A timber frame barn home is unique in that its interior is all about the frame (those gorgeous posts and beams), therefore showing it off is a must. But it’s not the only part of a barn home that should make a statement. The exterior is the first impression your home will make and it should be every bit as special as it’s interior. Consequently, the roofing material, the siding and the color or colors used on the exterior should be in keeping with the style of the structure as well as the surrounding landscape or topography of your home. Please allow me to show you a few examples and explain how and why I believe these exterior looks work.
This house is located in a mountainous area on a rather steep incline. It’s been sited to take advantage of some glorious views while at the same time blending with the profile of the land. The house has many angles, jut-outs and overhangs, not to mention gables and decks. In order to tie it all together and stay true to the topography of the area, the homeowners chose to stain the house all one color. The color used was taken from the palette nature offered by way of the beautiful pine needles found around the home. Well done!
Like the previous example, this home also reflects its grounds; this time using a natural taupe that picks up the color of the stone walls. Again, note all one color has been used so the eye doesn’t get hung up on one aspect or feature of the home. Here the intent is for the viewer to see the house in its entirety instead of one of its individual parts.
This post and beam farmhouse is an entirely different creature when compared to the previous two examples. Standing out from its surroundings and making the statement “Notice me!” are carried off with a great choice of a cheerful, yet subdued, shade of yellow. The bright white used on the trim, porch columns and pergola simultaneously compliment the yellow while drawing the eye to all the great extras this house offers. The gorgeous rolling green of the lawn and the brilliant blue of the sky make this house pop!
I’ll bet you can already tell where this house is located. If you said ocean-side, you’d be correct. Seaside homes have a similar look to their exteriors for a very practical reason: the weather and salt air do a number on the exterior of a home. Paint and stain are corroded away quickly here. This is why you often find sturdy cedar shake shingles as the siding. They are very durable and weather over time to the most gorgeous shade of gray. Often the trim color for a home such as this is white (great choice) but it can be just about any color you’d like from a soft turquoise to pale pink (I’ll prove this statement further on in this post).
Given my love for painting or staining a house all one color, you’d think this home might not make my list of great looking exteriors, but you’d be wrong; this home works and here’s why. The soft, yet rich, shade of brown chosen for the walls is a perfect complement to the beautiful earth tones surrounding this home. However, had the house been all one color, your eye would have been slow to see the perfect symmetry on either side of the fabulous two-story extended gable that creates the focal point of this home. The house exudes calm and serenity; just the look I’d be after were I living lakeside!
In closing, I’ll leave you with the house I alluded to earlier in this post. An ocean side cottage can get away with many things other homes can not, but why fight the inevitable wear and tear of the rugged coastal weather. Use the cedar shingles, allow them to gray naturally and have fun with your choice of trim color. Here it’s a subtle pink that beautifully compliments the faded red of the roof. Paint your screen doors black and allow a few vines to meander over the walls and Ta-Da! Chic cottage casual.
