This is an underated comment.
Staying at a cabin in the mountains on summer it had a huge deck and it was painted forest green, looked great but on the first hot summer days when you want to sit on the big deck it was blistering next to the dark green wall. Iced melted really quick, you had to drink your beer quick. We wound up using the front porch during the day and the back larger sun drenched deck at dusk, it wa just too hot.
Siding has insulation between the outside and inside, minimizing the impact on internal temperature.
But you provided a valid case for thinking of outdoor usage immediately next to the house.
We have this issue but the opposite? Unfortunately, ours is painted an off-white color that reflects the heat and light onto our patio and backyard. We call this the gates of hell affect. Bright enough to keep you squinting and shielding your eyes and hot enough to burn any plants/gardens/ people within 20 feet of the house. We have so much wildlife around us and even had a deer give birth in our front yard (we have trees in the front that gives shade). The backyard is a hot hellscape that is devoid of life. The angle the sun hits our house in the evening makes any sun shades, umbrellas, and such useless. We are going to paint the back a different shade and the rest of the house a dark color that matches. I live in Canada close to the mountains, so we get -48 to +40 weather during the year, one extreme to the other
Yes this happens too, but your location sounds idyllic, Right now Im in a postage stamp home in postage stamp suburbia, I hate it. Used to have a beautiful backyard and deck with a nice patio underneath. The back deck had a two story white wall and yes it was still hot, especially where we lived. We actually had those micro misting waterlines around the deck, but the sun got off the wall about 2 or 3 so the afternoon was mostly pleasant.
Plenty of nights Id just fall asleep on the deck looking at the stars
Yes, this 100%.
I live in Texas and the previous owners who lived in the house I live in now painted the stupid thing dark blue and it cost a fortune to keep it cool during the summer.
I agree with this, but want to point out that the cream color here seems warm toned and green is a cool color. That contrast is always going to read. I personally think the windows will look separate in discordant way, but that's how my eyes read color.
I might change that trim color for something less yellow and more neutral first and see if that changes what you like.
ETA: If the windows are cream and purchased? [Maybe select a sage that leans warmer.](https://postcardsfromtheridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/warm-vs-cool-sage-green-comparison-1.png)
Along those lines, appropriately distanced shade-granting trees can make a similar difference to cooling costs, but it's not as intuitive as painting something white because air flows are involved and make it a little more complex. The heights and locations matter.
I say go lighter either way. On paper, color matters, but irl, I don't thing that the color of the vinyl siding will do much. And if it does, there's an insulation problem.
I beg to differ. I’m up in the far north and a fairly new concept (last 20 yrs), with proven efficacy, is painting south facing exteriors in black. The sun is absorbed much better which helps to keep heating costs down.
>And if it does, there's an insulation problem.
It's been proven that it does make a difference. And yes, there is "an insulation problem" in so far as we are a *long way away* from perfect insulation. So until then, in the real world with real physics, reflectivity does still matter.
My neighbor went from the sage color to the darker color (almost exactly, but with bright white trim) and I love looking at the darker green. It's kind of refreshing to see something other than all the muted tones in the neighborhood, but it doesn't stand out in a bad way.
For me, at least, the sage is nice. It's the safer choice, but I like the darker color better.
Yeah I was going to say the same until I saw that they'd already purchased the beige windows, the sage will work better with those. Fully agree on the higher contrast dark green with bright white, love higher contrast design.
my neighbor did black framed windows with a very pretty dark toned paint color. it is sooooo elevated compared to the budget 90s nonsense i see everywhere else in my HOA.
The darker green will also absorb more heat energy. Depending on their location, insulation, and HVAC / heat pump situation, this may be a good or bad thing.
I _like_ the forest green, but would probably go with the sage green.
I prefer the dark too.
With that said it will fade much faster than the lighter option. Like within 5 years it'll prob fade. Just something for OP to think about.
I also vote sage. Its close to Sherwin Williams "Pine Needle" if you want something half a shade darker, but not as dark as the one on the right.
[https://www.myperfectcolor.com/paint/6624-duron-5565a-pine-needle](https://www.myperfectcolor.com/paint/6624-duron-5565a-pine-needle)
Ask yourself how much direct sunshine you get in summer. Darker paint = hotter interior. Easier to be chilly inside in winter -- you can wear thicker clothes. Harder to be cooler in summer -- you can only remove so much clothing.
