Hugh Wolfe Great ideas... but I'm a lover of color. I know in automobiles people seem to be extremely polarized, they either have it or there driving black white or silver/grey... boring :)

Annie Thornton I love the organization of this ideabook — showcasing the color spectrum is always a winner.

Kathryn Peltier Design I painted our cottage - on a lake in Michigan! - shell pink! It makes a pretty line of houses - the one to the left is yellow and the one to the right is green.

sjmom I live in the Phila area and there are communities where these colors would not be allowed and the colors must be approved by the powers to be. In their minds historically correct must come first.

Hugh Wolfe @sjmom... Shame the "powers that be" are so closed minded, and that they regulate others lives by their decisions. I've felt for a long time that HOA's are run by people that need control in their corner to be happy.

Kathryn Peltier Design @sjmom: we have a historical district commission in our town, too, who have some say on what people do within that district. Some of that is warranted so that people who have no respect for historical areas don't come in and subject their house to something completely inappropriate. Color, however, is so subjective. Almost any color scheme could work, depending upon the value and saturation. I'm all for un-blanding the world! The worst abusers are the subdivision HOAs who can't see beyond "taupe". As a friend of mine says: How do you say which house is yours? The cream and beige one with the red door, the golden retriever in the yard and the SUV? Good Luck lol!

Hugh Wolfe @Kathryn Peltier Design.... "un-blanding the world"... I like that... I can't tell you how many times I've arrived in a parking lot only to discover I'm the only one driving a car with any color to it... out on one of my photography trips earlier this year and needed to stop for gas.. as it so happens it was also a truck stop, lot's of big trucks around the pumps.. waiting for the tank to fill I was looking around to see if I could "find" a photo here someplace... yep I found one where the "missing" tractor wasn't... just a quick shot and some post processing created what I was after... more color in the world.

Kathryn Peltier Design @HughWolfe: Well, I must admit to driving a WHITE car with a tan and gray interior LOL but that was a conscious decision because I don't like black interiors and my choices were limited. I wish that there were more of a choice in car colors, and especially in the interior colors (I don't think Detroit is going to listen to me, even though I live here) My favorite car was a minivan (yes, I know) I drove several years ago which had a beautiful blue/green exterior and a sand colored interior. Kind of matched my house!

patscats2 When I come across a house painted in loud purple or yellow my first thought is "must have caught a sale on that paint." I can't wrap my head around why anyone would paint their house in a color that makes it scream at you., LOL

frenchdecor Some posted painted houses are quite tolerable. Also it depends on other neighboring houses, for instance, Kathryn Peltier Design posted cottage, looks appropriate in line with the others. However, single house painted in bright color among dull colored to me looks more pretentious than cheerful. I live in 50 y.old subdivision neighborhood and call those houses "dumplings", poor architectural features and very similar, but some houses are customized or rebuilt and stand out, though don't look awkward because it's not a low income area.
We have some traditions we custom to and wouldn't go to funerals in red dress and I didn't see any bride on her wedding in black dress, wouldn't it look inappropriate to most of us?

Kathryn Peltier Design @frenchdecor: yes, I agree that there are colors that are "customary" but that doesn't mean that color still can not be used. Part of it depends upon the style of the house, of course - for instance, a modern house is often designed with color placement in mind. That does not mean, however, that a 1960s colonial can not have color; again, it just needs to be the appropriate saturation and value, and it doesn't necessarily need to be contained to the front door. There are so many people who are just terrified of color!

CAROLE MEYER While our home in Portland is a basic wheat color, we went wild in our second home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico!

gschneider What a fun compilation! And I'm usually a "neutral/greige" admirer.

Dayanne LLuz This is my home still under construction in Brazil. I am wanting ideas of colors to make her beautiful and modern.

Kathryn Peltier Design @Dayanne: Are you familiar with Luis Barragan? Google his work - you could use his work as a guide for color on your house.

hollandr300 I live in a boldly colored house from 1834. Might not be so bold the next time it is painted.