. Hope this helps Samantha
Thanks for your advice!
Or Basalt?
Hi Samantha
After reading your blog a while back ago I set my heart on Windspray coloubond but apparently it doesn’t match with our PGH Blackheath brick + light coloured (Smokehaze & Torte Quarter from Taubmans) cladding so ended with Monument for roof, gutter and window, Surfmist for fascia and Dune for garage. I’m quite reluctant now after reading more & more article about dark roof and thinking to change our roof colour to Windspray but worry I might mess the whole exterior colour scheme up especially we can’t change our window color anymore. We are also looking to install solar panel in the future. Taking all those elements into consideration, what would the best roof color to go or should we stick with monument? Appreciate any suggestion you might have for us, thank you 🙂
Hi Yen I would stick with Monument for the roof as you have now built the colour scheme around this and I do think it is a much better partner to your bricks than Windspray. It is also much better at camouflaging solar panels too. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha, we are having our roof restored next week plus gutters and fascia, and I am completely clueless when it comes to colour schemes and design. We have terracotta roof tiles which will are being cleaned but will remain the traditional colour so I am unsure what colour to do the gutters and fascia. We have a yellowy/creamy colour cladded house (I don’t even know the colour, but my best guess is Vintage Cream) and we are not planning to change that as it will become a rental soon so we are trying to keep our costs low. I chose Wallaby for the gutters and fascia under a bit of pressure (I am bad at decision making) so I am desperately hoping it will all work together. What do you think?
Hi Katrina it’s difficult to say for sure but I tend to lean towards darker gutters with terracotta roofs but you need to consider window colours and any other trim etc. Hope this helps Samantha
Thank you Samantha. I called the company to change the colour but they said it is too late to change now as the gutters are already ordered.. oh well you live and learn I suppose, haha. The roof and gutters are the first thing being done so I guess we have the “luxury” of painting the shutters and railings to match. Would you match the Wallaby, or go white?
Hi Katrina my feeling without seeing the house is to opt for a white. Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha,
We have chosen the following Colours,
Roof: Monument, Gutter & Fascia: Dune, Linea Board (Front of the House): Dune, Garage Door: Monument,
Side Wall: Siler Birch Brick, Down Pipes: Dune, Facade: Feature Brick, Metallix-Emery
Thinking of changing the Gutter only to Monument Colour,
Please let us know the choices.
Thank you,
Synt
Hi Synt If you only have the gutter in Monument it then disappears into the roof but if you have the fascia black too then it really brings this into the scheme more. You are using Monument for the garage door though so this makes sense. It really depends how much of the dark off black you want to bring into the scheme. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi there, we have monument roof with charcoal bricks and surf white garage with black frame windows and brown front door with surf white piers on both sides. I just want to know that if our colours selection is all right or we can go with lighter colours ?
Hi Pallavi I think your colour scheme will work as you have a Surfmist garage door and accent piers to offset the darker bricks. You might consider the front door being white too? Good luck Samantha
Hi Sam,
We are repainting our roof and are not sure about which colour to choose.
We have restoration Red brick and manor red colorbond roof and gutters with white opal fascia.
Was thinking a grey for the colorbond roof and gutters could work with the existing red brick, either woodland grey or balsalt. Would love to know your thoughts.
Thanks Loren
Hi Loren Woodland Grey has a green undertone and is slightly darker than Basalt which has a blue undertone. Without seeing your house I would say that both will work so you need to consider other elements like your landscaping, tiles, driveway colour etc. Are these charcoal/blue based or more of a neutral. Hope this helps Samantha
Thanks very much
Thanks for such a great article Samantha! We have chosen the below colours.
Roof: magnum
Windows, doors & garage: surfmist
Render: dulux puddle
Brick: Homestead mushroom
Would you match the gutters/fascia/downpipes with the magnum roof or the surfmist accents?
Hi Kas I think that I would match the gutters to the roof and then the fascia and downpipes to the Surfmist accents as your colour scheme is quite a light one. Hope this helps Samantha
Thanks so much Samantha!!
