How to finish this extension?

[scottishdaisy]

We moved into a red harled house last year. Knew we were going to extend and thought we would also paint/put some sort of clever white coating over the red colour. We've now got the final extension plans but not sure what to do with the outside.. help please! I've attached a photo of the house as is as well as a couple of options the architect has given us. We are replacing the conservatory with a wrap around extension with sitting/dining/boot room area and extending the study at the side of the conservatory to make a bedroom with a vaulted ceiling. I'm now thinking... what about making the house light grey?! Or also that while the original colour isn't the prettiest, we are in Angus in Scotland and there are a lot of red sandstone houses around with grey paintwork which are actually quite pretty. Maybe it's spending money needlessly to change the colour of the house (it's the garden and setting that are incredible, not the house itself) and we should just keep the original colour and have the extension either in grey wood/cement cladding or stone? The area we are in has a fairly low ceiling price for houses and we will be going over this probably even without changing the colour for purely aesthetic reasons. Although the house is our forever home, so we are not planning on selling again for a long time...

Should maybe have posted this in the menopause bit - I'm incapable of making any sort of decision. Aaargh...

Is harl like pebbledash?

Exterior finish and window colours are expensive things to change.
Are your window frames currently grey?
I would worry that the grey render would date badly.

I do like the red brick slip cladding on the red version.

White render, dark grey windows and slate slip cladding around the extension would be my choice.

I'd keep the main part of the house the red brick, and do the extension with the cladding.
Really lovely looking house, op. An interesting shape.

red is dated, grey will date. white maybe?

Thanks Guys... Yes, Wheredoes (can't possibly shorten your name to Toilet!) Harling is Scottish, I think... can never remember what the proper word is...but you are right - if it's not pebbledash it's similar? Your combination of white and stone was what I was 100% sure about a month ago and now I've no bloody idea - can't cope with so many choices. We have found some sort of coating that won't need maintained but will cost £12k or something.. and the windows are a brown - we are going to be painting them and changing the rainwater goods whatever we do with the exterior ...

Thanks, Longtompot- that is certainly the most cost effective option. The builder was meant to have given us a rough quote earlier in the week but it's not here yet. It might all depend on what he says. Husband has pointed out that given my inability to make decisions we will probably not start until next spring anyway so I've got months to contemplate different combinations. Who needs to sleep anyway???

Keephim.. it is dated although it is in keeping with a lot of the red houses here - the council didn't allow it to be white when it was built but that will have changed now. I never really liked it when we bought it but now I'm wondering if it will be easier to maintain and we can spend the extra money on the interior. Outside, nobody is looking at the house, can't be seen from the road - and the setting is so beautiful that it kind of takes the focus away from the house. Am showing off now and adding a photo of a bit of the garden and view....

Stuff the house! Paint it pink and yellow polka dots!

YOU HAVE A STREAM! No one is looking at the house

Hilarious. I DO have a stream... isn't it totally beautiful!!!! We moved here in November and I feel like I have died and gone to heaven.

Sounds like I’m in the minority but I like the red! My Victorian house is the only one on the row not painted or rendered (because the old boy who lived here lived here from birth and didn’t even have money to put a bathroom in) and now everyone always compliments us on the gorgeous brick.

I think grey might look icky in 10-20 years. Would embrace the original bit of the house and then maybe be bolder with the extension - something that complements but doesn’t necessarily match exactly.

Roughcast is maybe the word you're thinking of.

I'd steer clear of grey as it can look depressing and cold in Scottish winters.

If you're in the middle of nowhere, you could go with any colour.

Choose a colour that makes you feel cozy, warm and happy at all times of the year and then see if it would work with the house.

I saw a house in West Linton in the Borders a few years ago - was the most amazing blue / purple colour when the sun shone on it. It was a wee cottage though, not a big detached house with stream like yours.

Why not paint the windows the same colour as your summer house, and use cladding (larch, burnt or similar) for the extension and do a smooth creamy / buttermilk coloured render on original building?

Thank you! AHL... I love the colour of the summerhouse! Sadly DH isn't such a fan....

I actually expected to hate the red but I don’t
I would probably prefer it in white but if it was expensive and and difficult to change I wouldn’t bother
Either way it’s a beautiful house in a lovely spot

Thanks, Hopping... I'm spending my days looking at every house I pass to see if I can get inspiration. Will probably post a photo of the finished article... but it's over a year away I think. Or more if I can't get my act together and start deciding things!!!

I like the red sandstone in Angus and as the colour is typical of many older houses in the area it isn't dated nor will it date. The red is warm too. I would definitely avoid grey.

Your house and grounds are really lovely.

Thanks, Swooping... My son looked at the white version and his initial reaction was it looked like most new build houses... and my friend, when I said to her which architect we were using.. said 'flat roor/bifold doors/timber cladding?'. Which made me think I better use stone! That'll be more expensive but we won't need very much at all so it should be OK.