Selecting colours for an exterior scheme can be tricky, mainly due to people not getting the tone quite right. Colours perform so differently outside to inside and we often don't take into account quite how much impact the sun has on an exterior colour palette. Colorbond Surfmist sometimes gets a bad rap however, let me show you why using Surfmist as a trim colour can be a good idea.
I wrote this article in April 2020 and it is all still relevant today. However, Colorbond has announced in late August 2022 that they have a new white – Dover White. This is a lovely crisp white which I would now often recommend for fascias and downpipes.
How Surfmist fits into the Colorbond range
Surfmist is in the high reflective range of the Colorbond colours. You certainly wouldn't want to go lighter than this for a roof. In fact many local councils won't even allow Surfmist as they say it produces too much reflective glare for neighboring properties.
I do understand though when people want to use Colorbond for their gutters and facias but also want a very crisp white trim. I would never recommend having gutters any lighter than Surfmist as they simply become too grubby too quickly. However, if you do want a crisper white for the facia, you can consider using powdercoated metal or a classic timber board that can be painted. (NOTE – AS OF AUGUST 2022 YOU NOW HAVE THE OPTION TO USE DOVER WHITE FROM COLORBOND WHICH IS A CRISP WHITE)
Before going to these lengths though, I think that you should look at the main colour of your house to see whether Surfmist suits as a trim colour for your home.
The house above has Colorbond Surfmist facia, posts, windows and balustrades.
Which colours to use Surfmist with
A current trend, particularly for coastal homes, is to use a white on the weatherboards. I always recommend using a white that has some depth so that the house doesn't look too dirty too soon. I prefer a less reflective white for weatherboards and render too.
This means that if you want some contrast for your trim that you need to use a crisp white. I've written a lot about this in Why I like a crisp white trim.
However, if you are using a darker colour on your house – not a pale grey or white – then it makes sense to consider using Surfmist for all the trim. You often only see the underlying colour in a white or grey when you place it next to another white or grey. Therefore if you have a lighter tone and you want to highlight the contrast you would have to use a crisp white trim. But if you have a darker tone, you can get away with using Surfmist as the contrast is such that it will end up looking white.
The above house has Surfmist facias, posts, windows and balustrades with a slightly darker garage door in Colorbond Windspray.
The benefits to using Surfmist as a trim colour
If you do have a light wall with a crisp white trim you should consider using a lighter white garage door which some manufacturers will make for you. This is in response to the trend for lighter exteriors. Generally though, I prefer either a little contrast with the garage or a Surfmist door because again this is a large expanse of metal which is very reflective and difficult to keep looking good.
The thing is though if you have a Surfmist garage door, this can be at odds with other white trim. Therefore if you use Surfmist for all of your trim – balustrades, posts, facia etc. then the garage door will simply look white.
The same principles apply with whites indoors. It is not until you introduce two whites into a room that you can see the underlying colour and amount of grey in each one of them.
I believe that using Surfmist can be a huge benefit as you have what looks to be a nice fresh white trim and garage but without the glare factor and the maintenance of crisp whites.
The house above has a Colorbond Surfmist roof, gutter and facia, windows, garage door and the posts and rafters painted to match. To all intents and purposes, this looks like a fresh white because there isn't another white introduced into the scheme.
The house below has a Shale Grey roof and gutter with Surfmist facia, posts and balustrades.
Don't forget to consider the Colorbond finish
Colorbond Steel has now introduced a matt finish in some of their most popular colours, including Surfmist. I am a fan of matt finishes and this would therefore be my choice. I like the less reflective look, particularly for garage doors. Matt finishes absorb more light and are therefore slightly darker than a satin or gloss finish which you need to bear in mind when you are specifying Colorbond on your house. Always compare the two finishes to decide which look is right for you.
Surfmist windows
I just wanted to say one thing about powdercoated Surfmist coloured windows and doors. I really like this colour from the outside and as explained above I think that the trim colours work well when they are all the same white. Having said that, the windows and doors may be one area where you would want to use a fresher white. Clearly, the powdercoated colour that you see outside is what you will have inside. (Unless you pay a huge premium for a style of window that can have different colours).
Therefore before making any final decisions you must consider whether you like this colour for your interior decorating. Outside, Surfmist looks just white. However inside you can see the underlying grey. I don't think this is a big issue but if you want a very white interior this may not suit your style.
Clearly if you are installing timber windows they can be painted different whites outside and inside.
I have lots more advice in my FREE Resource Library, including a comprehensive Exteriors checklist for you to use when planning your new home or renovation. You can download it free here.
I also have an online colour consultation service. With a range of packages to help you with your important colour decisions. More information is here.
You may also be interested in my post on How to select roofs, gutters & facias and My guide to painting eaves
Thank you so much for this post. We are building a farmhouse with a high pitched Basalt colorbond roof with 3 dormers in the front and 2 at the back. The house cladding will be himalayan teak sandstone (with a wide covered veranda all around the house). I’m struggling with the dormer colours. The windows and bi folding doors are all aluminium which looks like a jarrah coloured timber. These will be on the front of the dormers and I’m thinking Surfmist on the rest of the dormers, which is why I was so delighted to see your article just now. However I’m worried at having the gables and rest of dormers the same Surfmist colour as gables are usually a different colour to the rest of the dormer. So I’m thinking either Surfmist Gables and eaves with Shale Grey around the window and sides of dormer OR Surfmist Gables and eaves with Dune around the window and sides of dormer. Roof on top of dormers being Basalt. I would absolutely love to get your thoughts on this… should I do the two colours or just keep it all Surfmist…. ? Thanks so much, Jan
Hi Jan I had to read through your note a couple of times to try to visualise the house. My feeling is to just have Surfmist – I wouldn’t introduce Dune or Shale Grey as I don’t think this will work with the Basalt/Surfmist. It’s difficult to say without seeing the house – it sounds gorgeous. Samantha
Hi Samantha your feed back is do appreciated.
Please I have basalt colourbond roof rear of home gutters sane surfmist facia and windows
I was going to paint weather boards dulux natural white to match interior walls .
Or should I have some depth of colour ?
Very small court yard villa .
Kind regards Katherine ?
Hi Katherine the best thing to do is to test out a large patch of the Natural White to see if you like the effect. It will be light but Dulux Natural White does work very well on exteriors if you want a nice fresh white look. Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha
We hsve decided on a surfmist roof and gutters. Pearl white Windows. House colour we haven’t decided as yet but we would like a non yellow tone, Soft beige. Would like a warm colour. What would go well with the surfmist and do you think I could go pearl white faschias too?