Hi Samantha,
I need your help with exterior colour selection.
We are building two story home on Corner Block. It is in new estate in Western Sydney and most of the house in this estate are lighter colour (grey, Hampton look)
we have selected Surf Mist Window frame and thinking to go with PGH Truffle brick, Woodland grey colour bond roof, gutter , facia and down pipe with white rendering and garage door. Or, you think Shale grey roof, gutter, facia and downpipe goes better for calming look for corner block. We were initially thinking about Woodland grey roof and shale grey gutter, facia and down pipe but got suggestion from builder to keep all same colour.
much appreciate your help.
Hi Jishul It can be good to have some contrast for an exterior scheme or the house can look like one large block. Lighter colours make a house look larger, while darker colours will make it appear smaller. It is difficult to say for sure without reviewing the whole scheme but I think to help you with your choice you need to consider whether you want some contrast, a darker house or a lighter one. Also for your roof, consider things like whether you are having solar heating and also solar absorption rates as a light coloured roof will reflect the sun and keep you cooler in the summer. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha,
We are renovating a 1940s weatherboard home and going for a hamptons feel, we are living coastal.
Resene Merino full strength for the weatherboard, Dulux Vivid White gloss for the window trims, also wanting a white garage door. I am leaning towards the shale grey roof and shale grey gutters with a white fascia. Your feedback would be appreciated, as I am really having trouble locking in the roof, gutters and fascia colours.
Thank you,
Lynsey
Hi Lynsey you need to consider what your fascia will be made from. If it is timber then it can be painted Vivid White to match the windows and garage door but if it is Colorbond it would need to be Surfmist. I think a Shale Grey roof and gutter will work with your look. Hope this helps Samantha
Hello Samantha, What a great site for those of us that cant see the undertones in colours. Hoping you can help me. We have an old tudor that needs freshening up. It has a freestone front and red brick sides and back. We need to re-roof and I am looking at a grey roof, black gutters (and black wood detail on the front of the peaks) and a natural white for all other woodwork. The greys for the roof are doing my head in. We get quite a lot of gum litter from a neighbour’s tree so was pleased to read your comments on light roofs but I didnt want to go really dark (i.e. Monument is too dark for me). Would love to hear your suggestions for the roof colour. Thank you. Lesley
Hi Lesley Woodland Grey is a little bit lighter than Monument and the most classic of the Colorbond colours which would work well for you. It has a slight green undertone but if you are using black gutters this won’t be so evident. I hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha,
I am building a new house in the Blue Mountains. I have PGH Espresso face brickwork and would like some advice on the colour of the metal roof/fascia/gutters/garage door. I like Windspray and Shale Grey for their reflective values during summer. Do you think these lighter greys will tie in well with the darker bricks? Thanks for your help. Andrew
Hi Andrew I feel that Colorbond Shale Grey will work better with the Espresso bricks. Windspray has a green/blue undertone that I feel will jar with the scheme. Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha, we are painting our new/old brick house. In Qld it faces east west is low set ranch style house. The roof pitch is low and the house very visible to the road.there are no bits to highlight with a trim colour. I like Dulux Pozieres for the bricks and Surf Mist for the concrete tile roof. What should I paint the gutters? I thought Pozieres with Surfmist fascia as that would “raise” the affect fo the house rather than painting the gutters Surfmist which might lower the affect. The windows and the garage doors will be Surfmist and the front door either black gloss or charcoal gloss. What should I do? Any help much appreciated. Thankyou.
Hi Samantha,
I need some help with selecting roof, gutter, fascia and window colours for my elderly Mother’s house which has recently been extensively damaged by fire and is being repaired. It is a 1960’s, triple front cream/blond brick home with a brownish tile roof and white timber corner windows with brown brick capping on the sills. The roof will be replaced with colourbond steel, and the windows with aluminium sliding. I am thinking Wallaby, Basalt or Woodland Grey for the roof,?? gutters, and a silver or white colour for the windows. Another option for the roof is Jasper, but a lot of roof can be seen due to hips and valleys so maybe too brown. Mum would like the fascia to be a lighter colour for definition. What do you suggest would look best with the cream bricks.
