Ann-Marie D. knew she needed to replace the siding on her Indiana lake house. But she wasn’t sure what type or color siding would look best. Gray siding — light and dark — and white were all options she was considering. To ensure she made the right choice, and to get advice on how to update other aspects of her exterior, Ann-Marie enlisted our help.
After learning more about her design goals, budget, and what parts of her home she was willing — and unwilling — to change, we got to work creating a new look that checked all the boxes. Keep reading to learn about the design recommendations we provided Ann-Marie with and see her home transformation from start to finish.
If you’re struggling to select siding colors for your property, we can help. But that’s not all we do. We provide recommendations on everything from doors and windows to landscaping and hardscaping. Just let us know what your design goals are, and our expert exterior designers will create a custom photorealistic rendering of your home. Learn more about our virtual exterior design services.
Our designers only use and recommend products that we know, love, or would use on our own properties. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission, at no cost to you.
The before
Ann-Marie’s home is located on a lake, and she felt its high-contrast black and white color palette made it look out of place amongst the other houses in her neighborhood. In addition to the color scheme, Ann-Marie was open to updating the home’s doors and garage doors, lighting, and front entrance.
Before, this house stuck out like a sore thumb. You could see it from a mile away and it just looked ‘stuck on’ the landscape like it didn’t belong.
On the side of the property, Ann-Marie wanted to add interest to the right portion with the large windows.
I was struggling with how the lakeside elevation was just one giant wall of windows and siding.
The design
We provided Ann-Marie with three color schemes for her exterior. The first features Benjamin Moore’s Olympic Mountains on the new James Hardie siding and Jet Black, also by Benjamin Moore, on the trim, eaves, and doors. Olympic Mountains is a warm off-white with an LRV of 70.15. Jet Black is a classic black with a subtle hint of inky blue and an LRV of 4.71.
(Curious about LRV? Learn more here, including why LRV is so important to keep in mind when choosing the perfect paint color for your home.)
Our second color palette consists of Benjamin Moore’s Chelsea Gray on the siding. This deep charcoal hue is a bit earthy and has an LRV of 22.16. We used Jet Black again on the trim, eaves, and doors.
Finally, we shared a rendering with a darker gray siding option — Sherwin Williams’ Grizzle Gray. This deep charcoal gray has an LRV of 13 and can add a touch of drama to any exterior.
In all three designs, we suggested adding stone siding along the perimeter of the house and around the garage doors. We also recommended wood lintels over most of the windows and an awning over the window closest to the street. A new driveway and walkways, a fire pit, and fresh landscaping are some of the other significant design updates we suggested.
Our renderings cover all the colors Ann-Marie was considering — white, light gray, and dark gray — and allow her to visualize each one on her home before committing.
We always recommend sampling and testing paint colors before committing. Factors such as natural lighting, undertones, and your property’s fixed elements will have a significant impact on how a color will appear on your exterior. Our friends at Samplize offer extra-large 9 x 14.75 inch peel-and-stick paint samples of the colors we love for exteriors. Order your ‘Real Paint, No Mess’ samples from Samplize here.
The process
Ann-Marie told us she worked with a contractor to complete her renovation. The contractor used our design as a guide to execute the work. Some supply issues forced Ann-Marie to move forward with a slightly different siding color than what we recommended, but she stuck to our recommendations for other elements including the stone siding and light fixtures.
While the renovation process took longer than Ann-Marie anticipated, she said the end result was well worth the wait. Additionally, she noted that having our detailed design and product recommendations made the process a lot simpler and less stressful.
It was a long process to execute, but we couldn’t be more thrilled with the results. It was so nice not to anxiously deliberate about the specific colors/options/selections since we could see the mockup that was already put together.
The actual after
As we mentioned earlier, Ann-Marie ran into a problem when trying to move forward with the James Hardie siding we suggested in our designs. Fortunately, the company had siding available in a color comparable to what we suggested. James Hardie’s Iron Ore is a bold dark gray that’s similar to Sherwin Williams’ Grizzle Gray.
Iron Ore looks lovely with the new stone accents and wood elements and completely transformed the look of Ann-Marie’s exterior.
Now, with the darker color and more natural materials, it seems like it’s been there a long time and really gels with the cottage-y feel of the lake community.
On the side of the home, new decking with a pecan-colored stain pops against the light stone and adds some warmth to the design. It also matches the lintels above the upper windows and the ceiling of the covering on the left side of the deck.
An outdoor dining table provides a comfortable place to enjoy al fresco meals and gather with friends and family. A rug underneath the table adds a subtle pop of color.
I love the subtle accent of the pine headers across all the picture windows on both sides of the house. That really ties it all in together!
Gray siding elevates lake house exterior
Ann-Marie is thrilled with her home’s updated appearance and told us her favorite aspect is the view from the lake. She’s not the only one who enjoys the fresh look, though. She said she gets tons of compliments from people who worked on the project and complete strangers who pass by.
People (i.e. total strangers) have yelled to us from the lake saying what a transformation this is! Even the contractor loved it.
Ann-Marie’s exterior transformation is proof that paint is powerful, and the right color can significantly boost a home’s curb appeal. Gray siding gave her lake house a more contemporary aesthetic and made it stand out in the best way possible. Other smart design decisions helped contribute to the new look too.
Looking for more home renovation inspiration? Read all our Client Story features and discover how past brick&batten clients turned our designs into their dream home (or business).
