The exterior paint was one of the first updates needed to brighten up the home. This little cottage was almost invisible on this quiet corner. The landscape was plain with some established plantings. The design of the house had lots of nooks and crannies. These included the enclosed front porch, the dining room bump out and varied roof lines. All these elements added to the charm and quaintness of the house.
I would say the color “Sea Serpent” is a dark cyan-blue with a hint of mermaid scales.
Exterior Paint Color Scheme
I knew I wanted the exterior paint to be a dark color like another house I had done, in Sherwin Williams Naval #SW6244, which by the way is 2020 #coloroftheyear . So I choose something close with a little more depth and edge to it. I landed on Sherwin Williams Sea Serpent #SW7615. If you were to ask me to describe it I would say it is a dark cyan-blue with a hint of mermaid scales.
Next up a color for the shutters. I wanted it to pop and have a cute cottagey vibe. Since the house was from the 1940’s. I wanted to honor the pallet of the era, so I choose Sherwin Williams Festoon Aqua #SW019. It has been describes as smokey shade of aqua which made it perfect.
You could have guessed it! The trim is Sherwin Williams Pure White #SW7005, which is basically pure white with a drop of yellow to mimic a drop of sunshine.
Before & After Images
To finish off the exterior we touched up the wrought iron doors with a fresh coat of matte black and did the porch steps in a classic soft grey. Since the house was on the corner the AC unit was in plain sight, so we choose to cover it with some white lattice PVC panels, for a cute camo solution. We picked out some shades of blue and green colorful terracotta planters for the front steps and the back garden area. We accented with copper and wrought iron furniture and fixtures. I even found a really cool antique screen to define the different areas in the backyard. It turned into a beautiful outdoor retreat.
Please see more on this house in our article “Take a Load off“.