Thank you.
Barb
Hi Barb Woodland Grey would be my pick of these three as it is a very classic colour. Difficult to say for sure for the trim without seeing the bricks and the overall look of the house but I agree with your mum that some definition with a lighter colour would be good here. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha
Love your blog. We have a 1970s brick and concrete tile home in Canberra. Have settled on British Paints Stone cave and Stone cave half strength for exterior brickwork. Windows are UPVC double glazed ones with fairly chunky frames. Colour corresponds to Dulux Seed Pearl. Need to decide on a Colorbond colour for new gutters and fascias and a Dulux Acratex paint colour for concrete roof tiles. Don’t want to go too dark because of the summer heat or too light because of solar panels and gum tree staining. What would you advise?
Hi Rachel Woodland Grey will work with these colours and provide a nice grey contrast – just worried it may be a little dark but not sure that there is anything suitable in between. It will keep you warm in the Canberra winters! Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha , We are about to build a new home and I have settled on colonial theme with a Sandstock brick (Cadman) which we will do with a white flush mortar. I have decided on White long awning windows but I am stuck on the roof Colour. I like Windspray but a little worried it may not be a little too blue so thinking Zincalume is a good alternative…. It is a fairly steep pitched roof 27 degrees with a nice gable at the front. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Ros Windspray is a good roof colour for colonial homes but in some lights in can read green and in others blue. If you don’t want to see an undertone of colour then Shale Grey or Zincalume may be better. Good luck Samantha
Thank you for your reply … Its been really difficult to choose when ruling out the darker colours as there is the chance they will be hotter.
HI Samantha,
I am building our first home in Melbourne. We have chosen the following colours,
Roof : Roof tiles Classic storm Grey
Gutters, Facia, downpipe : colorbond ironstone
Garage Door : Knotwood Black walnut
front windows frames are timber infill chestnut , Also façade got timber slats ( feature) finish with chest nut colour, front door also chest nut.
It is all been rendered front side. Render 1 ( main Render ) Dulux silver Teaset. Render 2 ( Accent Render) Dulux winter fog. There is Feature Tile pier : Lagos mud Tile.
when i see the roof tiles samples and colorbond ironstone sample ( gutter, facia, downpipe) It is having a colour contrast. we already got Developer Approval for the to start the construction. but i am try to change them according your advise . it ‘s single story house. I’m really hope less with colours are been chosen. Can you please help me Samantha ? Many Thanks.
Hi Rushani Colorbond Ironstone has a very blue undertone and it may be that something like Colorbond Monument, which is more neutral, could work better. However, Ironstone will be fine if you can’t change it. Good luck Samantha
Thank you Samantha…???
Hi Samantha,
We are building a double-storey house in Queensland with solar panels on the color bond roof. Which color is better? Iron stone or Basalt? The gutter would be the same color as the roof and the facia would be Surf mist, and shale grey is for cladding. Do you think it is a good color scheme? Many Thanks!
Lisa
Hi Lisa Colorbond Ironstone is more blue than Basalt. I would opt for Basalt as it will work better with your scheme and is a bit lighter to help reflect that Queensland heat. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha,
We are having to replace gutters and facias (currently blue) on a 21 year old home, so want to take the opportunity to make it a little more current! It has cream bricks, roof and windows so we are thinking Wallaby or Gully – we think a grey contrast would work but need the grey that works with the cream. Would you recommend either? Thank you!