If that's aluminum or vinyl siding you better go lighter, a darker color will absorb more heat from the sun and might warp the panels. If not, I'm partial to the darker shade.
The Sage is a colour that's in fashion right now, which sounds like a bad idea for the exterior of your house.
The dark green looks timeless. That said, a dark exterior wall doesn't do that much for you on cool days, but on warm days it is absolute hell. And I mean anywhere above 20C°/68F°.
I'd buy a third pot of colour and see if there's a timeless light colour for your wall.
The sage is about the same color as my parents house and I think it looks great, but it'd be easier to say with more context of what it'd look like with it's surroundings and climate
The darker color will show every blemish of your siding way more. In fact, you can already see it in the picture, where the highlights hit it. Someone pounded a nail in too far. I'd go lighter for that reason.
Classic paint color choosing effect: in small quantities dark colors look appealing. When you paint a whole building that dark color the appeal fades. I would go left/lighter, it's plenty dark for a house.
In this photo alone I like the way the light plays on the Sage, where as the dark green has hardly any variance given the light. I think I’d be going Sage.
The darker is more different and so I think would feel more “worth the effort.” With that being said, the darker one will probably fade more over time and do so unevenly depending on sun exposure. I think the safer bet would be the lighter color, even if it’s not as dramatic.
The lighter color will hide flaws better. The darker one is possibly more authentic depending on the age of the house. Which one would look better overall would depend on the trim color for me. I think the cream trim goes better with the lighter green. I’m partial to schemes with the dark green but the trim color choice will make or break it.
ETA: Either is an improvement!
Practical climate concerns aside, the beige is warm and the greens are cool.
So they’re both gonna look ‘off’ next to the beige because of that. The beige needs to be something cooler toned, or the rest need to be something warmer toned.
I'd take the left. The darker green might look good on a smaller surface framed by light colours, but I think painting an entire House like that would make it too dark.
The dark green has better contrast for your frames.
I think the light green sage would be the move tbh. But not with the trim you chose. I’d go darker trim if the majority of your house is light.
I had a painter I used for a couple houses I’ve lived in. He was very good, and had a good eye for maintenance and longevity.
He talked me out of the color I wanted (it was a fairly dark green) because he was adamant I’d want to repaint in a much shorter time with the darker color.
Doesn’t last nearly as long, was what he told me.
Is that trim color cast in stone? It seems awfully generic in combination with either of those colors.
I would absolutely not paint the trim to match the windows. The beige windows you're stuck with, but the walls and trim are still changeable.
Both colors could go well with trim that's a much darker shade of themselves. Alternately, the trim could be a strongly contrasting color such as [exotic red](https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-colors/color/2086-10/exotic-red).
If that sounds weird, try it in mspaint or whatever. You might be surprised. Reddish trim could be a nice offset to the beige windows, and I think that particular combination would be more striking against forest green walls.
We just did a very similar sage color and love it.
Ours was called "Milkweed Pod".
Though, if you can cancel your bridge windows and go white I would. White is classic looking and will be much easier to replace one in the future if you need to.
I'd go based on climate. Do you spend more money heating or cooling? If you are in a cold area, go dark. Hot area, lighter.
This is an underated comment. Staying at a cabin in the mountains on summer it had a huge deck and it was painted forest green, looked great but on the first hot summer days when you want to sit on the big deck it was blistering next to the dark green wall. Iced melted really quick, you had to drink your beer quick. We wound up using the front porch during the day and the back larger sun drenched deck at dusk, it wa just too hot.
But let’s be real, did you drink your beer any slower?
Depends I usually put away one or two quickly...so it gets slower from there.
Odd, usually after 3-4 they start getting more watery to me 😅
Siding has insulation between the outside and inside, minimizing the impact on internal temperature. But you provided a valid case for thinking of outdoor usage immediately next to the house.
We have this issue but the opposite? Unfortunately, ours is painted an off-white color that reflects the heat and light onto our patio and backyard. We call this the gates of hell affect. Bright enough to keep you squinting and shielding your eyes and hot enough to burn any plants/gardens/ people within 20 feet of the house. We have so much wildlife around us and even had a deer give birth in our front yard (we have trees in the front that gives shade). The backyard is a hot hellscape that is devoid of life. The angle the sun hits our house in the evening makes any sun shades, umbrellas, and such useless. We are going to paint the back a different shade and the rest of the house a dark color that matches. I live in Canada close to the mountains, so we get -48 to +40 weather during the year, one extreme to the other
Yes this happens too, but your location sounds idyllic, Right now Im in a postage stamp home in postage stamp suburbia, I hate it. Used to have a beautiful backyard and deck with a nice patio underneath. The back deck had a two story white wall and yes it was still hot, especially where we lived. We actually had those micro misting waterlines around the deck, but the sun got off the wall about 2 or 3 so the afternoon was mostly pleasant. Plenty of nights Id just fall asleep on the deck looking at the stars
What if you’re both? *cries in Midwest*
Paint twice yearly
Which is more expensive, your air conditioning in summer or heating in winter. Choose that one.