And what colour would work well for the walls? Thanks Deb
Hi Deborah For your fascia I would opt for Colorbond Dover White or if they are to be painted then matched to Pearl White. For the walls it depends how much depth and contrast you want and whether you have weatherboards or render which can really change how the colour suits the house. I can do a one colour online consultation to help you with this if you send me photos? Thanks Samantha
Hi Samantha, love your blog! This article has been super useful. We have a ‘classic’ 70’s house with 2 brick colours of brown and orange. We’ve recently replaced the gutters and fascia and chose Woodland grey. We also have a new Surfmist balustrade. We’ll replace the windows with Surfmist as well. What we can’t decide on is a light to mid-tone grey or greige that will work with these colours – do you know the colour that has been used in the second photo – the one with the Windspray garage. Do you think that would work? Any other suggestions would be most appreciated…Thanks so much!
Hi Monique glad you are enjoying the blog! This house is painted in Dulux Maraetai Quarter on the render and Dulux Platinum Class for the weatherboards. The house is shaded in the image so will look much lighter in sunlight. The greys have a slight blue undertone but will work with Surfmist and Woodland Grey – Woodland Grey is one of those colours that everything seems to work with! Do try out large samples first though because all houses/aspect are different and what works on one doesn’t always translate. Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha
I have made selections for my new house. I think I have chosen well but my anxiety has kicked in. I have chosen shale grey colour bond roof with surfmist facias. Shale grey render. Surfmist window frames. I’m not sure I should have gone with pearl white. Basically I am worried the surfmist is too creamy/yellow?? Can you put my mind at ease? First time I have even had to do this and I’m a little overwhelmed. Thanks
Hi Briony I find that Surfmist window frames, particularly if they are in a matt finish, are more grey than creamy yellow. I am sure it is going to look great! Samantha
Hello Samantha
We are really stuck on our house- we have just painted our front Wallaby. We have a black roof, gutters and fascia. The gables are a red ‘wood look’ and so is our roller door. We are considering Surfmist for the gables, gutters and fascia but are unsure if it will be to much as the Wallaby is quite dark. Any help would be great! Thanks so much
Hi Angela The Surfmist will provide a strong contrast but will also give the house a nice fresh lift. Perhaps if you are concerned it will be too much, you could keep the gutters in black to match the roof and then just have the facia and gables in Surfmist. Don’t forget to consider the windows and doors too as this may make a difference too. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha
I am about to repaint a beach house cladding. We have to work with a colorbond windspray garage surround and fascia, then surfmist roof, gutters, garage door and downpipes.
The current colour of the cladding is a mustard yellow!!
I am thinking of a colour in-between the windspray and surfmist, maybe shale grey?? do you have any other suggestions? the house gets a lot of morning sun! I think the existing windows are just aluminium white frames.
Thanks for any kind of help!!
Hi Kristie Shale Grey would certainly work with this colour scheme – it’s a classic coastal look. Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha,
I love the colour scheme of the house in this page with the surfmist garage. I’d love to know the colour used to paint the weatherboard as it will suit my house project. Thank you very much!
Hi Giulia This colour is no longer available but you will get a similar effect with Dulux Beige Filter. Try a sample pot first though to check that you like the effect as it will look different in other locations. Good luck Samantha
Hey,
First of all a big thank you for sharing your wisdom, we have been learning so much from your blog.
Just looking for a simple clarification from an expert. Would surfmist roof and trims go with a dune or shale grey render? Also is it okay to tranistion to a cooler grey for our interiors with white trims?
Hi Fiona and Ben glad you are finding the blog a good resource! You can certainly use Surfmist roof and trim with either Shale Grey for a cooler look or Dune for a warmer tone. You can transition from a warm grey to a cool grey inside but just consider if you have any areas that are linked or flow from inside to outside and if so how the walls will relate to each other. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha
I’ve been reading your blog and it has been so helpful to us as we’re building our house…thank you! Our house will be by the coast in Tasmania, where the roof will be Colourbond Deep Ocean, and the walls will be Dune. Both garage roller doors will be Deep Ocean. We can’t decide if our windows and sliding doors should be Surfmist or White. We really appreciate your thoughts, suggestions and help. Thanks heaps!
Hi Karen It really depends on how much contrast that you want to see. I like Surfmist as an exterior trim colour but you don’t see so much contrast with Dune as you would with a pure white. However there will be some contrast. You also need to think about how you want to decorate inside as the white that you have for your windows will play a role there too. My feeling would be to opt for Surfmist but you must think about the overall contrast you would like to see. Hope this helps and that you love your new home. Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Thank you so much for your blog. It has really put some clarity and reassurance for our colours we have chosen for our current new home build. We had to change a few colours along the way and recently have now confirmed our colours.
We are building a one storey (Hamptons style) home, bottom quarter is render (Dulux Beige Royal Full strength) the rest of the facade is weatherboard. Originally the weatherboard was Dulux Beige Royal Half however we changed the weatherboard colour to also the Beige Royal (full strength) just so the fascia/gutters/garage door and porch post which are Surfmist can look more ‘white’ as there would be more of a contrast this way.
We were worried about the Beige Royal Half looking too similar in colour (slightly) to the Surfmist and to create more of a contrast and make the Surfmist look more white, we deiced to change the weatherboard to Beige Royal (full strength).
Hopefully going the full strength for the render and weatherboard doesn’t make the house too dark!
We would appreciate any of your thoughts and suggestions.
Thanks heaps 🙂
Melissa.
Hi Melissa There really isn’t much difference between Beige Royal half and full strength outside, particularly with weatherboards which has a shadow line too so I think that you are right to just paint it all the one colour – the weatherboards will appear different with that shadow line. Surfmist is only slightly lighter than Beige Royal so it will depend on how much sunlight that your house gets as to how much contrast you will see. I think the overall look will be lovely though – there just may not be a huge contrast. Paint up large boards of both and place them next to each other on the front aspect of where your new home will be to give you an idea. Good luck and I hope you love your new home. Samantha
I am so pleased I found this blog, thank you. We have painted our house Surfmist and it looks so grey. We have a ‘feature corner’ section (light blue/grey) which is perhaps helping making it look more grey than white. What colour would you recommend to paint the feature corner to make the Surfmist look more white? (Cheaper to repaint the corner vs rest of home!)….many thanks…Josie
Hi Josie I think you need a darker colour on the feature which will make the surfmist look more white. A dark blue/grey could help to make the rest of the walls pop and appear more white. Perhaps try with a large board painted a darker blue/grey – perhaps something like Dulux Oolong – and place it next to the Surfmist walls to see if you like the effect. Hope this helps Samantha
In todays light the Surfmist looked really creamy (which we disliked more than it looking grey), so thank you, we tried out a sample pot of Oolong & it worked a treat to make the Surfmist looked whiter – and – we love the colour! ?