Andrea
Hi Andrea I think that either of those choices would work but my pick, without seeing your house, would be Colorbond Wallaby as it is a little more grey than brown but still has the brown tones to work with the cream – I think that out of the two it will give you the more contemporary look. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha, we have chosen Woodland Grey for the roof, gutters, fascia and window frames. Now looking at external paint colours and the garage door. The roof is skillion style and you really can’t see the colour from the street so it doesn’t dominate. My husband is quite keen on a dark colour overall and likes Dulux Bronze Fig for most of the front and Oyster linen around the sides. Do you think Bronze Fig is too brown with Woodland Grey. He’s good with colour but I’m nervous, leaning more towards another darkish grey. And would Jasper work for the garage door as it looks quite close to Bronze Fig but maybe not close enough. Thanks again for any help. Fran
Hi Fran Dulux Bronze Fig is a lovely dark olive green brown and will work with Woodland Grey better than Wallaby. It also looks great with Dulux Oyster Linen. I would highly recommend that you get a sample pot of Bronze Fig and paint two coats on a large piece of board and view it outside in sunlight and shade. This will give you the best idea of the underlying colours that you will see. Hope this helps Samantha
Thanks so much Samantha, that’s exactly what we’ll do. It’s a tropical setting, very green, so I think this makes sense even though inside is going to be light and white – yet to choose that of course. I asked above about Jasper garage door, what do you think about that? The burnt fig will be right around it and alongside so is it going to look too much like we are trying to match it but not quite right. Is it safer to go with more Woodland Grey or perhaps lighter like Evening Haze. Once again, really appreciate your thoughts. Cheers, Fran
Hi Samantha, We have recently bought a property in QLD with a very large corrugated iron shed (which we would prefer not to paint…it is very visible from the side and front of the property and is close to the house). We want to add colorbond fence from the front corner of the shed to the front of the property. The front fence will likely be rendered brick (Spanish Olive or Shale Grey) with white slats. I’m thinking Windspray for the colorbond fence, Monument roller doors on the shed and then for the house Dulux Spanish Olive (very similiar to Dulux Tranquil Retreat) for the weatherboard with Dulux Vivid White window frames, trims and door. When we replace the house roof it will be Surfmist. Would all these colours tie the shed, house and fences together for a unified look? Would you do the fascia – Windspray and gutters – Monument? Thank you so much for any assistance you can give me. Kind regards, Naomi
Hi Naomi Dulux Spanish Olive has a lovely subtle green undertone while Shale Grey is more of a neutral definite grey so you need to bear this in mind – would you prefer more green or more neutral. Colorbond Windspray has a green undertone. Dulux Tranquil Retreat is more neutral and has a subtle blue undertone. Dulux Vivid White will give some nice contrast with all three greys. So firstly you need to decide which grey you like the best. Remember that if you bring in a Monument gutter you will draw attention to the roofline, even more so against a new Surfmist roof – this can look good and particularly works on heritage style homes – but you need to really consider the effect that you want to achieve. I hope this has helped with your decision making. Samantha
Hi Samantha, we have decided to go with a Windspray roof and gutters. We have black windows and are going to paint our house Alpine Snow. As inspiration, this house has everything I have just mentioned, but we have bricks not timber: https://www.estbuilding.com.au/cawdor/er1aihf15pfr5lnhpk4uzf7l0wtu52
Our predicament is the fascia, garage door and balustrade colours. We can do all of these Surfmist. We know that Surfmist goes with Alpine Snow walls but we don’t know if a Surfmist fascia will look off against a Windspray roof/gutter and generally if all the Surfmist will clash with the roof and black windows, especially because it’s not a true white. Here’s our design: https://ibb.co/HgNgLTR
What do you think? Thanks in advance!