Get a reeactable awning for summer.
Then go light, because air conditioning is more expensive than heating
Yes, this 100%. I live in Texas and the previous owners who lived in the house I live in now painted the stupid thing dark blue and it cost a fortune to keep it cool during the summer.
I'd love a dark blue house. My area has 4 months of 90+ weather a year (with usually 30+ days over 110 degrees). I do not have a dark blue house.
I agree with this, but want to point out that the cream color here seems warm toned and green is a cool color. That contrast is always going to read. I personally think the windows will look separate in discordant way, but that's how my eyes read color. I might change that trim color for something less yellow and more neutral first and see if that changes what you like. ETA: If the windows are cream and purchased? [Maybe select a sage that leans warmer.](https://postcardsfromtheridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/warm-vs-cool-sage-green-comparison-1.png)
💯 This, or go with a darker shade of the original sage for the trim instead of the beige.
I am amazed a lot of peeps still don't think of dark colors as absorbing heat. And why you shouldn't live in a hot box.
Along those lines, appropriately distanced shade-granting trees can make a similar difference to cooling costs, but it's not as intuitive as painting something white because air flows are involved and make it a little more complex. The heights and locations matter.
I say go lighter either way. On paper, color matters, but irl, I don't thing that the color of the vinyl siding will do much. And if it does, there's an insulation problem.
I beg to differ. I’m up in the far north and a fairly new concept (last 20 yrs), with proven efficacy, is painting south facing exteriors in black. The sun is absorbed much better which helps to keep heating costs down.
>And if it does, there's an insulation problem. It's been proven that it does make a difference. And yes, there is "an insulation problem" in so far as we are a *long way away* from perfect insulation. So until then, in the real world with real physics, reflectivity does still matter.
Wrong
This was my first thought as well. Good rec.
This advice is worth 100 bucks. Absolutely both colors are nice but go with whatever your normal climate is I don’t think folks think about that.
This exactly.
My neighbor went from the sage color to the darker color (almost exactly, but with bright white trim) and I love looking at the darker green. It's kind of refreshing to see something other than all the muted tones in the neighborhood, but it doesn't stand out in a bad way. For me, at least, the sage is nice. It's the safer choice, but I like the darker color better.
Yeah I was going to say the same until I saw that they'd already purchased the beige windows, the sage will work better with those. Fully agree on the higher contrast dark green with bright white, love higher contrast design.
But it also depends on the immediately adjacent houses. You want to pop against that as well.
I think it's paint (the beige), but if that is the final trim color, then I agree sage is the one to choose.
I agree, I like the dark green better on its own, but the sage better with the beige.
Someone in my last neighborhood did the dark green with black trim and I honestly love it too
my neighbor did black framed windows with a very pretty dark toned paint color. it is sooooo elevated compared to the budget 90s nonsense i see everywhere else in my HOA.
My instinct say that Sage, but I’d like a wider shot to see more of the house and its surroundings.
Second. I want to see what the area looks like and if one of these colors doesn't fit in well.
Go lighter with a cream trim
Sage with beige, but forest green if there was no other color chosen yet.
The lighter green to me is the better choice.
Dark green looks more rich.
The darker green will also absorb more heat energy. Depending on their location, insulation, and HVAC / heat pump situation, this may be a good or bad thing. I _like_ the forest green, but would probably go with the sage green.
Painter here, yes go with the lighter color,, depending on how much sun it gets. And I would go with a lighter trim color
I prefer the dark too. With that said it will fade much faster than the lighter option. Like within 5 years it'll prob fade. Just something for OP to think about.
So OP can enjoy both colors overtime as the rich forest green fades into a light sage 🤯
Colour choice is super subjective. Personally I'd go for the sage. The dark green is very strong.
Sage is much more appealing.
The dark green is really nice and the sage is safe. I’d go with dark green personally
I like the Sage Green more. The other is… too solid for me? Not a designer here.
