SFGate

Ironwood Builders I'm not the color guy...but I really like your house...You have an opportunity for three colors. The trim at windows, doors and eaves/rakes, the main body and the gable ends above the roof overhang. Four if you paint the window box a different color. Benjamin Moore has a color deck for historic houses. Start there? You'll have lots of input from the color people very soon!

Mary Poulos Interior and Exterior Design Gray is extremely in right now. It is a very classic color, especially for a home like this. However, you want to love it for a long while, remember extremely in colors become extremely over done and therefore, I suggest you chose a color that has gray in it, as well as warmth, so you will have the best of both worlds. Benjamin Moore Stone Hearth. You will be able to change your front door to reflect whatever your mood or whimsey is at the time. This color will accommodate many of those changes. White trim of course.

shakerjaebs Beautiful house! We are going to be painting our 1925 wood shake home this summer. I'll be interested to hear feedback you receive. I'll be posting my own "dilemma" soon!

Jayme Hobbs I love your house!

Judy M I love it too and I'm commenting just so I can follow this thread. :)

LizaJane Love the house! Congrats. I would keep the colors in a neutral family and I like Ironwood's idea of incorporating 3 colors. I have included several photos to give you some ideas.

rinqreation Like Ironwood said, pick some colors from existing pallettes. No need to invent the wheel again, right?

http://pinterest.com/ambungalow/historic-paint-colors-palletes/

Benjamin Moore
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/exterior-color-schemes-with-affinity-paint-colors

Sherman Williams
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-collection/historic-collection/

Jayme Hobbs I really like this color scheme

arlendau I believe this style of home is called a four square. There are a few classic color combinations. The combination of grey/blue, cream and charcoal might work for this house. I am going to assume that the columns were shingled when you purchased the home? Originally these columns were probably wood with framed details and the porch was also wood ... contrasting the top of the house from the bottom. The paint then brought out the trim detail. Assuming you are not going to take off the shingles, you need some thing to take attention away from the large amount of siding. I would suggest you build a shelf above the bottom deck opening and place an Earthbox planter in front of each side of the deck. A similar planter box may work in the built-in planter above the entry. The burst of flower color - top center and left and right will grab all the attention. These can be made to self water. Use the grey/blue for the siding. Use the cream to make something standout, like the window or door trim. And use the charcoal to put something into the shadow - like the build-in flower box or openings below the deck. The front door could be red and I would suggest an exterior runner carpet up the center of the steps of the same color.

DIAspoton pretty, pretty house. i like the white but would change the trim to black or dark green.
if you wnat to change it, the 1st photo lizajane posted with a deep taupe-greige with cream and black trim.

this house will be so much fun to finish with plants. the window box, 4 large hanging baskets on the porch, planted urns on the stair post caps and wonderful foundation plantings.
an all green and white/silver theme or
all red geraniums or
a deep blue,white and green with hydrangea, azalea and double knockout roses and butterfly bushes or....

what zone is this?

Linda I suggest browsing the historic paint color collections from SW and Pittsburgh. Then, cruise your neighborhood with a camera and snap photos of color schemes which catch your eye.

Sometimes it is easier to take someone's almost there colors and figure out which changes you would make than starting from scratch to build an image in your mind. For example, I noticed one paint job this morning combining a green and a yellow. The green was a muted grayish tone while the yellow was much too clean a color to go with a dirty green.

I hope your painter likes you...those 12 over 1 windows will be a real pain to paint! It is a beautiful house with lovely accents and you will be absolutely amazed at what details jump out when highlighted with paint.