Hi Jon I’m sorry I only review images and plans etc as part of an online consultation. I can say though that Surfmist is often used with Windspray and will work on your fascia, particularly if you are using it on other elements. It is quite a bit darker though than Taubmans Alpine Snow and often people use a brighter white for their garage and balustrades. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Definitely a little late to the party here but I loved your blog and loved reading the q&a above. This may sound silly but we’re building a cubby house for the kids and I need help! This is a quality cubby with a frame, cladding and plasterboard walls. We were thinking of woodland grey colorbond for the roof but I changed my mind at the last minute to windspray. I was worried that, being in qld, the woodland grey would be too dark, and didn’t want to go too light as I didn’t want it reflecting into our house. Anyway, the exterior is almost complete but when I look at the roof all I see is green and i’m a little disappointed. I have been trying to pick a wall colour but I’m struggling as most greys look too blue or just not right. We are planning to do grey walls, white trim and a pink door. Do you have any suggestions for a wall colour that might look good and not too green? I’m not even sure what depth of colour I am after. Any suggestion at all would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Melanie You made the right choice by not going with Woodland Grey – this would have been too dark and hot in QLD and you still would have seen the green undertone! Have you consider Dulux Silkwort? It is a warm grey so won’t have the green or blue undertone and it is pretty neutral – looks lovely with fresh white. Perhaps try a sample of that? Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Thank you so much for your reply. I really appreciate it! I will check out Silkwort.
Thanks,
Melanie
Hi Samantha,
We are building our first home and would like some comment on our colour selections. It is a brick home with some render and a colorbond roof.
Brick: Austral Silver(QLD)
Roof: Windspray
Gutter and Fascia: Woodland Grey
Garage, window frames: Woodland Grey
Render: Windspray
We are in Queensland so we don’t want to have a roof too dark. We are not sure if Windspray will go with the Woodland Grey. Do you think this will work? Thank you.
Hi Christy both Windspray and Woodland Grey have a green undertone so you can use them confidently together. Hope you love your first home! Samantha
Hi Samantha !
I am really struggling with colour choice we are renovating an older home which we have modernised slightly inside . We have put a monument garage with dune roof up so the house will have a dune roof we have started to render over the old bagging that previous owners have done with render being tinted with bogart which we love but struggling with how we may be able to incorporate monument into the colour scheme or wether we need to or not ,? What colour should our windows be etc Totally confused !
Hi Renay It’s difficult to say without seeing the style of the house and where it is located but it strikes me that Monument windows may be a good idea. You need to consider though whether you will be happy with this colour inside as well as outside and also how it relates to other trim on the house, front door etc. I can’t say how successfully it will come together without seeing it but I hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha, thank you for writing such an informative article. I would really appreciate your advice regarding roof and guttering colour choices for our post-war home (located in Sunshine Coast hinterland, Qld). We have recently had our terracotta roof restored to its original colour of orange. Our next step is to replace the guttering, as well as the tin roofs on the carport and a small rear extension. Both of these roofs connect directly with the house which we are planning to repaint in the Haymes colour ‘Boulder Grey’ (with windows painted in ‘Marble Mist’). I am wondering what Colorbond roof/guttering colour you would recommend to match this interesting colour combo? Many thanks
Hi Suzanne I like dark greys with natural terracotta roofs so I would be looking at this colour for your gutter to tie in with the Boulder Grey however this may be too hot for the roof in QLD. It’s difficult to say for sure without seeing the home as it can be tricky to tie this kind of scheme together. Hope this has helped though Samantha
Hi Samantha, we have a North-West facing brick home built in the early 90s. Slate tile roof which has faded, light cream window surrounds. We are repainting gutters and fascia & eaves, plus timber gables with decorative spires. We currently have cream rollerdoors which we are replacing. Our bricks are a mix of red, cream and a dark metallic looking brick also. We have considered ironstone but it is too blue and are now considering woodland grey gutters with paperbark fascia. The woodland grey is throwing the green tinge. Could you suggest a solution for us please? Thanks, Michelle.
Hi Michelle You will probably find that Colorbond Monument is a good solution for you as it is very neutral without an obvious colour undertone like Woodland Grey and Ironstone. I have a post all about Monument on my blog which you should find useful https://www.makingyourhomebeautiful.com/how-to-use-colorbond-monument/. Samantha
Thank you very much for replying so promptly Samantha. I will pick up a sample of Monument and give it a try.