That’s great! Oolong is a favourite of mine – glad you liked it x
HI Samantha,
Thank you for sharing your wisdom – I am so glad I stumbled upon your site. We are building a two story house. Roof, gutter and fascia will be woodland grey, bricks are PGH Volcanic Smooth. Window trimming and garage door (which will be sectional) will be surfmist. Will this work? Internal paint is taubman’s low sheen Marble Mist NH57, will this work with surfmist? Skirting and architraves will be crisp white.
Looking forward to hearing from you. Thanking you in advance!
Hi Lily Your outside scheme sounds very classic and should work well. In terms of Marble Mist – this will work with Surfmist and crisp white. Taubmans Marble Mist has a warm slightly pink undertone and is a similar depth to Surfmist – with the Taubmans Crisp White in between this will be fine. Hope you love your new house. Samantha
Hi Samantha
Your blog is fantastic and I’m loving all your answers. It’s so good to see I’m not the only one who is having trouble with colours. We are building a house our of Limestone and there can be a lot of variation in the bricks. I am not a huge fan of dark windows so I was thinking of going with surfmist for Windows, fascia and downpours. I’m struggling to dr ide between Woodland grey or Basalt for the roof and gutters. Any advice would be much appreciated. I also not sure if we should go the garage door the same colour as the roof or do surfmist too…
Internally what white would you suggest to go with surfmist windows? We will have white plantation shutters and I was planning to do white on white but now I’m not sure.
I’m so sorry for all the questions. I’m so overwhelmed and my builder said he needs answers this week. Initially he told me I had a good month to decide.
Regards
Abby
Hi Samantha.
Hoping you can help. We are building our retirement home (low set rendered home) and looking for grey tones. We have chosen (at this stage) Colorbond basalt roof and gutters with surfmist fascias. For the walls we are looking at Winter Fog and basalt for the roller door. We thought we could also use surfmist on the 2 entry pillars. Haven’t really been able to come up with the front door colour and also whether to have a different colour for the small porch at entry. Your advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Lesley Its’s difficult to say without seeing the elevations of your new home but I think if you are using Surfmist for the entry pillars that this may be enough of a contrast rather than introducing another colour for the porch too. Concentrate on making the door stand out – I think Surfmist could work to tie in the fascia and pillars? Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha, We’re building with a Basalt tiled roof & gutters. Like the look of lighter fascias so going with surfmist but builder has recommended Wattyl Floral White (light warm grey?) for exterior walls and garage (I like to colour match walls) . Not sure about whether this would work? Or should we paint walls/garage Surfmist so that fascias don’t look ‘dirty’ white compared to walls? Thanks, Maria.
Hi Samatha
What are your thoughts on surf mist as a roof?
Hi Danny I have a separate post all about roofs, gutters and facias and I talk about Surfmist there https://www.makingyourhomebeautiful.com/how-to-select-roofs-gutters-and-facias/ Samantha
Hi Samantha
Thank you for sharing. We are painting our house in Dulux Miller Mood and we have black window frames , white plantation shutters black gutters .Do you think surfmist would work for garage door and fascia or something like a bluestone which is the driveway colour? Many thanks Bev
Hi Bev A Surfmist garage door will work with Dulux Miller Mood – this has a blue undertone. It really depends whether you want to add some lightness to the house or keep it with all darker trim – ie black. My feeling as you are having white plantation shutters is to go with the Surfmist. Good luck Samantha
Many thanks Samantha
Bev
Hi Samantha, please can you assist, we are building a Hamptons Style house and looking at very light coastal colours. I am a bit stuck and not sure what colours to go with – Taubans is the only paint our builder uses.
We are looking at the following colour scheme – June fog with Shale grey roof and surfmist eaves, gutters potentially shale grey ? facia sufmist. Also liked the sufmist as the colour for the house. Oh so stuck !! Your advise will be greatly appreciated
Hi Charmaine these colours work well together and will keep the house very light and airy. You should paint up large samples of June Fog and Surfmist to see whether you prefer the grey of June Fog or the slightly darker warmer white of Surfmist. Both will appear very white in the sunlight. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi there,
We are building a two storey home with beach views. Its all light weight. So we are thinking shale grey weatherboard and rendered posts. Colour bond skillion roof which we thinking of having deep ocean and then surf mist window trims, facisa etc. We are having a large timber front door. Do you think these cokours will go nice together? Thanks.
Hi Jody This all sounds great – I’m sure it will look lovely. Hope you love your new home. Samantha
Hi, I love your post on use of surfmist. I’m really stuck on deciding what “white” to use on our weatherboards. We want an “all white” house. Obviously colourblind surfmist is our roof but what do you suggest for weatherboard colour? It’s been suggested I use Lexicon. I just really don’t want the surfmist roof to then look grey/cream of I chose wrong white on boards!
Any suggestions appreciated. TIA, Deb
Hi Deb Dulux Lexicon is a blue white but it really depends how this will interact with the Surfmist. You have to think about the style of your roof and how much of it you see. Some roofs you don’t see much at all. Test out a large sample of Lexicon to see if you like it. It is a lovely crisp exterior white. Then consider the style of your roof and put the two samples together to see what you think. Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha,
I am hoping you could shed some light for me. We are currently building a 1 story hampton inspired home. Render and weather boards are going to be painted with Dulux Miller Mood, Roof,Fascia,Gutter and Roller door would be Colorbond Shayle grey. we also would have some post,gables and decorative vent which would be painted in Dulux Vivid white. What do you think of this colour scheme? she we have gone for a Surfmist Fascia or leave it as is? Thank you in advance.
Hi Rhen I think that the white accents that you are introducing will lift the house nicely. I would leave it as it is rather than introducing Surfmist to the scheme. Hope you love your new home. Samantha
Hi Samantha
Finding your blog has been a god send! We are first time builders with no colour/styling sense. Our home will have surfmist roof, gutters and fascia and garage door. Our windows are pearl white and looking to do my boards and render Dulux Bleaches. My builder is suggesting surfmist for all the trims as well. There will be 3 posts and a balustrade on the second story deck facing the front. I am worried that surfmist on the window frames would look too creamy against the white, and thought they should be a true white , like vivd white and carry that through on the balustrade and support posts. Would vivid white posts look too different to the surfmist on the roof?? Thank you for any help in advance.
Hi Anna You’re right, Dulux Bleaches is a very similar tonal strength to Surfmist so you won’t see a lot of difference. If you want the contrast you should use Pearl White on the windows and a crisp white like Vivid White for the posts and balustrades if they are painted – Pearl White if powdercoated. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Such a great thing you do in helping so many people with your wealth of experience.
Iam building a single story home close to the beach, Iam thinking of having surf mist roof facia and gutters with a more crisp white for the window frames and the central gable weather board feature in the centre roof peak.The other two roof peaks have no feature.