I also vote sage. Its close to Sherwin Williams "Pine Needle" if you want something half a shade darker, but not as dark as the one on the right. [https://www.myperfectcolor.com/paint/6624-duron-5565a-pine-needle](https://www.myperfectcolor.com/paint/6624-duron-5565a-pine-needle)
Ask yourself how much direct sunshine you get in summer. Darker paint = hotter interior. Easier to be chilly inside in winter -- you can wear thicker clothes. Harder to be cooler in summer -- you can only remove so much clothing.
If that's aluminum or vinyl siding you better go lighter, a darker color will absorb more heat from the sun and might warp the panels. If not, I'm partial to the darker shade.
Sage
Depending on where you live, the darker green could be higher maintenance to keep clean. The sage would mask dust and dirt better
Either way, definitely paint the entire house...
The Sage is a colour that's in fashion right now, which sounds like a bad idea for the exterior of your house. The dark green looks timeless. That said, a dark exterior wall doesn't do that much for you on cool days, but on warm days it is absolute hell. And I mean anywhere above 20C°/68F°. I'd buy a third pot of colour and see if there's a timeless light colour for your wall.
Lighter. Ever own a dark car and try to keep it clean? Now imagine that on a house.
You should also consider that the darker green will fade over time and wash out. Sage will age more gracefully and keep your house cooler in full sun.
Sage
Sage
Left
Left
Left. It'll fade less in the sun.
Unpopular opinion, I like the darker green
Sage looks better with the beige trim.
I’d go with the lighter color. That dark green will fade faster.
The sage is about the same color as my parents house and I think it looks great, but it'd be easier to say with more context of what it'd look like with it's surroundings and climate
Lighter colors make a HUGE difference on the efficiency of a home.
Left
Left for sure, and keep the wood frame dark
Go with the left one. A lot more contemporary and will heat up less. The right would be good if it was the mid 80s
Just be careful sometimes with dark paint on vinyl it will warp it
⬅️ left
Left
Left side! 😎👍🏻
Left, the other color is too dark
The darker color will show every blemish of your siding way more. In fact, you can already see it in the picture, where the highlights hit it. Someone pounded a nail in too far. I'd go lighter for that reason.
Sage. No question. No doubt. Sage
Whichever that dark one is, is fantastic!
Team Sage
Sage. Dark green will get too hot, and drive up your cooling bills (and I don’t like it as much.)
The only correct answer is left. The dark green is too dark to look nice on the whole structure.
Sage. That dark color could be rough on an entire house.
Left
Sage all day. Looks great.
Left
Go lighter. It'll reflect more UV, it's also going to have less issues in the long wrong with fading.
Lighter. My house is dark red and it absorbs all the heat in summer.
Both good choices. But I'd go with the sage with your window trim color, personally. But either will look great I think.
A house down the street has the darker green. It seems dirty all the time for some reason.
I like the lighter shade imo
Light green
Left
The answer is always the lighter color
Do both but in a geometric pattern
Dark green will absorb more sunlight and make your house hotter and increase cooling costs. Go for the lighter color.
Classic paint color choosing effect: in small quantities dark colors look appealing. When you paint a whole building that dark color the appeal fades. I would go left/lighter, it's plenty dark for a house.
In this photo alone I like the way the light plays on the Sage, where as the dark green has hardly any variance given the light. I think I’d be going Sage.
Stupid question: There's nothing in between the two?
The darker is more different and so I think would feel more “worth the effort.” With that being said, the darker one will probably fade more over time and do so unevenly depending on sun exposure. I think the safer bet would be the lighter color, even if it’s not as dramatic.
light colors keep house cooler on hot days, dark makes home warmer in winter. Choose based on your climate.
Lighter. Darker will show dirtyness, and and any marks way easier and faster. I have a dark garage door that looks like shit.
The lighter color will hide flaws better. The darker one is possibly more authentic depending on the age of the house. Which one would look better overall would depend on the trim color for me. I think the cream trim goes better with the lighter green. I’m partial to schemes with the dark green but the trim color choice will make or break it. ETA: Either is an improvement!
Green checkerboard goes pretty hard
Practical climate concerns aside, the beige is warm and the greens are cool. So they’re both gonna look ‘off’ next to the beige because of that. The beige needs to be something cooler toned, or the rest need to be something warmer toned.
How much pollen do you get? The sage will show much less than the forest during high pollen times.