Hello Samantha, we have to choose a colour for our fascia and windows. We have a 1970s house with a flat roof and brown bricks interspersed with the following colours: muted orange, sandy, reddish and light brown bricks. The logical choice would be Monument. However, this is not the look we are keen on. I am attracted to Windspray. What would be your advice. Kind regards, Marie-Antoniette
You might like to check out my post on How to use Colorbond Windspray https://www.makingyourhomebeautiful.com/how-to-use-colorbond-windspray/. It has a green/blue undertone and I’m not sure it will work with the colours in your house. Difficult to say without seeing it though. I do offer a one colour question on my online colour consultancy service which may help? Samantha
Hello Samantha. We are preparing a house for sale in a coastal town in Victoria and seek advice about colourbond colour to replace the double garage doors. The house sits on a large block (6000sq m) on a hill overlooking ocean. The 1986 brick house has dark chocolate brown bricks with a fleck surface (wire cut) and dark mortar. The colourbond roof has faded significantly & we expect new owners will have it repainted. The gutter, fascia, pergola, eaves are all painted white. The windows are bronze brown aluminium. We are considering using Surfmist for the garage doors in contrast to the dark brown brick and to lighten the facade of the house . We are also replacing the front entrance door that has full panel of glass on one side of the door and unsure of the colour to paint the door and wood trim,
Hi Hetty I agree – Surfmist will be a good option for the garage doors to lighten the overall look and to tie in the white trim. Good luck with the sale Samantha
Hi Samantha, so much great advice here! We are building a new house with a hamptons-ish feel on a rural block in SA. We have chosen Woodland Grey iron for the roof, and a bullnose veranda that wraps 50% of the facade, and Surfmist for fascia and guttering for both the main roof and veranda. We have u-PVC window frames in white. The whole house is rendered Hebel. We’re looking to confirm our render colour, and have been heading towards a Shale Grey or similar as we’re wanting a contrast from the Surfmist guttering and white window frames. The windows will also have an external architrave band in white to match the windows. Would Shale Grey be suitable, our concern is it might be too dark? Thank you !
Hi Aaron Shale Grey is a good colour to use for a Hamptons style home and I don’t think it is too dark. You run the risk of not getting the contrast that you want if you go much lighter. You do need to consider though that some of the house will be in permanent shadow with your veranda. I have seen this colour work well but you really need to just paint a large board with two coats of the colour and place it in shadow and sun to double check you like it. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha, we have purchased a 1990s property with dark tan and peachy coloured bricks with light grey mortar. The house is low and the roof is pitched in the middle but comes down low. The roof is prominent particularly the north facing side. I was thinking of a basalt-roof as the colour of the shed and carport will be in basalt. To modernise the house we are having vertical panelling on the Westside and half of the north side. Should I have a shale grey roof and basalt panelling. Try8 got ring in the colour of the shed and carport. Many thanks.
Hi Paula I think that if your roof is prominent I would keep it in the same colour as the shed and carport for continuity. You could still have the vertical panelling in Basalt too. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha,
I’m currently in the process of building. I was planning to use the Colorbond Basalt as my main roof and Monument for both the Gutter and facias. I opted to match the garage door as Basalt. The builder has suggested garage rendered with Dulux Milton Moon Shade and the facade Dulux Tea House color. Could you please advise if this works well.
Hi Imran These colours are very neutral greys although Milton Moon does show a little underlying blue. They will work well with Basalt. Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Thank you for all the wonderful information you provide on this website.
We are currently partway through building our home on the coast in North Queensland. It has a Hamptons vibe. We are looking at a shale grey roof with surfmist gutters and fascias. We are choosing the shale grey roof as the surfmist is very bright and tends to grow mould more than other colours in our climate. Our house is a combination of weatherboard and render which I was looking at doing in surfmist too. Do you think the combination will work? Thank you
Hi Jenny You can definitely use Colorbond Shale Grey and Colorbond Surfmist together. You are right, Shale Grey is a more practical roof colour and will also introduce some nice contrast to the scheme. Hope it turns out well. Samantha