The exterior of this weatherboard cottage in the northern beaches suburb of Collaroy was in need of an update. The original yellow and blue-grey colour scheme had zero curb appeal; it needed to stand out and at the same time, complement surrounding houses. The owners were keen on a contemporary grey and white scheme and adding some personality with a bright front door.
The front of the house is narrow so it was important to use a mid-tone grey for the main façade. Selecting the right tone of grey is not easy, in fact, it can be one of the most difficult colours to get right. It can look too blue, too purple, or too green, depending on the undertone and the external light. What looks good on one house can look awful on your house, so it is very important to look at colour samples in situ. It’s important to also consider how the light falls, and even the surrounding environment in your colour selection.
We selected two shades of a warm grey and teamed it with white windows and trims; the contrast between the grey cladding and white woodwork is crisp and clean. We used the darker shade of grey on the base block, which acts to ground the structure. Using it on the guttering and fascia boards adds an extra level of contrast between the cladding and the white trims.
We originally selected a bright turquoise for the front door, but in the end, the owners went with a shade reminiscent of Tiffany Blue. The exterior scheme is ideal for a cute weatherboard cottage and fits perfectly with the beach-side vice of Collaroy. The owners love the colour makeover, creating a gem of a house.
Take a look at some Before and After photos of this project.