The design guide lines in the area state I need two tone render combination on the front of the home what would you suggest to keep the light beachy feel ?
Was considering a surf mist garage door as well.
As you can tell this is not my forte and I don’t want to spoil the look of the home with too many colors or too much of one.
Your incite would be hugely appreciated
Hi Dean you should decide whether you like the idea of neutral sand/beige tones, cool greys or warm greys as this will give you a starting point. In these developments where they have design guidelines you should be able to find out the colours of the houses in the estate/area from the Council Development approvals. They will list the colours that have been approved on houses and then you can drive around and see houses that you like and hopefully be able to find out which colours have been used. So first decide if you like greys or softer beige tones and whether you prefer crisper cool blue based greys or warmer purple/brown greys. Remember when looking at colours that you need to leave quite a large gap in between them to see a contrast. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Sam. This is exactly what i was discussing today with my wife. We have a cladded exterior of our new house in ironstone with surf mist gutters/roof . The window frames are pearl white while the garage door is 6 metre wide. We are considering surf mist for the frames and garage door. However when painted on the trim with a more neutral white we tend to lean more towards the neutral white (similar to the pearl white), as the frames pops more. However you don’t want to make the garage too white as this could be too bright.
Hi thanks for your wisdom, me and my partner are going a hamptons style house with colourblind surfmist roof gutters facial and eves and also doing the whole exterior surfmist with windows frames and door to much is this going to be to much surfmist would a half strength surfmist on the render be better?
Hi Kieran There’s nothing wrong with doing the entire house in one colour as they will all read slightly differently. The sun on the Surfmist roof will make it look very different to the same colour painted on the wall and eaves become twice as dark when a colour is horizontal so you will have some natural shadow etc. to create some contrast. You could experiment with a lighter shade of Surfmist for the walls but you can also just keep it simple. I do like to see a little contrast so you might consider a timber or coloured front door? Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha! Your blog is AMAZING! We’ve made the mistake of ordering surfmist windows (and have surfmist roof, gutters garage). I really wanted white but that’s no longer an option. Do you have any colour suggestions that go well with surfmist windows? I’m open to ALL colours, we’re going for a cool coastal theme. Thanks so much!
Hi Carlie presumably you wanted white windows to have more of a contrast so you might like to consider something like Dulux Lyttleton as this is a neutral cool grey. If you have weatherboards, you can get away with a soft blue too but it makes such a difference if your house has render and then you need to stick with more of a neutral. Hope this has helped. Thanks Samantha
Hi I have a high block house hardy plank on dark brick base currently painted windspray on the hardy plank , surf mist gutters eves and rails on the veranders and monument roller doors. The front of the house gets the afternoon sun and the windspray has faded, not sure whether to repaint same colour or change it, I need help as not good with colours. Also getting a new roof what colour would you suggest?
Hi Anna this is a scheme that works so you could stick with it. For your roof you need to consider whether you want a light or dark roof and perhaps use more Windspray or it might be nice to use Monument to tie in your garages. It is very difficult for me to say without seeing the house and how it all comes together though. Thanks Samantha
Hi there! Would love some advice. Building a home with surfmist colourbond roof, fascia, guttering. Looking for a pale grey house colour, and I’m stumped! Also deciding on a contrast darker grey for front door and garage door? Any advice will be appreciated. Windows will be white
Hi Nat There are so many different greys that you should read my post on How to select the right grey for your exterior. https://www.makingyourhomebeautiful.com/select-right-grey-exterior/
If your garage door is Colorbond then you are limited with darker greys – Basalt is a blue based grey, Windspray is lighter and a mix of green/blue/grey or Wallaby is a warm grey. So you need to decide whether you want a cool or warm grey. The substrate makes a difference too – weatherboards will carry many greys more successfully than flat render. So it’s difficult to say as there are many variables but perhaps start with reading that post and really think about the cool/warm options of the colorbond colours and work from there. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha
We are going through colour selection at the moment and currently have cotton sheets white for the weatherboard with pearl white windows and monument roof. We also have a surfmist fascia, trim and garage. I’m worried that it will just look grey against the cottonsheet white weatherboards. We do have an option for a bright white garage and trim, but just not sure what to do. Everything just looks white! Any recommendation would be fantastic.
Hi Paul you will see the difference between the Taubmans Cotton Sheets and the Surfmist garage door as Cotton Sheets is a very bright white outside. You might like to have a crisp white trim to match your windows and then a different garage door colour – perhaps even Monument or a timber door if you are worried about it all being too white. You could also have a colour for your front door or a timber one etc. to break up the facade. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha,
We are building in underneath our post war Queensland home. We currently have a Pale Eucalypt roof and will be painting the gutters Surfmist. We are wanting to paint the entire exterior white, however we don’t want it to look too clinical, bright white or to cream. Would love your opinion on what white would work with Pale Eucalypt Roof and Surfmist gutters?
Hi Hayley You should look at Dulux Grey Reflection which has a very slight green undertone – just try a sample and see what you think? Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha,
We are currently renovating and have just installed Surfmist windows and sliding doors and have spotted gum flooring. I’m just wondering what white colour/s you would suggest for the internal walls and gabled ceiling as I want to avoid the window trim from looking “dirty”. We are in a coastal location.
I find your articles of enormous interest and help. Thank you
Hi Kerri Glad you are finding the articles helpful! I like Dulux White Verdict Quarter with Spotted Gum flooring – it is nice and fresh but not too bright and it is very neutral. Perhaps try a sample of that to see what you think? Samantha
Hello, We are painting our weekender. we are using shale grey for walls, garage doors will be windspray and gutters surfmist. what colour shall i use for the roof. thank you
oh and the trimmings will also be surfmist
Hi Samantha
We are building a low set house on the coast and have chosen monument for the roof and gutter with surfmist on the facia. The windows are white
We are looking at surfmist for the garage door and quarter strength hogs brittle for the render. Will this go towards the cream or should we be looking at the greys for the render for a different look
Thanks suzie
Hi Samantha,
I have white pearl aluminium window frames(french doors with fixed windows and a light grey weatherboard house with woodland grey gutters etc. I am planning on installing a louvre system patio covering these windows. The louvre standard colour is surfmist. Will this work with the pearl white or should I ask for the louvrve to also be pearl white
Thanks for your advice
Julie
Hi Julie I think you will find that the Pearl White would be too white for a louvre ceiling system. As your house is grey with Woodland Grey gutters, I think that you can go with the Surfmist. Good luck Samantha
Hello Samantha
Thank you, Thank you, Thank.you.
For three days I have been too-ing and fro-ing . Surfmist on windows and trim to match the roof, or white…this article and photos has alleviated my state of existential crisis. balance has been restored and I can move on to the next decision LOL.