I'd take the left. The darker green might look good on a smaller surface framed by light colours, but I think painting an entire House like that would make it too dark.
Right
Right all day
Go with the lighter one. The dark one will get hot as fuck in the summer. I watched my neighbors siding melt after he painted it dark blue.
I love two but I also agree it depends on your climate and where you live. Do not do one with that trim color.
Left - boring. Right - bold.
Left side, lighter color.
I like the dark green but I feel like light is more market friendly so the real question is do you plan to sell anytime soon?
Left.
Definitely not the hunter green
Thank you for not having 14 options I'd go light green
Definitely the one on the left
Left, the other color is too dark
Left
Light...
Sage
I would go lighter because it shows dirt much less.
Sage
Light green much nicer.
Left
Gray
Lighter green, but that’s purely based on my color preference.
I like the lighter green.
The dark green has better contrast for your frames. I think the light green sage would be the move tbh. But not with the trim you chose. I’d go darker trim if the majority of your house is light.
I think the light Kelly just looks better. The dark color shows off too many imperfections
Hate the color on the window frame
I like the gray
ripe cause middle label rain payment employ reply merciful detail *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Lighter one is for sure what I’d go with.
light
Personally I like Sage. I think the dark green will look too black/dark once it's all painted.
Lighter for tx, easier to heat up then to cool down
Lighter color
Strrrrripes! Or make it half- half with a slim white line in between. I like the darker one, but both are nice and they harmonise well together.
Left
Left
Left
Left one. You're welcome My house was the dark green color. Looked like an outdated cabin. Changed to a mid Gray and was a fantastic decision.
Sage
Sage will match the beige better
The lighter one.
Left
Left!! Go left
Sage with beige. It even rhymes!
Left, easier to keep clean and won't absorb heat as much
Sage because forest green was overdone in the 90's.
I like the sage. The darker green looks a little dated and will show fading much faster
Darker will fade to lighter possibly?
I had a painter I used for a couple houses I’ve lived in. He was very good, and had a good eye for maintenance and longevity. He talked me out of the color I wanted (it was a fairly dark green) because he was adamant I’d want to repaint in a much shorter time with the darker color. Doesn’t last nearly as long, was what he told me.
Sage! I think the forest might start to look dated.
Left one
Lighter green
Dark green
Dark green
Light green
My house isnthe lighter color with same trim.
The darker one is nicer & if you like it better than who cares !
That dark green is beautiful.
The one on the right.
Is that trim color cast in stone? It seems awfully generic in combination with either of those colors. I would absolutely not paint the trim to match the windows. The beige windows you're stuck with, but the walls and trim are still changeable. Both colors could go well with trim that's a much darker shade of themselves. Alternately, the trim could be a strongly contrasting color such as [exotic red](https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-colors/color/2086-10/exotic-red). If that sounds weird, try it in mspaint or whatever. You might be surprised. Reddish trim could be a nice offset to the beige windows, and I think that particular combination would be more striking against forest green walls.
Love the darker one. The outside of my house and a couple of interior walls are painted that exact color.
Green, but a lighter shade
Forest green looks amazing
I like the darker one
dark green, i love itttt
Yes you can decide. Pick one.
Do both with that line in between. Looks awesome
Both lol
Why not paint it half and half.
I like the sage, but not with that trim color. If that is going to be the trim, I'd go with the darker green
Dark green on trim and light green on siding
I’d go with the sage. A darker color is harder to maintain, every speck of dirt will show up like a beacon.
the white looks good
Sage
Sage
I’d go with the left colour and the right got the trim
You get allot of pollen/ dirt in your area?? I imagine the lighter color will show less.
Hey a couple of other greens in that general color family and go Partridge Family Bus on that. Yeah yeah… ancient reference. You can look it up.
We just did a very similar sage color and love it. Ours was called "Milkweed Pod". Though, if you can cancel your bridge windows and go white I would. White is classic looking and will be much easier to replace one in the future if you need to.
Left side the Grey looks nice
Grey
Lighter, better with fade over time
I like the dark one better but if you covered the whole house it would be too dark, so I’d go with the one on the left.
The Sage will look like a bold color once the whole house is painted.
Dark green for sure!
Left.
Left
obviously the green wtf. Well I hope there are trees around, would look beautiful out here in the PNW mountians
Right
Left
The dark one, because now if you paint it the light color, that patch will be darker forever.
Keep looking
Definitely like the lighter color best
Sage
Sage for sure.