More thoughts on Exterior Paint Color

As we enter the height of winter, that means one thing.... spring is around the corner! I know, it's hard to imagine as forecasts of snow are now on the horizon. But now is when you have to start planning your big spring projects. And here at Chez Davis our big spring project is going to be painting the exterior of our house.  Just as a reminder here is what the outside of the house looks like now (sans the new picket fence).

In a previous post I'd explored the idea of a more historic color scheme including painting the window sashes dark.

While I love a dark window sash, it just won't work with our existing storm windows. I next thought about a grey palette.

I like the direction but it seems a little bland.

There is a sort of peacock blue house around the corner that I love so I thought this might be fun.

But then circled back to an even darker grey with a few more colored accents.

I'm totally on the fence. I think I need to experiment with actual swatches when the weather warms up.  What do you think?

New Series: Illustrated Etymology: Enfilade

Today I'm starting a new series called Illustrated Etymology where I take a architectural, decor, or design term and tell you about the meaning, provenance and give you a little illustration to go along with it. A little snapshot of some of the things you learn in school but more fun than sitting through a lecture.  Today's word is "Enfilade".

Enfilade refers to a series of rooms or "salons", as they were referred to back in the day, that are  formally aligned with one another. The use of enfilade begain in the Baroque period and was continually used in classical European architecture, especially in the grand palaces and governmental buildings of France and Italy.  Not only are the rooms themselves aligned one after the other on a long central axis, but the doors entering each room are also aligned on this same axis, providing an expansive view through the entire series of rooms. The use of enfilade creates a sense of grandeur and procession and is often an architectural device found in museums and public buildings, easing the movement of large numbers of people from one space into another.Here is an example of enfilade at Versailles.

Can you think of any spaces that you've been in recently that employ this technique?