Hi Bethany So glad to have restored balance and order in your life!!
Hi Sam, I appreciate all your comments on exterior facades! I’m building a colorbond house in the country with weatherboard accent trims to window and door openings- so it doesn’t look like a big shed! It has a gable roof and long verandah on the north. All the windows will be pearl white. There is lots of glazing under the verandah to maximise views. Summer temps routinely reach high 30-40 plus degrees. I’m stuck between 1. a warm neutral or 2. grey/blue neutral scheme. You mentioned that horizontal cladding makes colours look darker, hence my concern with the warm neutral scheme: 1. shale grey roof, surfmist gutters and posts, dune for walls and accent weather boards in mangaweka. I’m just worried the horizontal dune will be too dark for the main walls? Should I swop around to surfmist for walls and weatherboard accents of dune or mangaweka?
2. The cool neutral: shale grey roof, deep ocean gutters and fascia, shale grey walls and weatherboard accents in windspray, windspray or surfmist posts, vintage denim or deep ocean painted front door. I would really appreciate your advice. I went to a fencing place to try seeing large sheets of colorbond but came out more confused because I couldn’t view any of the sheets in natural light. It’s doing my head in!! Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Hi Wendy Dune has a warm pinkish undertone and works well with Mangaweka while Windspray is a cool green/blue which looks fabulous with deep blue colours. I think that either should work – I’m sorry I can’t be more definite. Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Thank you so much for sharing this post. We are building a one story Victorian style country home with a high pitched roof in either Basalt or Windspray. We would like to paint our entire rendered house in Surfmist, including garage doors, eaves, mouldings, window trims and fascia. Our front door will be in black gloss. In terms of the window frames (they will be French windows) if we chose Surfmist would it look odd on the inside of our house if we are hoping to have a warm white interior scheme with say antique white USA or natural white as the trim? Is it better to chose white for window frames or will it make the surfmist look dirty from the exterior? I would absolutely love to know your thoughts on this. Also what colour roof is best with Surfmist for a country home? Thanks so much
Hi Priscilla This is always an issue for people – do they go with the colour they like for the exterior or interior – there is always a compromise. If absolutely everything is Surfmist outside, you will highlight the windows with Pearl White but this is not a bad idea. In terms of the interior, the windows will stand out a little against any white that you select inside but I find that once you get window dressings in place – blinds, drapes, sheers or shutters, then you don’t notice them much at all. I’m sorry I can’t be definite but I think I would choose for the exterior look and then use window dressings to cut down on what you see inside. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi! I really enjoy your articles! We have an older orange/red brick home with classic cream trims. Recently we repainted our tile roof to Colorbond Basalt, and were thinking of painting the gutters, fence post and letterbox to Monument as a contrast. We have decided to leave our fascia as classic cream, and do not wish to replace the current window frames. However, our current eaves are a whiter shade than the classic cream. I am not sure if we should repaint the eaves in the same whitish tone, or change them to classic cream to match the fascia and trims. I was also considering repainting the eaves and fascia to Surfmist, but am concerned that it would not match the window frames, or make the trims look even more yellow toned. I would love it if you could give me some advice. Thank you!
Hi Priscilla my advice for the eaves would be a half strength of the Classic Cream so that they are a little fresher but they keep the undertone – the trouble with introducing Surfmist is that this would make the windows stand out more good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha,
I really enjoy your blogs and articles. I came looking for advice because I want to achieve the full coastal breezy/light home look in our current full reno. However we are having all our windows and doors replaced and full sliding doors installed to the outside, but husband ordered them in the Woodland Grey colour. Any advice to still achieve the look I’m after? I will loo at booking an appointment with you I think.
Hi Mel Glad you’re enjoying the blog! Woodland Grey is a classic colour for windows and you can still create a lovely breezy coastal style with these. If you look through Pinterest, many of the coastal homes have dark windows. I like to use Plantation shutters on side windows that perhaps don’t have a great outlook and they also work well in bathrooms. You will also have window dressings on most other windows and if you incorporate some lovely flowing sheers, you really do cut down the amount of dark that you see from the windows. You also look through and past dark window frames to the view outside so I don’t think it will be a problem. Hope you love your new look Samantha
Hi Mel Glad you’re enjoying the blog! Woodland Grey is a classic colour for windows and you can still create a lovely breezy coastal style with these. If you look through Pinterest, many of the coastal homes have dark windows. I like to use Plantation shutters on side windows that perhaps don’t have a great outlook and they also work well in bathrooms. You will also have window dressings on most other windows and if you incorporate some lovely flowing sheers, you really do cut down the amount of dark that you see from the windows. You also look through and past dark window frames to the view outside so I don’t think it will be a problem. Hope you love your new look Samantha
Hi Samantha. I’m building a house with Austral Ash bricks, Surfmist gutters, fascias, posts, windows and garage door. The roof and slat side gates are Monument. What do you think? The interior is going to be Dulux Natural White and l am having plantation shutters for my window dressings. I am a bit worried that the sliding doors will look grey against the Natural White.
Hi Di the house colours sound good. As you are having plantation shutters inside you won’t really notice the Surfmist windows and for the sliding doors you can add a simple sheer or blinds to disguise it – in the scheme of things I don’t think it will be a big deal! Hope you love your new home Samantha
Thanks so much! I have to give my builder the go ahead with my colour choices tomorrow, and l only just found the reply to the message l sent you tonight. I feel confident now with my choices!
Hi Samantha, I’d love your advice on a colour for our driveway. We have a Hamptons style home with render in Dulux Winter Fog, cladding in Dieskau, all trims and gutters in White on White and a Surfmist roof. We just had our driveway poured a couple of weeks ago and are about to seal it. We were recommended to put a tint in the sealer and I’m thinking Shale Grey, do you think this would work? I want to keep everything light but the problem is whatever colour I choose will also be on the stairs and front porch. What would you do?
Hi Megan Shale Grey is a good neutral grey which should be fine – I tend to match the driveway to the roof if possible. Samantha
Hi Samantha. Thanks for sharing so much info. Really insightful post, which has raised questions on our current plans!! We have a 70’s red brick place which we plan to render (bagging to keep some brick texture and vintage charm).
The tile roof, gutters and roller door is painted Deep Ocean, and also the carport roof, but neither roof is really very visible from the street. We were looking at going with surf mist for the rendered brick walls, windows, gutters, carport posts, roller door and fascia to really lighten things up – keeping the roof only Deep Ocean. We like the all white look, but thought a plain white would show too much dirt, now I’m concerned there may not be enough contrast against all the surf mist to make it look white enough. Although, our house is surrounded by aged grey concrete, trees, colourful pots and gardens. Are we on the right track or will surf mist come across dull? Thanks!!
