Bold Exterior Paint Color Transforms Mid-Century Home
By: MackenzieSometimes, you just know when your home’s exterior needs a refresh. Maybe the colors have lost their vibrancy, or the style no longer reflects your vision. The tricky part? Figuring out exactly what direction to take. When Dawn L. started feeling like her mid-century home needed an exterior boost, she turned to brick&batten for expert guidance.
Our house is a Frank Lloyd Wright replica, built in 1961 by Elliott Roosevelt (FDR’s Grandson). It’s been several years since we painted, so really looking forward to jazzing it up with paint!
Read on to see how we helped Dawn reimagine her home’s exterior with a fresh, modern color palette while honoring its architectural roots.
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How do you pick the perfect exterior paint color?
If you’ve ever agonized over a paint swatch, you know — choosing the right color is no small feat. And when it comes to exteriors, the stakes feel even higher. A color that looks stunning on a sample card might read completely differently in full sunlight or against your landscaping. Factor in architectural style, existing materials, and neighborhood aesthetics, and the decision can quickly become overwhelming.
That’s where expert guidance makes all the difference. Our designers at brick&batten take the guesswork out of the process, crafting color palettes that enhance your home’s unique character while ensuring the final result is exactly what you envision. With photorealistic renderings, you can see the transformation before you ever pick up a paintbrush.
For Dawn, a fresh coat of paint wasn’t just about updating her home — it was about finding the perfect shades to highlight its mid-century charm. Read on to see how we helped bring her vision to life.
The before
Dawn’s home was already a showstopper, with its striking mid-century design and architectural pedigree. But after years without a fresh coat of paint, she knew it was time for a refresh. The challenge? Finding the right colors. With so much surface area to cover, the decision felt daunting. Dawn wanted a palette that would enhance her home’s bold lines while staying true to its Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired roots. That’s where brick&batten came in.
Choosing paint colors is HARD, particularly for the exterior of a home. It’s easy enough to toy with paint samples for interior jobs (an accent wall here or there), but exterior is so much more overwhelming.
Unsure of whether you will benefit from brick&batten’s exterior design package options? Schedule a free 15-minute call to find out more about our value!
The design
Along with refreshing the exterior paint, Dawn encouraged brick&batten to suggest any other small changes that would make an impact. She and her husband recently replaced their decking, railings, windows, roof, and fascia, and were looking to continue jazzing their exterior up (in other words, paint was the primary focus, but they were open to additional suggestions).
With their goals in mind, we got to work creating a design for Dawn, tailored to her home’s unique style and her desire for a bold refresh. Our inital design featured a greige paint color — Benjamin Moore’s Cape May Cobblestone — on both the vertical siding and stucco. We suggested adding a bit more contrast by bringing in wood panels for the soffit ceiling. We also incorporated industrial columns, modern light fixtures, and planters throughout for a contemporary look worthy of the home’s stunning architecture.
While the first color palette found middle ground, the second one brought more striking shades to the mix. For the balcony side of the house, we offered the option to contrast the greige siding with Benjamin Moore’s Black Forest Green on the stucco, using the same near-black green on the stucco by the entry.
For her free revision, Dawn was inspired by our paint color suggestions, but wanted to try another shade on for size. Our revision includes a different exterior color — Benjamin Moore’s Iron Mountain, a beautiful shade of black with undertones that play nicely with both warm and cool accents. Dawn was also curious to see what her mid-century home would look like with a sleek, modern front door. Our designers suggested a mostly-glass door with a slender handle to give the entrance a contemporary aesthetic.
Ultimately, Dawn’s design team landed on Bear Creek by Benjamin Moore and Iron Mountain on trims. Dawn had beautiful wood doors that we decided to use in her design. The wood offers a modern element but also the warmth she was looking for.
It was so very easy! All I did was answer a few questions and provide photos of our exterior. Then the brick&batten team did the rest! It took a few iterations, but we are so very happy with the outcome.
The process
Once Dawn finalized her design, it was time to bring it to life. For the bulk of the job, she brought in a contractor, ensuring a professional finish. But when it came to the more intricate details, her husband stepped in — especially when working around their beloved Virginia creeper.
Despite the scale of the project, Dawn found the process surprisingly easy. Having a clear design plan in place made decisions straightforward, and the rendering provided a helpful reference for both the contractors and her own finishing touches. Knowing exactly how the final result should look took the guesswork out of every step.
We used a contractor for the bulk of the job, and my husband helped a lot with some of the more challenging areas (i.e. gently painting behind our Virginia creeper that we have had for years and wanted to keep happy!).
The actual after
After exploring different color options and combinations, Dawn embraced the bold, refreshed look we envisioned. She stuck closely to the design we created, making sure that every detail came together exactly as planned. The finished look stayed true to the vision, and the results were stunning.
Dawn told us she was very happy with the paint color she landed on, and we think it’s the just-right shade too!
We love it! It was a beautiful “facelift” that we wish we’d done much sooner!
What was especially rewarding for Dawn was seeing the final result match the design photos she had received.
What we saw in the design photos was what we got, which was wonderful!
Mid-century masterpiece
Dawn’s newly refreshed exterior has truly made an impact, and it’s not just her who thinks so. Family, friends, and even neighbors have been raving about the transformation. What started as a simple desire for a facelift turned into a stunning success that has elevated the home’s curb appeal in ways Dawn hadn’t even imagined. The home’s new look stands out with a giant exclaimation mark, and we adore the result as much as Dawn does!
We have gotten a ton of compliments from family, friends and neighbors. It was quite a transformation and we are thankful for brick&batten.
Interested in reading more client stories like this one? Check out all the other ones we’ve highlighted here.
Redesigning your exterior is no small feat. From paint colors to exterior additions, these updates can be huge committments that cost a lot of money. Going in with a plan to make the process easier makes redesiging stress-free. Get started today!
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