Exteriors - Cass Morris Architectural Color & Design

Exterior Color Design

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Suburban Eclectic with marble around the windows and entry; Photo by Cass Morris

Arts & Crafts Style, Photo by Cass Morris

San Francisco Edwardian, Photo by Cass Morris

Colonial Revival Entry, Photo by Cass Morris

McGlashan Architecture, Photo Cass Morris

1914 Craftsman, B. E. Remmel, Photo Cass Morris

Kerstin Hellman Architecture, Alward Construction, Photo Cass Morris

Architect Kathy Rogers of Sogno Design, Lawrence Construction, Photo Cass Morris

French Provincial After, Photo by Cass Morris

French Provincial Before, Photo by Cass Morris

A very handsome French Provincial built in 1922 on Trestle Glen. Interestingly, this was home for 45 years for a group of nuns who were teachers and nurses called Sisters of Social Services. The present owners totally remodeled the inside and were searching for a new look on the outside. We chose 2 shades of gray-taupe and 2 shades of white for the trim. Notice how the entry now stands out.

2006 Mediterranean construction; Photo by Cass Morris

Rear of 2006 Mediterranean, Photo by Cass Morris

This Mediterranean/Tuscan home was built in 2006. It has foam cornice molding and integral color additive. The color was chosen to blend in with the golden hills of the dry season.

1992 Mediterranean Before, Photo by Cass Morris

1992 Mediterranean After, Photo by Cass Morris (with unfortunate new white windows)

This Mediterranean villa was built in 1992. Its first incarnation was standard white, then sort of adobe pink. My thought on color was to bring out the interesting dimensional architectural features by using several different colors. I also added white on the columns to enhance the balcony and match the new windows.

EXTERIOR PAINTING

For many people their homes are one of their most valuable assets. We can definitely increase the value by upgrading and updating the property in ways like paint colors, paving, and small details like new lighting, mailboxes, and house numbers. Remember to define the entry and make it welcoming. Curb appeal is about the overall appearance of your property: its attractiveness, maintenance, landscaping, and how it looks from the street. Good landscaping can add 15% value to your home. There are traditional exterior color schemes for architectural styles, the most common in the Bay Area being Craftsman, Mediterranean, Tudor and Victorian. We also have hybrid styles with some features of a couple of different styles. But don’t feel you have to be bound by the traditional colors. I always first ask my clients if they want to blend in with the neighborhood or stand out. Every paint company’s website now has an interactive site where you can upload a photo of your home and try out color ideas, and this will give you an approximation of the look. The color selection process can be daunting because there are thousands of paint colors to choose from and of course it is the combination in the palette that makes it a good design. After all, painting doesn’t happen very often, costs a lot, and you want to really like the colors. I have years of experience ... call me. 510.524.1726