Hi Ellen I don’t think the Surfmist will be too dull – you really only notice the depth of it when you put it next to a fresher white. It will stand up to the dirt too. Surfmist does have a greenish/yellow undertone which you need to be happy with. Lots of people use it for wide areas of their homes and are happy with it. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Sam,
Your blog is amazing, thank you! We need to tell our builder the colours for our house this week. I’m thinking surf mist for our flat roof, facia, flashing, garage door & windows. I wondered about grey pebble for the render? With tasmanian oak timber door & highlights. Our house has lots of window. Would grey pebble be enough of a contrast, please? Looking for a grey/taupe/mushroom colour that compliments surf mist, please. Thank you for your consideration, Gabrielle
Hi Gabrielle Dulux Grey Pebble is a very similar tone to Surfmist and will look very much the same outside so you need to have a little more depth to create some contrast. Perhaps take a look at samples of Dulux Doe or Rampart to give you a similar, slightly greyer look that has more depth. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Thanks for the amazing advice and content on your website.
We are building a holiday Hampton’s inspired beach house along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria.
I am leaning to Surfmist for roof, gutters, faschia and have sampled Dulux Tranquil Retreat for external cladding. The windows will be vivid white.
However, using a Colourbond colour for external cladding means downpipes are able to be matched so looking at Shale Grey.
I am usually focused on having a bit of contrast do you have any other suggestions for the cladding please?
Thanks again!
Hi Lyn You might like to look at Dulux Madigan which is a nice exterior grey that would tie in with Shale Grey. I wouldn’t worry about getting an exact match with the downpipes as it is more important that you like the overall colour on the house. Downpipes are usually placed at the side where possible and are often not a big problem. I do have a separate post on what to paint your downpipes https://www.makingyourhomebeautiful.com/what-colour-do-i-paint-my-downpipes/ which you may find helpful. Good luck Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Thank you for your reply. Loving all your articles and blogs!
I have tested Madigan next to Shale Grey and Tranquil Retreat and it defiantly has a bluer tone.
I’ve now decided on Lexicon Quarter for windows and trims but thinking the warmer tone of Tranquil Retreat may be a better contrast with Surfmist? As you said downpipes should not define an entire exterior colour!
Hi Samantha. Great blog. We are renovating a 1940’s bungalow with an extension at the rear of the property. The extension will be in colourbond monument matt cladding. We love the all-white character house with the dark monument extension out the back. We are having a bit of trouble selecting our colours for the bungalow. We are leaning towards surfmist matt roof, gutter, fascia and downpipes because its closest to white. However we are unsure what colour to paint the rest of the bungalow. We would like the vertical siding, gables, trim etc to be one colour with the house render another white. But we don’t want three different whites as we would like the roof the come across as white like the rest of the house and not cream. Would appreciate your help. Thanks
Hi Jon perhaps the house render should be Surfmist too with then a brighter grey/white for the the trim etc? Difficult to say for sure – you either need to choose just one white that is different to Surfmist for the house and trim and not see any contrast or if you want the contrast then the render really does have to Surfmist. Colorbond Surfmist in MATT is a different colour to the usual Colorbond Surfmist – it is actually nicer as it is a touch greyer and not as yellow so ensure that the paint company mixes you the render to match a sample of Colorbond Surfmist MATT. Perhaps take a piece of guttering to get it colour matched. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Love this Blog. Can I ask if you think a 1/4 or 1/2 shale grey weatherboards would go with surfmist windows, fascia, garage, downpipes for a coastal single storey home? The roof will be shale grey. Any feedback most welcome. Thanks
Hi Elizabeth Shale Grey and Surfmist work together well but Shale Grey will be quite light in a quarter strength – try a sample of Half Shale Grey next to Surfmist to see if you like the contrast – it could end up too much the same. Hope this helps Samantha
Thanks So Much Samantha. We’ve had another look and agree too samey, so looking on your previous posts we really like the look of Lyttelton but just gone to the paint store to get a sample and they do not do it as it’s a New Zealand colour and not done in Australia!! Back to the drawing board! Thanks for your help. Kindest Regards, Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth Dulux Lyttleton is definitely available in Australia as many of the New Zealand colours are. It is from the New Zealand range but is part of the Australian Dulux Atlas. Many of my clients have used this colour here in Australia – ask your local paint store to call Dulux Australia helpline for the code and formula. Cheers Samantha
Thanks Again Samantha, I contacted Dulux and got the colour code. Just picked up sample pot and going to give it a try. Very excited!!Thanks again for your help. Elizabeth.
Hi
We have our surf mist windows on order. We are planning on porters paint Irish Linen for our interior walls. What colour skirting and coving would we do? White or surf mist?
Ceiling will be white.
My first time painting and any help appreciated.
Thanks
Hi Helen your cornice is usually the same as the ceiling. Porters Irish Linen is very light so you could use this everywhere or speak to Porters about another white to go with this. Or you can make a feature on your interior doors and trim and choose a darker tone. I have posts to help you with skirting board and architrave colours and internal doors here https://www.makingyourhomebeautiful.com/what-colour-do-i-paint-my-internal-doors/ https://www.makingyourhomebeautiful.com/colour-paint-skirting-boards-architraves/. These should help as you are a novice painter. Samantha
Hi Samantha
Your posts and comments are very helpful. We are building our farm house out of limestone bricks and have a woodland grey roof and surfmist windows and fascias. We are going to put crisp white plantation shutters in. I was wondering what colour you would recommend for the garage door? Woodland grey or surfmist?
I’m also thinking of going surfmist verandah posts but a crisp white for our front door. Possibly Natural white..
Would love to know your thoughts or any suggestions?
Hi Richie Limestone and Woodland Grey are a great partnership. Both Woodland Grey and Surfmist would work for your garage so you just need to envisage how much white you want to see on the front of the house. This will give it a fresher look and will work well with Surfmist posts. You can certainly have a Natural White front door – it is normal to have the front door in a different colour or tone. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise, your website and resources are amazing!
I’m building a new home and the builders colour consultant advised Surfmist may be too creamy for us against the remaining exterior colours, but I latched on to two points in your article and replies – if our external colours aren’t white, then Surfmist will appear white, and that Surfmist Matt will be more grey than yellow.
We’ve chosen Basalt roof, Brume half cladding to first floor and Milton Moon render to ground floor, Pearl White windows and the equivalent colourbond white garage door.
Would surfmist gutter and fascia be okay in this scheme? And would Surfmist Matt be even better?
Thanks so much!
Cathy
Hi Cathy Surfmist is identical in tone to Dulux Brume Half – the matt finish is more grey and looks good next to Brume. It is a different white from your windows and garage door but it is the only white in the range to choose from so the alternative for your gutter and fascia is Basalt to match your roof. I think that outside you don’t notice a huge difference and I use Surfmist fascia a lot with white schemes as the alternative is a costly timber fascia or an expensive powdercoated one. If you wanted to see less of it you could use a Basalt gutter to disappear into the roof and then have just a Surfmist fascia. Hope this helps Samantha
Amazing, thank you!
Hi. Thank you for sharing great information and post. I am about to painting my house. It is old brick house with pale eucalypt colourbond roof and gutter. I won’t paint roof and gutter. The exterior brick wall will be painted with dulux beige royal full. However I am not sure what to use as a contrast colour. My original plan was painting garage door, window/door trim, fascia and soffit with natural white. Then I was told my new garage door will be surfmist (I am building extra garage next to old one) so I kind of have to paint my old garage door with surfmist otherwise I will have 2 different colour garage doors. Should I paint old garage door with surfmist and paint the rest (window/door trim, soffit and fascia) with natural white or paint all with surfmist? I want to create bit of contrast (neutral contrast not too bold one) but also don’t want to overcrowding with too many colours. Any suggestion you could give? Front of house doesn’t really get too much direct sunlight.
Thank you in advance.
Jen
Hi Jen Colorbond Surfmist and Dulux Beige Royal are very close in tone and colour so you won’t see a lot of difference between the walls and the garage doors and you can then use a white trim to bring in some contrast – this will be a simple scheme but will work Samantha
Hi Samantha, I’ve got a question about surfmist. We are getting our roof, gutters, facia, trim work painted. The house is a federation style (built in the early 90’s) – traditional green roof with cottage green gutters, light brick home with western red cedar windows. We are not planning to paint the brick work or the window frames. However, the plan is is to go Surfmist on the roof and then as an accent colour I’m thinking of Vivid White. Do you think Vivid White is the best option or is there any other white that would go better with Surfmist? Thanks so much.
Hi Riikka Dulux Vivid White is a very bright white with hardly any pigment. It does work with Surfmist but you more need to consider how it will go with the bricks and western red cedar windows. Difficult to say without seeing the house but it will be very bright. Samantha
This is a great article, thank you so much. I’m building a ’tiny home’. The roof is an all in one installed system with surfmist on the inside and monument on the outside. The walls both internal and external are shadow clad duragroove. I was thinking of painting the internal walls also shadowmist and the external walls also monument. So boring as then people will focus on the view of the rolling hills. For the last house, we painted white on white and I feel it clashed with the surmist. I’d love to hear your thoughts (wish I could attach pics). You can see them on my Instagram account Glenayr Farm Mudgee ?❤️? Thank you so much.
Hi Rachel Dulux White on White is a very clinical blue white which doesn’t work with Surfmist. You need to partner whites with other whites that have a similar base colour. Surfmist is a yellow/green base which is why it clashed with the blue of White on White. Love the look of the homes – had a peek on Instagram xx
Hi Samantha, I’m replacing 4 awning windows at the front of my property with Rylock Aluminium Double Glazed Windows (old timber windows are rotting). I am planning on replacing the rest of the windows in a couple of years. My house is a bit of a mishmash of colors – I think that the tiled roof is monument, the gutters and downpipes are a very pale grey, the facia looks like woodland grey and the bagged brick is dulux European White. The window trims and garage door are a medium blue/grey (sort of like Notre Dame). I really like that light airy look inside and I’m planning on getting plantation shutters on all the front windows so I was thinking the Pearl White. The supplier gave me some decent size samples of aluminium and when I hold it up against the bagged brick it looks very stark and bright. I am considering changing to surfmist (matt finish) but not sure if that will limit my options down the track as I plan to update the property gradually over a few years. At the moment I’m leaning towards repainting the bagged brick a light grey and replacing the garage door and possibly replace the roof with colorbond but realistically, this is years away and in the meantime I have to work with the colors that I have. Do you have any thoughts on the pearl white (gloss) versus surfmist (matt) in my situation. Any suggestions would be welcome as I’m really struggling. Does pearl white go with everything? Is that the safe choice. Thanks in advance, Kylie.
Hi Kylie Pearl White windows are very popular for Hamptons style homes but generally I prefer to use Surfmist matt as it isn’t as stark. It will work with soft greys. I always prefer matt finishes too. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha
Hope you are all and many thanks for your time.
I am looking for a neutral gray for our gables. We have a brick home, woodland grey gutters, surfmist eaves and window mouldings and will use surfmist for the gable trim so just looking for that perfect grey on the two gables! Thinking dulux Milton mood, timeless grey, or taubmans stormy shadow or grey stone. I am happy for a tad darker grey like endless dusk or a lighter grey like grey pail just definitely don’t want it to throw blue or necessarily beige. Can you please advise what grey you think May work? Thanks so much!
Hi Lauren the grey that you pick depends a lot on the colour of your bricks. However I would say that Dulux Milton Moon can throw a touch of blue, Timeless Grey is much darker and I find it doesn’t throw the blue like its lighter incarnations. Endless Dusk does still throw blue as does Grey Pail. Taubmans Stormy Shadow has a purple undertone and Taubmans Grey Stone is probably the most neutral of all your choices. However I can’t give you a definitive answer as to which is right for your house without seeing it. Hope this guidance has helped you to narrow down your choices. Samantha
Hi Samantha,
We are building a 2 story house by the seaside, our bottom story is a dark grey brick and we are having surfmist for the cladded second story, eaves, window frames and garage. The roof is a dark grey. We are only having surfmist (no white) so the surfmist does appear a creamy white against the dark grey bricks and roof. My question is do you think it would work having the cladded second story all surfmist (excluding the roof)? Also my biggest concern is inside, we want the plantation shutters to also be surfmist – we have done a test paint inside of surfmist window frames to match the shutters and it is way too dark, looks very grey inside. Do you think it would look ok if we had surfmist shutters, white window frames and then surfmist also on the interior walls? Is there another colour you can suggest inside that would match surfmist shutters? I’m so confused, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Nicole This is a very common approach to paint everything outside like this in Surfmist – it should just look white. However, I would advise against using Surfmist for interior shutters. The Surfmist will look white outside in the sun and simple white Plantation shutters on the windows will look much better. I always match interior Plantation shutters to the architrave – they don’t need to match the actual frame as this shouldn’t dictate your entire interior colour scheme. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha, thank you for this blog it is such a wealth of information! We are renovating our house and I want to go with Surfmist Matt for our roof, gutters, fascia and garage door. I just want to paint the exterior of our house (Newport cladding) one colour, a light grey colour that goes well with the undertone of Surfmist (basically to avoid making the Surfmist look yellow/green). If you could recommend one that would be great.
Hi Amy It is so difficult to say as you need to consider the undertone that you want in the light grey. So before you think about a definite colour, consider whether you want a warm soft grey leaning towards greige or a neutral green based grey or a cool blue grey. There are so many options that it is difficult to say which would suit without seeing the house and location. Hope this helps to set you on the right path. Samantha
Hi Samantha,
We are about to start building our Hamptons style home and we need to pick our colours NOW! We are having a Surfmist roof and looking at Shale Grey walls, but I’m unsure whether this will be a darker grey or light once on the weatherboard? We dont want a ‘darker grey’, we want it to stay light and airy but not looking dirty easily! We have to choose powder coat colours for our windows too and aim just lost! Any suggestions on combinations would be so amazing right now. I’m so lost! Thank you ❤
Hi Bel this is a classic combination that many people are very happy with. If you look at my post on Colorbond Windspray there is an image there of a house in Shale Grey which might be useful for you to see. Very difficult to say for sure as it depends on how much sunlight the house gets. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Thank you so so so much for this blog. It has been very helpful in my search for the right colour choices! I was wanting to know the house colours in the pictures used above and have searched through the comments and found that you have said most similar would be Beige Filter. Is that for all the pics? I was particularly after the house colour with “99” on the letterbox? Might just be me, but the rafters and fascia seem to look brighter than the gutters – which look surfmist! (Im driving myself a little insane with greys and whites at the moment ).
We are building a two storey Hamptons style house with a dark roof, where the fascia will need to be Surfmist, which is fine because I think its a beautiful colour. However Im really struggling to pick the render (bottom storey) and weatherboard (top storey) greys. Everything either seems to dark and drab, or doesnt give enough contrast to make the Surfmist look bright enough. Thank you so much for your time!
Hi Cherise All the trim on house 99 is Surfmist – it can just look different with the shadow etc. The weatherboards are Dulux Beige Filter on this house. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Thank you for your original article and all your generous and helpful responses. I am looking at building a fairly “white” house and plan on having the roof, guttering, Dow pipes etc in surf mist (now Matt, thanks to this article and the fact I very much lean toward Matt finishes everywhere), the rest of the facade will be vertical shiplap cladding, although to be honest the front and rear facades are more window than cladding. I am wondering if Natural White is a good choice (I would use it inside too, where white is needed). Not too concerned if it is high or low contrast with the Surfmist, more that they would “play nicely” together and not look “wrong” because of their undertones. Thank you.
Hi Raina Dulux Natural White is a very popular interior and exterior white which works well with Surfmist – it will be much lighter. I can’t say for sure without seeing the house, its location and the other finishes but it is a popular and very easy to use white. Hope this helps Samantha
Thank you very much for your prompt reply
Follow up from above, floors brick throughout, ceiling ply, a fair bit of assorted timber joinery, not sure on kitchen units or bench tops yet. Thank you
Hello Samantha!
We are deciding on colours for our country weather board home. We are wanting to do all we can to help reduce the heat in summer which can reach 40 degrees. We’re thinking of surfmist for the roof and trims. We like the look of homes with neutral schemes such as hog bristle and whisper white. However, we patch tested and it’s simply not working. They are too similar. We either go for a deeper main colour (what do you think of linseed or oyster linen?) and keep surfmist or change surfmist and keep hog bristle
Any suggestions? We don’t really want grey colours. Any comments on matte surfmist and how that might impact the uv qualities?
We have gone with British Paints gentle wind inside the house.
Hi Erin in a hot climate, it is wise to stick with Surfmist for your roof and find a wall paint that you like with it. Dulux Linseed is a lovely neutral which will give you some nice depth without being too warm. Dulux Oyster Linen is a similar colour but just a touch more green. Both have undertones that work very well with Surfmist and are a much better and more modern proposition than Hog Bristle. In terms of the matt range of colours and their UV qualities, you will need to speak to a technical person at Colorbond about this. The matt range is ever so slightly darker as matt finishes don’t reflect as much light as glossy ones but this will be minimal. Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha, I’m in a bit of a pickle. I’m in the middle of a house build and I may have made the wrong choices. My roof fascia, gutter and garage door are surfmist. My windows are pearl white gloss. I was going to go for surfmist render but now I’m unsure how it will look with the white windows. I’d really appreciate your thoughts.
Hi Melissa I think this will be fine with the white windows – you really won’t notice them that much and if you have a different render – lighter – it will look wrong against the garage. I think it should be fine. Samantha
We have a two story sandy brick 70s home. Which has wood panelling over half of the top story and at the moment everything is painted army green.
It’s a pitched flat roof (so no visable roof from the street – only gutters, fascia and eaves). My plan is to paint all of this a dark shade because I want to create a roof line and some contrast. I was thinking Woodland grey but now leaning more into the warmer base of Namadji. I was thinking surfmist for the wood panelling. What colour should I do the window frames?
My husband was also suggesting we may be able to do something different on the upstairs or front as opposed to the back of the house as the upstairs was an extension and in modern builds they sometimes do this to create different contrast and textures? The front of the house is north facing and in full sun all day so my worry is Namadji will look too wash out and surfmist will look bright white! Help.
Hi Alicia Dulux Namadji is a lovely rich grey brown colour which should stand up to the north facing position and Surfmist is a dirty white that has enough depth not to be too bright and white on an exterior. It’s difficult to answer any other questions here without seeing the design of the house – I can help further with an online consultation where I can review photos and discuss ideas with you if that would help? https://www.makingyourhomebeautiful.com/e-consulting/ Samantha
Dear Samantha,
I wonder if you could help us?
We have chosen for our two storey home a monument roof, Dover white windows and garage door, liveable white trims and posts. Our house is silkwort render (first) and weatherboard (second) with downpipes in monument as white is not manufactured?
We have now been told today to choose a fascia capping colour between the two materials (upper/lower storey) and that white is not available.
Choices are surfmist or monument.
I am unsure what to do as it is now meaning we add another colour to our home. Can you please help us?
Do I consider a new house exterior paint? Change colour to make it cohesive? What would you do?
Thank you for your advice x
Hi Jamie if your render and weatherboard are both in Dulux Silkwort you need to find a Colorbond colour that is the closest match for the flashing as you want it to disappear as much as possible so you wouldn’t want white. There is a new Colorbond colour called Southerly which is a warm light grey – it isn’t a perfect match but is pretty close to Dulux Silkwort. This could be an option -otherwise Surfmist is probably your best bet. If you would like me to review your entire scheme I can do this as part of my online colour consultancy. https://www.makingyourhomebeautiful.com/e-consulting/ Hope this helps Samantha
Hi Samantha
I was wondering what the colour of the wall cladding is in the first picture in this post, the one with the Colorbond Surfmist facia, posts, windows and balustrades. Thank you so much.
Hi Cathy The weatherboard colour is Dulux Platinum which has a soft blue undertone. Cheers Samantha